A recent McKinsey study revealed that in the decade leading up to 2019, half of global corporate growth came from international markets. As corporations seek to expand or bolster their reach beyond their domestic borders, industries ranging from technology to healthcare will continue to need employees with management skills and cultural intelligence to meet a host of global business challenges.
Earning an international business degree can help professionals gain the business expertise and international perspective to lead in global markets. This article discusses potential career paths for global business professionals and how an online Master of Global Business Administration (GBA) from The Fletcher School at Tufts University can help prepare them for success in this field.
Develop a Cross-Cultural Perspective
Pursue a Degree That Merges Business and International Affairs
What Is an International Business Degree?
Despite ongoing international conflicts, the world and its marketplace remain interconnected. That’s why business leaders must understand how international interactions within different industries vary from country to country.
With an international business degree, professionals gain a comprehensive understanding of global markets and the economic interdependencies that shape international trade and investment flows. The online master’s in global business from Tufts helps students understand how legal issues, economic trends, geopolitical shifts, and security risks impact global business strategies.
By merging international affairs and foundational business concepts, Fletcher GBA students develop a global mindset they won’t gain from a traditional MBA program or short trips abroad. A cross-cultural business perspective helps current and future business leaders:
- Glean broader market insights: Exposure to different business practices and consumer preferences across cultures is vital for identifying new market opportunities.
- Improve their leadership abilities: Leaders with cross-cultural experience are better equipped to build trust with international partners and manage a diverse workforce.
- Enhance their communication skills: Understanding and appreciating cultural differences improves communication with colleagues and clients from diverse backgrounds and fosters a collaborative work environment.
Key Outcomes for Global Business Graduates
The most common career paths for GBA graduates include international relations, consulting, and finance. The sections below explore the types of jobs and organizations Fletcher GBA students can pursue after graduation. (Note that the salaries quoted below can vary widely by job title, sector, and amount of experience and that private sector organizations often can offer higher pay than those in the public or nonprofit sector. These figures also do not include bonuses, commissions, profit sharing, etc., which can boost total income.)
International Relations Roles
GBA graduates are well-suited to pursue international relations roles in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. These roles typically involve navigating complex geopolitical landscapes and fostering international partnerships, and span areas such as foreign policy, international development, nonprofit management, international negotiation and conflict resolution, and security and intelligence.
With this international business degree, professionals can become economists analyzing trends for a government or company (median annual salary: $113,940) or data scientists ($103,500).
Consulting Career Paths
Consulting is another area where international business graduates excel. As students in Fletcher’s global MBA program, professionals develop key consulting skills, such as communication, decision-making, analysis, and problem-solving.
Armed with these essential skills, international business professionals can provide unbiased recommendations and consult on strategy, political risk, business intelligence, and development or offer sector-specific and boutique consulting services. Business intelligence consultants (average annual salary of around $110,383) help improve organizations’ decision-making; multinational corporations hire management analyst consultants (median annual salary: $95,000) to streamline operations.
Finance Opportunities
Finance careers are also a good fit for professionals with an international business degree. In a master’s in global business program, students develop contextual intelligence (the ability to recognize, interpret, and plan for the external factors that impact the global business landscape) and distance vision (the capacity to anticipate trends, risks, and opportunities and understand how they will influence business in the more distant future). In addition, they acquire a deep understanding of the macroeconomic, policy, regulatory, and legal factors that influence international markets.
After earning this specialized degree, graduates can pursue roles in areas such as private equity, foreign direct investment (FDI), impact investing, public finance, infrastructure finance, and portfolio management. Private equity associates help raise capital from outside investors and use it to buy companies, improve them, and sell them for a higher ROI (average annual salary of around $126,703). Financial managers employ their business skills to create financial reports, direct investment activities, and develop long-term financial plans for organizations across industries (median annual salary: $139,790).
Prepare for Global MBA Jobs at The Fletcher School at Tufts
The online Master of Global Business Administration (GBA) program at Tufts equips professionals with the leadership skills and contextual intelligence to make strategic decisions, think across geographic and disciplinary borders, and accelerate their business careers.
The 16-24 month online program allows students to engage with their professors and classmates in real time and complete their multimedia course work from anywhere. The program curriculum includes courses in international law, corporate finance, and international strategy to help students develop core business competencies along with contextual intelligence. Students also attend in-person immersions in Medford, MA (near Boston) and an international location where they can network with business leaders and alumni from around the world. Students also benefit from robust student support services, including career coaching, academic advising, and mental health care.
To help you decide if the Tufts online master’s in global business program is right for you, contact an enrollment advisor or attend a virtual admissions event. You’ll learn about the degree requirements, tuition and financial aid, and what to expect as a student in the program. If you’re ready to get started, begin your application today.