International Business

About this programme

The International Business bachelor's programme prepares you to become a business professional with a global mindset, who is ready to add value to international business and society. You will learn about core areas of business, such as marketing, finance, supply chain and HRM, but you will also develop your professional skills, including intercultural sensitivity, information management and communication.

To deepen your cultural awareness and broaden your international horizons you will learn an additional foreign language. You can choose between Spanish, French, German, Dutch or Mandarin Chinese. When you add the adventure of a year abroad, including a semester at a partner university and an international work placement, the International Business programme provides the perfect study environment for a business bachelor's student who has strong, international ambitions!

Course overview

Year 1

The first year introduces you to core areas of international business and business skills. You will delve into the dynamics of a business from several perspectives, including organisational strategy, economics, finance, and marketing. You will gain hands-on experience by doing integrated, real-life projects and playing business simulation games. For example, you learn how to write an actual business plan. Besides theoretical knowledge and project work, you will also develop your professional skills, such as business communication and intercultural competence.

Year 2

In the second year,  you will deepen your knowledge and skills in human resource management, finance & accounting, operations & logistics, and international marketing. Each of the blocks is centred around  business project, so you can apply your knowledge directly. For example, you will design a market entry strategy for a real company in the final block of year 2. The foreign language and professional skills classes continue in year 2.

Year 3: Year Abroad

Study abroad

During the third year, you spend a full semester studying at one of our many partner universities abroad. We have more than 100 partner institutions all over the globe. Non-Dutch students can also opt to stay in the Netherlands and follow a minor (elective semester) at Hanze UAS.

International placement

You will spend the other semester of your third year working in an internationally oriented company or organisation outside your home country, where you can apply what you have learnt during the first phase of your studies. Every student is assigned an internship supervisor who can guide and help you if you need advice.

Year 4: Graduation Year

Graduation semester

In your fourth and final year you will work as a business consultant with companies to come up with solutions for real business issues. Moreover, you will engage in a multidisciplinary business simulation game covering all aspects of business operations, including mission, strategy, finance, and entrepreneurship. During your graduation year you can specialise in a business area of your interest by choosing two elective courses covering various aspects of international business, including marketing, finance, and human resource management.

Graduation project (GPJ)

In your final semester you complete a graduation project in which you act as a consultant for an external company. You will be required to obtain, define, analyse and research a business-related problem, write a final report and present/defend your findings in an oral presentation.

After your studies

Pursue a master's degree

After successful completion of the International Business programme, you can continue with a postgraduate study and pursue a Master of Business Administration or Master of Science degree.

 As a business-related master you could choose the following programmes at Hanze UAS:

• Master in International Business and Management (MBA)
• Master Interdisciplinary Business Professional (MSc)

International Business graduates who choose to continue their studies also often choose for a master's programme abroad. For example, some of our alumni have completed the master's programmes below:

• Master International Management/CEMS at Vienna University of Economics and Business, Austria
• Master Managing People, Knowledge & Change at Lund University School of Economics & Management, Sweden

Career prospects

Our alumni are located around the world and work at top global companies, such as Amazon, Google, IBM, Rabobank, Volkswagen, PwC, and Philips. In addition, many alumni work at exciting start-ups or have set up their own company. The most popular jobs include:

• marketing & sales manager
• finance & accounting manager
• business consultant
• project & account manager
• entrepreneur

Many graduates are offered jobs with their placement company or the company for which they did their final graduation project. We are even contacted directly by international companies that are specifically looking for our graduates.