International Business and Management Studies (IBMS) – (BBA)

Contents

First Year

The first year of study, known as the propaedeutic year, includes 60 study credits. During this year, you will learn the fundamentals of Economics for the programme you have chosen. For all first-year students at the Faculty of Economics & Management, eight of the subjects (40 study credits) are the same. The advantage of this is that it is easy to switch to a different (English or Dutch) programme within the faculty during the first six months. Besides, you will get four subjects (20 study credits) specifically for your own programme. From the second year onwards, the programme involves further in-depth study and specialization.

For each subject, you will be awarded five study credits as soon as you have met the subject requirements. These requirements generally include the following: active participation in lessons, writing assignments or reports and passing tests and assessments. The programme is made up of knowledge subjects (such as Business Economics, Business Administration and Marketing), skills subjects (such as communicative and research skills) and projects, which combine knowledge and skills in an extensive practical assignment. The knowledge subjects focus on practical application. They never involve the acquisition of theoretical knowledge purely for its own sake, but always also cover the way in which it is applied in practice.

The second year and further

In the main phase of the programme, you further build on the foundation laid in the first year. To a certain extent, you will be able to choose your own emphasis by opting for a minor program, next to their major.
The most important themes of the major program are Strategy and marketing, Business and IT, Globalization and finance, Corporate strategy and International business.

Through student exchange programmes, students can spend (half of) their third year at internationally recognised partner universities all over the world, for example in the United States, Great Britain, Thailand, France, Spain, Germany or New Zealand. An exchange is mandatory for those students who had their prior education in the Netherlands. Your study abroad will be one of the richest and most unforgettable experiences of your life. The International Office looks forward to helping you set this up.

Graduation year

During internship 2 in year 4 students complete their graduation project. You are required to work at graduate level in the subject area of your studies. The internship could well be the initial step towards your first job after graduation. Rabo Bank London hired one of the students after his internship at Rabo Bank Canada, for example. A German electronics company immediately hired another student after an internship at that company.

Australia? Honduras? Indonesia? You can do your internship at the other end of the world, like some of the students do, or tackle an equally exciting job in the Netherlands; which is in fact the other end of the world for many of the international students!

Jackie Bout teaches Business Communication and Business English: “Often, when I talk to international managers of companies where our students are doing work placements, they pour out compliments on how broad in knowledge and how excellent in intercultural skills our students are.”

Graduation projects

In year four you will serve a 5-months’ internship. During this internship they will do an in-depth research project. This will enable you to really apply your trained and acquired skills and competencies in practice. Like Mirjam Lomsdalen Osti: “I have spent a great deal of time abroad for my studies. I did my first internship in El Salvador: I drew up a business plan for an NGO, concerning the question of how ecotourism could be made to play a more significant role. For my second internship and my graduation project, I carried out market research in Italy, at a wholesaler who supplied electronic goods to hotels. This involved a lot of travel to Norway!”

Diploma

The IBMS-programme leads to a bachelor’s degree Bachelor International Business and Management Studies (IBMS).
As from September 1^st 2010 Hogeschool Utrecht issues an English International Diploma Supplement (IDS) with every Bachelor, Master and Associate Degree. With all diplomas dated after September 1^st 2010 an IDS is automatically issued without any costs.

Accreditation

Responsibility for accreditation lies with the Netherlands-Flemish Accreditation Organization (NVAO). All degree programmes offered by research universities and universities of applied sciences will be evaluated according to established criteria, and programmes that meet those criteria will be accredited.

Funding details

We offer two scholarships for our non-EU students. The HU Talent Scholarship, to the amount of € 2000, can be applied for by all students who are from a non-EU country and have been admitted to one of our international Bachelor’s or Master’s programmes. The HU Excellent Scholarship is for students who meet the criteria for the Talent Scholarship and who also performed exceptionally well in their previous studies (B+ average or higher). Some students from EU countries also qualify for a grant from the Dutch government, provided that they are under 30 years of age and are enrolled full-time.