Oct 31, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

International Business, B.B.A.


Program Description


The B.B.A. degree in international business requires a minimum of 120 credit hours of undergraduate work.

The credit hour requirements are as follows:

Admission and Retention Requirements


Students planning to major in international business must complete the 27 to 28 hour, lower-level B.B.A. curriculum prior to enrolling in upper-level core courses, normally taken in the first semester of the junior year. It is expected that the lower-level core curriculum along with most of the university General Education  curriculum will be completed during the first two years of study. Failing to complete all lower-level core requirements on time will delay enrollment in upper-level core and major courses until at least the second semester of the junior year.

The foreign language requirements of the major begin at the advanced level. Consequently, students with little or no foreign language training must use elective credits to obtain proficiency through the intermediate level.

College of Business Progression Standards

Any student admitted to JMU can declare any major offered by the College of Business. However, students must make satisfactory progress in order to be formally admitted into the College of Business. Requirements to continue pursuing a B.B.A. degree, often referred to as progression standards or formal admission, can be found on the College of Business catalog page.

Degree and Major Requirements


Degree Requirements Credit Hours
General Education  courses 1, 2 41
B.B.A. core courses 45
International business major requirements 3 24
Foreign language requirements (see required courses for details)

Total

12

122

Footnotes


1 Students are encouraged to choose general education courses having a foreign or international content. The program office has a list of these courses. The General Education  program contains a set of requirements each student must fulfill. The number of credit hours necessary to fulfill these requirements may vary.
2 Some language and General Education  courses may be completed during the semester abroad.
3 Students are required to spend the equivalent of at least six weeks abroad. See below for details.

Major Requirements


Students majoring in international business must carefully plan their individual course work because not all required courses are offered each semester and because each student in the major is required to complete an “international experience” (study, intern or work abroad). The international experience requirement is for a minimum of six weeks outside of the United States, unless express permission is granted by the program director for another option. The primary language spoken in the country chosen by each student for the study/work abroad requirement is not to be English and would optimally be the language chosen by the student to meet the IB language requirement. Approval of the international experience requirement must be obtained from the program director (approval forms are available online). International students should see the program director to determine appropriate requirements for this aspect of the curriculum.

International business majors must select a world region on which to concentrate that coincides with their selected language. For example, an international business major who selects French as their second language could choose Europe, Africa or Asia as a world region. Also, a student who selects Spanish as the second language could select either Europe or the Americas. The acceptable world regions are Africa/Middle East, Americas, Asia and Europe.

As part of the JMU assessment program, graduating seniors are required to participate in assessment activities. Assessment information is used to assist the COB faculty in modifying curricula and co-curricular events.

Footnotes


1 Offered fall semester only. Should be completed before COB 300.
2 Offered spring semester only.
3 Students choosing Spanish to meet the IB language requirement should take either SPAN 485  or SPAN 486  to fulfill this requirement.


The remaining courses will depend upon which of the following three concentrations the student selects:

Recommended Schedule for Majors


Third Year


Third Year Total: 30 Credit Hours


Footnotes

1 International business major requirement.
2 International business major requirement. Students with a finance concentration must take ECON 370  in place of ECON 270 ECON 370  is offered fall semester only.

Finance Concentration - Fourth Year


Finance Concentration - Fourth Year Total: 27 Credit Hours


General Concentration - Fourth Year


General Concentration - Fourth Year Total: 27 Credit Hours


Marketing Concentration - Fourth Year


Marketing Concentration Total: 27 Credit Hours


Footnotes


1 International business major requirement.

2 Offered fall semester only.

3 Offered spring semester only.

MKTG 384  is a prerequisite for MKTG 470 .