International Business and Economics Programme

While studying

As today’s business environment becomes increasingly global, organisations need people who can quickly adapt to a constantly evolving, highly competitive global market, master cross-cultural relationships, and create successful strategies that take into account both local and global perspectives. Also, technological development is very fast and has a huge impact on today’s business.

The International Business and Economics Programme is designed to provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to work with most demanding business issues. If you are interested in working with qualified tasks in companies, organizations or in the public sector that have a large exchange across national and cultural borders, this is the programme for you!

About the programme

The programme is taught in English and prepares you for an international career. The programme gives you a comprehensive understanding of global challenges and how international companies as well as global economy function. During your studies you will develop the knowledge and skills needed to work in a complex, cross-border, multicultural environment. You will also develop competences needed to cope with technical innovations.

During the first three semesters, you will study the courses in business administration, economics, statistics, business analytics and law. This will give you a solid foundation by equipping you with the basics for success in more advanced business and economics courses.

The programme starts with an introduction to international business, markets, trade and global challenges. Further, you will learn about how to lead an organization, the managerial decision-making process and marketing. After that you will proceed with macroeconomics and finance.

Since data-driven and fact-based decision-making is becoming increasingly important for companies and organizations, you will study three statistics courses in business analytics and data visualization during the third semester. The law course will introduce to international law adapted to the international labour market.

Specialization

You can choose to specialize in either business administration or economics. Regardless of which specialization you chose, you will deepen your knowledge of international business.

If you choose business administration, you will enroll in courses in project management, entrepreneurship, accounting, operational management, and the course covering challenges in the international business environment.

If you choose economics, you will study the courses in economic modelling, industrial economy, financial economics, the microeconomics course in consumer behavior and the macroeconomic course in institutions and policies well as the course on current topics in economics.

At the end of the programme, you will write a bachelor thesis within your chosen field of study.

Elective courses, study abroad, and internship

During one semester you have an opportunity to personalize your learning by choosing some of our elective courses. During this semester, you will have the opportunity to study abroad. To get connected to potential employers, you also have the option to do an internship either in Sweden or abroad.

Applies for all programmes at USBE

Internship

You have the opportunity to do an internship for ten weeks in Sweden or abroad. This possibility is only available at a few business schools in the country. The internship gives you a good opportunity to put theoretical knowledge and experience into practice and show off your skills to potential employers. You will arrange your internship yourself in a company you find interesting. This way you are able to find an internship position that meets your expectations and provides more opportunities for you to use the internship as an entry to the labour market.

Studies abroad

Studying abroad is not only fun and challenging for you as a student but also a welcomed experience with future employers. Internationalization is an important area for us and we are working continuously to offer you as a student many opportunities for an adventure in Europe or further away on another continent. In our programs you therefore have the opportunity for studies abroad for a semester or two.

We have about 60 partner universities, chiefly in Europe, but also in Brazil, India, China, Mexico, South Africa, Russia, and China – all of them selected especially for our students. Students who would like to study farther away can avail themselves of Umeå University’s global agreement offering an opportunity to study in North America, Oceania, and Asia.

Sustainability perspective all the more important

Sustainability get a whole lot bigger attention in today’s firms and organizations and we lifted these questions up early in our educational programs. Together with our students are we working for a more sustainable business school and to revise the courses to improve the education about, and for, sustainable development at the program independent of your choice between business administration and economics. Our work on sustainability takes as a starting point the 17 sustainable development goals and Agenda 2030.

We are certified by the environmental management system ISO 14001 and we are members of the international networks GBSN, PRME and SDSN.

Read more about our work on sustainability

Corporate connections

The business school collaborates in many different ways with companies and organizations. For example internships, guest lectures, company visits, guest lectures, essay assignments and cases from companies.

As a student you might perhaps do an internship at one of our corporate partners. Professionals outside the university come to us as guest lecturers and teachers. Our researchers will in turn contribute with new knowledge to society. A group of advisors consisting of corporate and community representatives are also linked to the business school and they contribute with their knowledge and experience.

Programme overview

Year 1
Markets, Trade and Global Challenges 7.5 credits
International Business Administration and Global Challenges 7.5 credits
Leading and Organizing in an International Context 7.5 credits
Managerial Economics 7.5 credits
Contemporary Marketing 7.5 credits
Macroeconomics 15 credits
Finance 7.5 credits

Year 2
Business Analytics 15 credits
Introduction to International Business Law 7.5 credits
Data Visualization of Global Trends 7.5 credits

And

Specialization: Business Administration
Project Management, 7.5 credits
Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Technology, 7.5 credits
Financial Accounting, 7.5 credits
Managerial Accounting, 7.5 credits

Or

Specialization: Economics
Economic modeling with Applications, 10 credits
Industrial Organizations, 5 credits
International Economics, 7.5 credits
Financial Economics, 7.5 credits

Year 3
Electable courses (includes possibilities to study abroad or do a traineeship) 30 credits

And

Specialization: Business Administration
Meeting challenges in the international business environment, 15 credits
Bachelor’s Thesis in International Business Administration, 15 credits

Or

Specialization: Economics
Micro: Consumer Behavior, 5 credits
Macro: Institutions and Policy 5 credits
Current Topics in Economics 5 credits
Bachelor’s Thesis in Economics 15 credits