International Business

SubjectBusiness , Management

LevelUndergraduate

Type of DegreeBBA

EU FeesEUR 2,314

CityArnhem

Cost non-EUEUR 7,510



This course starts every September and February.

The course in a nutshell

International Business is an innovative, flexible course that equips you for the real world of international business. You step right into this dynamic and fast-paced world, where no two days are the same. In the first year you receive a solid foundation in all the facets of international business. From the second year you focus on one of four specialisations:

  • Finance
  • Management
  • Marketing & Sales
  • Supply Chain Management

Throughout the course, you work on group projects and gain valuable international experience during your work placement and study abroad. What’s more, you can choose for how long you want to go abroad: from 6 to 18 months.

In the final year of the course, you work in a team of students on a project for a company.

The final step is conducting research for an internationally oriented organisation: your graduation assignment.

Theory and practice

During the International Business course you not only learn theory, but also how to put it into practice. HAN’s courses are renowned for their seamless integration of theory and practice. This is because the institution works in close collaboration with the professional field.

You get the opportunity to work on a number of team projects in groups of 4 to 6 students: real projects for real companies. So when you graduate, you’ll have the knowledge and skills that employers are looking for.

Research

As an international business professional, you need to validate the choices you make and the advice you give to companies. In other words, you need to do research.

Research begins with making a sound judgement of the sources. During the course, you learn how to tell the difference between reliable and unreliable sources.

You also gain other valuable research skills. These will be crucial when doing market research for a company that wants to expand into another country, for example. When you need to answer questions such as: Is there a feasible market in that country? Which target group should we focus on? Which resources should we use to get the best results? Questions you’ll be able to answer by putting your research skills to work.

A solid foundation

During the first year you get a solid foundation in all areas of international business. This gives you a good idea of where your talents and interests lie so you can make an informed choice about your specialisation.

You also study a foreign language in your first year: Dutch, Spanish, French or German.

During the second year you focus in more depth on your chosen specialisation.

A vital aspect of doing business in an international setting is being able to understand othercultures. So an essential part of this course is developing cultural awareness and building up a solid international network.

Work placement

The work placement in your third year will be a great asset to both your studies and your CV.

You get to experience business life first-hand. Not only do you learn about business practices in your field of specialisation, you also learn about your own performance in a professional situation. You further develop your communication skills and intercultural awareness, which will be vital if you are to succeed in an international environment.

You can complete your work placement in the marketing, sales, finance or logistics departments of either commercial or public organisations. You might be sharing knowledge and soaking up experiences in the offices of Deloitte Consulting, KLM, BMW, or L’Oréal, to name but a few.

Study abroad

In the third year, you broaden your knowledge and international orientation by studying at a foreign university for a semester. Get a taste of university life in another country and strengthen your foreign language skills at the same time!

HAN University of Applied Sciences has over 280 partner universities across the globe. What about studying in Australia, Spain, the USA, the UK, New Zealand or Mexico? You can choose from numerous universities that have interesting courses in the field of International Business.

Graduation assignment

In your fourth year, you are ready for the final and most challenging step so far: your graduation assignment. You apply the knowledge, insight and skills you’ve gained during your studies to conducting research for an actual company. The aim is to develop a solution for a strategic business problem at that company. Depending on your specialisation, this could be:

  • Strategic e-business plan (Marketing & Sales)
  • Supplier lead time reduction plan (Supply Chain Management)
  • Business performance measurements plan (Finance)
  • Management innovation plan (Management)

This assignment is done individually and on a project basis for a company of your choice, such as Philips, Siemens, Tesla, Kraft Heinz or Heineken.

Specialisations

Finance

As a finance expert, you operate at the company’s financial heart. Every day you are challenged to solve the puzzle of linking money, information, products and services in the most profitable way. It’s your job to develop and control procedures and systems so that decision-making is based on objective analysis and quantifiable information.

