Bachelor's Degree in International Business

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Study International Business (B.A.) in Germany

International Business Studies in Germany

Studying International Business at CBS can provide you with the decisive career advancement that a normal business studies programme may not be able to offer. As the world of business has become globalized, almost every kind of business today is international business. This can be seen by the fact that the company language of large, international corporations and German medium-sized companies is often English. The reason: customers and company locations around the world require comprehensive, international business know-how from their employees. This also being the reason why English is the study language for our degree programme – and internationality is at its core. Beginning in the third semester, you will specialize in a field of your choice:

Real International Business Projects

When you study International Business at CBS, you not only get access to the current research in economics but also to real projects. Together with partner companies, we initiate case studies, in which you collaborate with other students to work out and present a real international business task. This gives you a deep insight into the real working life of attractive companies.

International Business at a glance

ECTS 180
Semester 6
Language English
Type of Study Full-time
Degree Bachelor of Arts
Campus Cologne
Internship Integrated
Semester Abroad Integrated

Start of Studies Summer Cologne
Study Fee* 5.550 €

*The displayed prices are semester fees. For non-EU students' fees please check the tuition fees information page. Status: January 2024.

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Study Course Plan

Some information about the study plan for the study programme Bachelors in International Business:

General business teaching units

Business Operations3 ECTS

Introduction: Basic business, economic, and market principles and key terms
External Business Environment
Global Markets
Competitive Environment
Internal Environment
Management, Leadership & Motivation
Business Function: HR, Operations, Marketing, Finance & Accounting
Entrepreneurship
Business Ethics and CSR
Emerging Business Trends

Business Law3 ECTS

Survey on different legal systems and the harmonizing effect of EU Law
Concluding a contract
Different types of contracts and their typical features
Performance and obligations
Solving problems (e.g. failure to perform, liabilities)
Safeguarding creditors’ rights
Forms of business organizations

Mathematics3 ECTS

Introduction to functions, graphs and interpretations
Understanding Derivatives
Applications of Derivatives
Understanding Differential Equations
Applications of Differential Equations
Understanding Logarithms
Applications of Logarithms

Statistics3 ECTS

Introducing data and statistics
Descriptive statistics and exploratory data analysis
Introduction to probability theory
Discrete and continuous probability distributions
Sampling and sampling distributions
Interval estimations
Hypothesis development and testing
Simple linear regressions

Financial Accounting3 ECTS

The purpose of accounting
Formal rules and assumptions, national law, IFRS, US-GAAP
The system of financial statements and accounts
Accounting for services and merchandising
Inventory valuation
Receivables
Plant, natural and intangible assets
Liabilities
Owner’s equity of corporations
Value-added tax

Applied Financial Accounting3 ECTS

The purpose of accounting
Formal rules and assumptions, national law, IFRS, US-GAAP
The system of financial statements and accounts
Accounting for services and merchandising
Inventory valuation
Receivables
Plant, natural and intangible assets
Liabilities
Owner’s equity of corporations
Value-added tax

Programme specific teaching units

Marketing3 ECTS

Marketing Definition and Process
Marketing in Context of Corporate Strategies
Internal Analysis and Marketing Environment (Micro)
Marketing Environment (Macro)
Consumer Buying Behaviour
Market Segmentation
Strategic Brand Management
Marketing Instruments (Product, Price Place, Promotion)
Marketing and Sustainability

Human Resource Management3 ECTS

Recruitment and Attraction
HR Planning, Controlling & Instruments
Training and Employee Development
Motivation and Leadership
Compensation and Benefits
Performance Appraisal and Management
Certificate of employment
HR Ethics
Trends in HRM

Interdisciplinary competencies

Foreign Language2 ECTS

Depending on the student‘s choice, language courses are offered, for example, in English, Spanish or French. If you choose the English-Only track, the lessons will focus on the intensive development of your English skills.

Academic Business English2 ECTS

This course aims to solidify the students’ existing language competencies as independent users of English and to enable them to apply this to their studies, focusing on educational and business domains. Students will learn the skills and process of critical thinking and analysis and how to express and elaborate their thoughts, opinions, and arguments. Students will have gained an understanding of complex language and writing skills to organize and develop their ideas in a scholarly way.

Personal Skills2 ECTS

In courses such as Rhetoric and Presentation or Business and Society your social and leadership skills are trained. In addition to various compulsory courses, there are optional subjects where you can choose which of your competences should be particularly strengthened.

