The department is one of the two departments of the Faculty of Marketing and International Business. The department was created by the School Council in 2021 but operationalized in September 2022. It is housed in the Faculty of Marketing and International Business Building.

The department has a total staff establishment of 26 academic staff and 2 Administrative Staff. The student population fluctuates at 15,00-2,000 majority of which are undergraduate students.

The department is headed by the Head of Department who is the academic head of the Unit. The Head of Department is an elected position and for the period Sept 2023-September 2027, the Head is Dr. Dennis Nuwagaba.

A Message from the Head of the Department

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome our dear students who have been admitted to the Bachelor and Master of International Business. First, I congratulate you on having been admitted to the programmes and welcome you to Makerere University and Makerere University Business School. MUBS is a tertiary institution affiliated to Makerere University. All our Bachelor and Masters’ programmes are of Makerere University and that includes the BIB and MIB programmes.

The department is excited to have you and is committed to training you and equipping you with skills that will enable your future. We have the best academic faculty (staff) who are well-trained to handle all your academic and real-life challenges.

The department and the programme boast of producing the best students in humanities at Makerere University graduations many times. Some of these best students have been recruited to facilitate the programme and so feel proud that you are associating with the best of the best in academics.

The department prides itself in producing notable alumni of the programme, some of whom are reputable individuals in our society. We assure you that you are joining this club of alumni from the department and the programme.

We promise that we will endeavour to give you the best training you need to excel in life and your future career aspirations. We invite you to be life learners who will never stop learning and will continue to improve yourselves. Be seekers of not only knowledge but wisdom too, for wisdom is need in navigating life in this ever-changing world.

I wish you a nice, impactful and mind-engaging tenure as students on our programmes and in our department as we enable your future.

Dr. Dennis Nuwagaba (PhD)

Senior Lecturer/ Head of Department

International Business is a body of knowledge that deals with how companies and individuals conduct their transactions across national borders, it distinctly stands out from other business training because of the intricate nature of navigating diverse country markets amidst intense global competition (Hill, 2008).

With more and more countries opening up their boundaries and increasing volumes of business and trade among nations, it becomes imperative to develop individuals with skills in effective management of international businesses. The expansion of the World Trade Organization to control almost 98% of global trade points to the fact that global business is getting integrated thus making international business training necessary for now and the future.

As a founding member of the World Trade Organization, the African Continental Free Trade Area, and the East African community, Uganda is preparing the stage for its businesses to engage in global trade at the multilateral, continental, and regional levels respectively.

In addition, the National Development Plan III seeks to project the Ugandan economy with a global outlook. The Human Capital Development Programme is one of the 18 programmes identified as the pillars of the NDP III, and the Masters of International Business will contribute to this pillar by training human resources that will have the required skills, attitudes, and competencies to handle global business issues in the dynamic and emerging international business environment

As Uganda attracts several MNCs and foreign direct investments and as many local firms venture into other foreign markets for market opportunities, the demand for competencies and skills in International Business and the expanded East African region at large will benefit from the products of this programme.

Justification for Master of International Business (MIBN)

The Master of International Business (MIBN) is a strategically focused programme that seeks to address the knowledge and skills gaps existing in international business management, and multinational corporation management and provides an avenue for graduates in related fields of export-import business, transnational management, economics, trade, logistics, value chain management, clearing, and forwarding to acquire knowledge and skills in international business. The MIBN programme also provides an opportunity for candidates wishing to start and build careers in international business.

While several public and private universities in Uganda now offer a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with an International Business option, none of these Universities offer International Business at the Master’s level. The MIBN Programme therefore provides a suitable avenue for all these graduates to advance professionally

The Master of International Business programme will also provide opportunities for postgraduate study at an affordable cost without having to travel overseas.

The Ugandan economy is steadily and progressively getting integrated with the regional and global economy, calling for greater and deeper insight into issues related to global and international business management. There is also an urgent need to manage and grow local enterprises to facilitate competitive entry into international markets. The dawn of the second millennium brought about changes for global business namely; the emergence of economic unions, the increased role of multinational companies, globalization, and multicultural convergences. All of these have exacerbated the need to have individuals who are informed and trained to handle such upcoming complexities.

MUBS being at the centre of business and management training is taking up this challenge to champion the training and equipping of graduates who are skilled to handle these upcoming issues in business and management both nationally and regionally.

The review of the Master of International Business program has been occasioned by new developments in the practices, rules, and regulations governing the conduct of academic programmes in international business. First, the MIBN was started in 2007, since then the programme has been reviewed twice, in 2012 and 2017. The reviews are guided by the changes in the global business environment and meet statutory requirements for programme reviews.

On the global scene, the economies are integrating with greater opportunities being shaped by multilateral and regional forces. Domestic firms are increasingly guided by regional trade blocs for preferential access to international markets. For instance, the emergence of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as the largest free trade area (combined GDP of $3.4 trillion) is expected to be a game changer for international business across Africa. The expansion of regional integrations, all demand new thinking about international business. There have also been other changes in the international market environment in recent years such as the digital explosion that necessitates managers to understand the need to adopt digital technologies and approaches to grow and expand their businesses.