At the same time, you have to keep the entire organisation in mind and balance the interests of all stakeholders. This requires a deep understanding of the human, cultural and non-financial aspects of a decision or transaction.

Themes covered in this specialisation are international and corporate finance, accounting, risk management, external reporting and taxes, business communication and performance management.

Management

Internationally operating companies have to continually adapt to keep up with the changes of today’s globalising world. They have to address the shift to E-business and the growing need for innovation and sustainability, for example.

In the Management specialisation you learn how to support and advise businesses to tackle these changes. Themes covered are E-business, sustainability, change management, innovation, leadership, project management and new types of businesses.

You also study either Dutch, German, French or Spanish and learn to communicate in this language for business purposes.

Marketing and Sales

The main themes covered in Marketing and Sales are entering new markets abroad, international account management, improving international sales, international marketing and E-commerce.

In this specialisation you learn how a company can expand into the global marketplace by investigating crucial marketing and sales questions, such as: What do customers want? Which new markets are potentially interesting?

What’s more, you need to be able to speak and write in a foreign language apart from English. You can choose from German, French, Dutch or Spanish and you’ll learn how to use this language in a business environment.

Supply Chain Management

The supply chain covers the entire track: from raw materials, through production and distribution, into the hands of the customer, patient or client.

As a supply chain manager, you’re constantly weighing three competing interests: the customer needs, the operational possibilities and the financial consequences. You know the possibilities and limitations of all three parameters, whether in-house or at your suppliers. Your job is to find a balance between these interests and devise the best possible solution to ensure products or services are at the right place at the right time. To do this, you have to understand customer service and marketing perspectives, as well as sourcing, production, distribution and finance.

International setting

Arnhem Business School is home to students from around 60 different countries. This mix of students will make your time studying here a truly international one.

You’ll pick up valuable cultural lessons from your study mates, learn a foreign language, work on international projects and have multiple opportunities to go abroad.

While this international flavour is the very thing you’re looking for, you might find it hard to adjust to your new environment at first. That’s why we offer student-mentors to help you settle in. During your first semester, they help you make new friends, find your way around, plan your studies and deal with cultural differences.

Once you’re settled, you can enjoy being part of the lively Arnhem Business School community: an invaluable international network that will stimulate your creativity and entrepreneurial spirit.

Career prospects

International Business prepares you for a global and dynamic career in the rapidly changing business environment. Attending meetings, writing reports, travelling, liaising with clients, analysing data, negotiating, networking: it’s all in a day’s work for International Business graduates.

Typically you can start in entry or middle-management positions in management, finance, supply chain management or marketing at international companies and innovative enterprises in all sectors. Later on you can progress to middle and senior management positions.

Our graduates get jobs as:

  • Marketing Manager
  • Business Consultant
  • Financial Analyst
  • Project Manager
  • Supply Chain Manager
  • Account Manager

Masters degree?

After graduating you can always continue your studies at any number of universities across the globe. For example, you could do a Masters degree in:

  • International Business and Management
  • Business Administration
  • Financial Management
  • Supply Chain Management

A good match?

  • Are you commercially inclined?
  • Are you open-minded towards people from other cultures?
  • Can you deal well with change?
  • Are you driven to be the best?
  • Do you take the initiative?

Is your answer to most of these questions YES? Then this course would be a good match for you.

Study load per week

  • Contact hours: 20
  • Study hours: 20

Division theory, practice and study coaching

  • Theory: 65%
  • Practice: 30%
  • Study coaching: 5%

Course overview

First year

  • Marketing & E-business
  • Intercultural Awareness
  • Dutch/Spanish/French/German
  • Finance & Accounting
  • Change Management
  • Supply Chain Management & E-fulfilment
  • Research & Critical Thinking

Second year

  • Specialised subjects in:
    • Marketing & Sales, Management, Finance
      or Supply Chain Management

Third year

  • Study Abroad
  • Work Placement

Fourth year

  • Business Project
  • Strategy
  • In-company Graduation Assignment


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