Academics

Global Business and Economics

Overview

Within the major of Global Business and Economics our pathways allow you to give your studies a focus on Finance, International Business or Economics. All three pathways are embedded in a liberal arts approach that stresses taking a humane point of view, criticality, social responsibility and intellectual depth. You will take a number of introductory courses in both business and economics, so as to acquire a good grounding in basic theory and knowledge of the real world, before you go on to build, with much flexibility, a major most suited to your individual interests and possible career inclinations.

“I chose economics because I find it pertinent in all levels of society: individual, national, and international. Furthermore, I find it very interesting how economics formulate social observations into theories and equations to solve what are fundamentally social problems. Particularly, I enjoy studying environmental economics, and I believe that this discipline is vital and relevant to today’s environment discourse.

After graduating from iCLA, I will be attending a graduate program in the Netherlands focusing on environment and resource management, which incorporates economics and policy-making. I aim to pursue a career in environmental consulting after my graduate studies.”

Didian

Indonesia

Why study Global Business and Economics?

Business and economic activities are an important part of modern life. Complex, challenging and rewarding, these often highly specialized activities take place within certain cultural, social and legal contexts. Participants of these activities, either as professionals in the field or intelligent citizens in other fields, stand much better chances of success in their chosen career paths if they are equipped with a broad, interdisciplinary knowledge base and relevant advanced training through focused studies. The Global Business and Economics Major is a good choice for students aiming for a business and economics related career in the fast-changing world of today and tomorrow

Global Business and Economics at the International College of Liberal Arts

iCLA’s Global Business and Economics major offers pathways for Finance, Economics, International Business. The major is designed to prepare our students as business leaders and global citizens capable of adapting to the fast-changing technological trends that disrupt global business environments today. Along with Global Business and Economics courses, explore iCLA’s other majors and subject areas such as Data Science or Psychology to supplement your studies and build an interdisciplinary knowledge base for an advantage in your chosen career path. Find out how iCLA’s Global Business and Economics major is the right choice for you.

What will I study?

Students who choose the major will take business courses typically offered in an undergraduate business program, and economics courses taught in the social science tradition. Because some of these courses require quantitative skills, you are recommended to take courses in mathematics, statistics and research methods. These courses are then supplemented by electives from our other majors or subject areas such as Data Science, Quantitative Reasoning, Psychology or Sociology.

Course Structure

  • Academic Reading Across Disciplines

  • Composition 1

  • Composition 2

  • Expository Research Writing

  • Foundation for College Success

  • Modern World History

  • Japanese Language 1

  • Japanese Language 2

  • Internship (optional)

  • Microeconomics

  • Macroeconomics

  • Accounting

  • Financial Management

  • Intermediate Microeconomics

  • Intermediate Maacroeconomics

  • Japanese Economy & Business

  • Investment

  • Marketing

  • Money, Banking, and Financial Markets

  • Econometrics

  • Methods of Social Research

  • Contemporary Issues of Political Economy

  • Geographical Political Economy

  • International Political Economy

  • Statistics

  • Derivatives

  • International Trade & Economics of Globalization

  • International Finance

  • Risk Management

  • Entrepreneurship

  • Portfolio Management

  • Introduction to Fintech: Reshaping the Financial World

  • Economics of Sustainable Development

  • Political Economy of Development

  • Political Economy of Trade and Industrial Policy

  • Consumer Psychology

  • Economic Psychology

  • Seminar(Global Business & Economics)

  • Graduate Research Project

  • Statistics

  • College Algebra

  • Math for Liberal Arts

  • Mathematics for Data Science

  • Introduction to Computer Science

  • Methods of Social Research

  • Non Profit/Social Enterprise Management

*Each student should complete the compulsory courses of the common curriculum within their first year and a half of studies, and can take major courses simultaneously. In addition to the courses listed above, iCLA students can choose from a wide variety of electives from the other majors, or from our courses in Data Science, Quantitative Reasoning, Psychology and Sociology, Japanese Language and Health and Physical Education. Students will need to pass Japanese Language 2 or pass an exemption test demonstrating equivalent Japanese language ability in order to graduate.

Study Abroad Partners

All students are eligible to apply for either one or two semesters of study abroad at one of iCLA’s 70+ partner universities. The study abroad program does not extend the length of your degree as most credits earned can be transferred towards your graduation requirement. All of our exchange partnerships are based on mutual tuition fee waiver. Below are some of the partners most suited to our Global Business & Economics major students.

What can I do next?

Our graduates will typically go on to careers in business and management, or continue on to graduate studies to acquire qualifications required for teaching and research. They find positions in corporations, government, international agencies; or they may choose to start their own businesses. As our college trains students with an international outlook, through its overseas exchange programs and emphasis on the English language, our graduates are very globally employable.

Focusing on our finance pathway can lead to careers in banks, corporations and financial institutions as an actuary, auditor, credit and loans officer, finance broker, finance manager, financial consultant, investment banker, credit manager, or financial analyst to name just a few. Our International Business pathway could lead to roles as a marketing specialist, general manager, entrepreneur, or stockbroker, for example. Focusing on Economics can lead to employment in academia, management consultancies, government departments including Treasury, banks and international institutions as a forecaster and analyst.

“iCLA has truly supported me in discovering my dream career in finance. In a dynamic multicultural environment like iCLA, not only my foreign language (English and Japanese) ability, but my skills of understanding and explaining ideas have also been trained. In my workplace, I can utilize these skills to communicate inside the company as well as with our clients.
A degree in Liberal Arts focuses strongly on developing critical thinking ability, and I have been taught to approach and assess every issue and topic from different perspectives. I will apply this skill at my work to bring new value to each situation I face.
iCLA provided me with a lot of career support; from my internship at FUSO Academy, part of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation, to our Career Design course which taught me how to find my passion, suitable jobs that fit with that and how to prepare to earn those jobs. My economics professors also helped me assess the companies I wanted to apply to and find out further information about them. Their advice has been invaluable.”

Hue

Vietnam

Our Global Business and Economics Faculty

Message from the Program Coordinator, Professor Zheng Nan:

“The global business environment is rapidly changing. One vivid example is how the boundary between the financial industry and big tech has become increasingly ambiguous. Our lifestyle and behavior are thoroughly and profoundly driven by these changes, consequently affecting economics and the study of decision-making in the face of scarcity. In the Global Business & Economics program at iCLA, we participate in the process of reshaping the financial world and prepare ourselves to be business leaders and global citizens. We expect our students to act on issues of global significance and we utilize Japan’s position as a worldwide hub for western and eastern cultures to enrich our students’ global competence.”

Dr. Zheng Nan

Economics