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International Business

Types of Degrees International Business Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing International Business have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	20
Associate’s Degree	105
Bachelor’s Degree	4,828
Master’s Degree	1,953
Doctor’s Degree	26

What International Business Majors Need to Know

Studies in International Business develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that International Business graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in International Business emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a International Business program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Judgment and Decision Making — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to International Business careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, International Business graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by International Business professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Structured query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	✓
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft Visio	Process mapping and design software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for International Business graduates include:

• Personnel Security Specialist
• Energy and Sustainability Manager
• Security Management Consultant
• Security Specialist
• Security Auditor
• Security Analyst
• Physical Security Engineer
• Physical Security Specialist
• Workplace Violence Prevention Specialist
• Personal Protection Specialist
• Cloud Security Consultant
• Security Administrator (Security Admin)
• IT Security Specialist (Information Technology Security Specialist)
• Industrial Security Specialist
• Governance, Risk, and Compliance Consultant (GRC Consultant)

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to International Business graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	42.9%
Master’s degree	24.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	8.0%
Some college courses	6.6%
Postsecondary certificate	5.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	4.6%
Doctoral degree	3.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.4%
Post-master’s certificate	1.3%
Less than a high school diploma	0.5%
Post-doctoral training	0.3%
First professional degree	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in International Business?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 53.6% women and 46.4% men among International Business graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	3,715	53.6%
Men	3,218	46.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of International Business graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,522	36.4%
Asian	515	7.4%
Hispanic or Latino	1,551	22.4%
Black or African American	375	5.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	13	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	5	0.1%
Two or More Races	249	3.6%
Race Unknown	283	4.1%
International Students	1,420	20.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do International Business Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of International Business graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$59,636
4 years	$68,510
5 years	$80,462

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $80,462 — roughly 35% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online International Business Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for International Business. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	11	8
Bachelor’s	47	27
Master’s	21	18
Doctoral (Research)	1	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in International Business Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, International Business graduates earn a median of $68,510 four years after completion — roughly 80% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Business Management Marketing Sales	52
Accounting and Related Services	52.03
Business Administration, Management and Operations	52.02
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services	52.04
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other	52.99
BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES	52.00
Business/Commerce, General	52.01
Business/Corporate Communications	52.05
Business/Managerial Economics	52.06
Construction Management	52.20
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations	52.07
Finance and Financial Management Services	52.08

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.