Combine theory with hands-on experience and become a leader in digital transformation
The Digital Business track will help you become a proactive leader in the ongoing digital transformation. How? By obtaining a deep understanding of the theories, strategies and techniques of digital business and at the same time gaining hands-on experience with leading methods and tools used in the field. This multifaceted track provides you with all the things you need to bridge the gap between business and IT
Prepare to get convinced. Take 90 seconds to find out why you should study MSc Business Administration at the University of Amsterdam. View the highlights of this study programme and elevate your career in 1 year.
The programme
Digital Business is one of the tracks of the MSc Business Administration. During your Master's you will follow 5 general courses and 3 track-specific courses. You will finish with a thesis. If you have a fundamental drive to challenge the corporate environment, you can participate in our Honours programme Sustainability.
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Compulsory courses
Ethics and the Future of Business
The purpose of this course is to explore the trends, core concepts, theories, and approaches of business ethics and corporate sustainability. The course is divided into a general part and a track-specific part.
Business Seminar and Professional Skills 1 & 2
To prepare you for your professional career, this course is a combination of a series of corporate guest lecturers in Royal Theatre Carré and an offering of professional skills training e.g. Presentation Skills, Programming with Python and more.
The Business Lab: choose your electives
In The Business Lab, you can choose from a wide selection of electives we call business labs. Each one is connected to a corporate partner. You will be challenged to solve real-world business issues, working in international teams and presenting your solution to the company.
Research Foundations & Thesis Proposal
This course is meant to support you in writing you research proposal for you Master's thesis. During the course, you will learn how to change a general topic into a specific research proposal.
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Track-specific courses
Theories of Digital Business
During this foundation course, you will explore 3 areas: Digital Strategy, Digital Processes and Digital Technologies. In the area of Digital Strategy, you will learn how to identify and assess strategic opportunities and challenges for existing and new digital capabilities. Area Digital Processes covers management issues that surround information development, implementation and digital transformation processes. In the Digital Technologies area you will learn how to look from a general management perspective at key technologies such as big data, cloud services, artificial intelligence and blockchain.
Data Science for Business
Data-driven organisations increasingly employ a wide range of data science techniques, from data acquisition and wrangling to process mining and artificial intelligence. Learn about these techniques, both conceptually as well as hands-on, as we bring you the a-b-c of data science: analytics, business and computer science.
Digital Transformation and Strategic Innovation
Digital technologies, digitalisation and digitisation represent the fundamental technological developments of our time. Their application has created a new competitive landscape. This calls for start-ups as well as established companies to create fundamentally new business models at an unprecedented pace. In this course, we invite you to think critically about how companies can successfully migrate towards digital business models that create and sustain value. What type of digital strategies can they use? What are the advantages of a horizontal organisation and agile management? How to implement digital strategies? And how can firms achieve a competitive advantage when operating on digital platforms or ecosystems?
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Thesis
The Master’s thesis is the final requirement for your graduation. It is your chance to dive deep into a topic that you are enthusiastic about. A professor in your field of choice (track) will supervise and support you in writing your thesis.
Upon graduation, you will be awarded the title Master of Science (MSc).
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Honours programmes
Highly motivated students can participate in the MSc Business Administration Honours programmes Sustainability or Data Driven Management. These challenging programmes are a great chance to stand out for future employers.
With low-energy houses and eroding margins on electricity and gas, selling energy to households is becoming a ‘sunset’ industry. Reason enough for energy companies to reconsider their business model. One such company reached out to our students: can the real-time data we collect point the way to a future business model? The idea: use algorithms to translate overall usage data into detailed behaviour of household members (opening the fridge, turning lights on/off) so that the company can come up with tailor-made offers for, say, a more energy-efficient fridge. Is this a good idea? Strategically, technically, financially, ethically? Are there better ideas?
I am delighted with the depth of the various courses, ranging from being solely theoretical to quite practical.Lewis van Pelt - track Digital Business Read about Lewis' experiences with this Master's
Contemporary issues
Examples of real-life business cases and company projects you will discuss:
- How app usage data can be a gold mine for understanding users – even better than they understand themselves.
- How a large airline can prioritise digital transformation initiatives without fully knowing in advance what they will accomplish.
- Whether, when and why companies should use and contribute to open-source software solutions.
- How and where companies can successfully adopt new technologies such as artificial intelligence.
You will kick off your studies with 'UvA in Carré', a series of inspirational seminars featuring prominent speakers from leading companies such as ING, L’Oréal, Vodafone, Ahold Delhaize, VandeBron and Google. They will present their visions on current business issues and share their insights and experiences.
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Internship and exchange
If you have completed your curriculum, you can do an internship or go on an exchange abroad. For international students it is an excellent opportunity to experience the Dutch labour market.
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Dutch language course
Are you interested in learning Dutch? There are different options to give you the opportunity to maximise your Dutch experience and prepare for your future job in the Netherlands.
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Study associations
Many of our students are members of a study association. It is fun and useful for your future career at the same time. Faculty student associations are a great way to meet fellow students and future employers. They organise study trips (abroad), career events, weekly debates, parties and receptions with drinks. Sometimes you can also purchase your textbooks and course syllabi at reduced rates.
Overview Study Associations
- Faculty student association Sefa
- International Student Committee (ISC,part of Sefa)
- International Student Network Amsterdam (ISN, part of Sefa)
- Study Association Actuarial Sciences, Econometrics and Operational Research (VSAE)
- Financial Study Association Amsterdam (FSA)
- Marketing Association Amsterdam (MAA)
- International study association (AIESEC)
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Student associations
Amsterdam has a thriving student community with many activities organised outside of the university’s grounds. You will find student associations focusing on networking, specific interests and sports. It is only at sororities and fraternities that you can expect an initiation ritual (hazing).
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Student participation
At university, you are entitled to make your voice heard and assess the quality of your own education. Students can participate in the discussion on the university's education policy in various ways, such as by joining the Programme Committee, the Faculty Student Council or the first-year focus group. You can also stand for election and dedicate your efforts to the programme and your fellow students.