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International Business & Trade Law

Types of Degrees International Business & Trade Law Majors Are Earning

People majoring in International Business & Trade Law have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	1
Master’s Degree	336

What International Business & Trade Law Majors Need to Know

Coursework for International Business & Trade Law emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that International Business & Trade Law graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in International Business & Trade Law emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Law and Government — Importance 4.9 / 5; level 6.1 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a International Business & Trade Law program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to International Business & Trade Law careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, International Business & Trade Law graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.6 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.5 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by International Business & Trade Law professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Thomson Reuters Westlaw	Information retrieval or search software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
CT Summation iBlaze	Document management software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
AbacusNext HotDocs	Document management software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
LexisNexis CaseMap	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
LexisNexis	Information retrieval or search software	—
Microsoft Publisher	Desktop publishing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for International Business & Trade Law graduates include:

• Law Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Faculty Member
• Criminal Law Professor
• Instructor
• Adjunct Professor
• Adjunct Law Professor
• Professor
• Media Law Faculty Member
• Assistant Professor
• Paralegal Instructor
• Constitutional Law Professor
• Environmental Law Professor
• Business Law Instructor
• Legal Writing Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to International Business & Trade Law graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
First professional degree	43.2%
Doctoral degree	40.6%
Master’s degree	13.5%
Post-master’s certificate	1.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.9%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in International Business & Trade Law?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 51.3% women and 48.7% men among International Business & Trade Law graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	173	51.3%
Men	164	48.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of International Business & Trade Law graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	18	5.3%
Asian	69	20.5%
Hispanic or Latino	11	3.3%
Black or African American	8	2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.3%
Two or More Races	3	0.9%
Race Unknown	19	5.6%
International Students	208	61.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do International Business & Trade Law Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of International Business & Trade Law graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$78,306
4 years	$93,383
5 years	$107,509

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $107,509 — roughly 37% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online International Business & Trade Law Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for International Business & Trade Law. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	2	5

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in International Business & Trade Law Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, International Business & Trade Law graduates earn a median of $93,383 four years after completion — roughly 146% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Law	39,447
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies	11,533
Advanced Legal Research/Studies, General	4,628
Programs for Foreign Lawyers	1,567
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies, Other	1,204
American/US Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence	899
Tax Law/Taxation	760
Health Law	539
Banking, Corporate, Finance, and Securities Law	426
International Law and Legal Studies	414
Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Law	221
Human Resources Law	159

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.