On this page:

Apply

Mandatory requirements

To apply for this program, you must have previously completed a two-year Business Administration diploma or equivalent at an accredited post-secondary institution. Review admission requirements for more details.

Overview

The International Business Management program will give you the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in multinational corporations.

In today’s interconnected world, businesses operate on a global scale. International trade and cooperation are essential for growth and success. Our program will equip you with the tools to navigate this complex landscape.  

You’ll be positioned for exciting roles in international management consulting, government relations, start-ups, and companies with global operations or sales.

Our program goes beyond traditional business administration education. You’ll develop the strategic, integrative, sustainable mindset necessary for global business. 

Learn from experienced faculty members who have worked in international industries. Our approach includes work-integrated learning, where you’ll face real-world international business challenges and opportunities.

Enjoy a personalized learning experience in our small-sized classes. Take part in collaborative coursework. 

Our program focuses on more than business theory. You’ll refine complex interpersonal skills and: 

  • develop your ability to understand and respect different opinions, values, and beliefs, and learn to communicate and appreciate what others contribute
  • develop effective negotiation strategies when dealing with people from different cultures
    learn how to lead responsibly in complex and ever-changing global situations and work towards
  • achieving business goals
  • study how both local and global challenges and opportunities affect international business goals and understand how products and services move within a company’s global supply chain
  • study how laws and regulations can impact business administration and international business opportunities
  • learn how to study markets to make effective decisions. 
In your third semester, you’ll complete a work-integrated learning project with a service focus or travel internationally and collaborate with an industry partner, gaining hands-on experience globally. 

Global business is key to success today. Our program prepares you for this exciting challenge. 

Those in the management field tend to be innovative, directive, and social.  

You need: 

  • intellectual and emotional maturity 
  • the ability to control your emotions and actions 
  • independence and objectivity 
  • energy, confidence, and creativity 
  • tact 
  • good listening and communication skills 
  • problem-solving skills 
  • project-management skills 
  • the ability to learn quickly and easily, then share knowledge, teach and train people 
  • the ability to observe, gather, select, and evaluate facts 
  • inductive and deductive reasoning skills 
  • the ability to synthesize and generalize 
  • the ability to work effectively as part of a team 
  • perceptiveness, to recognize an organization’s dynamics and politics 
  • persuasiveness and the ability to motivate others
  • integrity. 
You should enjoy trying new things, conducting research, presenting, taking charge, and providing constructive advice to others.  

You must have a two-year Business Administration diploma or equivalent from an accredited post-secondary institution, with a minimum 2.3 grade-point average (67% or C+) to enter this program. 

This post-diploma certificate provides you with options for advanced education. Graduates of the program will have completed up to eight courses required for the SAIT Bachelor of Business Administration degree (varies by major). Additional admission requirements apply. 

Learn more about program and institution transfer options.

In your third semester, you’ll choose from these two exciting elective options: 

  • a capstone course where you’ll apply your skills to a work-integrated learning project with a service focus, contributing to a real-world project
  • an experiential study tour where you’ll travel internationally and collaborate with an industry partner, gaining hands-on experience globally. 
This program’s work-integrated learning approach will position you for roles in international management consulting, government relations, start-ups, and companies with international operations or sales when you graduate.

After successfully completing this program, you’ll receive a SAIT International Business Management post-diploma certificate.

Download program info

Careers and opportunities

Our graduates may work in the following occupations. Some careers require additional experience and education.

Associated National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes: 11202, 13200, 41402.

Test

Career counselling and support

Unsure which career path is for you? SAIT offers career planning services to help you decide your future.

You can also get started by taking our online career finder quiz, which can help you narrow down your search based on your current skills and interests.

Finally, you can also head to Alberta alis for various tools and resources, including additional quizzes and labour market information to help you narrow down a career path.

Services and workshops

Courses

The International Business Management certificate requires 30 credits (10 courses) to complete.

The program spans one year, with two and a half semesters.

