International Commerce & Import / Export (LCA.ER) A.C.S.

Program Overview

Herzing's International Commerce and Import/Export program equips students with the knowledge and skills to navigate international trade laws, regulations, and business practices. Through a comprehensive curriculum covering topics such as import/export procedures, global supply chain management, and international marketing, graduates are prepared for careers as import/export clerks, customs officials, or independent importers/exporters in government, trading companies, or their own ventures.

Program Outline

Outline:

Program Content:

• International trade laws and regulations
• Import/export procedures
• Business and marketing strategy
• International trade ethics
• Computerized accounting
• Global supply chain management
• International trade finance
• Starting an import/export business

Course Schedule:

• Business Application Software
• Venture Start-up
• Accounting I
• E-Business Concepts
• Computerized Accounting
• Accounting II
• Business Principles and Management
• Business Communication
• Business Mathematics
• Statistical Methods
• Business Law and Ethics
• Introduction to Marketing
• Spreadsheets & Databases
• Global Business Environment
• International Trade Research
• International Marketing
• Legal Aspects of International Trade
• International Trade Management
• Global Supply Chain Management
• International Market Entry Strategies
• Internship

Individual Modules with Descriptions:

• Business Application Software:
Reviews basic Windows® navigation skills, Microsoft Word usage, Internet research, and Outlook information manager.
• Venture Start-up:
Explores entrepreneurship, business planning, market research, marketing plans, staffing, financial planning, buying a business (or franchise), legal pointers, control systems, and sources of financial assistance.
• Accounting I:
Provides a practical application of accounting concepts and principles for businesses, including an overview of accounting concepts and procedures, analyzing and recording transactions, beginning the accounting cycle, using worksheets, financial statements, and adjusting entries, completing the accounting cycle, working with cash and its control, working with accounting systems, journals, and internal controls, and payroll concepts and procedures.
• E-Business Concepts:
Introduces the concepts and principles of electronic commerce as it relates to business, including the foundations of electronic commerce, retailing in e-commerce, Internet consumers and market research, advertising in e-commerce, e-commerce for service industries, business-to-business e-commerce, intranet and extranet structures and applications, electronic payment systems, e-commerce strategy and implementation, public policy regarding legal, privacy, and consumer protection issues, infrastructure requirements for e-commerce, and economic and global issues in e-commerce. Students will learn how to set up their own web page.
• Computerized Accounting:
Provides practical application of accounting principles using the accounting software package, Simply Accounting.
• Accounting II:
Continues Accounting I, providing instruction in the concepts and principles of accounting for partnerships and corporations and the analysis of financial statements.
• Business Principles and Management:
Introduces the business environment with an overview of various topics that serve as a foundation for further study of management, including the environments that businesses operate in, the organizational structures of businesses, management functions in an enterprise, and the challenges of managing marketing, operations, information technology, finance, and human resources.
• Business Communication:
Deals with specific problems encountered by non-native speakers in spoken and written business communication, including the language of business letters, emails, and faxes, the format of business communication, meeting tactics and presentations, turning notes into reports, negotiating, agreeing and disagreeing, social language and etiquette, planning, organization, and presentation of specialized talks. Students will use PowerPoint and Word as tools for business presentations.
• Business Mathematics:
Provides instruction in the mathematical operations associated with the retail, banking, and accounting industries, including decimals, fractions, and percentages; bank services; interest and payment plans; purchase orders and invoices; selling prices and mark-ups; and payroll and inventory procedures, current values and capitalized values of a loan or an investment.
• Statistical Methods:
Presents the study of basic statistical theory and concepts, including statistical probabilities, measures of central tendency, measures of variation, hypothesis testing, regression, correlation, and quality control applications.
• Business Law and Ethics:
Provides a study of the legal system and its effect on business and business organizations, as well as an overview of the ethical issues that businesses encounter, including business law and ethics, contracts and sales, consumer protection issues, agency and employment issues, the regulation of business organizations, analyzing risk-bearing devices, and dealing with real property issues.
• Introduction to Marketing:
Provides a practical and managerial approach to the principles and applications of marketing in organizations and in the marketplace, including the marketing process and strategic planning, the global marketing environment, developing marketing opportunities and strategies, developing the marketing mix through product development, pricing strategies, distribution channels, and promotion techniques, and managing marketing through customer relationships, social responsibility, and marketing ethics.
• Spreadsheets & Databases:
Provides the study of the principles and features of a database management system using Microsoft® Access and a spreadsheet package using Microsoft® Excel, including creating and managing databases, data management and integrity, working with queries and forms, managing reports, using tools and macros, database and file management, analyzing and filtering data, relational databases, managing worksheets and workbooks; working with data, formulas, and functions; managing charts and graphics; working with outlines, views, and reports; automating tasks with the macro feature; using auditing tools, collaborative tools, and hyperlinks; and integrating with other programs.
• Global Business Environment:
Covers the context in which international trade takes place and the opportunities and challenges it represents for business, including a discussion on ethical issues businesses face today, such as a code of conduct for international trade professionals, human rights, ethical practices, diversity in the workplace, and the environment. Cultural aspects of international business and the importance of e-commerce for facilitating international trade are also addressed.
• International Trade Research:
Emphasizes the importance of well-planned and efficient research for guiding and promoting company activities, including developing research objectives that are compatible with corporate business objectives and selecting suitable methods of acquiring data. The course also presents material that will expose the learner to methods for analyzing and presenting researched data effectively and, consequently, be able to identify and evaluate international trade opportunities.
• International Marketing:
Covers the development of marketing plans to achieve business targets and the implementation and coordination of international marketing activities for products and services. Learners will be exposed to the principles of marketing functions and the distinctions between domestic and international marketing. They will also discuss such activities as adapting and/or developing products and services for the foreign market and the sales and marketing activities to be most successful in the target markets.
• Legal Aspects of International Trade:
Presents the basic legal principles of carrying on international business, including the legal implications of international business activities, legal aspects related to intellectual property, competition and antitrust laws, public trade law, and legal issues related to E-commerce in international business. Most of the material in this course is presented with an international scope and does not solely approach the issues from a Canadian perspective.
• International Trade Management:
Provides the learner with the ability to develop an international business plan, ensuring a comprehension of the scope and breadth and integration of international trade practices. Factors that ensure profitable entry into the import and export business and how corporate resources can be mobilized to capture qualified international business opportunities are discussed.
• Global Supply Chain Management:
Provides insight into global supply chain activities, including production and inventory management processes and regulatory and security requirements. Other topics within the course material are: the key elements of a logistics plan and how it impacts the business plan, the advantages and disadvantages of various transport modes, the roles and value of outside service providers in a supply chain strategy, order processing, inventory management, and other points of interest.
• International Market Entry Strategies:
Covers a comprehensive assessment of international market entry options for the export of products or services and optimal market entry strategies. The learner will be able to assess barriers to market entry, differentiate between market entry strategies, recommend potential international partners through consultations and analysis of strengths and weaknesses, and negotiate partnership agreements.
• Internship:
Provides the practical application of a student’s knowledge and skills in an industry environment. The industry shall be directly related to the student’s program of study. The internship requires full-time day attendance working in the industry setting. The duration of the internship is two-months during which the student must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 255 hours (2 months) of work experience.

Careers:

Potential Career Paths:

• Import/Export Clerk
• Customs Official
• Import/Export Merchant

Opportunities:

• Government (customs)
• Trading companies
• As independent importer/exporters

Outcomes:

• Graduates of Herzing’s International Commerce and Import/Export program are qualified for careers in international trade.