International Business Honors Program Description

The International Business Honors (IB Honors) Program is designed for Honors College undergraduate students who want to develop cutting-edge critical thinking, business skills and a strong understanding of the cultural, historical, religious, economic, and political forces at work around the world.

IB Honors features a multi-disciplinary curriculum in which students take courses in international business, regional studies, and foreign languages. Besides class work, students are immersed in the global business environment as they write their honors thesis and perform a community service requirement. The program integrates seminar style classes, study abroad opportunities, participation in the IB Honors Society, and professional development activities—all geared to preparing graduates for success anywhere in the world.

The program attracts high performing, demanding, and motivated students. A new class of junior level students begins this selective program each fall. Dr. William Schneper is the IB Honors program director. FIU freshmen and sophomores are encouraged to contact the IB Honors program at ibh@fiu.edu, to become familiar with the program and be prepared for official entry during their junior year. Qualified transfer students are encouraged to apply in time to be admitted to the program at the beginning of their junior year.

Through a unique combination of business courses, regional studies, and a foundation in the humanities, the International Business Honors program is designed to help students understand all the functional areas of a firm as well as the global, strategic management issues businesses face today.

Students are challenged to use the multicultural perspectives and expertise they acquire in their courses to enrich class discussions and group projects. Small classes enable students to work with both faculty and colleagues in a close-knit and highly interactive learning environment.

Unique features

The IB Honors program allows students to:

  • study among a select group of peers in the Honors College
  • learn business skills that are in step with the emerging trends in international and global business
  • engage in an exciting, innovative, global and multicultural approach to business education with:
    • courses in international business and management taught by our expert international faculty
    • electives in regional studies with specific focus on: Asia, Latin America, or Europe
    • courses in the humanities—sociology, anthropology, religious studies, international relations, political science, philosophy, and history to enhance your business expertise
    • study abroad opportunities
    • an array of international community service projects
    • a chance to network in a vibrant center of international commerce—Miami, an emerging global city and gateway to the world
  • receive academic and career guidance from a dedicated faculty and staff,
  • join the International Business Honors Society and participate in community service programs, national conferences, and other developmental activities.

Program description

The International Business (IB) Honors program operates in partnership with the Honors College at Florida International University. All IB Honors students must first be admitted to the FIU Honors College before declaring IB honors as their major. Upon graduation, students receive both a BBA degree in International Business Honors and an Honors degree from the FIU Honors College.

Students in the program can choose to select a region and a corresponding language as a focus for his or her studies. He or she then takes courses in business as well as in a regional studies area and a foreign language. Alternatively, students can focus on the international areas of a specific business function. The program director will work with each student to prepare a plan of study that strategically aligns with the student’s career goals. Students in the program are encouraged to study abroad for at least one summer to develop their knowledge of the people in that region, their history and culture, and their business, economic, and political environment.

In addition to their classroom and study abroad experiences, students are expected to complete both an honor thesis related to international business as well as a community service component. Both of these are challenging tasks that are the culmination of a student’s undergraduate studies. The thesis allows students to show mastery in their field of study while contributing to the knowledge of international business. The community service requirement is an opportunity for students to learn how to become global business and community leaders.

Degree requirements

The IB Honors degree signifies joining a cadre of high caliber managers who have exemplary business skills and a refined understanding of the cultural, historical, religious and political contexts within given regions of the global economic system.

Courses with an asterisk (*) require a grade of "B" or higher. Sixty credits of upper division course work are required for the degree. Completion of a senior thesis, as developed in the IB Honors Project Seminar and through an independent study with a faculty advisor, is required for graduation. Similarly, the student must receive a passing evaluation on the community service requirement.

Required Courses

Business core: IB Honors majors are required to complete 30 credit hours in the following courses:

ECO 3203 Intermediate Macroeconomics
MAN 3025 Organization and Management
CGS 3300 Introduction to Information Systems
MAR 3023 Marketing Management
FIN 3403 Financial Management
QMB 3200 Application of Quantitative Methods in Business
IDH 3005 Aesthetics, Values, and Authority
MAN 4720 Strategic Management (Honors)*
INR 3403 International Law*
MAN 4504 Operations Management

Major requirements: IB Honors majors are required to complete 30 credit hours in the following courses:

IDH 3006 Aesthetics, Values, and Authority
FIN 4604 International Financial Management
MAN 4600 International Management (Honors)*
MAN 4602 International Business (Honors)*
MAN 49XX IB Honors Project Seminar (Honors)
MAR 4156 International Marketing
IDH 4006 Study Abroad or elective (regional or advanced business study)*
IDH 4007 Study Abroad or elective (regional or advanced business study)*
Elective Regional, language or advanced business study
Elective Regional, language or advanced business study

IB Honors electives: IB Honors majors will select three courses from among the Advanced Business/Regional courses:

Options for Advanced Business courses

FIN 4634 International Banking*
MAN 4613 International Risk Assessment*
MAR 4144 Export Marketing*
MAN 4660 Business in Latin America*

Options for Regional Studies courses

ANT 3780 Anthropology of Brazil
ANT 4324 Mexico
ANT 4328 Mayan Civilization
ANT 4332 Latin America
ASN 4510 Dynamics of Asia
COM 3410 Cultural Communication-Patterns of Asia
CPO 3103 Politics of Western Europe
CPO 3104 Politics of the European Union
CPO 3304 Politics of Latin America
CPO 3502 Politics of the Far East
CPO 4541 Politics of China
CPO 4553 Government Politics of Japan
ECS 3003 Comparative Economic Systems
ECS 3200 Economics of Asia
ECS 3402 The Political Economy of South America
ECS 3401 The Brazilian Economy
ECO 4701 World Economy
ECS 3403 Economics of Latin American
ECO 4713 International Macroeconomics
EUH3245 European History, 1914-1945
EUH 3282 European History, 1945 to Present
EUH 3611 European Cultural and Intellectual History
EUH 4313 History of Spain
EUH 4451 History of Modern France, 1815-1968
EUH 4462 History of Modern Germany, 1815-1945
EUH 4542 The Culture and Society of Britain, 1830-Present
FIN 3652 Asian Financial Markets and Institutions
GEA 3500 Population and Geography of Europe
INR 3214 International Relations of Europe
INR 3223 Japan and the United States
INR 3224 International Relations of East Asia
INR 3232 International Relations of China
INR 3243 International Relations of Latin America
INR 3246 International Relations of the Caribbean
INR 3262 International Relations of Russia and the Former USSR
INR 5036 Politics of Globalization
LAH 3132 The Formation of Latin America
MAN 4660 Business in Latin America
PHH 3042 Latin American Philosophy
PHH 3401 Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century Philosophy
PHH 3402 British Empiricism
PHH 3602 Twentieth Century British Philosophy
POR 3500 Luso-Brazilian Culture
REL 3313 Sources of Modern Asian Society
REL 4340 Pathways to Buddha
REL 4351 Religion and Japanese Culture
REL 4481 Contemporary Latin American Religious Thought
SPN 3520 Spanish American Culture
SPW 3130 Spanish American Literature

Program Director

If you would like additional information, please e-mail the IB Honors program at ibh@fiu.edu.