Why study International Business?

Global companies compete in a challenging business economy. This requires the need for business professionals who possess a combination of business and international skills. Formal international management education gives students cultural training, a comprehensive understanding of global and regional economies, and a socio-political analysis of multiple regions. Graduates of the international business program at the UC Carl H. Lindner College of Business are positioned to be highly sought, especially for companies with overseas assignments.

Career Possibilities

The international business major provides a gateway to jobs in the global economy. Combining this major with a finance major leads to opportunities in international finance and banking. Coupling international business with a major in information systems, marketing or operations management can provide the experience to make graduates attractive for international assignment opportunities. 

Majoring in International Business

The Lindner Fast Track, an immersive Freshman Experience, allows students to begin taking business courses on their first day of freshman year. Freshmen are grouped into learning communities (LC) of approximately 20 students. Students take many of their first-year courses with their LC team, making it easy to build friendships and get to know their professors. Each student LC acts as a team throughout the first year courses and works together on Project Strategy and Project Innovation. Through Project Strategy, students perform a strategic analysis of a real-world company. Teams meet with executives from the organization, research and brainstorm and ultimately present their recommendations to the company. Project Innovation encourages students to develop creative, entrepreneurial and innovative skills by dreaming up a new product or service that targets fellow college students. Students then build a complete business plan for their idea. LC's will also complete a Career Success Strategies course in the spring of their first-year to prepare for pursuing their first co-op.

Additional freshman courses include mathematics, English composition, economics, business communications and general education requirements.

The lower business core of accounting, business law, information systems, marketing and business analytics exposes all students to the fundamental business disciplines in order to prepare them to communicate across the different business functional fields. The upper business core, consisting of finance, international business, management, operations management and business professionalism, continues to give students additional skills in business fundamentals. Course work in the major allows students to build their skills as specialists. The capstone experience involves a project through which students can tie together all they have learned.

The objective of the international business major is to provide the foundation of understanding necessary to work in the global economy. Courses are designed to enhance knowledge developed in other business courses as well as to provide new skills specific to international business. Beginning with the Global Business Environment course, the student selects courses in international accounting, finance, management and marketing. 

The international business major requires completion of 18 semester hours of courses in the major. Students must also complete a study abroad or other qualifying significant international experience selected from pre-approved list. 

Minoring in International Business

Lindner College of Business students may select international business as a major, part of a double major or a minor, allowing students to add international business as a second area of expertise to their chosen major.

Lindner students who wish to add a minor should follow these instructions.

Qualified UC students enrolled in non-Lindner baccalaureate degree programs may also pursue a discipline specific minor in the Lindner College of Business or a minor in business administration, which follows a sequence of courses designed to give them experience in the business fundamental disciplines.

To add a minor, students who wish to add a minor should follow these instructions.

For more application information and a complete list of minor options, visit the Business Minors Website.

Please note: students may not double count courses between Lindner majors and minors.

Major Maps

• Guide: International Business BBA

Advising

Academic advisors are trained to assist students and are available on an appointment basis and on a walk-in basis during specific periods. They can help with questions about scheduling, academic planning, course pre-requisites, the curriculum, and how study abroad and co-op fit with degree plans.

The Carl H. Lindner College of Business has assigned advisors for all students. Current students who need assistance may:

• Contact their advisor in My Bearcats Network
• Come to the Undergraduate Programs Suite in Lindner Hall
• Telephone (513) 556-7030

Prospective students interested in transitioning to Lindner are invited to attend an information session held weekly. Information session dates and times can be found online under transition students. Additional details about planning your transition can be supported by the Transition Advising Center. Transition students must attend orientation before registering for Lindner classes.

UC Advantages and Special Opportunities

Success in today’s business environment is primarily driven by who students are and how they act. Accordingly, Lindner offers an innovative approach to business education that we call PACE. The PACE framework allows students to create a customized roadmap for developing proficiency in Professionalism, Academics, Character and Engagement to ensure they can successfully pursue the personal and professional goals they are passionate about.

