BSc in International Business and Politics

Program Overview

Firms and institutions constantly have to face many new and intense challenges. In recent years, for example, issues associated with inequalities, sustainability, gender and race have become prominent. BSc IBP considers these challenges and looks at the ways they are changing the relationships between businesses, governments, international organisations, and civil society organisations. The programme will prepare you to tackle them. BSc IBP interweaves training in political economy, economic theories, and core business studies subjects. You will also learn both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, including how to craft an independent research project and conduct an analysis. BSc IBP students are known for their capacity to both ‘dig in’ to produce fine-grained analyses, as well as being about to ‘zoom out’ and locate the broader context for how business operates in our society and across societies. Understanding political economy The BSc IBP considers the ways in which political and economic systems are always linked. Our starting point is that if you want to do business then you need to know how governments works, and if you want to govern then you need to know how business works. You will learn about formal political systems as well as the ways in which politics shape markets, institutions, and the environment for business. Many courses in IBP examine the relationship between regulation and markets. This includes how rules and standards are fought over, how they inform business strategies, and how interactions between regulation and markets create winners and losers. You will learn to analyze these interactions at both the domestic and international levels, exploring how businesses and governments navigate them, as well as understanding their political and economic consequences. Understanding business You will learn how to analyse a company and its activities and consider how firms develop and implement strategies in national and international business settings. You will gain an understanding of companies from both an economic and an organisational point of view. This includes strategy and decision-making to optimize quality and product innovation, on pricing and market tactics, and the development of risk profiles. You will also study organisational behaviour, that is, how people act within a company including how they deal with ethical dilemmas and questions of diversity. This is important. For example, the leadership style of a CEO can have an influence on organisational culture, which can further impact employee motivation, and therefore lead ultimately to an increase or decrease in employee productivity. Understanding economic foundations A firm must always take the economic context in which it operates into account. If there for example is a recession or inflation, it can change purchasing patterns, which can in turn have effects on production, employment, incomes and the pricing of products. You need certain tools to understand the character of markets and the potential impact of government economic policies. BSc IBP gives you these tools and a broader understanding of supply and demand, as well as markets, inflation, exchange rates and trade policy.

Academic Requirements