Ninabella Arlis (C’26) is a junior pursuing a joint degree between the College of Arts and Science and the McDonough School of Business. Originally from Illinois, she enjoys journalism, pickleball, and theatre.
The summer before I even stepped foot on the Hilltop, I was already having commitment issues to my major. Don’t get me wrong, as a French major I was super excited to start taking language classes at the college level. I had dreamed my whole life of being fluent. However, I also knew I wanted something else to pair with it. But what?
That July, I received an answer in an email announcing a new joint degree between the College of Arts & Sciences and the McDonough School of Business. The major: International Business, Language, and Culture, or IBLC for short. 
I had plans for how to dive into French further: joining the French Cultural Association, living on the French Floor, maybe even going abroad. But I was drawn to this new path, one that would build on my passion for language and serve as a guide for how to apply it at the intersection of business and culture. As one of the first students to pursue IBLC, I saw an opportunity to help shape what this major could become while preparing for an international career.
I forwarded the email to my mom, who responded, “Love this idea!” I did too. But the path to IBLC wasn’t so simple.
First of all, I had to submit an application for the major, which isn’t available to prospective students until the spring semester. There’s no fear of being behind, however, because the program is designed so College students begin business courses as sophomores. This doesn’t mean no preparation is required—interested students are encouraged to take courses in language, economics and math to show their readiness for the program. That meant I needed to be intentional about my first-year courses if I wanted to make a compelling case for admission.
With this in mind, I enrolled in intensive French and economics while also seeking out extracurriculars that would support my international interests. I joined the European section of The Caravel, a student publication dedicated to international news. These choices helped me confirm what I already suspected: I wanted to study the intersection of business and global culture.
Committing to a brand-new major was a leap of faith. There were no upperclassmen to ask for advice, no well-worn alumni paths to follow and no long-standing traditions to lean on. But that’s also what made it so exciting. Choosing IBLC meant being part of something innovative: shaping a new academic path and taking a chance on an education tailored to the evolving global landscape. It was new, yes, but this meant it was timely.
The uniqueness of IBLC was a huge part of its appeal. Unlike traditional business programs, it emphasized language and cultural literacy as equally important to financial acumen. In a world where business is more interconnected than ever, understanding different markets through more than numbers is essential. The major’s structure — allowing students to blend business principles with regional expertise — felt like the perfect academic fit for me.
When I received my acceptance, I knew I had made the right choice. The interdisciplinary nature of IBLC means my classes span different schools at Georgetown, allowing me to engage with a diverse range of faculty and students. In one semester, I might balance debits and credits in one class and then discuss daily Francophone headlines in another.
IBLC isn’t just about learning how business operates — it’s about understanding why it operates the way it does in different cultural contexts. As someone who has always been fascinated by the intersection of words, history and commerce, I found a home in IBLC.
For anyone feeling uncertain about their major, my advice is this: follow what excites you. Sometimes, the best academic paths are the ones you help to create.
