The Language and International Business Minor is a cross-disciplinary program available to students in any discipline. The minor is of particular interest to business majors unable to take the full range of language courses for a double major, and to language majors trying to gain an insight into basic business and business culture without taking full range of courses in business. The minor has special appeal to students in programs such as communication, political science, art history, etc., seeking an understanding of business language and culture to widen the field of application for their majors. Students whose major is one of the modern languages must take 18 credit hours in business administration, economics, or accounting. Similarly, students whose major is in the School of Business and Economics must take an additional 18 credit hours in a modern language. A total of 18 hours is required for this minor. Students from disciplines other than languages and business should consult with the program director to determine the configuration of their courses/ credit hours.
French and International Business
German and International Business
Spanish and International Business
With a minor in language and international business, you can expect to be fluent in both the language of business and one of three modern languages. This will give you a leg up in the professional world and help you stand out against other candidates because you will be able to communicate with partners overseas without translators. It also expands your career options. Knowing a language like French, German or Spanish opens up dozens of countries, and careers, across the globe. And while completing your studies, there are internship programs in several countries that would give you first hand experiences in a world business community.
French: French is the national language of 31 countries across Europe, Africa, the Americas, the Pacific, and parts of Asia. Today almost 350 million people speak French as a native or second language and it is one of six official language of the United Nations. The opportunities are almost limitless for someone with French fluency and business acumen. You could work in any corner of the world.
German: German has a powerful role in Europe today. With about 180 million native and secondary speakers, many of which are in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, German has become the unofficial language of business in Europe. The German bank provided the financial backbone of the European Union when the EU transitioned to the Euro in the 1990s. Germany has proven itself as a strong business partner for many countries and currently has the third largest economy by GDP.
Spanish: Spanish is the national language of 21 countries and close to 400 million people speak Spanish natively, making it the most-spoken Romance language. Estimates suggest that close to 500 million people speak Spanish as a secondary language, making it the fourth most-spoken language in the world. Spanish is the second most-widely spoken language in the US. It is also one of six official languages of the United Nations.
We know you're busy so that's why you can download our easy minor declaration form. It's really easy and you don't even have to drop it off at our office. The PDF can be edited, so all you need is Adobe Acrobat. Just open the minor declaration form, fill in the blanks, save it to your computer (so you have a record, too) and e-mail us the PDF updated with your information. You can do it day or night and we will see it first thing.
Download the Minor Declaration PDF.
Still not sure what a Language and International Business minor can do for you? Not sure what it means? Just want some answers to a few questions? Contact our office any time by e-mail at uwahg@cofc.edu or call 843-953-5723.
