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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.
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.
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.
Career planning support
Unsure which career path is for you? Here are some recommended career planning resources to help you decide your future.
You can also head to Alberta alis for lots of information about careers in Alberta, including quizzes and labour market information to help you narrow down a path.
Finally, you can take our online career finder quiz, which can help narrow your options based on your current skills and interests.
Courses
The International Business Management post-diploma certificate requires 30 credits (10 courses) to complete.
The program spans one year, with three semesters.
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
|
In this course, you will learn about the legal aspects of international trade and how they relate to Canada's trade agreements with our largest trading partners. You will explore the role of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in the multilateral trading system, the role of the European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), and Canada's role in the Canada-EU relationship. You will also learn about theories and concepts related to international trade laws, international intellectual property protection for Canadian businesses, international dispute resolution, international contracts, and the impact of legal strategic decisions for international expansion. Pre-requisites:
|
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:
|
3 |
|
Business Development is defined as the creation of long-term value for an organization from customers, markets, and relationships. This course will look at the relationship between traditional transactional sales, relationship selling and the evolution of the Business Development function. Market scanning and analysis, and the identification of 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 is explored including the effective organization of 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:
|
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:
Equivalents:
|
3 |
|
In this course, you will focus on the impact that international business has on the operation and strategic decisions of Canadian firms. 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, as well as emerging issues of global value chains, gated globalization, and changing world order. Pre-requisites:
Equivalents:
|
3 |
|
In Operations Management, 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 you with a framework for evaluating existing processes and recommending improvements at all levels of an organization. |
3 |
|
This course examines the process of developing international business strategies, designing and operating systems, and working with people around the world to ensure sustained competitive advantage. Topics include planning, organizing, leading, and controlling profit-related activities across borders and cultures. Pre-requisites:
Equivalents:
|
3 |
You will choose courses from the following lists.
International business (choose two)
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
|
This course builds upon skills learned in Business Development and Customer Relationship Management. This course explores sales methodologies for small and midsize businesses and enterprise selling situations applicable to domestic and foreign sales settings. Additionally, it outlines the stages of negotiations, how to successfully conduct them and the impact that cultural differences may have on business deals. The course also focuses on preparing for foreign market entry, sales planning and analytics as well as managing customer and business relationships. Pre-requisites:
|
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:
Equivalents:
|
3 |
|
Project Management introduces you to the standards and best practices of the Project Management Institute. We will cover both the technical and sociocultural components of project management at an introductory level, including project definition, work breakdown structures, cost and scheduling techniques, and an introduction to earned value concepts. Stakeholder communications, risk management, project leadership, and project closure round out the topic coverage. Equivalents:
|
3 |
Integrated experience elective (choose one)
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
|
This course examines international business through applied learning. Pre-requisites:
|
3 |
|
In this International Business capstone course, students will showcase their applied learning and technical skills. Pre-requisites:
|
3 |
Progression
You must attain a PGPA and/or a CGPA of 2.0 or better each semester and pass the prerequisite courses to progress through the program.
To qualify for graduation, you 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 >
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.
Admission requirements
Applicants educated in Canada
Applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency and meet the following requirements or equivalent:
- a two-year Business Administration diploma from an accredited post-secondary institution, with a minimum 2.3 grade-point average (67% or C+), including a minimum of 20 courses or 60 credits.
A combination of education and experience in place of the above requirement will be considered upon approval from the Academic Chair.
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 accepted educational documents and assessment options.
SAIT may also accept courses completed at certain international post-secondary institutions.
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.
English language proficiency
All applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency prior to admission, including students educated in Canada.
Transfer agreements
At SAIT, we evaluate post-secondary credit you have previously earned and apply it to your SAIT credential. Explore our formal transfer agreements available for this program.
We can evaluate your prior education, even if we don't have a formal agreement in place.
Submit a transfer credit application
There are no formal transfer agreements currently in place for this program.
Transfer options for graduates
Build on the knowledge you’ve learned at SAIT. The opportunity to advance your education at an accredited post-secondary institution may be available.
🔗 Visit Transfer Alberta search tool for all transfer agreements in Alberta (including UCalgary, MRU and BVC).
If there are transfer agreements with other institutions outside of Alberta, nationally or internationally, they will be listed below.
Available intakes
Fall 2025
Start dates:
- Domestic students: Open
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Application deadline: June 30, 2025
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- International students: Open
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Application deadline: May 30, 2025
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Costs
2024/25 tuition and fees
The following estimated costs are effective as of July 1, 2024.
Domestic students
Books and supplies are approximately $500 - $1,000 per full-time year.
This is a bring-your-own-device program with standard hardware and software requirements. See the specific requirements on our computers and laptops page.
Find your booklist on the SAIT Bookstore's website. The booklist will be available close to your 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 for that term.
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.
Application process
Ready to apply?
Follow our step-by-step guide to submitting a successful application.
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.
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 $175 for international applicants.
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
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Phone - 403.284.8485
International Student Advising
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Phone - 403.284.8852
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Email - international@sait.ca
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Oki, Âba wathtech, Danit'ada, Tawnshi, Hello.
SAIT is located on the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of Treaty 7 which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Îyârhe Nakoda of Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney.
We are situated in an area the Blackfoot tribes traditionally called Moh’kinsstis, where the Bow River meets the Elbow River. We now call it the city of Calgary, which is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta.