Academic Programs
> Undergraduate > International Business and World Trade
Purpose: The process of globalization operating in the world today is characterized by the growth of trade, the internationalization of capital and financial markets, a new international division of labor, the rapid diffusion of technology and innovations across national borders, and a time-space convergence between key cities and regions in the global community. This global restructuring is challenging corporate decision-makers of both large and small manufacturing and service-based enterprises to rethink their organizational arrangements, locational and production decisions, and marketing strategies. This cluster is designed for those undergraduates who wish to prepare for a professional and/or academic career in the exciting world of international business - a business environment that includes employment opportunities with export-oriented manufacturing and service companies, trade and location-investment consulting firms, governmental agencies, and a variety of international service providers (e.g. freight forwarders, customs brokers, international banks, transport carriers, and international trade management companies
Entry Requirements: To become an undergraduate in the Geography department a student should have completed TWO Geography coursed with a QPA of 2.0 or better and must have an overall (UB) QPA of 2.0 or better. Applicants with an overall UB average of less that 2.0 will not be considered.
Certificate: For those who successfully complete this cluster a special department certificate is awarded indicating that your specialty is in the area of International Business and World Trade.
Grades: It is required that all Geography courses be taken for a letter grade. The only exception is GEO440, Geography Internship, which must be taken as Pass/Fail (P/F) grading. In addition, all non-departmental courses needed to complete the certificate program must be taken for a letter grade. New majors who have previously taken any required course for S/U grades must petition for restoration of the letter grade to their transcript.
Waiver Policy: A student who applies to our Graduate International Trade Concentration (ITC) program, and who, as an undergraduate student at U.B., has taken GEO 333, and/or GEO 334, and has received a grade of B or better in each course, may waive the corresponding course(s) in the Graduate ITC program. Such students must then complete GEO539 for 1-2 hours of graduate credit within the first two semesters of entry into the program.
Transfer Credit: Students who wish to transfer credit for a course taken at another institution must provide a transcript AND a course description or outline of the course. This should be presented to the Director of Undergraduate Studies or an International Business and World Trade advisor for consideration and possible approval.
For more information, contact Dr. Sean Bennett, Director of Undergraduate Studies at 645-0490, or an advisor from the list below. Office hours will be posted the first week of each semester.
Faculty Advisors
| Dr. Sharmistha Bagchi-Sen | 114 Wilkeson | 645-0478 | geosbs@buffalo.edu |
| Dr. Trina Hamilton | 118 Wilkeson | 645-0482 | trinaham@buffalo.edu |
| Dr. Alan MacPherson | 127 Wilkeson | 645-0491 | geoadm@buffalo.edu |
| Dr. Jessie Poon | 121 Wilkeson | 645-0485 | jesspoon@buffalo.edu |
Required Courses for Specialization in International Business and World Trade:
____ GEO 101 - Earth Systems Science I____ GEO 102 - Intro to Human Geography OR GEO 103 - Geography of Economic Systems*____ GEO 120 - Maps and Mapping ____ GEO 330 - Dynamics of International Business ____ GEO 333 - Bases of World Commerce ____ GEO 334 - International Environments and Commercial Problems ____ GEO 410 - Univariate Statistics in Geography ____ GEO 411 - Multivariate Statistics in Geography ____ GEO 419 - Transportation ____ GEO 425 - Industrial/Business Geography ____ GEO 460 - Geography of Development
Non-Department required courses:
____ ECO 181 - Macroeconomics ____ ECO 182 - Microeconomics ____ One Computer Science Course (CSE101, CSE113, MGQ201, MFC101, MFC118) ____ English 101 (or equivalent)
Elective Requirements: TWO of the following:
____ MGA 201 - Intro. To Accounting I ____ MGB 301 - Organizational Behavior ____ MGF 301 - Corporate Finance ____ ECO 405 - Microeconomic Theory ____ ECO 407 - Macroeconomic Theory ____ MGM 301 - Principles of Marketing ____ Writing or Communications Courses ____ Language Courses
One GIS/Cartography Geography course:
____ GEO 381 Cartography ____ GEO 389 Business Geographics ____ GEO 420 Transportation/Spatial Info ____ GEO 450-453 Special Topics ____ GEO 462 Network & Location Analysis ____ GEO 464 Mobility & Flows ____ GEO 479 GIS & Environmental Modeling ____ GEO 481 Geographic Information Systems ____ GEO 483 Remote Sensing ____ GEO 485 Cartography and Geo. Visualization ____ GEO 488 GIS Design ____ GEO 489 GIS Algorithm and Data Structures
One Earth Systems Science Course:
____GEO 345 Water Resources ____GEO 347 Climatic Geomorphology ____GEO 348 Landform Development ____GEO 350 Landform Field and Lab Techniques ____GEO 352 Introduction to Soils ____GEO 356 Forest Ecology ____GEO 435 Conservation Biogeography ____GEO 444 Advanced Earth Systems Science ____GEO 445 Restoration Ecology ____GEO 449 Fluvial Geomorphology ____GEO 454 Soils Laboratory Methods ____GEO 470 Landscape Environment Management ____GEO 475 Landscape Modeling ____GEO 479 GIS & Environmental Modeling ____GEO 483 Remote Sensing
Important: Completion of courses on more than one list fulfills only ONE requirement.
* Students should note that Geo 103 is mandatory for the 5-yr BA/MA program
Approved subs for GEO410: CEP207, PSC408, PSY207, SOC294, STA119, ECO480, EAS308. The Department of Geography requires that all majors complete a minimum of 39 hours in Geography. Students who take a sub for GEO410 must complete an additional Geography course to fulfill the 39 hour minimum requirement.