General business teaching units

Microeconomics3 ECTS

Introduction into microeconomic models
Consumer theory
The theory of the firm
Competitive markets
Market failure
Market power and monopoly
Oligopoly and monopolistic competition
Externalities
Asymmetric information
Introduction to game theory

Applied Microeconomics3 ECTS

Introduction into microeconomic models
Consumer theory
The theory of the firm
Competitive markets
Market failure:
Market power and monopoly
Oligopoly and monopolistic competition
Externalities
Asymmetric information
Introduction to game theory

Market Research3 ECTS

Introduction to Market Research
Defining the marketing research problem and developing an approach
Research design
Secondary Data
Qualitative research
Quantitative research
Scaling and sampling
Fieldwork and Data preparation
Basic data analysis (how to use it)
Report preparation and presentation

Cost Accounting3 ECTS

Rationales of cost accounting
Simplistic methods of overhead allocation
Job costing
Process costing
Activity-based costing
Overcapacity costing
Joint product costing
Overhead analysis sheet
Concepts of relevant cost and revenue
Budgeting

Programme specific teaching units

Supply Management3 ECTS

Industrial Buying Behaviour
New perception of supply management
The procurement marketing process
Situation Analysis: Defining critical supply problems, potentials, targets and strategies
Need Analysis: Defining the demand
Evaluating and Selecting Supply Markets
Supplier Evaluation: Find the ‘right supplier’
Supplier Relationship Management: Importance of supplier collaborations
Supplier Negotiation Process: Strategies and tools
Green procurement: Describing a sustainable procurement model
Creating a basis for sustainable procurement and integrating sustainable measures into procurement processes
Sustainable supplier management: Key theories and practices

Strategic Management3 ECTS

Introduction to Strategy and Strategic Management
External Analysis: understanding opportunities and threats the environment offers
Internal Analysis: uncovering strengths and weaknesses of the organization
Generic business-level strategies for competitive advantage
Basic Corporate-level strategic choices for long-term profitability
Diversification strategy
Internationalization
Mergers and acquisitions
Strategic entrepreneurship
Strategic leadership
Social Responsibility and Ethics of Strategic Management
Basics of Corporate Governance

Introduction to Finance6 ECTS

Finance: Goals, Functions and Environment
Financial analysis and Financial Forecasting
Managing Working Capital
Sources of Short-Term Financing
Capital Markets and Investment Banking
External financing resources: Debt capital
External financing resources: Equity capital
Capital Budgeting: The Time Value of Money
Capital structure and the Cost of Capital

Interdisciplinary competencies

Academic Business English2 ECTS

Foreign Language2 ECTS

Personal Skills2 ECTS

General business teaching units

Macroeconomics3 ECTS

Indicators: Gross Domestic Product and its major components, Inflation
Labour Markets and unemployment
The classical AS-AD model
Keynes’ IS-LM Model
The basic RBC model
Monetary Policy
Fiscal Policy

Applied Macroeconomics3 ECTS

Indicators: Gross Domestic Product and its major components, Inflation
Labour Markets and unemployment
The classical AS-AD model
Keynes’ IS-LM Model
The basic RBC model
Monetary Policy
Fiscal Policy

Programme specific teaching units

International Management3 ECTS

Determinants & dimensions of culture in business
Culture & styles of management
Culture & corporate structures
Culture & leadership
Culture & corporate strategy
Cultural change in organisations
Culture and international marketing management
Cultural diversity in organisations
Business communication across culture & barriers to intercultural communication
Working with international teams
Conflicts & cultural differences
Developing intercultural communicative competence

Digital Management3 ECTS

Global competition and the transnational corporation in the global economy
Emerging markets
Institutions governing competition
Formal and informal institutions
Organizational designs for multinational companies
Location-based aspects: Competitive advantages of countries
Organization, local adaptation and the need for standardization
New approaches in International Management (Born Global, QRC, …)
Networks and innovation
Managing people in multinational enterprises
Managing expatriates
Leadership and management behaviour in multinational companies

Integrative Case Study3 ECTS

Guide and Strategic Plan to Case study analysis
Writing a proper case study analysis report
In-depth Case Study Analysis with focus on Financial Management
Solving of interdisciplinary case studies with a focus on digital management

Elective area

Specialisation3 ECTS

Students are able to select one of six specialisations. This enables Students to give their studies a personal touch and lay down the tracks for the future career. Below you will find the six specialisation options you can choose from:

Specialisation6 ECTS

Interdisciplinary competencies

Foreign Language4 ECTS

Personal Skills2 ECTS

General business teaching units

Management Information Systems3 ECTS

IT and MIS as enablers of strategic decision making
E-business, networks, and mobile technology
Infrastructure, hardware and software
Databases and data warehouses
Business Intelligence
Networks and communications
Operations management and supply chain management
Enterprise resource planning
Limitations and risks of IT systems and applications
MIS market trends, major providers and IT solutions.
The role of social media in business
Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things

Programme specific teaching units

Corporate Tax3 ECTS

The overall aim of this module is to introduce students to the basic concepts of corporate taxation, especially the different types of taxes, transparent and intransparent entities and the value added tax.

