The purpose of the article is to reflect and analyze the concept and tools of internationalization of the curriculum in higher education. The defined methodology was based on a systematic review of the literature of some pioneering texts, specialized publications and institutional repositories, based on defined search descriptors. This review constitutes an opportunity to systematize the tools used for the internationalization of the curriculum in higher education institutions and investigate how these contribute to the quality of their substantive functions. Among the findings, we can highlight the identification of the dimensions of the internationalization of the curriculum, the participation and responsibilities of teachers, students and administrators, the tools used by institutions for the insertion of the curriculum and their actors in global environments. The comparability of studies between institutions, virtual education, academic committees, international collaborative learning and business practices in international environments stand out among the most used tools. The internationalization of the curriculum is recognized as a characteristic of the quality of higher education institutions.