Joint Degree Prioritizes Internationalism, Interculturalism Alongside Business Savvy

Georgetown University’s College of Arts & Sciences and McDonough School of Business are excited to announce a new joint degree in International Business, Language and Culture (IBLC). Students from both schools are eligible to attain the Bachelor of Science degree through comprehensive coursework that leverages the unique strengths of each institution. 

“Rather than simply offering parallel courses from each school, the IBLC program ensures courses in language and culture and international business work together to emphasize the centrality of cultural and linguistic competency to the business sector, as well as the ways that language study can effect change and innovation in the world,” said Deans Rosario Ceballo and  Paul Almeida in a joint statement. “Students will explore vital global topics including inequality, labor and human dignity, and issues related to technology, ethics, and the environment.” 

The College’s Faculty of Language and Linguistics, which comprises a slew of language and cultural programs, is essential to the school’s interdisciplinary, intercultural approach to education. Playing to these strengths, the program combines the resources of these global programs with the pragmatic, business-forward approach of the McDonough School of Business . 

Students who pursue the IBLC degree will be advised by their respective schools, while the overarching program is managed by a collaborative committee with members from both schools. They will graduate with a deep expertise in the business and culture of a specific region of the world.

“We are excited that the IBLC degree will build upon the numerous long-standing collaborations between our two schools, while at the same time enhance Georgetown University’s distinctiveness and growing portfolio of interdisciplinary programs including the B.S. in Business and Global Affairs and the College’s numerous interdisciplinary majors and minors,” said Ceballo and Almeida. “We look forward to formally launching this program and providing our students with a uniquely Georgetown experience that will equip them for personal success and impactful careers.”

The program promises to embody Georgetown’s commitment to cura personalis, or care of the whole person, by educating students fully, through an interdisciplinary, holistic approach. 

Formally approved by the Georgetown Board of Directors in April, Hoyas can now pursue the IBLC degree. 

-by Hayden Frye (C’17)