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Requirements for the International Business Major

  • Completion of 2 years college-level foreign language.
  • 15 semester credits of upper division coursework at or above the level of BUSN 341 Financial Management must be from Linfield.
  • Completion of Mathematics and Statistics requirements.
  • Completion of 5 semester credits Global Pluralism (GP) in addition to Linfield Curriculum requirements.
  • Completion of Study Abroad.

Completion of the following required courses:

BUSN 260 Financial Accounting
BUSN 261 Managerial Accounting
BUSN 301 Management
BUSN 321 Marketing
BUSN 340 Business Law
BUSN 341 Financial Management
BUSN 495 Strategic Management (MWI)
ECON 210 Principles of Economics

Three of the five listed below are also required:

BUSN 410 International Management
BUSN 426 International Marketing
BUSN 435 International Business Law
BUSN 443 International Finance
ECON 331 International Economics

Study Abroad:

Students must successfully complete a study period abroad which has been approved in advance for this purpose to provide them with substantial exposure to foreign culture, life styles and business practices. Travel abroad will not be sufficient. An international course meeting this requirement will generally be scheduled for alternate summers. Economic History of the Industrial Revolution and Human Ecosystems in Ecuador are recent international courses. You are expected to fulfill this requirement while you work toward your degree. Prior experience is not acceptable.

If you plan to fulfill this requirement by travelling on your own, you need to submit a proposal to the Chair of the Business Department well in advance of your anticipated trip. Plan a minimum of 14 days foreign study, a longer stay is strongly encouraged. An established program with an accredited college covering business, culture, and where appropriate, language is preferred.

If you arrange a trip on your own, the proposal must include: detailed itinerary, literature analysis, list of study objectives and how they will be achieved, detailed list of topics to be covered, list of major references to be used, list of contacts for interviews and company visits.

At the end of the independent study, a paper will be submitted which integrates the academic literature on the topic with the interviews.

Foreign Language:

When one seeks to do business in another country, an ability to speak and understand the language of that country is of obvious benefit. More generally, familiarity with another language can enhance one’s sensitivity to cultural differences and their effects on how one conducts business. For these reasons, the Linfield faculty requires students majoring in international business to demonstrate proficiency in a modern language at the second-year level. Since the intent of this requirement is for you to learn a modern language, Latin, Classical Greek, Sanskrit and other ancient languages will not be accepted.

Proficiency may be demonstrated by one of the following means:

  1. Completion of two years of college coursework in a single modern foreign language. The student must have completed such coursework no more than five years prior to admission to Linfield. The student’s transcript will serve as documentation.  
  2. Achievement of a Foreign Service Institute rating of 1+ as measured by an oral language examination administered by a member of Linfield’s Department of Modern Languages. Such an examination may be scheduled through the DCE Office. For details contact your advisor.  
  3. Some other means of showing competency equal to that achieved through two years of college coursework.Acceptable documentation might include letters from qualified language instructors or certificates from reputable language schools.

This requirement will be waived for students whose second language is English.

Departmental Quantitative Requirements

Students enrolling in business courses must demonstrate the following quantitative prerequisites:  

  1. To enroll in courses numbered BUSN 200-340, a student must have taken MATH 105 (intermediate algebra) or a higher level mathematics course.
  2. To enroll in most courses numbered BUSN 341 and above, a student must (a) complete MATH 162 Finite Math with Calculus or equivalent, and (b) complete MATH 140 Introduction to Statistics or equivalent.

Departmental Policy on Prerequisites

The Department presumes that students will have taken the applicable prerequisite(s) when registering for courses. Prerequisites will be waived when the Department Chair deems that a student’s background or other extenuating circumstances render the applicable prerequisite(s) unnecessary. This approval must be obtained prior to registration for class.

Meeting Course Requirements By Transfer Credits

Required courses such as Marketing, Management and Business Law can be satisfied by approved transfer courses. In instances where the content of a course is not clear from its title, you may be asked to provide additional information in the form of catalog description or syllabus.

Age Limit on Coursework

Courses used to meet the International Business language proficiency must be within five years.