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MA with Certificate in: International Business & World Trade

The Department of Geography offers graduate students pursuing a Master's degree in geography the opportunity to specialize in international business and world trade. Examples of major themes that are emphasized in this area of concentration include:

  • The processes of globalization and their impacts upon business enterprises, industry sectors, and local and national territories;
  • Transnational corporations, international competitiveness, and the international location of production and producer services;
  • The internationalization process of business establishments, export marketing strategies, and Internet-based information sourcing;
  • International management across borders and cultures;
  • The impacts of regional economic integration upon international patterns of trade, direct investment, and regional development;
  • International and regional industrial shifts and labor-market development;
  • Political economies and the geographical organization of production and investment in Asia, Western Europe, and North America.

Purpose

This area of specialization, which is generally referred to as the "International Trade Concentration" (ITC) and which has been offered by the Department of Geography since the early 1970s, has been designed with the assistance and guidance of local practitioners from the business community and government. Careful attention has been paid to creating a training program that meets the specific job requirements of internationally oriented business firms, service providers, commercial banks, and government agencies, while also providing suitable preparation for more advanced doctoral study.

Employment Opportunities

Over the past decades, graduates of this area of specialization have found employment with private-sector manufacturers (exporting companies), export-related service providers (commercial banks, freight forwarders, transportation carriers, customs-house brokers, and export-management companies), and government agencies at the local, state, and federal levels. Others have gone on into doctoral programs and have taken positions at various educational institutions in the U.S. and elsewhere. Noteworthy is the fact that many of our graduates have been international students who have returned to their home lands to assume similar positions in business and government.

 

Core Courses

The ITC program consists of 39 hours of graduate-level study. The required courses in the program are:

____ GEO 502 Survey Methods 
____ GEO 509 Multivariate Statistics in Geography
____ GEO 519 Transportation
____ GEO 531 Introduction to International Business
____ GEO 625 Industrial Geography
____ GEO 632 Macro Issues in Trade and Development
____ GEO 634 World Regional and Cultural Systems
____ GEO 636 Spatial Problems of Multinational Corporations
____ GEO 640 The Asia-Pacific Economy
____ GEO 741 Internship and Research Project (6 hours)
        OR
____ GEO 631 Project Guidance (3 hours)

If any of these courses are not offered in a timely manner to fit a students program, students should see their advisor for approval of substitutes.

Electives

Students who elect to take GEO 741 (a six-hour combined internship and research project undertaking) are required to complete six hours of approved elective courses. These may be additional graduate-level courses in geography, or they may be in such fields as economics, business management, political science, law, and foreign languages. Those students who elect to take GEO 631 (three hours of project guidance) must complete nine hours of graduate-level electives. Students should see their advisor if they seek approval of additional credits of Geo631.

Internship

One of the special features of this specialization is the opportunity to develop an internship with a local international business firm or government agency. This part of the program provides students with an opportunity to gain insights into the operations of international businesses and/or agencies within the local region, and to make valuable professional contacts.

Local Professional Organizations

Buffalo and the Western New York region contain more than 250 manufacturers and business-service agencies that are engaged in international activities. Providing services (e.g., training, seminars, special speakers) are the World Trade Center: Buffalo Niagara organization, which is a member of the World Trade Centers Association; the Buffalo World Trade Association, which was established in 1921 and provides a social environment in which international business people convene to discuss business-related activities; and the Buffalo Export Assistance Center, which is affiliated with the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Admission Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree (in any discipline)
  • Good GRE scores (and TOEFL scores, if appropriate)
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Online application at www.gradmit.buffalo.edu

Note: The School of Management will only accept GMAT scores, and the Geography Department will accept GMAT scores in lieu of GRE scores.

Core faculty in Geography


Department of Geography University at Buffalo