International Business with Placement Year

International business is the study of how organisations compete, grow, and manage themselves across national borders, navigating the forces of global trade, investment, culture, regulation, and competition. It is a discipline that combines the analytical tools of economics and management with an awareness of the political and cultural contexts that shape how business actually works in different parts of the world. For graduates who want to work in organisations with an international dimension, the combination of commercial understanding and global perspective it develops is increasingly essential.

The four-year full-time International Business with Placement Year programme at Brunel University London is designed to equip you with the skills, knowledge, and global perspective needed to thrive in the fast-changing international business world. The programme covers the fundamentals of national and international market economies, focusing on the forces that shape the global business environment, and develops your understanding of international strategy, marketing, finance, and operations alongside the cross-cultural management skills that effective global leadership demands. The placement year is a significant structural feature: a full year working in a business with international operations gives you real professional experience in the commercial environments your degree is preparing you for, and it substantially strengthens your employability and your practical commercial judgement.

With a typical entry tariff of 120 points, the programme is accessible to a range of students while maintaining a rigorous academic curriculum. Graduates move into careers in international business development, marketing, consulting, financial services, supply chain management, and public sector roles with international mandates. Many also pursue postgraduate study in business, international management, or a specialist functional area.