The world has witnessed dramatic changes in global trade in the past few decades. Market reforms and the reduction of international trade barriers have converted individual domestic markets into a "one-market" global economy. Breakthroughs in communications, transportation, technology, trade, and financial flows have significantly altered concepts of time, distance, and markets. Events in one part of the world profoundly affect the economics, politics, and markets in other regions of the world. Products developed in one country find increasingly enthusiastic acceptance in other countries. Although many companies have conducted international trade for decades, today's global companies are much more aggressive and expansive. Domestic companies which never considered foreign competitors now find them in their backyards. No company is isolated from this phenomenon.
The international business concentration is designed for students who want to prepare themselves to meet the challenges of a global economy. The courses in the concentration focus on the principles and practices of domestic businesses that cross national boundaries. The objective of the concentration is to give students exposure to major areas of economics, finance, human resource management, marketing, and operations management in an international context, thereby providing the student with a broad foundation that is applicable to large and small organizations serving domestic and global markets.