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uva.nl
Master
International Business (Business Administration)
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The programme

International 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 one of our Honours programmes.

COURSES SEM 1 SEM 2 SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 EC
  • Ethics and the Future of Business
    Period 1
    4

    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.

  • Theories of International Business
    Period 1
    6

    Explore the basic concepts of international business. Learn about the international business environment, foreign direct investment, global governance, and home and host countries' influence on stakeholders at home and abroad. Become familiar with the increasingly multifaceted and interdependent nature of international business.

  • Business Seminar and Managerial Skills
    Period 1
    Period 2
    Period 3
    2
  • International Business Context
    Period 2
    6

    Further explore core topics in international business and corporate governance. In their strategic choices, firms must consider cultural, institutional and regulatory factors. Some of the questions you will research and discuss are: what are the main contextual factors that influence strategic choices? How do nations differ in terms of their (in)formal institutions and national business systems? What are the cross-country cultural models? How is corporate governance practised in different countries?

  • International Strategy
    Period 2
    6

    Although MNEs like Toyota, IBM and Nestlé are extremely successful in their international operations, foreign ventures often flop, like Wal-Mart in Germany. In this course, you examine the challenges that managers face in identifying strategies and tools to help their companies be successful abroad. Examples of questions you will address include: why do firms become multinational? How do they select host countries? What strategies can they follow to manage foreign operations?

  • Research Foundations & Thesis Proposal International Business
    Period 3
    6

    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.

  • Business Seminar and Professional Skills 1 & 2
    Period 4
    Period 5
    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.

  • Restricted-choice electives: Methods-Workshops
    Period 4
    2
  • Restricted-choice electives: Analysis-Workshop
    Period 5
    2
  • Restricted-choice electives: Business Lab Electives
    Period 4
    Period 5
    12

    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.

  • Master’s Thesis International Business
    Period 4
    Period 5
    Period 6
    12
Compulsory course
Elective
Specialisation

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.

Copyright: EB
The International Business specialisation offers an in-depth knowledge on European businesses and climates. I feel well prepared to advance in business environments. Arda Elma - track International Business Read about Arda's experiences with this Master's

Experience the programme

Copyright: UvA EB
I always strive to get everybody involved and make sure everybody learns something new in class Arno Kourula, Professor of Business & Sustainability Read the interview
Real-life case: COVID-19/Conflicts and global value chains

Discuss how COVID-19/conflicts and associated shocks in the mobility of people and goods are impacting international business within global value chains and how multinational enterprises are coping with risks and uncertainties related to outsourcing and offshoring decisions.