Frequently Asked Questions

Global commerce is the exchange of goods, services, information, money, and power in a globalized society. Commerce and trade are fundamental to how human beings across the globe engage with each other.

Global commerce majors study the ways those exchanges shape and are shaped by a wide variety of economic, political, cultural, social, and environmental factors. Understanding these dynamics helps our majors to think critically about the challenges facing global organizations and businesses in the 21st century. Today even the most local institution is part of a globalized system, so global commerce majors are prepared for a wide range of careers, including working for large corporations, small businesses, and non-profit organizations.

Sixteen courses (60.5 credits) and one approved Off-Campus Experience are required for the Global Commerce major:

Just like all Denison students, global commerce majors work with the Knowlton Center for Career Exploration to locate and apply for internship possibilities. Our majors pursue internships at a wide range of companies and industries based on their interests, such as the fashion industry in Paris, a PR firm in Singapore, a private equity firm in Boston, and a long-established family-owned lock manufacturer in Ohio.

A global commerce degree helps you develop the versatility and nimble thinking that a wide range of industries and organizations are looking for today. Our majors go to work in banking and financial services, consulting, public relations and communication, human resources, sales, start-ups, education, logistics, and non-profit work. They are also prepared for graduate work in a range of areas from international policy to MBA programs.

The global commerce major is different because it is better preparation for success in many areas of business and other global professions. Rather than adding on a few humanities courses to a business program, global commerce majors study the humanities and social sciences in the classroom and integrate that learning with co-curricular workshops and experiences that provide training in “traditional” business skills such as marketing. This means our students are using their classroom time to do the hard work of developing their critical thinking skills, while also learning how to apply those skills to practical problems when they leave the classroom.

Global commerce majors conquer the challenges of learning to thinking critically and creatively and also put their thinking and learning into practice. Our majors are prepared to communicate effectively with any audience, to dive into any situation and be able to analyze the big picture in order to identify risks and opportunities that others may miss, and to adapt to new situations, responsibilities, and technology as their career opportunities develop. Traditional business degrees offer a narrow approach to undergraduate education focused on training students in specific skills that fit this particular moment in time. A liberal arts major like global commerce teaches students how to ask the necessary questions, gather the information they need, and analyze any situation in order to act and adapt successfully over time. Our majors are prepared both to launch from college with good jobs and to take on leadership roles as their careers develop in the coming decades.

If you want to understand global trade from more than one point of view, are interested in examining the practical applications of your academic work for careers in global organizations, are excited about learning to communicate in other languages in addition to English, and are generally curious about how globalization has shaped the 21st-century world, global commerce could be for you.

Global commerce is a demanding major—the more you put into it, the more tools you will take away to build a successful career after Denison.

Global commerce graduates are successfully launching careers in a wide range of business and non-profit organizations that span various industry sectors. From business development roles at successful start-ups such as UpWork and add.a.lingua to corporate rotations at multinational organizations such JP Morgan Chase & Co, L Brands, and Edelman, our graduates are putting to work their knowledge of the many factors that shape today’s global economy. A sampling of the career-launching points of our global commerce alumni includes:

Add.a.lingua – AirDeck – Aon – Allstate – Asia Group Advisors – Denison University - Edelman – Education First – Fidelity Investments – Flexport – Invest Northern Ireland – JP Morgan Chase & Co – L Brands – Morgan Stanley – Nationwide - Northrop Grumman - Pitchbook – Qwest Software – Transmerica Retirement Services – Transperfect - Triage Consulting Group – Urban Hardwoods – Wells Fargo - Zipcar

While Denison does not offer a specific degree in business, any liberal arts major at Denison, combined with co-curricular opportunities, Knowlton Center workshops, Red Frame Lab experiences, and summer jobs and internships prepares you to succeed in the world of business. Our graduates launch careers in a wide range of business and non-profit organizations that span various industry sectors, from business development roles at successful start-ups such as UpWork and add.a.lingua to corporate rotations at multinational corporations such L Brands and Edelman. And our graduates make it to the highest ranks in the business world. You can find Denison alumni in the C-suite and in leadership roles across industries.