View classes by semester

Course Credits

This course examines the legal aspects of international trade.

Pre-requisites:
  • MNGT 360
 3

This course will examine intercultural communication and its relationship to personal, organizational and societal identity and influence. The ability to communicate with people from diverse cultures will promote increased understanding of cultural differences, challenge perceptions and develop tolerance for differences. Developing intercultural communication skills will enable you to work successfully and collaboratively in a global marketplace.

Equivalents:
  • COMM 3300
 3

Business Development creates long-term value for an organization from customers, markets and relationships. This course will examine the relationship between traditional transactional sales, relationship selling and the evolution of the Business Development function. Market scanning and analysis and identifying potential growth markets and key customers will be examined. Relationship, customer-centred selling techniques will be developed, including relationship building, needs analysis, along with after-sales customer care. Managing a sales force includes effectively organizing a sales department, forecasting and analyzing sales, recruiting and training a sales force, evaluating performance and legal and ethical issues within the sales profession.

Equivalents:
  • MKTG 2366
 3

The International Marketing course enables learners to make successful global marketplace decisions. The focus will be on the application of market planning across international boundaries. Topics include the role of international marketing for Canadian businesses, an examination of the cultural, political, legal and economic implications associated with marketing internationally, and the development and implementation of international marketing strategies.

Pre-requisites:
  • MNGT 360
Equivalents:
  • MKTG 3359
 3

In this course, you will focus on international business's impact on Canadian firms' operations and strategic decisions. You will be introduced to the threats and opportunities of globalization, international competition and regional integration. This course also includes traditional topics in international business, such as studies of the global environment, theory of international trade and investment, currency markets and modes of entry, emerging issues of global value chains, gated globalization, and changing world order.

Pre-requisites:
  • ECON 305
Equivalents:
  • MNGT 2360
 3

Students will explore such topics as capacity planning, process and labour design, Total Quality Management (TQM) and inventory models within the operational environment of both manufacturing and service organizations. This course will broaden your knowledge of best practices and provide a framework for evaluating existing processes and recommending improvements at all levels of an organization.

 3

This course examines developing international business strategies, designing and operating systems, and working with people worldwide to ensure sustained competitive advantage. Topics include planning, organizing, leading, and controlling profit-related activities across borders and cultures.

Pre-requisites:
  • MNGT 360
Equivalents:
  • MNGT 3365
 3

Integrated experience elective (choose one)

Course Credits

This course examines international business through applied learning.

Pre-requisites:
  • BLAW 400
  • MNGT 465
 3

In this International Business capstone course, students will showcase their applied learning and technical skills.

Pre-requisites:
  • BLAW 400
  • MNGT 465
 3

Elective courses (choose two)

Course Credits

This course examines international sales and negotiation techniques.

Pre-requisites:
  • MKTG 366
 3

In this course, you will explore unpredictable drivers that trigger organizational change and develop capabilities to understand, drive and manage change at all levels of the organization. Topics include Types of Changes, Why Change, Understanding and Diagnosing Change, Resistance to Change, Change Communication Strategies, Change Management Perspectives, Change Management Models, Organization Development and Sense-Making approaches, Sustaining Change. This course will allow you to develop and design solutions to manage the challenges in implementing change initiatives in various areas of organizations.

Pre-requisites:
  • MNGT 250
Equivalents:
  • MNGT 4010
 3

Project Management introduces you to the standards and best practices of the Project Management Institute. We will cover project management's technical and sociocultural components at an introductory level, including project definition, work breakdown structures, cost and scheduling techniques, and an introduction to earned value concepts. Other topics include stakeholder communications, risk management, project leadership and project closure.

Equivalents:
  • MNGT 2321
 3

Progression

Students must attain a PGPA and/or a CGPA of 2.0 or better in each semester and pass the necessary prerequisite courses to progress through the program. To qualify for graduation, students must pass all courses, attain a CGPA of 2.0 or better and complete course requirements within the prescribed timelines.

