This course is part of the Business in Society and Strategy track.
Introduction to Global Business
 

Global Business

$1,750
Next 4-week session starts February 7th
Gain the knowledge you need to thrive in today's interconnected, global economy.
4
weeks
6-8
hours per week
4
modules
Self-Paced
with regular deadlines

 This course earns you a Certificate of Completion from HBS Online. What you earn.

Overview
Syllabus
Enrollment
Stories
FAQs

Key Concepts

Build a foundation in macroeconomics to make more informed business decisions
Identify the challenges and opportunities that government and politics can create for you and your business from a strategic standpoint
Assess the impact of macroeconomic, political, and social indicators on business decisions
Discover the short- and long-term impact of interest rates, inflation, trade, and investment
Learn distinctive approaches and frameworks that help you think about the world and organize information

Who Will Benefit

Learn more about the broader macroeconomic and political landscape your organization operates in, so that you can develop business strategies that create and capture value.
In Global Business, we learned about currencies, exchange rates, and tariffs, and it helped a lot. It’s one of the reasons Aphrodite supports 50 currencies now.
Daniel Dietzel
CEO of Aphrodite at Aphrodite
Gain the skills and knowledge needed to grow your business internationally and more effectively manage global teams.
The course has given me the confidence to know that my suggestions have a solid business basis.
Jennifer Moret
Financial Analyst
Develop distinctive approaches and frameworks that help you navigate complex industries, such as oil and gas, power, pharmaceuticals, and financial services.
Today, I am applying this new knowledge to continue to make a difference in the world, develop innovative strategies and technologies, and more vibrant partnerships toward collective action to solve some of today’s complex global challenges.
David Luna
U.S. Diplomat and National Security Official

What You Earn

Certificate of Completion

Certificate of Completion

Boost your resume with a Certificate of Completion from HBS Online

Earn by: completing this course

Certificate of Specialization

Certificate of Specialization

Prove your mastery of strategy or business in society

Earn by: completing any three courses within either subject area to earn a Certificate of Specialization

Syllabus

4 Modules, 32 Hours
Download full syllabus
6-8
hrs
Module 1

Macroeconomic and Political Analysis

Interpret data on countries’ macroeconomic and political performance.

Highlights

Inflation
Introduction to the Macroeconomic View
Middle-Income Countries
ShowHide Details

Concepts

  1. The World Is Big
  2. Case: Unidentified Countries
  3. Beyond a Country's Borders

Featured Exercises

  • Unidentified Countries Exercise (Measuring and Interpreting Economic Indicators)
6-8
hrs
Module 2

Economic Conditions and Your Business

Understand the effects of taxation, government spending, and monetary policy on the business environment.

Highlights

Exchange Rates
Hedging Exchange Rates with Bryan
Hedging Exchange Rates with Christopher
ShowHide Details

Concepts

  1. Fiscal Policy
  2. Monetary Policy
  3. International Influences
  4. Labor Productivity

Featured Exercises

  • Current Accounts, Financial Accounts, and a Country’s Strategy
  • Hedging Exchange Rates
6-8
hrs
Module 3

Political Order and Disorder

Understand the role of government in the modern economy and analyze political risks to business strategy.

Highlights

Introduction - Ray Mabus
Welfare Economics
Corruption
ShowHide Details

Concepts

  1. The State
  2. The Role of Government
  3. Democracy and Alternatives
  4. Long-Term Growth

Featured Exercises

  • The Median Voter Theorem
  • Sources of Long-Term Growth
6-8
hrs
Module 4

Business and the Interconnected World

Understand how cross-border flows of goods and capital affect firms’ and nations’ competitive positions, and analyze the effects of environmental change on the competitive landscape.

