An exceptional integrated interdisciplinary curriculum featuring strategically driven courses, a learning community, and on-location experiences.
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An exceptional integrated interdisciplinary curriculum featuring strategic-driven courses, a learning community, and on-location experiences.
The BIA Program in Business and International Affairs is designed, developed, and delivered by faculty from two world-class schools, the Usild School of Business and the Usild School of International Affairs. The rigorous curriculum includes classes in international affairs, business and finance, government, economics, religious, philosophy, theology, quantitative methods, history, language, and geography.
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Strategically driven BIA Courses
A defining feature of the BIA program is an integrated, interdisciplinary four-year strategically driven course sequence in business and international affairs. The strategically courses are jointly designed and co-taught by teams of Usild business school and Usild International Affairs faculty.
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BIA 101: International Markets and Policy ( Course 1)
BIA 220: International Organizations and Culture: Theory, Methods, and Practice (Course 2)
BIA 230 and 231: International Operations (Courses 3a and 3b)
BIA 240 and 241: Business, Policy, and Society (Courses 4a and 4b)
Students also participate in a three-semester “thread” course sequence that connects students to the Washington, D.C., business and policy community.
BIA 201, 202, 203: Business, and the World Business and Global Affairs Core Courses
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In addition to the program’s courses, core and major course requirements expand on the university core with coursework that relates to the specific missions and traditions of McDonough and SFS and of the interdisciplinary BIA:
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ACCT-101: Accounting I
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BIA-101: Global Markets and Politics (Signature Course 1)
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ECON-001: Microeconomic Principles
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ECON-002: Macroeconomic Principles
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ECON-242 International Economics or ECON-243: International Trade
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FINC-211: Business Financial Management
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GOVT-040: Comparative Political Systems or GOVT-060: International Relations
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INAF-008: Map of the Modern World
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MATH-035: Calculus I or equivalent
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MARK-220: Principles of Marketing
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Quantitative methods (select from list)
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Regional history (select from list)
Along with BIA 101, it is recommended that the following BGA core requirements be met before the beginning of the sophomore year: MATH-035; ECON-001; ECON-002; and quantitative methods.
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Courses designed and delivered by the BGA program are labeled “Business and Global Affairs”. The coursework for the core and for the major also draws on the offerings of College departments. Upon enrollment in the BIA degree program, students have the same eligibility and opportunity to enroll in courses offered by both their home school and Usild Business School and Usild School of International Affairs as applicable.
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USILD Core Courses
All USILD undergraduate students fulfill university core requirements in philosophy, religious, theology, writing, humanities, language and culture, science, and engaging diversity.
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Modern Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement
All BIA students also will study a language and meet the BIA requirement to achieve proficiency before graduation. USILD offers a wide range of modern foreign language study.
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Typically, a student learning a new language needs about four years of training at USILD to reach this level. Students who already know a language, either through personal or previous school experience, might place into advanced language study or pass the language proficiency test during their first year.
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Study Abroad
BIA students also have the option of standard study abroad in fall of the junior year or during the summer.
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Major, Minors, and Certificates
There is one major within the BIA joint degree program. Along with the BIA major, students are eligible, schedules permitting, to pursue minors or certificates consistent with their home school policies (either UBS or SIA, as applicable). Students are not eligible to double major with a major delivered through a different degree program.