The utility of having proficiency in more than one language. An interdisciplinary program, the International Business Studies major is administratively located in the Center for Global Business Education and Research in the Bryan School of Business and Economics. An interdisciplinary committee from the Bryan School of Business and Economics and the College of Arts and Sciences recommends curriculum and degree requirements. The program is distinctive in business schools by requiring experiences and competence in areas such as language and culture that are not normally required in business programs and at a much higher level than required in other Bryan School of Business and Economics majors. The extra emphasis on understanding other cultures, societies and economies is met by requiring more courses related to social, political and economic environments in foreign countries than is required in other business programs.
All businesses now exist and operate in a global environment.
Companies from the United States and North Carolina have operations in every sector of the world. Many find that the majority of their profits are generated from operation outside the United States. At least one major corporation realizes 80 percent of its profits from business conducted on foreign soil. Add to these the companies that furnish parts and services to those who export or import, and more than 20 percent of the workforce in the United States is directly involved in global trade. The number of companies doing business abroad will increase.