Studying International Management Image source: istockphoto.com
 
by Floyd Kühner
 
Floyd Kühner talks about the core essentials of studying International Management – a degree he has pursued with a fresh intent to gain global experience.

In my opinion it is essential that students are able to have some courses included in their studies focussed in the field of commerce or business – especially in terms of how a business is run.
 
From my understanding, basic business concepts highlight the processes of organisations, operational efficiency and the calculation of expenses and gains. For me this is knowledge or a way of thinking that can be applied to so many different aspects outside of business.

It was this school of thought that led me to reading towards a qualification in International Management…
 
Differently structured to a general business bachelors degree, which focuses on disciplines such as accounting, human resources, finance, marketing, etc. An International Management degree which is also known as International Business, International Business Administration and Global Business (depending on the institution), combines the disciplines of a general business degree with an overall global business understanding. For instance in many cases you have to take at least one or even two foreign languages in conjunction with your studies. In my case I took English (which is generally compulsory) and followed it with French as my secondary foreign language. However often you can go wild with languages, with choices ranging from Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Italian, Spanish, etc. Further my degree structure required me to do an exchange semester abroad. It is recommended that this is done in a country where one of the languages you are studying is spoken.
 
At many universities where International Management studies are on offer - you may be required to do an internship. There are a number of pros and cons to this. In some cases the internship may be a period that goes over and above your actual allocated study semesters, which can go as far as adding an extra 6 months or a year to your qualification. Frequently students have to split their internships into periods that fill their holiday breaks which doesn’t hold well for companies looking to have an individual for a longer space of time. One of the popular solutions is to factor in an “Internship Semester” into a study program. This provides enough time to dedicate to your studies and to a company where you are interning at. Time factor aside, the opportunity to earn an income during a paid internship is a great value add for this practical experience for any student learning the basics of the working world.
 
Along with the core basics of a general degree and relax if you are not good with numbers, you can side step accounting and economics with human resources and marketing! An International Management Degree entails studies of different languages, travelling abroad, interacting with new cultures and networking opportunities. Providing a well rounded global degree platform and a solid set of options for young students looking to take on the challenge of global business.
 
About: Floyd Kühner is a German student completing his studies in International Management in Munich.
 
Image source: istockphoto.com