International Business

International Business Programs

International business examines how organizations operate across countries and markets, bringing together strategy, finance, marketing, management, economics, and cross-cultural communication. Anaheim University offers online international business programs from graduate certificate and diploma study through to the MBA and DBA, giving students a pathway to develop their knowledge at the level that fits their education and professional goals.

AU MBA students networking
AU MBA students networking

International Business Programs from Certificate to Doctorate

Choose an international business qualification based on your current education, professional experience, and goals. The four pathways range from focused graduate study to advanced doctoral research, with courses covering the major functions and challenges of doing business across borders.

Doctoral Degree

Develop advanced expertise in international business through doctoral-level study of global management, strategy, research, and the challenges faced by organizations operating across international markets. The DBA combines advanced business knowledge with applied doctoral research for experienced professionals seeking to deepen their expertise.

Fifteen courses and a four-term dissertation across twenty terms, with the research applied to a live problem in international trade, global operations or cross-border finance rather than to theory alone. Graduates lead across borders in international trade, consulting, banking and global operations.

Entry: a completed MBA. A 3.0 GPA must be maintained through to graduation.

60 credit hours beyond an MBAAbout 3 yearsNew term every 6 weeksTwo live seminars per course
Master's Degree

Build advanced business knowledge with an international perspective. The MBA combines core business administration with specialized study in international business, covering areas such as management, marketing, finance, human resources, economics, and global business strategy.

Six-week courses covering core business functions, four courses in international business, and two electives of your choice. Classes are taught live by doctoral-qualified faculty with real-world business experience. Graduates pursue careers in management, marketing, human resources, finance and IT—or launch businesses of their own.

36 unitsAbout 18 monthsNew term every 6 weeksTwo live seminars per course
Graduate Diploma

Develop focused graduate-level knowledge of international business while choosing the subjects most relevant to your interests and career. Select six courses from areas including international management, marketing, finance, economics, human resources, intercultural communication, business law, and supply chain management.

Six graduate courses drawn from a ten-course international business curriculum, so the selection can be matched to the role you are in rather than fixed in advance. Covers managing organisations, reading international markets and working across cultures. Graduates move into international trade, consulting, banking, marketing and human resources roles.

18 unitsAbout 9 monthsNew term every 6 weeksTwo live classes per course
Graduate Certificate

Build a focused foundation in international business through three graduate-level courses. Choose subjects from areas such as international management, marketing, finance, economics, human resources, intercultural communication, business law, and supply chain management.

Three graduate courses, written for people with little or no formal business study behind them. It is designed as a first formal qualification in international business rather than a top-up to an existing one. Graduates work in international trade, banking and finance, consulting, marketing and recruitment.

9 unitsAbout 18 weeksNew term every 6 weeksNo prior business study needed

Compare International Business Programs

See International Business programs side by side and find the option that best matches your goals.

ProgramLevelDurationCreditsEntry requirementTuition
DBA in International BusinessDoctoralAbout 3 years60 credit hoursA completed MBA; a 3.0 GPA maintained to graduate$37,465
MBA in International BusinessMaster’sAbout 18 months36 unitsA 3.0 GPA maintained to graduate$18,425
Graduate Diploma in International BusinessGraduate DiplomaAbout 9 months18 unitsA 3.0 GPA maintained to graduate$8,475
Graduate Certificate in International BusinessGraduate CertificateAbout 18 weeks9 unitsNo formal background in the field assumed$4,500

Which international business qualification do you need?

The right starting point depends on what you have studied already and how much of the field you need to cover.

If you…Start with
You have no formal business study and want a first qualificationGraduate Certificate in International Business
You want graduate depth matched to your current role, short of a degreeGraduate Diploma in International Business
You want a full master’s covering the core business functionsMBA in International Business
You already hold an MBA and want to research at doctoral levelDBA in International Business
Your focus is sustainability rather than international tradeMBA in Global Sustainable Management
You want to build your own company rather than manage an existing oneMaster of Entrepreneurship

What international business study covers

International business is the discipline of running an organisation whose customers, suppliers, staff or capital sit in more than one country. It draws on the same core functions as any business degree — strategy, finance, marketing, operations, people — and then adds the problems that only appear once a border is involved: currency and country risk, trade regulation, supply chains that cross jurisdictions, and teams working across cultures and time zones.

Anaheim University graduates in this field work in international trade, consulting, banking and finance, global operations, marketing, human resources and recruitment. Some use the qualification to move up within an employer that already operates internationally; others use it to move into a company that does.

