International Business Administration (BSc)
Location
Netherlands: Amsterdam
Description
Why study International Business Administration?
Faced with increasing globalization, organizations are experiencing an ever growing need for people with a strong background in business studies with an international character. With a Bachelor's degree in International Business Administration you will be able to help organizations address crucial questions, such as how to deal with international partners and competitors, how to successfully redesign business processes, how to manage diverse human resources, how to deal with the cultural effects of a merger, and how to improve financial performance in an unstable environment. As an IBA student you will learn to analyse complex international business issues from a range of perspectives: social sciences, technology, economics, and strategy & organization. These four disciplines are the cornerstones of the programme, which features courses specifically geared to global issues such as international strategy, cross-cultural management, international marketing, and European law, as well as a thorough basis in general courses such as finance and logistics.
Whether you opt for a career as a manager, consultant, or business researcher, you not only need to understand how organizations operate, but also how to work in a team with other experts, and how to apply your professional and academic skills.
Why at VU University Amsterdam?
The IBA programme at VU focuses strongly on the business processes of service organizations such as banks, insurance companies, transport and logistics organizations, consultancy firms and IT companies. What distinguishes service organizations from manufacturing organizations is that they do not offer a tangible product. Research has shown that the service sector currently accounts for 72,9% of the GDP in the Netherlands and is continuing to grow on a European and international scale. Furthermore, the programme is ambitious, high-quality and relatively small-scale with personal attention to all students (see "highlights").
The heart of the service sector is in and around Amsterdam, where several multinationals and banks have their corporate headquarters. Our faculty has numerous contacts with various organizations in this sector.
Highlights
* English-taught
* Guaranteed international exchange in 3rd year (over 50 partners spread around the world)
* Housing can be arranged
* Campus university
* Small-scale teaching environment
* Personal attention and interaction with teaching staff
* Top-quality education and research
* Honours programme available for high-achievers
* Focus on the rapidly growing professional service sector of the economy
* International scope, including attention to Europe as important business region
* International mix of students
* Student life in Amsterdam