Investigate challenges international business and trade faces
In the courses of the track Management of International Business and Trade you will investigate the challenges of international business and trade relations from a managerial and analytical perspective. Identifying global economic structures and analysing strategic issues that drive international trade and global business are part of the programme.
Experienced team of lecturers
The programme draws on lecturers and researchers from both the Amsterdam Business School and the Amsterdam School of Economics. Many of the instructors have practitioner experience in their fields. Consequently, in this academic programme we will discuss theories from both the management and policy perspectives. You will be challenged to apply the material of this track through links to contemporary cases and developments.
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The programme
Management of International Business and Trade is one of the tracks of the MSc Business Administration. During your Master's you will follow 3 general courses and 6 track-specific courses (3 at the Amsterdam Business School and 3 at the Amsterdam School of Economics). 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
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.
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 Amsterdam Business School
Theories of International Business
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.
International Business Context
Explore core topics in international business and corporate governance further. 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 international business cross-country cultural models? How is corporate governance practiced in different countries?
International Strategy
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?
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Track-specific courses Amsterdam School of Economics
Theories and Practice of International Trade
Get a thorough analysis of the modern theory concerning international trade and movements towards regional trade integration. You will receive a quick refresher of the major classical and neoclassical trade theories, insights on trade policy and a survey of the present state of the world economy.
International Business and Finance
Study advanced topics in international financial and monetary relations, such as:
- modern exchange rate theories including target zone models and speculative attack models
- recent currency crises and ways to prevent them
- exchange rate policies
- international capital mobility, capital flight, management of and capital controls
- the international spill-overs of unconventional monetary policy and the induced portfolio rebalancing
Taxation of Multinational Firms
Develop an understanding of the global taxation practices and strategies of multinational enterprises. The course will address the policy and management implications of taxation policies at the national and supranational level.
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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.
Discuss how current trade conflicts such as the those between the US, China, and Europe are impacting international trade. Understand how business leaders are coping and strategising in the face of this uncertainty. For example, one of the most popular cars imported to China is a BMW. This German car, built in the USA,now faces significant tariffs in a key market. How can we understand the impact of the US-China trade war on European companies and their strategies?
Contemporary issues
The management of new business strategies and the development of new trade rules will impact the future of technologies critical to economies, such as 5G, as well as nationally important sectors ranging from COVID-19 medical research to the renewal of the automotive sector. Future managers and policymakers must develop an understanding of international business and trade in a world where on-going global economic integration is increasingly challenged by protectionism.

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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.