Marketing & International BusinessInternational Business
Overview
As an international business major, you'll prepare for a rewarding career involving global enterprises, cultural nuances and collaboration with clients and colleagues from around the world. At Hofstra, our international business program integrates the social, cultural, political and legal, ethical, technological, geographic, environmental and economic factors that play a role when conducting business abroad.
On campus, the Zarb School of Business facilities are among the most technologically advanced in the nation, including a new, 52,000-foot building that opened in 2019 with a Center for Entrepreneurship, a business incubator and a business behavioral lab. In our Martin B. Greenberg Trading Room, one the largest academic trading rooms in the U.S., you'll have access to 34 Bloomberg terminals with the same real-time global market data that financial professionals use.
And because Hofstra is so close to New York City (25 miles, less than an hour by car or train), you'll have access to internships at the world's biggest companies and organizations in virtually every industry.
You'll also have opportunities for global experience. As an international business major, you're eligible for a one-of-a-kind dual degree program that includes a summer internship in China, as well as several specialized study abroad programs in countries such as Israel, Germany, Japan, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Spain and France.
Professionals who understand global markets and trends, and can adapt to diverse business cultures are always in demand. In the New York region, graduates with a bachelor’s degree in international business earn an average annual salary of $82,393 and job growth for this major is projected to increase about 15.2 percent by 2026, according to New York area labor market data retrieved in July 2018 by Burning Glass Technologies.
A degree from Hofstra's international business program signals to employers that can navigate the challenges of the global marketplace.
Curriculum
International business majors develop skills to understand global markets, economies, strategic management, marketing and more. You'll learn to recognize societal differences from multiple perspectives, and you'll develop expertise in a new region, understand its complexities in order to conduct business in that part of the world.
Courses include international strategic management; global business policies, planning and strategies; analysis of the international environment and global business research; and principles of international financial management. There is also a foreign language requirement
Qualified students can pursue a five-year, dual degree, combining their BBA in International Business with an MBA in any concentration.
Hofstra also offers a minor in international business and international marketing.
Up-to-date information about required classes and more is available in the Hofstra Bulletin.
Internships
International business majors are encouraged to pursue internships, both in the U.S. and abroad, to gain valuable work experience and industry knowledge that tie to their career goals. Our students have interned at:
- Christian Dior
- Honeywell
- JP Morgan Chase
- Madison Square Garden Company
- Pfizer Inc.
- Big Blue Ocean LLC
- Citigroup
- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC
Experience
As a Zarb School of Business student, you'll become part of a family that includes more than 30,000 alumni, many of whom regularly return to campus for formal recruiting and informal networking sessions hosted by our student organizations and the Hofstra Career Center.
International business majors can dig into global financial services through The Center for International Services and Markets, which offers conferences and workshops with a combination of scholars and C-suite executives addressing such topics as sustainable investing, women business leadership, supply chain management, impact investing, and entrepreneurship. And at the Zarb Executive Speaker Series, thought leaders and influencers share their perspective and experience.
Business students also can participate in more than 40 student organizations that encompass a diverse number of business interests. The International Business Association, for example, is affiliated with the United Nations Association of the United States of America, and focuses on career-oriented skills for students interested in networking, internships, job opportunities and social activities. As students focus on a future in international business, they are encouraged to take part in a wide array of community partnerships, conferences and lectures.
The Zarb School of Business offers seven business-related study abroad programs, as well as several courses that include international trips, including to South Africa, South Korea and Israel.
Among the many overseas opportunities is a partnership with Dongbei University of Finance and Economics in Dalian, China. Through this program, students take courses at Hofstra with visiting Dongbei professors and do a six-week summer internship at a multinational corporation in China. When they graduate, students earn two degrees, one from Hofstra and one from Dongbei University.
Students in this program have done their summer internships in China with companies like Pfizer Global Financial Services, P&G and Bacchus Wines. The experience of working in a foreign country and learning to adapt to a different workplace culture helps students build their resumes and stand out in a competitive job market.
Meet Our China Dual-Degree Students
Hofstra’s dual-degree program with Dongbei University of Finance and Economics in China is one of just a few such programs in the U.S. Students earn a BBA from Hofstra and a Bachelor of Economics from Dongbei. Meet the members of the program’s inaugural class.
Related Majors
- Management
- Entrepreneurship
- Finance
- Global Studies
- Information Systems and Business Analytics
- Marketing
- Accounting
- Legal Studies in Business
Related Links
- Hofstra International Business Association
- Executive Speaker Series
- Center for International Financial Services and Markets
- Business Study Abroad Programs
- China Dual-Degree Program (Dongbei University of Finance and Economics)