BA (Hons)
International Business
Gain an understanding of how business operates across borders
Course Overview
Why take this course?
This course is the ideal choice for would-be international business high-flyers. The globally expanding business world is constantly looking for essential cross-cultural business awareness.
With a strong contemporary feel, you’ll learn to relate theoretical explanations of business to the practical issues facing today’s global business managers.
What will I experience?
On this course you can:
- Do a one-year placement working in a paid full-time role overseas
- Take your studies abroad to one of our partner universities in Europe, the USA, Australia or Asia
- Deal with current real-life topics such as how to market products internationally or manage international human resource issues and cross-cultural impacts
What opportunities might it lead to?
The Business School has won international recognition by one of the world's leading accreditation bodies (European Foundation for Management Development) for the high quality of its business courses. EPAS is a scheme operated by the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD), a European network that promotes and enhances excellence in management development internationally.
With its EPAS accreditation, you will benefit from studying a course which is recognised for its high quality student experiences of internationalisation and corporate engagement.
Here are some routes our graduates have pursued:
- business development and consultancy
- tecruitment
- emarketing
- publicity
- financial and risk analysis
The course provides you with a great grounding in all areas of business. It is unique in that you have the opportunity to live and study abroad at a partner university.
Darwin Jackson, BA (Hons) International Business student
Key Facts
- UCAS Course Code:
- N123
- Duration
- 3 years full time, 4 years sandwich with work placement
- Entry
300-320 points from 3 A levels or equivalent.
Other qualifications- Fees
UK/EU/Channel Islands and Isle of Man full-time students: £8,750 p/a*
International full-time students: £10,500 p/a*
*Please note that all fees are subject to annual increase.- Contact
- bus.admissions@port.ac.uk
+44 (0)23 9284 8200 - Department
- Portsmouth Business School
Subject:
Business and Management
Find out what our students say about studying at Portsmouth, including:
- Insight into different aspects of the business world
- Lecturers who are experienced in their field and are passionate about sharing their knowledge
- Excellent work placement opportunities and careers support
Visit us at our open day
Wed 10 Jul
Structure & Teaching
Year one
This common first year among some of our business courses provides you with a broad understanding of how business operates.
You will specifically focus on the following areas:
- Business Accounting
- Business Innovation Development Project
- Business Operations and Systems Management
- Economics for Business
- Managing People in Organisations
- Marketing Principles and Practice
- Quantitative Methods and Data Analysis
Year two
The first half of your second year will be spent studying at one of our partner universities. There is a huge selection of destinations to choose from including:
- America
- Canada
- West Indies
- Scandinavia
- France
- Germany
- Czech Republic
- China
When you return, you’ll carry on the international theme by studying the following units:
- International Business
- International Enterprise
- Operations and Organisations
- Overseas Placement
Year three*
If you opt to do a work placement, you’ll return to your final year with great first-hand experience of an international business environment. You will consolidate your studies through a final batch of international business subjects as well as a unit on management strategy. You will also complete an independent study project on a topic of particular interest to you.
Options you will choose from in this year include:
- Business Ethics
- Business Research Project
- Cross Cultural Awareness for Business
- Dissertation (SBS)
- Enterprise Project
- Managing Equality and Diversity at Work
- Work Based Learning
Core units in this year include:
- Enterprise World Futures
- International Marketing Analysis and Strategy
*This course is also available as a 4-year sandwich (work placement)
Teaching and Assessment
Our teaching approach involves a varied structure of lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops and practical sessions. We aim to provide a stimulating environment that encourages use of IT teaching methods as well as participation in group discussions and projects, alongside individual study.
How are you assessed?
You will encounter a combination of assessment methods to suit differing learning styles. Here’s how we assess your work:
- examinations
- analysis of topical case studies
- written reports and essays
- presentations
- practical artefacts such as small websites or systems
Visit us open day
Facilities & Features
Placements Office
Offering great placement opportunities
Academic Skills Unit (ASK)
ASK will help you become a successful university student
Computing
Great working spaces with high-spec PCs, Macs and printing facilities
University Library
Modern, comfortable and a great learning environment
Placements Office
Take advantage of our Placements Office. Providing you with a huge portfolio of employers offering great business-related placement opportunities, the experienced team is always on hand to offer advice on everything from producing high quality applications through to preparation for a company assessment day.
Academic Skills Unit (ASK)
ASK will help you become a successful university student. Our workshops are designed to improve a number of essential academic skills from essay writing and understanding plagiarism to revision and exam techniques. This is a great way to enhance your academic performance and make a smooth transition into university study.
Computing
We have invested heavily in open access computer suites across campus. Great working spaces with high-spec PCs (multimedia and CAD), Macs and printing facilities. There is also more specialised software and equipment available such as large format printing, audio-visual equipment and language laboratories. Should you need any assistance, there are specialist technicians on hand to support you in using the facilities.
University Library
Modern, comfortable and a great learning environment, our library offers a wealth of information including 400,000 books, DVDs, maps and thousands of online ejournals and newspapers. Many electronic resources are available anywhere, 24/7 and our friendly staff are always on hand to help.
Careers & Opportunities
Career prospects
This course is an excellent starting point for a range of career choices particularly in multinational organisations, and your placement year will set you ahead of other recent graduates when you begin to build your career in the business sector.
Your practical skills and familiarity with a broader international setting will open up opportunities across the employment spectrum.
Roles our graduates have taken on include:
- Marketing executive for Wolfram Research
- Corporate financial specialist for Accenture Ltd
- Account director for UMD Media in Finland
- Pilot for Astraits Ltd
- Stock loss project manager for Excel Ltd
Work experience
Boost your degree with the opportunity to undertake a one-year placement working in a paid full-time role spent in industry either abroad or in an international business role in the UK. You will benefit from the contemporary business experience that employers demand, making you highly employable upon graduation.
With employers now seeking key business competencies and experience alongside a good degree, work experience is more vital than ever. Due to its very nature a placement year is the best and most involving type of work experience you can do during your time at university. As such, a placement will help ensure you are as employable as possible upon graduation.
Career planning
6.04 minutes
Finding a job is a competitive business, but the statistics show that 89 per cent of our 2011graduates went into employment, further study or training within six months of finishing their degrees.
To make sure you take the right steps on your career path, we’re here to give you help, support and advice throughout your study. Even after you’ve graduated, we continue to give you support for up to five years.
Employers tell us that they want graduates to be able to demonstrate certain skills when they come out of university. Our courses take account of this. We make sure we prepare you for employment through work-related learning, projects, placements and working in simulated environments that are designed to prepare you for the working world.
Open Day
Our next open day is Wed 10 July
VISIT US! Have a look around and get a feel for what it’s like to live and study here. We’ll be on hand to talk to you about your course interests and show you all of our amazing facilities. You’ll also get to meet tutors and other students…
Application, Fees and Funding — find out more