International Business

You'll learn how global markets operate, how organisations function across borders, and how political, cultural and economic factors influence international business. You'll gain an understanding of the global context and global institutions, including legal frameworks. 

There will also be many opportunities to develop your creative thinking ability and learn how to manage projects, enabling you to turn innovative ideas into reality. You'll examine contemporary challenges and opportunities which shape business today, such as sustainability and ethical considerations. 

Throughout the course, you'll be able to explore core business functions such as marketing, finance, or people management. Alongside this, you'll practise applying theory to real organisational challenges through projects, case studies and industry‑focused tasks. 

The skills and knowledge you'll gain will prepare you for different professional futures and the course will give you time and space to explore these opportunities. 

Year one
In your first year, you'll build a strong foundation in understanding how businesses and global markets work, exploring how organisations make decisions in different political, economic and cultural environments. You’ll be introduced to key business functions, economic and financial considerations and the basics of analytics, helping you gain confidence in navigating the international landscape.

Year two
Focus on the inner workings of businesses. Use business techniques to solve problems and start developing the skills that employers look for. Modules cover key themes including creativity and innovation in business. At the end of the year, you can choose to embark on a ten-month business placement or a ten-week summer placement – applying what you’ve learned so far in the real world.

In your second year, you'll develop your understanding of how to communicate across cultures. You'll explore how to manage international teams and learn about the legal international landscape that determines human rights, an important consideration in any international or global business.

Creative thinking and project-management abilities will be developed through exercises and assignments. You'll gain essential skills in digital marketing and you'll have the option to focus on human resource management or accounting. 

Year three

In your final year, you'll deepen your expertise by examining ethical, sustainable and strategic management in global organisations. There'll be the opportunity to gain real-life experience through a summer placement. You'll have the option to focus on topics such as human resource consultancy, leadership or organisational strategy.

You’ll also undertake an industry project or research project, giving you the opportunity to work independently and produce a substantial professional output that reflects your interests and future ambitions.     

You'll be assessed in a wide range of ways, with an emphasis on reflecting real-world challenges and outputs. You might be asked to create a presentation, individually or with a group of your peers, or to prepare a professional output that consists of written and visual content.

There will be opportunities to collaborate with organisations and individuals in the real world, in addition to producing more academic formats, such as reports. Throughout your studies, you will be challenged to conduct research independently and think creatively.    

We offer variety in the way we teach: sometimes we’ll set problems so that you can find the answers for yourself; at other times we'll provide lectures on key topics such as the political, social and technical environments of business.

Most modules use a mix of lectures and small group seminars and workshops. These provide you with an opportunity to take part in discussions, work collaboratively with fellow students and apply knowledge to practical tasks and challenges. In addition, you may also be offered the opportunity to attend tutorials with academics, to ask questions or discuss feedback.

All of our teaching methods on the Business degree facilitate your development as a self-directed learner. 

To find out more about how we teach and how you'll learn, please read our information on Your Learning and Teaching at BSU.

As part of your degree, you could study abroad one of Bath Spa’s partner universities.

You'll take a practical approach to your course. You'll be encouraged to engage with the additional learning opportunities that the university offers. This might include field trips or attending networking events, participating in projects or completing placements. You can choose to complete a Professional Placement Year or Summer Placement in Level 6. 

In addition, you could decide to apply for a semester abroad in your second year, studying at one of our partner universities in a range of countries.

Across the Business School, depending on the modules you study, you can gain accreditation by professional bodies and get exemption from professional exams. Please note, this is currently under development for this course.

An International Business degree can prepare you for a career in organisations that operate across borders, either internationally or globally.

Due to the varied content and the opportunity to choose optional modules, you can work towards a professional future in certain parts of an organisation or develop skills and knowledge relating to multiple business functions. 

At the same time, the business and management content of the course will also prepare you for careers in organisations which operate on a local, regional or national level, giving you flexibility in shaping your future. 

If you’re a full-time undergraduate student starting your first year at Bath Spa University, you can apply for the Certificate in Global Citizenship, which you’ll study alongside your degree.

You’ll gain global awareness and add an international dimension to your student experience, and funding is available. On successful completion of the programme, you’ll be awarded a Certificate in Global Citizenship. This is in addition to your degree; it doesn’t change your degree title or results.

The Professional Placement Year (PPY) provides you with the opportunity to identify, apply for, and secure professional experience, normally comprising one to three placements over a minimum of nine months. Successful completion of this module will demonstrate your ability to secure and sustain graduate-level employment.

By completing the module, you'll be entitled to the addition of 'with Professional Placement Year' to your degree title.

Before your PPY, you'll work to identify roles of interest and secure a placement. The Placements Team will support through timetabled sessions and 1:1 appointments.

As well as completing a minimum of 900 placement hours, you will complete two assessments demonstrating your skill development, growth in professional behaviours and how the PPY has impacted your future career aspirations.

You'll have access to excellent facilities at our Newton Park campus and city centre studios as well as online resources. These include:

• Commons building
• Newton Park library
• Academic Skills support (ASk)
• Specialist resources and subject librarian
• Our Virtual Learning Environment
• Free access to courses via LinkedIn Learning
• Support from the English Language Unit if English isn't your first language
• The Studio in Bath

Our libraries offer a wide range of business resources, including a wealth of online material that can be accessed on- and off-campus, enabling you to work at times that suit you.

As an International Business student, you have access to a range of business and management resources. Our dedicated subject librarian can support you in making the most of these resources and undertaking independent research as you prepare for assessments.