International business might be the major for students interested in making an impact on a global scale. 

International business is a rapidly growing field, and almost every business is impacted by it, according to Carol Finnegan, associate professor of marketing, strategy and international business.

International business focuses on understanding how the world works, our place in it and how things move across the world, including products, services and people according to Finnegan. “If you’re interested in business, it would behoove you to understand something about international business. Where does my food come from? Where do my clothes come from?” Finnegan said.  

International business is an applicable major or minor to take, according to Finnegan. “COVID-19 was a horrible pandemic, but a good example of international business getting stopped in its tracks and how it affected all of our lives,” she said. 

In classes, students can expect to learn about marketing, supply chain, finance and business operations on an international level before taking higher-level classes that go into depth about international marketing and international management. International marketing focuses on product export and international management of services. 

Marketing campaigns undergo major changes when spreading to new countries depending on the beliefs, culture and attitudes of consumers there. “It may be [making] a completely different campaign, or it may just be adjustments to an existing campaign, but you have to know the big picture,” Finnegan said. 

There are many study abroad options offered for international business, with a new virtual study abroad option being introduced in Fall 2025. This virtual study abroad class will be open to non-majors and not have any additional course costs; students should only expect to pay tuition. 

The class will be an online synchronous class where students will learn about marketing, management and finance in a certain country, which hasn’t been selected yet. “We’re going to be working toward understanding enough about the environment to have consulting projects for local entrepreneurs,” Finnegan said. 

This is the first time a study abroad class of this nature has been offered at UCCS. “People love [to] study abroad, but not everyone can afford the time or money for all of that, so I wanted to put into place something to give more choices for everyone,” Finnegan said. “It makes it different than the traditional study abroad, even the faculty led ones, because you are interacting with local entrepreneurs and helping them solve a problem.” 

Internships are not part of the curriculum, but Finnegan is able to help students connect with international business internship opportunities. She is familiar with several trustworthy companies that take students to placements overseas and can help students connect with them. 

International business students can find jobs in governmental, NGO and private sectors post-grad. They may also find work with multilateral organizations like the UN and World Bank. Students can find jobs overseas, but there are many international businesses with major offices in Colorado where they can apply. 

Those who are the most successful in finding jobs post-graduation typically know a second language and a technical skill in addition to their international business degree. Technical skills like finance or cybersecurity help students to stand out, according to Finnegan. This degree also builds many certificates into the curriculum for students to put on their resume, which helps them to be more competitive in the job market. 

International business also encourages students to take classes from many other disciplines that have an international focus, including language, history and political sciences courses. 

If you are interested in history, this could be a great career field and area of emphasis. Finnegan had an undergraduate degree in Russian History before completing her graduate degree in international business. If you are interested in working overseas, this degree can help make you successful in other countries. 

This article is part of a series exploring different degree options to help undecided and incoming students decide what is right for them. If you are interested in learning about other majors and areas of emphasis, you can visit the webpage for The Scribe’s Guide for the Undecided. 

Graphic by Olivia Davis.