In today's global economy, business organizations need to think beyond national boundaries and develop expertise in working in a variety of markets. Working internationally requires that we learn to understand and appreciate diverse cultures, while serving the strategic needs and mission of our own organization. The Global Business post-baccalaureate certificate program provides a flexible curriculum that allows business students to individualize their study.
Other courses focused on global topics may also be applied to this certificate, with the permission of an academic adviser or academic dean. Finance and economics courses typically require prerequisites.
Global Business Tuition
Post-baccalaureate students at Northwestern's School of Professional Studies pay per course. For more information about financial obligations and tuition, please visit the Tuition page.
Admission for the Global Business Certificate Program
In addition to completing an online application, you'll also need to submit a few supplemental materials. A list of requirements for admission including application deadlines and tips on how to apply can be found on the Admission page.
Global Business Registration Information
Whether you're a first-time registrant or current and returning student, all students register using our online student registration and records systems. Important information about registering for courses at SPS, including registration timelines and adding or dropping courses in which you are already enrolled, can be found on the Registration Information page.
Find out more about the Global Business Certificate Program
Program Courses:
Course Detail
Topics: International Accounting <> ACCOUNT 390-DL
This course covers accounting issues uniquely confronted by
companies involved in international business. The primary focus of
the course is to provide an overview of international accounting by
drawing on real business problems, economies, and finance in order
to understand what is contained in and how to develop and interpret
financial reports. The course includes fundamental financial
accounting concepts and methods across countries.
This course is conducted completely online. A technology fee will
be added to tuition.
There is no available section.
Economics Developing Countries <> ECON 326-CN
This course examines the economic structure, performance and
problems of developing nations and emerging markets. Topics will
include land use, labor, migration, credit, insurance and famine,
with a focus on building students' understanding of the fundamental
scholarship, debates and economic methodologies in this area. The
course will also discuss development economics as a set of tools
and as an evolving discipline in the post-colonial historical
context. Students should be comfortable with basic micro- and
macroeconomic concepts. Prerequisites: ECON 281, 310-A,-B,
311. Students may benefit from prior coursework in statistics,
econometrics, or mathematical economics, though prior work in these
areas is not required by prerequisite. Students should have a
working understanding of microeconomic and macroeconomic theory,
preferably including one quarter of introductory coursework in each
area.
There is no available section.
International Finance <> ECON 362-CN
This course will cover many of the basic concepts and facts
needed to understand the functioning of international financial
markets, including determination of exchange rates, balance of
payments, and international asset flows and prices; international
transmission of macroeconomic disturbances. Prerequisite: ECON 281,
310-A,-B, or equivalent.
There is no available section.
Introduction to Finance <> FINANCE 202-CN
An introductory course covering the basic concepts and models
used in finance. Explores the mathematics and spreadsheet modeling
techniques used in evaluating various financial assets, including
stocks and bonds. Also surveys the risk-return tradeoff in
financial markets and how investors gauge risk, as well as the
basic concepts of Markowitz's mean-variance portfolio theory. The
nature and impact of interest-rate risk on financial institutions
is considered, and the duration of a financial asset is introduced
in this context. Introduces the efficient market hypothesis and its
implications for personal investing and corporate finance.
Prerequisite: While there is not a formal prerequisite for this
course, it is helpful for students to have a basic understanding of
algebra and statistics, especially concepts such as standard
deviation, correlation, covariance and regression. Also, some
knowledge of accounting is helpful, such as familiarity with
balance sheets, cash flow statements, and income statements.
There is no available section.
Introduction to Finance <> FINANCE 202-DL
The focus of this course will be on quantitative tools that are
primarily used in the field of finance. In particular, we will put
heavy emphasis on the mathematics of interest rates, including the
tools used to value common stock and fixed rate bonds. We will
discuss how rates of return for these instruments are measured. We
will then look at the capital budgeting process and learn how
managers determine in which projects to invest a firm’s limited
resources. We will also study the probabilistic and statistical
tools necessary to understand how investors and financial
economists evaluate risk. Primary emphasis will be on an intuitive
understanding of portfolio theory and its impact on estimating the
expected return on an asset given its systematic risk through use
of the Capital Asset Pricing Model. Prerequisite: While there is
not a formal prerequisite for this course, it is helpful for
students to have a basic understanding of algebra and statistics,
especially concepts such as standard deviation, correlation,
covariance and regression. Also, some knowledge of accounting is
helpful, such as familiarity with balance sheets, cash flow
statements, and income statements. The course is conducted
completely online. A technology fee will be added to tuition.
This course will examine both international marketing and the
effort to market to various cultures within the United States. In
both cases, we need to understand what is unique about each market
and how the market is influenced by local culture and values.
Effective marketing plans and advertising campaigns need to be
built upon such understanding. Perceiving cultural differences both
in foreign countries and in the American market is particularly
important for managers in charge of managing global business or
developing a global brand.
This course is an introduction to successfully collaborating to
build partnerships and drive solutions through business acumen and
judgment to efficiently execute key business drivers of global
organizations. The course will cover diverse global issues,
including the challenges of cultural differences in a corporation
when increasing its global platform and contributing to its core
growth strategies, influencing diverse global functional
departments, negotiation, leadership, project management, managing
risk and building consensus on business opportunities for global
companies, advising on global expansion and integrating global
businesses. Students should develop the skills and appreciation of
effectively contributing to a company's growth and success in an
international market with a global perspective.
There is no available section.
Topics in Management: Global Leadership ORG_BEH 391-DL
Leadership of global organizations requires understanding,
appreciating and managing the impact of culture and the interplay
of cultural patterns in everyday interactions. To be successful,
leaders must be able to interpret complex cultural contexts and
develop intercultural competence, not only in themselves but in the
people they lead and the other organizations they work with. This
course is designed to help students identify and explore the
essential elements of a global mindset. Students examine the
leadership styles of 21st century global leaders as they work
collaboratively in teams to develop a unified construct of
effective global leadership. This course is part of the Business
Leadership year two curriculum. This course is conducted completely
online. A technology fee will be added to tuition. Students will be
asked to purchase a Cultural Navigator assessment code for $35.
Further instructions will be posted in Canvas.