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International Business & Commerce

Types of Degrees International Business & Commerce Majors Are Earning

Those studying International Business & Commerce can earn 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 & Commerce Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in International Business & Commerce 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 built by a International Business & Commerce 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

Abilities most relevant to International Business & Commerce 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 & Commerce 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 & Commerce professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite 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 & Commerce graduates include:

• Personnel Security Specialist
• Energy and Sustainability Manager
• IAM Developer (Identity and Access Management Developer)
• Governance, Risk, and Compliance Consultant (GRC Consultant)
• Security Auditor
• Cyber Risk Consultant
• Offensive Security Engineer
• Workplace Violence Prevention Specialist
• Professional Services Consultant
• Cloud Security Consultant
• Information Security Consultant
• Security Management Consultant
• Security Operations Specialist (Security Ops Specialist)
• IT Security Specialist (Information Technology Security Specialist)
• Cybersecurity Specialist

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to International Business & Commerce 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 & Commerce?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 53.6% women and 46.4% men among International Business & Commerce 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 & Commerce 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 & Commerce Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of International Business & Commerce graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb 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 & Commerce Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for International Business & Commerce. 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 & Commerce Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, International Business & Commerce 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
International Business	52.11
Business Administration and Management, General	52.0201
Business/Commerce, General	52.0101
Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies	52.0701
Finance, General	52.0801
Management Science	52.1301
Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management	52.0206
Financial Risk Management	52.0810
Retail Management	52.0212
Social Entrepreneurship	52.0704

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.