Professionalism

• Lindner’s real-world learning opportunities ensure that our students learn the professional communication skills they need to excel in today’s business environment.

• Lindner’s Career Services (career services) team works with undergraduate students to help them obtain real world work experience through Lindner's Universal Co-operative Education requirement. All new first-year students must complete two co-op rotations to meet graduation requirement. Career services guides students in developing resumes, learning interviewing techniques and obtaining the practical skills that fulfill the expectations of businesses.

Academics

• Lindner students are distinct individuals with unique goals and interests, and that is why our curriculum ensures that students have a foundational understanding of the key business functions. The breadth of majors and minors allows students to add a second major or minor that will customize their education for added value. Students can augment in-class learning with co-operative education, internships and international study abroad.

Character

• Character means having the strength and conviction to both lead and work with teams made up of diverse social, cultural and economic viewpoints. Ethics seminars, global experiences and leadership opportunities prepare students to deal with philosophical questions that have become real-world dilemmas. Lindner business courses help students build these skills through hands-on, collaborative projects, often working with Cincinnati businesses.

Engagement

• Students’ lives and careers will be comprised of much more than just work. Community service, citizenship and organizational involvement are all key components of personal growth. In Lindner, students are encouraged to get involved in the things they care about via the 20-plus student organizations within the Lindner College of Business, the 300-plus organizations within the University of Cincinnati and ongoing partnerships with service organizations like the United Way of Greater Cincinnati.

Special Programs

The Lindner College of Business offers a variety of study abroad programs in every continent of the globe ranging from one week to a full semester abroad.  General international business and culture programs are offered to freshmen and sophomores while discipline specific programs are offered to upper classmen.  Students receive credit toward their degree, while gaining real-world international experience in their area of study. Study Abroad includes academic coursework at UC, and lectures, company visits and cultural activities overseas. To learn more, visit Study Abroad.

Co-operative Education provides students with real-world work experiences with leading businesses throughout the United States.** These opportunities are the perfect time for students to “test” out their major(s) and discover which type(s) of work they most enjoy. Our employer partners pay students real money and assign students real work (versus just “busy work”) which means the co-op experience provides Lindner students with a huge competitive advantage when they enter the workforce. Because different employers and industries have different staffing needs throughout the year, co-op may be part-time, full-time, or during various terms. For first-year students beginning in fall 2024, two co-op experiences will be required for graduation.

The International Business Co-op Program, administered through the Division of Professional Practice at the University of Cincinnati, provides exciting opportunities for UC business students to learn a second language and gain international work experience.

The Business Fellows is a vibrant college community that provides a supportive academic, social and professional environment for students who identify as students of color or first generation college students. Participants benefit from dedicated support, scholarship opportunities, peer/professional mentoring and cultural activities.

Lindner Business Honors (LBH) attracts ambitious students who are intellectually curious and face new challenges head on. In alignment with the college’s unique distinctions, Honors is built on four pillars:

• Dedicated Infrastructure of Honors Faculty and Staff: A team of outstanding professionals to help student’s leverage the skills and knowledge they develop to pursue new experiences.
• Foundation for Exploration, Freedom for Flexibility: Students will utilize their learning communities to explore all that Lindner has to offer.
• Specialized Academic and Experiential Learning: An accelerated, interdisciplinary curriculum with problem solving as a common thread.
• Personalized Honors Communities: Personalized communities that support the entire college experience as foster a special sense of legacy.

To help students develop professionally and gain leadership experience, the college encourages all students to become active in one or more of the many professional and social organizations that exist in the college and on the campus.

Admission Requirements

First-year students are those who have not enrolled in college or university courses (other than Dual Enrollment or College Credit Plus courses) since graduating from high school.

