International Business, Language, and Culture

The International Business, Language, and Culture (IBLC) Bachelor of Science program is offered jointly by the College of Arts & Sciences and the McDonough School of Business (MSB). Students in the College and MSB may apply to the IBLC program at the end of their first year.

The IBLC joint degree program offers students an integrative education in language and business, emphasizing the centrality of cultural and linguistic competency to the business sector, and the ways that language study effects change and innovation in the world. In addition to developing critical tools and professional perspectives essential to business, students will take up vital humanistic and cultural questions through the study of literary, historical, and linguistic traditions, illuminating social and ethical dimensions that intersect with the business world.

The IBLC curriculum is a 120-credit degree. Students fulfill the University Core in full, complete a unified, joint “school” core that preserves the distinctive aims of both CAS and MSB, and complete a major that integrates essential elements of the MSB program in international business and one College language major. The language chosen will be articulated as the “concentration” in the IBLC major. Please note, students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in International Business, Language, and Culture are not permitted to double major with a major offered through a different degree program. 

UNIVERSITY CORE

• Writing: 2 courses (WRIT-1150 Writing and Cutlure + Integrated Writing)
• Humanities: Arts, Literatures, and Cutlures: 1 course (See schedule for courses tagged HALC)*
• Quantitative Reasoning/Data Literacy: 1 course (See schedule for courses tagged QRDL)*
• Science For All: 1 course (See schedule for courses tagged SFA)
• Theology & Religious Studies: 2 courses (THEO-1000 Problem of God + 2nd THEO)
• Philosophy: 2 courses (PHIL-1500, Intro to Philosophy + STRT-2101, Ethical Values of Business)
• Pathways to Social Justice: 1-credit Seminar in Race, Power, and Justice and two overlay courses (See schedule for courses tagged PSJ)*

JOINT SCHOOL CORE

• History: 2 courses (HIST-1099, History Focus + Regional Survey)
• Social Science: 2 courses (ECON-1001 Microeconomics + ECON-1002 Macroeconomics)
• Language/Liberal Arts: Language and culture courses as defined by concentration*

*Several School and University Core requirements are embedded within the major requirements or are designed as overlay courses.

International Business (IB) Curriculum

Language & Culture (LC) Curriculum and Concentrations

Students completing the joint degree program will remain in their home school, College or MSB, from entry to graduation. IBLC students from both CAS and MSB form a unified cohort, access advising resources in both schools, and complete the same curricular requirements. A student’s school of entry determines their primary decanal advisor.

Language Concentrations in Detail

ARABIC (9 courses minimum)

Language through 3rd level: ARAB (1011, 1012, 1111, 1112 if needed) 2216, 2217

ARAB 2202, Intro to Islamic Civ

ARAB 3000+ in English

ARAB 3000+ in Arabic

Additional Arabic electives, as needed, to reach 9 ARAB courses

If starting with 1011, 9 courses will be reached without additional electives.

CHINESE (9 courses minimum)

Language through 3rd level: CHIN (1011, 1012, 1511, 1512 if needed) 2001, 2002

CHIN 1124, Texts & Contexts

CHIN 2000+ in English

CHIN 3000+ in Language

Additional 3000+ language electives (as needed, to reach 9 CHIN courses)

If starting with 1011, 9 courses will be reached without additional electives.

FRENCH (7 courses minimum)

Language through advanced: FREN (1011, 1511 if needed) 2011, 2012

FREN 3350 or 3351, Reading Texts/French Speaking World (Culture or Lit)

Business French, FREN 3701

3 French electives numbered 3000-4999

Additional French electives, as needed, to reach 7 FREN courses

If starting with 1011, 9 courses will be taken.

GERMAN (6 courses minimum)

Language through advanced: GERM (1011, 1511 if needed) 2011

GERM 3000 or 3001, Texts in Context

GERM 3220, Business in Germany

GERM 4220, German Business Culture

3 German electives numbered 3000+

If starting above 2011, no additional GERM electives needed; 6 courses starting with GERM 3000

If starting with 1011, 9 courses will be taken.

ITALIAN (8 courses minimum)

Language courses through advanced: (1011, 1511 if needed) 2011, 2012

ITAL 2037, Business Italian

3 Italian electives

Additional Italian electives, as needed, to reach 8 ITAL courses

If starting with 1011, 8 courses will be reached without additional electives.

JAPANESE (9 courses minimum)

Language through 3rd level: JAPN (1011, 1012, 1511, 1512 if needed) 2001, 2002

JAPN 1124, Texts & Contexts

JAPN 3000+ in English

JAPN 3000+ in Language

Additional 3000+ language electives, as needed, to reach 9 JAPN courses

If starting with 1011, 9 courses will be reached without additional electives.

KOREAN (9 courses minimum)

Language through 3rd level: KREN (1011, 1012, 15111, 1512 if needed) 2001, 2002

KREN 1124, Texts & Contexts

KREN 3000+ in English

KREN 3000+ in Language

Additional 3000+ language electives, as needed, to reach 9 KREN courses

If starting with 1011, 9 courses will be reached without additional electives.

PORTUGUESE (7 courses minimum)

Language through advanced: (1500 if needed) 2101

PORT 2199, Cultures of Port-Spk World

PORT 2171, Advanced Portuguese for Business

2 PORT electives numbered 3000-4999

Additional Portuguese electives, as needed, to reach 7 PORT courses

If starting with 1500, 8 courses will be taken.

RUSSIAN (7 courses minimum)

Language through 3rd level: RUSS (1011, 1012, 1511, 1512 if needed) 3001

RUSS 1115, 1116, Russian A-Z I & II (in English)

RUSS 3002 or 3003, Russia in Context

RUSS 4005, Russian 4th Level

2 Russian electives numbered 3000-4000

Additional Electives, as needed to reach 7 RUSS courses of 3-credits or more

If starting with 1011 or 1012, 8 courses must be taken (plus 1-credit units, 1115 and 1116).

SPANISH (8 courses minimum)

Language courses through advanced: (1011, 1532 if needed) 2004 or 2011 or 2105/2204

2 Spanish Lit/Culture (3241, 3242: Spain; or 3261, 3262: Latin America)

SPAN 3210, Intro Spanish Linguistics

Spanish Linguistics elective courses

SPAN 2209, Advanced Spanish for Business

SPAN 4960, Capstone

Additional Spanish electives, as needed, to reach 8 courses

If starting with 1011, 10 courses will be taken; at 1511, 9 courses; at 2011, 8 courses.

SPANISH & PORTUGUESE (9 courses minimum)

SPAN 

   Language courses through advanced: SPAN (1011, 1532 if needed) 2004 or 2011 or 2105/2204

   SPAN Linguistics

   SPAN for Business

PORT

   Language courses through advanced: PORT (1500), 2101

   PORT Linguistics

   PORT for Business

SPAN & PORT

   2 Lit/Culture (2) from PORT 2102, 2199, SPAN 3241, 3242, 3261, or 3262

   SPAN or PORT 4500-4999 level elective

Additional 2000-level if starting beyond SPAN2011 or PORT1001, as needed, to reach 9 courses

If starting with SPAN 1011, 11 courses total; if starting with PORT 1500, 10 courses total; if BOTH, 12 total)