Review our grading and progression procedure >

hall

Explore your options!

Some courses in this program are available through Open Studies. You can complete courses via Open Studies to get a head start on your education, reduce your course load once accepted into a credentialed program, or determine which career path best suits you before you fully commit. 

You may also take courses for general interest or personal and professional development.

Available Open Studies courses

Admission requirements

Applicants educated in Canada

Applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency and meet the following requirements or equivalents:

  • must have completed a two-year Business Administration diploma or equivalent at an accredited post-secondary institution, with a minimum 2.3 grade-point average (67% or C+). This diploma must include a minimum of 20 courses or 60 credits.

All applicants who were educated outside of Canada must demonstrate English Language proficiency and provide proof they meet the program admission requirements with an international document assessment. Find out what educational documents are accepted and assessment options.

SAIT may also accept courses completed at certain international post-secondary institutions.

hall

Academic Upgrading

Missing an admission requirement for this program? Upgrade your prior education to help you receive admission into one of SAIT's career programs.

Upgrade
hall

English language proficiency

All applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency prior to admission, including students educated in Canada.

Learn more

Available intakes

Fall 2024

Start dates:

  • Sep 03, 2024
Domestic students: Open
  • Application deadline: June 28, 2024
International students: Closed
  • Application deadline: May 29, 2024

Costs

2024/25 tuition and fees

The following estimated costs are effective as of July 1, 2024.

Domestic students

The estimated total cost of tuition and fees for domestic students is based on the recommended course load per year.
Year Number of semesters Tuition fees Additional fees Total per year
1 2.5 $7,380 $1,840 $9,220
Total cost:
 $9,220

The estimated total cost of tuition and fees for international students is based on the recommended course load per year.
Year Number of semesters Tuition fees Additional fees Total per year
1 2.5 $20,850 $1,840 $22,772.50
Total cost:
 $22,772.50

Books and supplies are approximately $1,500 per full-time year.

This is a bring-your-own-device program with power user computer hardware and software requirement. See the specific requirements on our computers and laptops page.

Find your booklist on the SAIT Bookstore's website. The booklist will be available closer to the program start date.

Can’t find your program or course? The bookstore didn't receive a textbook list. Contact your program directly to determine if they’re still refining course details or if you're in luck; no textbook purchase is required this term.

2023/24 tuition and fees

The following costs are effective until June 30, 2024.

Domestic students

The estimated total cost of tuition and fees for domestic students is based on the recommended course load per year.
Year Number of semesters Tuition fees Additional fees Total per year
1 2.5 $7,260 $1,800 $9,060
Total cost:
 $9,060

The estimated total cost of tuition and fees for domestic students is based on the recommended course load per year.
Year Number of semesters Tuition fees Additional fees Total per year
1 2.5 $20,844 $1,800 $22,644
Total cost:
 $22,644
sait

Financial aid

Paying for your education may feel overwhelming, but we have resources and programs that can help, including information about payment options, student loans, grants and scholarships.

Learn more

Application process

Ready to apply?

Follow our step-by-step guide to submitting a successful application.

Learn how to apply

Communication during admission

Email is the primary source of communication during the selection process. Ensure your personal email account is managed appropriately to receive our emails, files and communications. 

We recommend you add the business.advising@sait.ca domain to your safe senders' list or you risk missing critical email messages.

sait

Begin your application

Apply now using the online application portal. 

Ensure you have a valid Visa or Mastercard to pay the non-refundable application fee of $120 for domestic applicants or $150 for international applicants. 

Apply now

Information sessions

Prepare for a strong start in your chosen program or get the details you need to decide your future path.

Our expert staff and faculty are ready to answer your questions and provide information about the following:

  • What sets SAIT apart
  • An introduction to the program and area of study
  • Admission requirements
  • Future career paths
  • Information on the earning potential and graduate employment rates.

Contact us

School of Business Advising

403.284.8485
business.advising@sait.ca

International Student Advising

403.284.8852
international@sait.ca