Highlights

Absolute Advantage - Static of Production Frontier
Water and Food
ShowHide Details

Concepts

  1. Trade
  2. Cross Border Investment
  3. Immigration
  4. Energy and Sustainability
  5. Peace and War

Featured Exercises

  • Absolute vs. Comparative Advantage, the Production Possibilities Frontier, and Trade
Free E-Book

How to Be a Purpose-Driven, Global Business Professional

This guide will equip you with the skills needed to define your purpose, make the case for corporate social responsibility to internal stakeholders, further your education, and help enact change.

Our Difference

Global Business will help participants assess opportunities, mitigate risk, and create and capture value for their organization
Stay active by engaging in a new activity every three to five minutes and applying your knowledge through quizzes.
Stay active by engaging in a new activity every three to five minutes and applying your knowledge through quizzes.
Get social by collaborating with a global community of peers before, during, and after your course. Learners who successfully complete an HBS Online program will be added to the HBS Online Community's Official Networking Group and gain exclusive access to events and other networking opportunities.
Get social by collaborating with a global community of peers before, during, and after your course. Learners who successfully complete an HBS Online program will be added to the HBS Online Community's Official Networking Group and gain exclusive access to events and other networking opportunities.
Immerse yourself in real-world, case-based examples brought to life by industry-leading experts from companies like NatureSweet, H-E-B, Kerry Logistics, and Mahindra Group.
Immerse yourself in real-world, case-based examples brought to life by industry-leading experts from companies like NatureSweet, H-E-B, Kerry Logistics, and Mahindra Group.

About the Professor

Forest Reinhardt
Global Business

John D. Black Professor of Business Administration
"In this online course, you'll learn how global events affect markets and businesses and the ways in which economics and political science can help us seize opportunities and avoid or manage risks."

Dates & Eligibility

Starting
Feb
07
4 Weeks  $1,750
Application deadline January 29
View weekly calendar
Apply Now
Starting
Apr
17
4 Weeks  $1,750
Application deadline April 8
Apply Now
  • Free application
  • No documentation required
  • Confirmation within one week

All applicants must be at least 18 years of age, proficient in English, and committed to learning and engaging with fellow participants throughout the course.

Learn about bringing this course to your organization.

Learner Stories

80%
say HBS Online offers a better overall experience than competitive online business programs
The cases were phenomenal. I got engulfed in the videos; they made you feel like you were in sort of a planetarium, right in the tea fields in Asia, learning about the dangers of palm oil. And hearing from the executives at huge companies about their strategies solving their problems was amazing.
Alberto de la Rivaherrera
Product Manager
I've been able to understand the macroeconomic policies that are being implemented by, and imposed to, my country, and the implications they have on our lives. This has equipped me with more tools to make overall better decisions. The course has been tremendously useful and eye-opening.
Daniela Fierro Touché
Administration and Registration Analyst at FEMSA Collection
* Source: 2022 surveys and course data
 
All FAQs

Global Business FAQs

Participants in Global Business are eligible for a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Business School Online.

Participants are expected to fully complete all coursework in a thoughtful and timely manner. This will mean meeting each week’s course module deadlines and fully answering questions posed therein. This helps ensure participants proceed through the course at a similar pace and can take full advantage of social learning opportunities. In addition to module and assignment completion, we expect you to offer feedback on others’ reflections and contribute to conversations on the platform. Participants who fail to complete the course requirements will not receive a certificate and will not be eligible to retake the course.

More detailed information on course requirements will be communicated at the start of the course. No grades are assigned for Global Business. Participants will either be evaluated as complete or not complete.

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program.

Harvard Business School Online
Certificate in Global Business
[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" with the language from the Credential Verification page:

School: Harvard Business School Online
Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Certificate in Global Business
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: Complete
Activities and Societies: Leave blank

For the program description on LinkedIn, please use the following:

Global Business is a 4-week, 24-hour online certificate program from Harvard Business School. Global Business provides a grounding in the economic, political, and social factors driving global change to help participants assess opportunities, manage risk, and create and capture value for their organization. The program was developed by leading Harvard Business School faculty and is delivered in an active learning environment based on the HBS signature case-based learning model.

 

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