The certificate, diploma and MBA draw on the same graduate curriculum, which is what makes a short qualification a sensible way to test the field before committing to a degree. If you intend to continue later, ask admissions how coursework already completed is treated before you enroll.

How International Business Study Works Online

Six-Week Course Blocks

Focus on one course at a time within a structured six-week term.

Live Faculty Interaction

Join live online seminars with professors and engage directly with faculty rather than relying solely on recorded lectures.

Global Collaboration

Work with classmates from different countries through online discussions and collaborative projects, bringing international perspectives into the classroom.

Study Alongside Your Career

Complete coursework, discussions, and assignments online while maintaining your professional responsibilities.

An International Perspective in Every Classroom

International business is not studied from a single-market perspective. Anaheim University’s online learning environment brings together students and professionals from different countries and backgrounds, creating opportunities to examine business challenges from multiple cultural and market perspectives.

Through live seminars, online discussions, and collaborative projects, students can connect international business concepts with real-world situations and experiences from different parts of the world.

Anaheim University students and alumni work at organisations including Audi, the Bank of Japan, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, Mercedes Benz Finance, Nissan, Toyota and UBS.

Who Teaches the International Business Programs

Learn from experienced business educators who bring academic knowledge and professional experience into the classroom. Anaheim University professors hold doctoral degrees and teach through live online seminars, discussions, and other interactive learning activities.

Robert Robertson, Ph.D.

Dean of the Akio Morita School of Business. Ph.D. in Management and Organization, Stirling University; MIT Sloan. A Fulbright Specialist who has lectured across Asia, Europe and Latin America.
Carlos Aquino, Ph.D. Professor

Carlos Aquino, Ph.D.

Ph.D. in Sciences and Technology, University of São Paulo, and an M.S. from George Washington University.

Chris Raymond, Ph.D. Professor

Chris Raymond, Ph.D.

Ph.D. in economics, University of California, Santa Barbara, followed by an international MBA.

John Wang, Ph.D. Professor

John Wang, Ph.D.

Ph.D. in Business Administration, Temple University, completed on a scholarship award.

These four are among the wider School of Business faculty, all of whom hold doctorates.

Frequently asked questions

They differ in length and in how much of the field they cover. The Graduate Certificate is three courses and is written for people with no formal business study. The Graduate Diploma is six courses selected from a ten-course curriculum, so it can be matched to the job you are doing. The MBA is twelve courses and covers the core business functions as well as international business, and is a full master’s degree.

The Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, and MBA programs are designed for people with little or no formal education in the field.

The DBA has specific graduate-level admission requirements. Applicants must hold a master’s degree in business administration, a functional area of business, nonprofit management, public administration, or another field relating to managerial functions, or hold a JD degree.

Entry requirements are set out in each program’s catalog. The DBA requires a completed MBA. For the other three, send your transcripts to admissions and they will tell you what applies to your background before you prepare an application.

The certificate, diploma and MBA draw on the same graduate curriculum, so a short qualification is a reasonable way to test the field first. How completed coursework is treated if you continue is decided by admissions, so ask before you enroll if that pathway is part of your plan.

Yes. The Doctor of Business Administration in International Business is 60 credit hours beyond a completed MBA, and a 3.0 GPA must be maintained through to graduation. If you hold a different master’s degree, ask admissions how it is assessed.

The Graduate Certificate takes about 18 weeks and the Graduate Diploma about nine months. The MBA takes about 18 months. The DBA takes about three years, with a maximum of five years from matriculation.

Live. Every six-week course includes two live online seminars led by faculty. In the Graduate Diploma they fall at the end of weeks one and four of each course.

No. All four programs are delivered entirely online, with no residency requirement and no need to relocate.

Anaheim University is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC). The DEAC is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a recognized accrediting agency. Accreditation is institutional, covering the university and the programs it offers.

Tuition is charged course by course rather than as a single fee, so the cost is spread across your studies, and current figures for each program are published in its catalog. Anaheim University does not participate in federal or state financial aid programs, so US federal loans and grants are not available.

Yes, and the structure is built for it. Courses run in six-week blocks and are taken one at a time rather than concurrently, with two live seminars in each.

A new term begins every six weeks, so there are several entry points across the year rather than a single annual intake.

Yes, and many students do. The programs ask for evidence of English proficiency — typically TOEFL 530 paper-based or 71 internet-based, IELTS 6.5, or TOEIC 800. Each catalog lists the tests and scores it accepts.

Talk to an International Business Advisor

Explore your options in International Business with an advisor who can help you compare programs, understand the different levels of study, and identify the path that best aligns with your academic background and professional goals.