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International Business, B.S.

The Bachelor of Science in International Business program at Saint Louis University's Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business offers students the opportunity to build global business understanding and experience through courses, student activities, special events and internships.

The Chaifetz School of Business' highly-ranked international business program is designed to provide SLU students with a holistic approach to understanding the interconnectedness of global business and its implications on a company's performance. Through classes and global immersion experiences, students learn about the impact and implementation of international business practices in the modern marketplace and examine various strategic options that managers consider when assessing international market potential. The International Business major prepares students to think in a multi-disciplinary fashion when analyzing and assessing the factors that can evolve a firm's global presence into global excellence.

Before engaging with an overseas business associate, students must first understand how that person's language, communication style, social infrastructure, work attitudes, economy, politics, pace of life, geography and government policies impact the way business is conducted. Students will also learn about exporting, importing, foreign direct investment, foreign licensing, international services and global transactions of products or services. By helping them develop this toolbox, the school prepares students to meet the challenges of operating in a global economy.

International business students are encouraged to participate in several extracurricular opportunities available, including mentorship by senior international business executives, in addition to international business internships.

The Department of International Business also offers a minor for students in other business and non-business majors to add to their chosen major.

Curriculum Overview

The international business major is designed to provide students with a holistic approach to understanding the interconnections of globalization and its implications on a company's performance. Students are introduced to the tools needed to decide on foreign market selections, entry mode strategies, international product customization and global multi-point competitive strategies. In addition, students learn the importance of analyzing the national differences in political, economic, cultural and legal systems.Ìý

Students can focus their coursework on the nuances of business practice in various regions of the world and can choose to align their foreign language classes accordingly.

Students are strongly encouraged to study abroad and gain firsthand experience through immersion. Options range from a large selection of full-semester destinations to shorter global immersion experiences of one to two weeks.

Internships/Student Organizations

Benefits of the international business program also include internship opportunities. International business internships may be completed for credit (up to three academic credits can be approved) and are often paid.

Internships are approached with a team model, linking the Valerie A. Davisson Career Resources Center with a faculty advisor and site supervisor to ensure a meaningful experience. In recent years, international business students have interned with prestigious St. Louis-based companies such as Boeing and Edward Jones, as well as with national and global organizations such as the U.S. Embassy in Luxembourg and the U.S. House of Representatives. Many internships lead to job offers for full-time employment after graduation.Ìý

The Department of International Business and the Boeing Institute of International Business support the International Business Club, which provides students with field trips to local international companies such as Nestle, arranges for students to hear from prominent guest speakers, and provides a variety of other special events for club members.

Careers

The increasingly global nature of commerce means students majoring in international business have a wide range of career options. Graduates holding a Bachelor of Science in International Business find opportunities at local firms doing business abroad and multi-national companies operating in countries around the world.

International business students receive dedicated career development support from the Chaifetz School's Valerie A. Davisson Career Resources Center and join a global network of 20,000 alumni of the Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business.Ìý

91ÖÆƬ³§ Requirements

Freshman

Begin your application for this program at www.slu.edu/apply. Saint Louis University also accepts the Common App.

All applications are thoroughly and carefully reviewed. Solid academic performance in college preparatory coursework is a primary criterion in reviewing a freshman applicant’s file.

To be considered for admission to any Saint Louis University undergraduate program, the applicant must be graduating from an accredited high school, have an acceptable HiSET exam score or take the General Education Development (GED) test. Beginning with the 2021-22 academic year, undergraduate applicants will not be required to submit standardized test scores (ACT or SAT) in order to be considered for admission. Applicants will be evaluated equally, with or without submitted test scores.

Transfer

Begin your application for this program at www.slu.edu/apply.

Applicants must be graduates of an accredited high school or have an acceptable score on the GED. An official high school transcript and official test scores are required only of those students who have attempted fewer than 24 transferable semester credits (or 30 quarter credits) of college credit. Those having completed 24 credits or more of college credit need only submit a transcript from previously attended college(s).