Bachelor of Business Administration Program (Traditional Studies)
Freshman applicants to the BBA programs, please visit the Admission Requirements page for further information. Applicants are advised that Lindner requires four units* of college preparatory mathematics for admission to all bachelor degree programs. For the BSIM, a physics laboratory science is required and a chemistry laboratory science is recommended.

*Four units of college preparatory mathematics, to include at least algebra I and II, and two additional units such as calculus, pre-calculus, or finite mathematics.

Transferring to UC Requirements

Students wishing to transfer to the UC Lindner College of Business may find additional details about transfer requirements here.

Students may apply online at Admissions. Lindner admits transfer students to begin in each academic term.

Transfer Articulation Agreements & Pathways 

UC has developed clear pathways (articulation agreements) between select associate degrees at partner institutions and compatible bachelor’s degrees at UC. Each pathway includes a Transfer Degree Map that offers a semester-by-semester course comparison to assist with your transfer planning. 

The following institutions have Transfer Degree Maps for this major: 

• Cincinnati State Technical & Community College 
• Sinclair Community College 
• Columbus State Community College 
• Chatfield College 

Changing Majors within UC Requirements

Applicants wishing to transition to the Lindner College of Business from other UC colleges must meet or exceed each of the admission requirements stated below. Please note that the collegiate grade point average for students transitioning from other colleges is calculated utilizing all college-level course work attempted at each UC college and other universities attended.

1.  Cumulative collegiate Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale over all course work attempted.   

2.  Must demonstrate appropriate progress toward completion of the required mathematics courses.

• BBA or BA degrees: Math 1044 (Applied Calculus I – 3 hrs) with a grade of C- or better; or
• BBA or BA degrees: Math 1046 (Business Calculus – 5 hrs) with a grade of D- or better;
• BS degrees: Math 1061 (Calculus I – 4 hrs), C- or better

3.At least 30 completed semester hours.

To apply, complete the Change of College Web Form. Applications deadlines are listed on the application.

Lindner accepts transitions students every term. Students must meet the above admissions requirements by the end of the semester prior to admission. 

International Student Requirements

The UC Lindner College of Business welcomes international applicants who seek a challenging academic environment. If your native language is not English, you will be required to take an English proficiency examination. Please reference the Office of Admissions Web site with international student information for the Lindner minimum standards.

International applicants at the first-year level must have a strong mathematics background and be prepared to begin the college's calculus sequence.

The University of Cincinnati requires that all transcripts be official copies with an official translation attached. Lindner requires all students who have earned credit at foreign universities to have the documents evaluated by a credit evaluation service prior to registering for classes at the university. A copy of the evaluation must be received by Lindner at least two weeks prior to the date the student is scheduled to register for classes.

Such an evaluation may be obtained from:

 World Education Services
 568 Broadway, Suite 301
 P.O. Box 745
 New York, NY 10013
 USA
 Web address: wes.org

Other such agencies may be located via the Internet. 

Although the Lindner College of Business does not require international applicants to take the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT), it is highly recommended.

Contact the Office of Admissions for further information regarding admission procedures and deadlines for Lindner. 

Graduation Requirements

The degree of bachelor of business administration is granted to those who complete satisfactorily the required course work for the specified degree, with university, college, major and minor grade point averages of 2.0 or better. This includes the university’s general education requirements. All students must meet the residency requirements of the college (50% of business courses in the last 30 hours of your degree must be taken in residence) and must contract for graduation with an academic advisor.

Application Deadlines

Prospective Freshmen - Additional details regarding the freshman application deadlines can be found here.

Changing Majors within UC - Students applying for admission to the Lindner College of Business from other UC colleges should complete a Change of College Web Form in accordance with the application deadlines printed on the form. 

Transferring to UC - Additional details regarding the transfer application for admission can be found here.

Accreditation

The UC Lindner College of Business has been accredited continuously since 1919 by AACSB International, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the premier accrediting agency for business colleges.