Elective area

Business Elective 13 ECTS

These courses aim to enable the students to develop and/or strengthen relevant skills that are of particular interest to them. Electives allow students to expand their knowledge. The following are examples of the types of courses on offer. Typically you have the choice between two or three different electives.

International Marketing
International Human Resource Management
Organisational Behaviour
Global Supply Chain Management
Entrepreneurship
Diversity in Business
Corporate Social Responsibility
International Accounting
Advanced Statistics
Design Thinking
Quantitative Social Media Research
SAP as Enterprise Resource Planning Software
Snack Content
Harvesting and analyzing social media data for business purposes
Industry 4.0

Business Elective 23 ECTS

International Marketing
International Human Resource Management
Organisational Behaviour
Global Supply Chain Management
Entrepreneurship
Diversity in Business
Corporate Social Responsibility
International Accounting
Advanced Statistics
Design Thinking
Quantitative Social Media Research
SAP as Enterprise Resource Planning Software
Snack Content
Harvesting and analyzing social media data for business purposes
Industry 4.0

Business Project6 ECTS

The overall objective of this course is to provide students with possibility of applying their business knowledge on concrete business situation (real or scenario-based), related to the field of their specialization. By the end of the module students should be able to:

Define project goals for the “client”.
Work under the set timeframe and agreed project scope.
Cooperate in the international project teams.
Plan and conduct secondary and primary research to gather necessary information: understand which information is needed and where to look for it.
Conduct analysis of the “client business”: be able to understand the researched information in a wider context.
Evaluate markets/ industries/ competitive landscapes.
Develop possible strategic directions for the “client” business.
Formulate recommendations

Specialisation6 ECTS

Interdisciplinary competencies

Foreign Language4 ECTS

Personal Skills2 ECTS

Semester Abroad

Semester Abroad25 ECTS

You will spend the fifth semester at one of our numerous partner universities abroad. Our International Office supports you in the selection & application process and coordinates the courses to be taken abroad with you in advance.

Programme specific teaching units

Bachelor Thesis12 ECTS

During your 6th semester you are working on your Bachelor thesis. You have 12 weeks to complete your thesis and the subject is freely selectible. A supervisor from CBS will support you and you can write the thesis in collaboration with a company as well.

Bachelor Thesis Tutorial1 ECTS

During the Bachelor Thesis Tutorial you will learn the fundamentals for your Bachelor thesis: Defining the topic as well as structuring the thesis and you will learn the theoretical knowledge for scientific working.

Business Simulation Game4 ECTS

In a business simulation game participants have to manage their own virtual company which operates in the same market as other participant-operated competitors. This involves making typical management decisions in realistic environments. Beside the deepening and active examination of subject-specific knowledge the simulation games also include the team environment, where interaction, communication and prioritization are of paramount importance. Participants learn how to manage risk and uncertainty while time is limited and information constrained. Group-reflections help to take over different perspectives and to discuss pros and cons of content- as well as behaviour-related actions.

Elective area

Specialisation6 ECTS

Interdisciplinary competencies

Personal Skills2 ECTS

An internship (10 ECTS) in Germany or abroad is integral part of your degree. Our Career Service is happy to support you in finding the perfect company.

Practical experience, soft & intercultural skills trainings prepare you for the job market

Several practical phases are integrated into the curriculum so that you can optimally prepare yourself for the job market and get to know various aspects of different industries during your studies. For example, you will complete an seven-week internship during your lecture-free period and work on complex issues in a joint business project with corporate partners. Our Business Simulation Game also offers you the chance to apply your knowledge in practice. Our Career Service supports you in finding an exciting internship in Germany or abroad with a renowned company!

In addition, our soft skills courses teach you how to lead teams and communicate effectively with your fellow students at all levels of the hierarchy. Whether in a job interview or at an important final presentation - a confident appearance is the sum of your experience and targeted training in which you can improve your skills. with convincing charisma and rhetoric, you will always be successful in your working life.