Alumni of the MIBN programme have indicated the need to change the way the programme is run from Modular and weekend to evening because of the unconducive nature of the weekend learning period. They have also highlighted the overlaps in some of the courses taught and the need to ensure that the programme is completed on time.

From a statutory perspective, the Makerere University Senate guidelines require that programmes be reviewed periodically to bring them in consonance with the changing trends. Also, the National Council of Higher Education (NCHE) in Uganda requires periodic reviews of academic programmes and therefore, this review is a fulfilment of that requirement. From a technical perspective, the revision to the programme was to ensure that the technical knowledge and skills of managers are in tandem with the ever-changing dynamics of businesses operating in global contexts, thus consolidating their relevance.

Programme Objectives

The MIBN is designed to develop people with specialized knowledge in international business management in the region. The specific objectives of the Masters of International Business include:

1. To develop graduates who have international business and management skills necessary for professional engagement in international business organizations.
2. To equip learners with cross-cultural management competencies that would enable them to handle diversity in business and management environments
3. To develop the research capacity of the learners to analyse and contribute to the growth of existing literature on various international business dimensions of
4. To present tools and techniques that can enable students to analyze and develop business strategies in an international environment.
5. To empower students to handle the challenges of small and medium-sized businesses operating in the international business environment.

Programme Outcomes

Upon completion of the Programme, the graduates should be able to:

1. Provide evidenced-based solutions to managerial challenges facing firms operating business in an international environment.
2. Deal with cultural diversity issues that international business managers face on a day-to-day basis such as cultural orientations to time, power, and people’s perspectives
3. Collect, organize, analyze, and present information that can help managers identify and exploit international business opportunities in the global market.
4. Formulate and communicate a strategic response to issues facing firms operating internationally such as managing joint ventures, franchises, etc.
5. Design models and tools for small and medium-sized firms to survive and thrive in global business

Employment Prospects

The graduates of the Master of International Business will be employed in different areas including Trade Specialists in Trade and Commerce departments, Managers in Multinational Corporations, International Business Advisors, International Product Managers, Territorial Managers of MNCs, Portfolio Executives, Commercial Diplomats, Trade Consulars, Trade Consultants, Export Managers, Trade analysts, Foreign Services Focal Persons, among others.

The programme is a Makerere University programme tenable at Makerere University Business School (MUBS). The programme has both day and evening sessions with both private and government-sponsored students. The specialized and standalone program in international business has been reviewed to respond to the need for capacity building of graduates with knowledge about the procedures and practices followed in the conduct of international business. This is important for learners who are planning to develop careers in the growing area of international business. The program seeks to contribute to learning, research, and scholarship in International Business by imparting specialized knowledge. The Bachelor of International Business (BINB) degree programme is based on the integration of unique aspects of international business (international trade, multilateral and regional trading systems, operations, foreign/cross-cultural management, international accounting and finance, marketing, foreign languages etc.). The main emphasis is placed on exploring the application of principles and techniques of international business to international strategic planning, business negotiations, human resource management, marketing and promotion, risk assessment, and the execution of international business strategy.            The program seeks to respond to the human resources needs of the growing international business sector by training and preparing graduates to effectively work in a diverse cultural and institutional context that characterizes international companies. In particular, the graduates will have the necessary knowledge of the tools to be used in the analysis of the international business environment to identify opportunities and risks and to develop appropriate strategies and implementation frameworks for the companies to compete in the international business markets.

Objectives of the Programme

The overall objective of the revised BINB programme is to train and equip learners with adequate knowledge, skills and attitudes. More specifically, the program seeks:

• To provide learners with a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the international business environment.
• To expose learners to the tools of international business analysis and their application in business problem-solving.
• To expose learners to the theories and practices of international business and how they can be aligned and applied to help the companies achieve superior performance goals while minimizing operational risks.
• To provide learners with a route for progressing their careers in international business.
• To contribute to the human capital development needs for international business professionals in Uganda.

Expected outcome of the programme

At the end of training in the Bachelor of International Business degree programme, graduates will be equipped with these skills sets, and consequently should be able to:

• Business Analytical Skills: Apply appropriate tools to gather and analyze data on international markets to identify opportunities and risks.
• Marketing Intelligence Skills: Assess international markets for their potential and determine appropriate means for entry into the different consumer and business market segments.
• Planning Skills: Develop strategies that international companies can employ to respond to competitors in the different market segments.
• Decision-Making skills: Advise management on the best ways to align the different business activities along the international value chain to create more value for the companies.
• Multi-tasking skills: Demonstrate flexibility in handling international business operations and apply appropriate ICT tools to optimize business market outcomes.

Career Prospects of Graduates of Bachelor of International Business

Graduates from the BINB program are trained to acquire in-depth knowledge and the right attitudes to be able to undertake challenging tasks in planning and management of international business operations and projects, for example, planning market entry, and product management. They can work as Export officers, Stock Brokers, Investment Advisors, Marketing Officers, Product-Market Executives, Customs Officers, Trade analysts, Logistics Officers, Subsidiary Executives, Banking officers, Commercial Officers/ Attaches, Market Analysts, Risk Advisors, Trade Officers, etc.