Academic Programs
> Undergraduate > International Business and World Trade
BA in International Trade - NEW Major Starting Fall 2012
The newly established International Trade degrees (BA and MA) in the Department of Geography prepare students to critically assess the process of globalization operating in the world today, including the growth of multinationals and foreign direct investment, international trade, the internationalization of capital and financial markets, new international divisions of labor, and the rapid development of technology and innovations. These changes are resulting in global restructuring and new patterns of uneven development. Critical social, economic, and environmental challenges are being faced by corporate decision-makers, government policy makers, and non-governmental organizations. The BA and MA degrees are designed to prepare undergraduates and masters students for a professional and/or academic career in this challenging and exciting world of international business and trade. You will be exposed to a wide-range of perspectives on the global economy, and will develop important skills in policy and data analysis at various geographic scales.
Our students pursue a wide variety of careers with organizations such as local investment and trade promotion agencies, trade and location 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). (Note: These degrees were formerly known as International Trade/International Business and World Trade tracks or ITC in Geography). Faculty members directly involved are Sharmistha Bagchi-Sen (also Chair of the Department of Geography), Trina Hamilton, Jessie Poon, and Marion Werner. The Director of Undergraduate Studies is Peter Rogerson. Please contact Ms. Betsy Abraham, Graduate and Undergraduate Secretary, for details (babraham@buffalo.edu or 716 645 0471). Visit us at www.geog.buffalo.edu.
Entry Requirements: To become an undergraduate in the Geography department a student should have completed ANY TWO Geography or Management courses with a 2.0 GPA or better and must have an overall (UB) GPA of 2.0 or better. Applicants with an overall UB average of less that 2.0 will not be considered.
Grades: It is required that all Geography courses be taken for a letter grade. The only exception is GEO496, Geography Internship, which must be taken as Pass/Fail (P/F) grading. In addition, all non-departmental courses 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.
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 Trade advisor for consideration and possible approval.
For more information, contact Dr. Peter Rogerson, Director of Undergraduate Studies at 645-0483, 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. Jessie Poon | 125 Wilkeson | 645-0485 | jesspoon@buffalo.edu |
| Dr. Marion Werner | 111 Wilkeson | 645-0475 | wernerm@buffalo.edu |
This Major requires:
TWELVE Geography courses and THREE Non-Department Courses
Required Courses:
GEO 100 - Geography Perspectives & World Issues OR 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 211 - Univariate Statistics in Geography* (formerly 410)
GEO 330 - Dynamics of International Business
GEO 333 - Bases of World Commerce
GEO 334 - International Environments and Commercial Problems
GEO 425 - Industrial/Business Geography
GEO 460 - Geography of Development
THREE Non-Department required courses:
ECO 181 - Macroeconomics
ECO 182 - Microeconomics
One Computer Science Course (CSE101, CSE113, MGQ201, MFC101, MFC118)
Any THREE Geography Electives at the 300/400 level:
Suggested courses-
GEO 345 Water Resources
GEO 366 Urban Geography
GEO 367 Urban-Social Geography
GEO 389 Business Geographics
GEO 411 Multivariate Statistics in Geography
GEO 412 Geography of Health
GEO 418 Population Geography
GEO 419 Transportation and Society
GEO 426 Geography Seminar
GEO 470 Integrated Environment Management
GEO 481 Geographic Informations Systems
GEO 482 Locational Analysis
*STATS SUBSTITUTION:
If you have already completed one of the following Stats courses, you will not need Geo 211.
Approved subs: PSC408, PSY207, SOC294, STA119, ECO480, EAS308.
Important Note: Students who take a course outside Geography that is equivalent to GEO211 must complete an additional Geography elective to fulfill the requirement of 12 Geography Department courses.