According to the U.S. Department of State, as of 2014 international business in Delaware:
- Created $5.3 billion in export revenue annually
- Supported 1,766 companies that export to foreign markets
- Supported more than 24,000 Delaware jobs
Of the 1,766 companies in Delaware that focus on international trade, 89 percent are small to medium-sized businesses.
Because of the significant impact international trade has on the state’s economy, the State of Delaware Department of International Trade and Development works to support all businesses in the state that want to expand globally by offering:
- Advisory Services
- Export Assistance
- Import Assistance
- Incorporation Services
Along with this, the Department hosts trade shows and trade missions that promote Delaware’s businesses all over the world, especially in the state’s top export markets, which, in 2010, included:
- Canada
- United Kingdom
- China
- Japan
- Germany
- Brazil
- Mexico
- Republic of Korea
- Taiwan
- Belgium
How to Begin an International Business Career in Delaware
With Delaware’s growing involvement in the global market, the state’s business community relies on professionals with a global perspective able to market to global consumers, manage global production chains, and develop new opportunities abroad.
As the world economy increasingly relies on international collaboration, schools of international business continue to refine undergraduate and graduate programs in such a way that they prepare students for the unique opportunities and challenges they will face in the global business arena of the 21st century.
Earning a Bachelor’s Degree in International Business
Students who want to become an international business major may choose from a wide variety of college degrees, including, but not limited to:
- Bachelor of Science in International Business (BS)
- Bachelor of Arts in International Business (BA)
- Bachelor of Business Administration – International Business (BBA)
- Bachelor of Arts in International Relations – International Business (BA)
These majors will include between 120 and 130 credits consisting of varying courses types, such as:
- General education
- Business core
- Specialization
- Foreign language
- Study abroad
International business majors can concentrate on a facet of business studies—such as management or finance—or a facet of international studies—such as regional studies or language studies.
Example specializations include, but are not limited to:
- Global Leadership and Management
- International Finance
- International Accounting
- International Marketing
For example, a global leadership and management specialization will include courses such as:
- International Employee Recruitment and Selection
- International Management Information Systems
- International Management and Leadership of Organizations
Careers that generally require applicant to hold a bachelor’s degree in international business include, but are not limited to:
- Network Operations Center Analyst
- Global Compliance Officer
- Business Performance & Analysis Finance Lead
- Strategic Analytics Senior Analyst
- Import/Export Coordinator
- Global Marketing Specialist
Advancing to a Master’s Degree in International Business
Professionals who want to advance their career—moving into management and director roles in some of Delaware’s top international organizations—should enroll in a master’s degree in international business.
Master’s degrees in international business are a good way for business professionals to:
- Expand their business network
- Experience personal and professional support
- Study underneath world-class business specialists
- Study business from a global and multinational perspective.
To enroll, professionals will need to show documentation of their bachelor’s degree, their good academic standing as an undergraduate, four years of work experience, and good scores on the GRE or GMAT exam.
Students may enroll in various programs, including:
- Master of Science in International Business (MS)
- Master of International Business (MIB)
- Master of International Management (MIM)
- Master of Master of Science in International Management (MSI)
- Master of Business Administration in International Business (MBA)
- Executive Master of Business Administration – Jamaica (MBA)
- Professional Master of Business Administration – Panama (MBA)
Or, students may enroll in dual degrees such as:
- Master of Arts in International Relations/Master of Business Administration (MA/MBA)
- Master of Arts in International Affairs/Master of International Business (MA/MIB)
While regular and dual programs can take two to three years of full-time study, other accelerated programs can take between twelve to twenty months.
Most programs will include a range of business courses, such as:
- Organizational behavior
- Quantitative methods
- Managerial economics
- Accounting
- Business and the global society
- International marketing
After that, they will allow students to specialize in specific areas such as:
- International Project Management
- International Supply Chain Management
- International HR Management
- Global Communications
Advanced Careers in International Business in Delaware
Careers that generally require applicants to hold a master’s degree in international business include, but are not limited to:
- International Program Consultant
- International Business Professor
- Director of International Business Development
- Lead Global Financial Analyst
- International Billings Operations Manager
- International Controller
- International Project Manager
- Vice President of Global Innovation Centers
- Global Marketing Manager
- Strategic Cost Management Director
- Logistics Analyst
Delaware-Based Organizations Dedicated to Promoting International Business
Some of Delaware’s top nonprofits dedicated to supporting, sustaining, and strengthening the state’s role in the global economy include:
- World Trade Center Delaware – based in Wilmington, this nonprofit works to foster and facilitate international trade between Delaware businesses and global stakeholders.
To do this, they equip small and medium-sized businesses with the tools and information necessary to navigate international trade through offering online education, export/import assistance, and international business training.
Online education includes courses such as, “Trade Finance and Letters of Credit,” “Foundations of Incoterms,” “Export Documentation, Shipping, and Insurance,” “Developing Your Export Strategy,” and more.
- National District Export Council: Delaware – this council supports international trade in Delaware through the counseling and mentoring of international business experts in exporting, through identifying export financing sources, through creating greater export awareness, and through providing export training and education.
- Global Delaware – this organization works to attract international businesses to Delaware through investment, expansion, and incorporation, which all works together to revitalize the Delaware economy and create jobs for the state’s residents.
The State of Delaware’s top international business organizations and agencies include: