International Business (Bachelor's program) – Program Content

The bachelor degree International Business (B. Sc.) is designed to be completed within six semesters and includes a semester abroad. Should students wish to add an internship abroad the standard period of studying will be seven semesters.

Foundation Stage

In order to take advantage of the professional and personal skills during the foundation stage (first to forth semester) students should stick to the designed structure of the program.

• In the first semester students will study basics in international business, managerial microeconomics, business law, digitalization and introduction to accounting and taxation.
• The second semester is designed to equip students with basic knowledge in the fields of marketing, international management accounting, Macroeconomics, business psychology and quantitative methods.
• International corporate finance, cross cultural competence, multicutural entrepreneurship, international economics in the third semester will lay the basis for further studies.
• With, export management, international marketing, economic policy and emperical evidence and an option to choose a topic based on your interests (e.g. behavioral economics, business ethics, international human ressource management or negotiating across cultures) the foundation stage is completed.

Specialisation Stage

Reaching this stage means that the basis for the specialisation in International Business was set. Now it is our students' choice:

• The fifth semester is dedicated to individual studies abroad: Students choose their university abroad – either one of our partner universities or a university according to their needs. Students must choose courses with a total value of 30 ECTS (credits) in the areas of management, finance, accounting, human resource management, business logistics, company taxation, business ethics, international business law, regional studies, economic geography, international economics, foreign language skills and international politics. The program coordinator will provide information before and during the process.
• The sixth semester concludes with international carital markets, international supply management a simulation game in the area of international management and the bachelor thesis.

Bachelor Thesis

Practice-oriented, technically detailed and interdisciplinary: there are countless topical issues for your bachelor thesis. The bachelor thesis is designed to proof what students have learned these past three years: They apply theory they have learned, use their gained soft skills and all this ideally in cooperation with a company or institution.

Internship abroad (optional seventh semester)

You want to work for a company or institution abroad for a longer period and have a contact at TH Köln (University of Applied Sciences)? You want to write your bachelor thesis in cooperation with a company or institution?

So an internship abroad is exactly what you need!

20 weeks, five days a week, supervised by a professor and if applicable supported by the supervisor of your bachelor thesis. You gain more and deeper insights than you could when working a few hours a week; you live corporate culture and have to proof yourself in this environment.

When the internship fits the requirements you will change to a 7-semester (standard period) study program with a mandatory semester abroad and 210 ECTS credits. The internship semester abroad is recognized with 30 ECTS credits.