SBWL International Business

Specialization International Business

Overview & Contents

The specialization International Business aims at providing students with a solid foundation within the three key areas IB Strategies, IB Markets and IB Resources. IB Strategies is dedicated to managing multinational companies, international knowledge transfer and regional strategies. The key area IB Markets covers market-entry strategies, emerging markets and globalization. IB Resources focuses on international HR management, cross-cultural management and multicultural teams. Besides in-depth knowledge within these three key areas, students are also provided the linkages and interrelations among and between these fields leading to both, a solid overview of international business as well as specialized knowledge. Additionally, students will acquire essential social skills and abilities such as presentation expertise, effective communication abilities and team-work skills. This is realized by using a selected mix of teaching methods including case studies, interactive discussions, team-work assignments, seminars and ongoing presentations.

Recommended Course of Studies

The program structure of the specialization International Business is flexible and allows students to complete course work within two or three semesters. The necessary prerequisite for taking the advanced seminars (courses 3-5) consists in completing the two basic courses (1-2) Foundations and Applications.

1st semester:

Course 1 (basic course) - Foundations of International Business

Course 2 (basic course) - International Business Applications

2nd (or 3rd) semester:

Course 3 - Seminar IB Strategies

Course 4 - Seminar IB Markets

Course 5 - Seminar IB Resources

Particularities

The entire specialization International Business is taught exclusively in English. Several opportunities for credit transfer, in particular for the advanced seminars, are offered. It is recommended though to check any specific credit-transfer opportunities following the respective procedure as recommend on the institute’s homepage.

Entry

Admission to the specialization International Business is competitive and based upon students’ grade records and the result of a written entry exam. The result of the entry exam and a student’s grade records (based on grade point average*) make up 50% respectively of the total admission criteria (i.e. each student needs to take the entry exam, nobody will be given preference because of good grades).

Examination mode: A

Entry mode: grade record and entry exam, registration with LPIS, please consider additional information on the entry exam on the institute’s homepage.

Slots per semester: approx. 60

*grade point average For calculating the grade point average, the best 20 SSt are taken into consideration. All curriculum credits of the WU introductory phase as well as curriculum credits from phase II are considered. In case curriculum courses have not been graded with unequivocal grades (e.g. passed/participated), respective courses are not being considered for calculating the grade point average.

The grade point average will be calculated based on the course of study (=Studienrichtung, e.g. IBW) under which you register for the exam. If you are registered for more than one course of study, i.e. IBW and Wirtschaftsrecht at the same time, the grade point average will be calculated from the study under which you registered for the entry exam. Please note that switching from one course of studies to another after you have registered for the entry exam is not possible.

Entry Exam

The entry exam for the specialization International Business takes place on Monday, 27 February 2012.

There are no practice exams available!

Time: 09:00 a.m.

Place:

A – K: Hörsaal 0.5 (UZA 1)

L – Z: Hörsaal 0.4 (UZA 1)


Registration: Please register with LPIS between 8 and 22 February 2012 and for the following class:

1524 PI DIKOVA / PUCK / ROBINS / STAHL / AMBOS: Foundations of International Business

Registration for this course is also the registration for the entry exam. Without registration using LPIS, it is unexceptionally not possible to take the entry exam.

Registration for Course 2 (basic course) - International Business Applications, which is held in parallel to course # 1524 will be possible after students have successfully been accepted for the specialization International Business and given notice by the institute.

The entry exam is a multiple-choice test and is based on:

Cavusgil/Knight/Riesenberger (2008): International Business: Strategy, Management, and the New Realities: International Edition. Pearson Education.

The following chapters are relevant:

  • Introduction: What is International Business?
  • Globalization of Markets and the Internationalization of the Firm
  • Organizational Participants that Make International Business Happen
  • Theories of International Trade and Investment
  • The Cultural Environment of International Business
  • Political and Legal Systems in National Environments

(Later editions can be alternativly used; topics are the same)

Further information can be found here.