International Business, Language, and Culture

The International Business, Language, and Culture (IBLC) degree is a collaborative program that draws on the unique and complementary assets of the Georgetown University College of Arts & Sciences and the McDonough School of Business (MSB).

Undergraduate students from the College and the McDonough School of Business are eligible to earn a Bachelor of Science degree while remaining affiliated with – and advised by – their respective schools through graduation.

The IBLC program is a 120-credit degree that integrates essential elements of the McDonough program in international business with a tailored program in one language from the College’s Faculty of Language and Linguistics.

IBLC is a deeply collaborative and interdisciplinary opportunity for Georgetown undergraduates, emphasizing the centrality of cultural and linguistic competency to the business sector, and the ways that language study has always been an avenue to effect change and innovation in the world. By placing language and culture in conversation with business, students are invited to take up vital, global questions of inequality, labor and human dignity, technological, ethical, and environmental consequences.

Students planning on applying to this program should demonstrate their language proficiency as well as their quantitative skills through coursework at Georgetown. They should do so by taking courses in their intended language of concentration, ECON-1001 and 1002, and MATH-1350 (or 1310 and 1320) in their first year at Georgetown.

The IBLC is a competitive joint degree program with many more students applying than available spots. Each application will be reviewed holistically, but it is important to note that the admissions committee is looking to see how well-prepared candidates are for the program, how feasible it is for applicants to complete the program in the subsequent six semesters, and how well students have articulated their fit for the program. As such, the following factors are important considerations for admission into the program:

• Completion of quantitative courses (e.g., ECON-1001, ECON-1002, MATH-1350)
• Preparation in the chosen language of study/language level or proficiency as determined by GU coursework
• Cumulative GPA
• Feasibility of completing core requirements in the subsequent six semesters
• Feasibility of completing business course requirements (including taking into account prerequisites and sequencing) in the subsequent six semesters
• Feasibility of completing language and culture concentration in the subsequent six semesters
• Articulation of program fit and aptitude through all essays submitted as part of the application

Students at Georgetown studying language and culture are naturally inclined to study abroad. Indeed, many of these students consider studying abroad as an essential part of their college education. However, depending on a student’s language preparation and/or progression through their business coursework, it may be challenging for IBLC students to participate in a semester-long study abroad program. Nevertheless, IBLC students are eligible and highly encouraged to apply to the Global Business Experience (GBE), which offers courses that integrate business learning in a global context. A typical GBE course includes travel to a foreign country for a week either over spring break or after finals in mid-May. If selected, students will encounter minimal expenses for these trips, as airfare, transportation, accommodations, city tours, site visits, and cultural activity fees are all covered by MSB.

The admissions committee works hard to consider the application of each student. While factors such as curricular preparation and the feasibility of completing program components are important, the admissions committee strives to conduct a holistic review of each candidate. Moreover, applications are considered on their own merit as well as how each student’s strengths complement each other and lay the foundation for a rich intellectual cohort experience. For these reasons, admissions decisions are final and cannot be reconsidered or appealed.

Watch our IBLC Info Session