International Business BA (Hons) module details

Year one

Block 1: Global Business Environment

This module introduces students to the complexity of the global business environment. We will explore key dimensions of globalisation and the diverse aspects of the ever-evolving global business environment. Students will explore the facets of the global business environment and their impact on business operations and strategy.

Block 2: Business Dynamics, Ethics and Culture

The module is designed to provide students with an overview of the business foundations. Students will explore the foundational business concepts and various critical functions for the running of the organisations. By identifying critical success factors in the organisation's context, students will be able to make plans and measure the organisation's performance. At the same time, students will develop a dynamic view to track the development of theoretical discussions and their reflections in the real business world.

Block 3: Economics in Global Business

This module aims to introduce the key principles of economics that shape the business world. Students will explore the tools and concepts of economic analysis at the individual, market and country levels. The module includes an analysis of consumer behaviour, business development and alternative market structures. Students will learn how to apply different economic theories to real and current problems, develop critical thinking, and discuss ideas from different perspectives.

Block 4: Marketing for International Business

This module introduces students to core marketing principles, theories, and practices and their application in the international business context and provides an awareness of cultural considerations. Students will gain a good understanding of the marketing process and the ability to make critical reflections upon contemporary marketing practices from this module.

Year two

Block 1: Multinational Enterprise in the Global Economy

This module aims to broaden students' understanding of various geopolitical issues that impact international business. Students will learn the core concepts and ideas of the international business field. The module introduces and advances students' understanding of the main concepts of international business, such as multinational enterprise (MNE) and foreign direct investment (FDI), and the reasons for firms to engage with FDI. Additionally, it explores broad strategic and organisational challenges that MNEs face on a global scale and explores the link between the economic development of a country, the decision-making process in the MNE, and investment location choices.

Block 2: Data Analytics and Research Skills

This module provides a comprehensive overview of the research process and data analysis in business. It equips students with the necessary knowledge in applying various tools and techniques in data collection, analysis and interpretation. It also teaches students to examine business opportunities and challenges that will contribute to developing a business research project and its execution.

Block 3: International Organisational Behaviour and Leadership

The module explores the role of organisational behaviour in the context of international business and management. By examining the impacts of organisational setting, the individual and groups, and the international environment, the module expects to help students establish understandings of how people interact in organisations, how internal and external influences interact, and how these interactions shape the organisations.

Block 4: Students choose one of the following:

International Supply Chain Management

International Supply Chain Management (ISCM) plays a vital role in improving productivity and competitive positioning of a wide variety of businesses around the globe. Students will gain appreciation of operations and supply chain processes, which is of the essence to create a competitive advantage. This module will develop a data driven and analytics perspectives in students that are vital to success for supply chain analysts. With increased international competition and the pressures of an uncertain and everchanging environment, there is growing attention to the effective management of supply chain, logistics and operations and help managers understand the complexity of the internal and external structures and system of today's international supply chains.

International Financial Management and Decision Making

This module aims to enable the students to understand and analyse the information found in published financial accounts and other accessible data sources and to evaluate the financial performance of a business.

Year three

Block 1: International Business Strategy and Governance

This module explores the internationalisation process of the multinational enterprise from the strategic point of view. This core international business strategy module advances students' understanding of the main concepts of international business strategy such as firm-specific and location-specific advantages, and how the recombination of these advantages can create value for a multinational enterprise.

Block 2: Students choose one of the following:

Emerging Markets: Economic Geography and Trends

Module explores the spatial distribution of economic activity in the emerging markets and its implications on the past, present and the future development of the countries and regions. This module also explores the challenges that foreign firms are confronted with in the emerging markets and offers strategic solutions.

Dimensions of Digital Transformation

Digital technology is part of everyday life of a modern organisation. This module explores the key dimensions of digital transformation such as technology, data, people and organisation. Students will explore the opportunities and disruptive threats that digital transformation brings into the organisation and how to identify and implement possible solutions.

Block 3: International Trade Management

The module explores the key aspects of international trade, its regulations and policies. It provides students with a theoretical and practical understanding of international trade operations. Not only does it investigate international trade from an international political economy point of view, it also looks at international trade from management point of view. Students will be introduced to the essence of import and export operations, legislation, trade agreements, international payments and the role of procurement in supply chain management. In this module, the students will gain various valuable knowledge that can be applied where firms are operating at global scale.

Block 4: Students choose one of the following:

Business Project

The module provides an opportunity for students to undertake an independent project of a specialist area within the business area. Students will put in practice their research skills and planning skills, learn how to frame business problems and offer practical solutions.

Dissertation

The module provides an opportunity for students to undertake an independent exploration of a specialist area within the broad area of international business. Students will put in practice their research skills, learn how to frame research questions and act on them to achieve the goal of the dissertation.