Business Management Studies

Foreign trade could be more focused on international relationships, not only between companies but also countries, so you should expect some intro to domestic and international law classes (tax laws, contracts and tax planning, for instance, or even EU regulations or other international conventions). You should expect economics classes and others related to international trade, such as logistics or international trade operations (shipping, insurance, transportation, etc). International business management would be a degree you'd take in order to prepare for high-level roles in multi-national companies. It should be a Management degree with intros to foreign trade, but also with classes specific for interpersonal skills such as negotiation, communication, sales, etc. These are important as they should teach you how to interact with businesspeople from other countries and, therefore, with different cultures and customs. This may be taught with generalised cultural stereotypes, but it should give you some preparation towards what you should be aware of when communicating and negotiating with others. All in all, foreign trade is a more specific and technical course but it doesn't mean it won't have business-related classes such as finance, accounting, marketing or management. People with this degree should be able to work in shipping companies, logistics (either in companies or in customs - seaports or airports) or in many other roles. On the other hand, international business management should prepare you to run an international company or perform different roles such as diplomacy or politics (highly demanded in international organisations or institutions such as the Chamber of Commerce, the EU, the OECD, the IMF or others). Please bear in mind that the line between these two could be very fine, so make sure to have a look at the curricular programme of the specific degree of each university. My degree, for instance, is a perfect mix of the two above so be prepared for either professional outlets. Also bear in mind that complementary education could narrow your expertise to a specific area (e.g. Masters in Law, marketing, finance, accounting, translation, etc).