In addition to these practical insights, you will strengthen your intercultural skills during your semester abroad. As CBS has a large network of partner universities, you can spend your semester abroad at one of over 120 universities all over the world. The International Office staff will assist you with your choice and the whole application process.

Internationality is the Foundation

After completing your studies, stand out from the rest when looking for really interesting positions in the global labour market. With a clear focus on internationality. When you study international business at CBS, you will find a practical curriculum waiting for you, in which theoretical concepts of business management and management theory are linked with current questions from international business practice. In so doing, you will begin to understand the complexity of business decisions at an early stage – and you will automatically be familiar with all the nomenclature thanks to the lectures held in English. But that’s not all. You will acquire another foreign language, which is also part of the study programme.

What are you waiting for?

APPLY NOW

Business and Pleasure: The Semester Abroad

The USA? Australia? Japan? Spain? Improve language? Strengthen intercultural competence? Look forward to an semester abroad at one of our over 120 partner universities. Our International Office will show you which country or which university is best suited to your needs. The experts there will take care of everything so that you can fully concentrate on your international business studies.

Bachelor of Arts in International Business - What are the job opportunities?

Internet company? Automotive industry? Business consulting? Energy sector? Logistics? Marketing? Communications industry? The quality of an education is reflected by the career paths its graduates take. And, above all, how high the percentage of its top performers is. This is particularly high for the alumni of the CBS International Business School. Not only in the international business sector.

Our advisors will get you on the right track

Studying International Business could be the ideal way for you to enter into a lifelong career. Our study advisors already know and recognize how well the degree programme is suited to you personally as well as where your main focus should be. Set up a study counselling appointment and get information on topics like course of the studies, examinations, scholarships and financial aid. No commitment is necessary. Hint: Come to a trial lecture during the semester, where you can attend any lecture for all the courses you like. Regular info nights and study information days are here to help you decide to study business administration in one of the best business schools in Germany.

Take your next step

NEED MORE REASONS? FIND OUT WHY CBS IS THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOU

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We hope that you enjoy getting to know more about our school, study programmes and what we stand for. Follow us on Instagram & Facebook, get to know us at one of our Information Events, or Contact our student advisors to get more info.

Mirjam Zimmermann

Study advisory
Got any questions? We are happy to help!

Phone:	+49 (0) 6131 88055 31
WhatsApp:	Reach us on WhatsApp
E-Mail:	study@cbs.de

Giulia Balzan

Study advisory
Got any questions? We are happy to help!

Phone:	+49 (0) 221 931809 31
WhatsApp:	Reach us on WhatsApp
E-Mail:	study@cbs.de

This is What Our Students Say

Philip Kollmann

Project Manager
Wayne´s Coffee

"Especially the soft skill courses have been of great help for my performance in job interviews. Through my work in the Finance and Business Club I have built up a broad network and acquired project management skills that have enabled me to score points with companies."

Katrin Rieger

Bereichsdirektorin Reisevertrieb Deutschland / Vice President Sales
HanseMerkur Krankenversicherung

"The practical learning in small groups prepared me optimally for today's project and team work. The CBS provided me with the decisive soft skills and current knowledge from the world of business."

Christopher Rosenbaum

Manager
Ernst & Young GmbH
Wirschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft

"The Management Studies programme prepares you thoroughly for the tasks of a consultant. In particular, the development of presentation techniques as well as analytical thinking is of enormous importance in the everyday life of a consultant."

Oliver Kiderle

EMEA Regional Product Expert
Google Inc.

"The focus on internationality and practical skills have had a very positive influence on my development at Google. Especially the structured and very versatile project work, which is often found at a private school, was extremely helpful."

Kalle Kenkel

Commercial Excellence Manager
GE Healthcare

"My studies at CBS prepared me for a career in today's dynamic, global work environment. As one's origin and physical location become less and less decisive, it has become increasingly important to have a multinational network and adapt quickly to various cultures and environments."

Neil Jordaan

Global Digital Content Manager
Elanco

"Many professors shared their professional business experience with us in class and were able to illustrate dry theory with practical examples. I also enjoyed the international atmosphere on campus."

Patrick Stein

Head of Human Resources
Boston Consulting Group

"The strongly practice-oriented studies and the international orientation of the CBS, as well as the lectures held in English, were an absolutely necessary basis for starting a career with a renowned, international company."