Transfer students must have a cumulative 2.70 GPA to be admitted to the accounting program and a 2.50 GPA for all other majors. In reviewing a transfer applicant’s file, the office of admission holistically examines the student’s academic performance in college-level coursework as an indicator of the student’s ability to meet the academic rigors of Saint Louis University.

International Applicants

Begin your application for this program at www.slu.edu/apply.

All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students, along with the following:

  • You must demonstrate .
  • Proof of financial support must include:
    • A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding your time at Saint Louis University.
    • A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of your study at the University.
  • Academic records, in English translation, of students who have undertaken post-secondary studies outside the United States must include the courses taken and/or lectures attended, practical laboratory work, the maximum and minimum grades attainable, the grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations, and any honors or degrees received. WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.

Tuition

Tuition Cost Per Year
Undergraduate Tuition $54,760

Additional charges may apply. Other resources are listed below:

Net Price Calculator

Information on Tuition and Fees

Miscellaneous Fees

Information on Summer Tuition

Scholarships and Financial Aid

There are two principal ways to help finance a Saint Louis University education:

  • Scholarships: Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, service, leadership and financial need.
  • Financial Aid: Financial aid is provided through grants and loans, some of which require repayment.

Saint Louis University makes every effort to keep our education affordable. In fiscal year 2023, 99% of first-time freshmen and 92% of all students received financial aid and students received more than $459 million in aid University-wide.

For priority consideration for merit-based scholarships, apply for admission by December 1 and complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1.

For more information on scholarships and financial aid, visit the Office of Student Financial Services.

Accreditation

The Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the world’s largest business education alliance and accrediting body of business schools, ensuring continuous quality improvement in terms of curriculum, instructional resources, student selection, career placement and intellectual contributions and qualifications of the faculty. Approximately 5% of business schools worldwide have achieved AACSB accreditation.Ìý

  1. Graduates will be able to understand essential business concepts and how the various functional areas of business are related.
  2. Graduates will be able toÌýdemonstrate knowledge of ethical concepts and corporate social responsibility and be able to evaluate business problems from multiple ethical perspectives.
  3. Graduates will be able toÌýidentify and structure business problems and propose actionable solutions to business problems and, when applicable, utilize appropriate technology.
  4. Graduates will be able toÌýdemonstrate effective written communication.
  5. Graduates will be able toÌýunderstand how cultures, politics, laws, ethics, and economies influence and impact business and use tools and concepts to analyze and formulate an international business strategy.
  6. Graduates will be able toÌýapply international trade and foreign direct investment theories and practices in formulating multinational enterprises' business strategies.
  7. Graduates will be able toÌýanalyze country, industry, and firm-level factors to assess global competitive dynamics.
  8. Graduates will be able toÌýdemonstrate an ability to analyze the impact of cross-cultural differences on a multinational enterprise’s strategies, structures and performance.

Eighteen credits of international business courses in addition to ±õµþÌý2000 Introduction to International Business (3 cr), which is taken as a business core body of knowledge requirement, and nine foreign language credits.

Students who demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English as determined by the academic department for that language may be waived from up to 9 credits of the International Business language requirement.Ìý Courses used to satisfy the language requirement must be in the same language.

UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE CORE32-35
BUSINESS MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
Program Requirements15
Business Common Body of Knowledge (CBK)48
Major-Specific IB Requirements †6
±õµþÌý3100
Geopolitics of World Business
±õµþÌý4120
International Business Strategies
Major-Specific IB Electives12
Select three courses (nine credits) with the "International Business Major Electives" attribute:
±õµþÌý3020
Latin American Business
±õµþÌý3040
Asian Business
±õµþÌý3060
International Business of the European Union *
±õµþÌý3140
International e-Business
±õµþÌý3150
Middle Eastern Business
±õµþÌý3160
Cultural Differences in International Business
±õµþÌý3700
Transitioning to a Sustainable World *
±õµþÌý4900
Global Immersion in International Business §
±õµþÌý4910
International Business Internship
Select one course (3 credits) with the "International Business Major Breadth Elective" attribute:
´¡°ä°ä°ÕÌý3160
International Accounting for Global Organizations *
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý3850
Political Economy European Union *
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý4300
International Trade
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý4310
Exchange Rates and Global Economics
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý4450
Economics of Int'l Migration
·¡°ä°¿±·Ìý4560
Economic Development
¹ó±õ±·Ìý4250
International Financial Management
²Ñ°­°ÕÌý4550
International Marketing
Foreign Language9
GENERAL ELECTIVES ‡9-12
Total Credits120
†

In addition to completing lower and upper-division coursework in all areas of business, each student typically selects a business major before or during the first semester of the junior year. 18 major-specific credit hours are required as determined by the appropriate department. To broaden their expertise, students may complete more than one major in business, or a major and a minor in business.ÌýOutside of the Business Common Body of Knowledge (CBK), however, a maximum of one business course (3 credit hours) may be used to fulfill requirements in two business majors/minors.

§

Various immersion locations; only one may be used to satisfy international business major requirements.

‡

General electives may be selected from any area of study within the University, giving the student the opportunity to diversify their experiences.Ìý Students should consider University Undergraduate CORE attribute requirements when selecting electives.

*

These courses are only offered on the Madrid campus. St. Louis students can take these during a study abroad experience to meet their major requirements.

Continuation Standards

International business students must maintain a 2.00 cumulative grade point average (GPA) in all courses used to fulfill the major-specific course requirements.ÌýÌý

​Students will be on program probation if their GPA in major-specific courses used to fulfill major requirements falls below a 2.00. Students will have one semester to increase their major-specific cumulative GPA to a 2.00; if not, students will not be allowed to register for 3000- or 4000-level major-specific courses.

Students will be automatically placed on university probation if any of the following occur:

  • Their Saint Louis University cumulative grade point average falls below 2.00
  • Their Saint Louis University semester grade point average is below a 1.00
  • More than two "incomplete" or two "in-progress" grades on their academic transcript

During the probationary period, advisors help students achieve academic success by closely monitoring their academic performance.

In order to improve scholastically and demonstrate their ability to make progress toward a degree, students on probation may not register for more than 12 credits in the fall and spring semesters, three credits in the winter term, and no more than one course/four credits in any single summer session term.

The conditions under which a student is dismissed from the school include:

  1. Inability to eliminate probationary status within the two semesters subsequent to the assignment of probation or
  2. A grade point average deficit of more than 15 points.

For more information, seeÌý.

Graduation Requirements

To be certified for graduation, a student must complete all course requirements and meet all of the following conditions:

  • Apply to graduate.
  • Complete the University Undergraduate Core.
  • Earn a minimum 2.00 cumulative grade point average (GPA) in overall SLU coursework, in business school coursework, and in major-specific courses. (B.S.-Accounting students must earn a minimum 2.70 cumulative GPA in overall SLU coursework, a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA in business coursework, and grades of C or higher in all courses that fulfill the major-specific requirements.)
  • Complete 30 of the final 36 credits at the St. Louis campus or an approved study abroad program.
  • Complete at least 50% of business coursework in residence at the St. Louis campus.*
  • Complete major-specific course requirements in residence at the St. Louis campus.*
  • Students transferring from the Madrid campus must complete a minimum of 40 credits of coursework, including a minimum of 30 credits of business coursework in residence at the St. Louis campus.*
*

Students may pursue the economics, international business or marketing majors at the St. Louis campus and/or at the Madrid campus. The residency requirement then applies to courses taken at either campus.

Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollmentÌýunless otherwise noted. Ìý

Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.

