International organisations like Apple, Microsoft and Amazon are common in the business world. Many businesses also aspire to grow their companies and expand their markets to reach global audiences. Business professionals are major key players in ensuring the growth of these companies.

Some of their responsibilities include developing sales and marketing strategies, building client relationships, negotiating contracts with partners, examining market trends and executing business plans.

Having a degree in international business may boost your career progression. Prospective employers of international companies may favour you as these courses equip you with highly sought-after and globally relevant business skills.

International business programmes also provide an in-depth knowledge of global economics and market trends, cross-cultural communication and other countries’ financial systems and policies. These topics can help you understand business operations on a global scale.

What you will learn in international business courses

The subjects covered in international business courses can equip you with fundamental skills that are globally relevant and in demand. Some of the common subjects most covered are:

• Supply chain management: Explore the flow of operations that turn raw materials into finished products. Some topics that may be covered involve supply chain partner selection, logistics management and inventory control.
• International marketing: Learn techniques for finding, developing, executing and observing international marketing strategies in an ever-changing market environment.
• International finance: Acquire a comprehensive understanding of macroeconomics in a global context. You may learn about foreign exchange market operations, international financial markets and international working capital management.
• Cross-cultural management: Learn about the cultural aspects that impact an organisation’s business decisions and operations. Students may learn about workforce diversity and multicultural teams, the role of an international manager and how to utilise cultural differences.
• Entrepreneurship: Obtain essential knowledge of how to start a business venture. Some topics that may be covered include creativity and innovation in entrepreneurship, digital entrepreneurship and business financing.
• Organisational behaviour: Gain knowledge of how organisations manage their employees effectively. This subject may cover perception, power and influence, leadership and motivation.
• Business ethics: Acquire an understanding of how international businesses should conduct themselves ethically. You may learn about ethical principles and theories that can help develop your moral reasoning in business.

Career opportunities in international business courses

An international business degree allows you to explore diverse career paths across different sectors. Here are some examples of job opportunities you may want to consider:

Foreign exchange trader

• In this role, you study and predict changes in currency prices on the foreign exchange market to buy, sell and trade them for your clients.
• You can work independently or for financial institutions, such as central banks and investment banks.

International relations specialist

• In this role, you review foreign regulations and policies and provide professional advice to clients.
• These professionals usually work with international organisations, public media and government officials.

International sales manager

• An international sales manager develops global strategies to achieve an organisation’s sales targets.
• Their responsibilities may involve finding foreign markets for business expansion, examining industry trends and negotiating contracts with international partners.

International business development manager

• This position involves finding ways to expand a company’s presence further in global markets.
• You may also examine emerging markets and build business relationships with international clients.

Export manager

• An export manager supervises an organisation’s export ventures.
• They may perform market research to find potential export opportunities, build relationships with foreign partners and engage in contract negotiations.

Global operations manager

• In this position, you supervise an organisation’s international operations. You may work with employees from different countries to execute global strategies.
• You may also be involved with quality control, cost control and process refinement.

International marketing manager

• An international marketing manager develops marketing strategies to promote a business globally.
• They may also examine global market trends to find business opportunities and potential clients.

Global logistics manager

• Global logistic managers oversee the global supply chain and logistical activities of organisations.
• They usually supervise warehouses, distribution centres and freight forwarders to ensure smooth operations.
• They may also find ways to optimise operations and reduce costs.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

• A CEO is the highest-ranking executive position of an organisation. They spearhead the development and growth of their company by making major business decisions.
• Other duties may involve negotiating contracts, liaising with the board of directors, and upholding the company’s mission and vision.

Top institutions offering international business degrees

Undergraduate level

Postgraduate level

FAQs about international business degrees in Malaysia

Find out more about studying international business

Acquiring an international business degree provides various advantages for fresh graduates and working professionals. The business skills obtained from these programmes can give you more career opportunities beyond domestic borders. You can discover international business courses offered by leading universities in the country at the top of this page.