This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester. Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

Plan of Study Grid
Year One
FallCredits
°ä°¿¸é·¡Ìý1000 Ignite First Year Seminar 1 2
µþ±õ´ÜÌý1000 Business Foundations 1 1
°ä²Ñ²ÑÌý1200
or °ä²Ñ²ÑÌý1250
Public Speaking 2
or Communicating in Groups and Teams
3
°ä°¿¸é·¡Ìý1900 Eloquentia Perfecta 1: Written and Visual Communication 1 3
Foreign Language 3
Elective in Business or Other Areas (²Ñ´¡°Õ±áÌý1200, if appropriate) 3
ÌýCredits15
Spring
COREÌý3800 Ways of Thinking: Natural and Applied Sciences 3
MATHÌý1320
or MATHÌý1510
Survey of Calculus 2
or Calculus I
3
COREÌý1600 Ultimate Questions: Theology 3
BIZ 1100/1002 Business in Action 1
ECONÌý1900 Principles of Economics 3
Foreign Language 3
ÌýCredits16
Year Two
Fall
COREÌý2500 Cura Personalis 2: Self in Contemplation 0
PSYÌý1010 General Psychology 3
ACCTÌý2200 Financial Accounting 3
±õµþÌý2000 Introduction to International Business (meets University Core Attribute: Global Interdependence) 3
OPMÌý2070 Introduction to Business Statistics 3
Foreign Language 3
ÌýCredits15
Spring
COREÌý1700 Ultimate Questions: Philosophy 3
ACCTÌý2220 Accounting for Decision Making 3
BIZÌý3000 Career Foundations 3 1
ECONÌý3120
or ECONÌý3140
Intermediate Macroeconomics
or Intermediate Microeconomics
3
±õµþÌý3100 Geopolitics of World Business (International Business requirement) 3
MKTÌý3000 Introduction to Marketing Management 3
ÌýCredits16
Year Three
Fall
COREÌý3400 Ways of Thinking: Aesthetics, History, and Culture 3
ECONÌý3120
or ECONÌý3140
Intermediate Macroeconomics
or Intermediate Microeconomics
3
FINÌý3010 Principles of Finance 3
±õµþÌý4120 International Business Strategies (International Business requirement) 3
MGTÌý3000 Management Theory and Practice 3
ÌýCredits15
Spring
PHILÌý2050 Ethics (meets University CORE Attribute: Dignity, Ethics & a Just Society) 3
Elective that Satisfies University Core Attribute: Identities in Context 3
BTMÌý2000 Introduction to Business Technology Management 3
±õµþÌý4900 Global Immersion in International Business (or International Business Major Elective) 5 3
OPMÌý3050 Introduction to Management Science and Operations Management 3
ÌýCredits15
Year Four
Fall
COREÌý2800 Eloquentia Perfecta 3: Creative Expression 3
BTMÌý2500 Data Modeling, Analysis and Visualization 3
MGTÌý2000 Legal Environment of Business I 3
International Business Major Elective 3
International Business Major Elective 3
ÌýCredits15
Spring
COREÌý4000 Collaborative Inquiry 3
COREÌý4500 Reflection-in-Action 0
ENGLÌý4000 Professional Writing 3
±õµþÌý4900 Global Immersion in International Business (or International Business Major Elective) 5 3
MGTÌý4000 Strategic Management and Policy 6 3
Elective in Business or Other Areas 1
ÌýCredits13
ÌýTotal Credits120
1

Must complete in first 36 credit hours at SLU.

2

Must complete in first 60 credit hours at SLU.

3

Must take second semester sophomore year unless studying abroad.

5

See list of IB electives; can only do one ±õµþÌý4900 Global Immersion in International Business (3 cr) course.

6

Must have completed all other Business Common Body of Knowledge courses.

Students can complete all or part of the international business major at SLU’s campus in Madrid.

Learn More

2+SLU programs provide a guided pathway for students transferring from a partner institution.Ìý