MIM – Master in International Management (Specialization in Strategic Management)

This is our flagship Master program designed for Bachelor-qualified recent graduates and young professionals with or without work experience. This 60-credit and professionally-oriented Master program focuses on main areas of management and contemporary areas of business.

Focus on the foundations of Financial, Human Resource, Marketing and Supply Chain Management; combine with courses from our contemporary Global, Digital, Sustainable and Social Business clusters; choose additional courses from among shared electives; improve your business skills throughout the program; and bring it all together in a Business Project.

  • 60-credit and professionally-oriented Master program for Bachelor qualified recent graduates and young professionals with or without work experience.

  • Private Master of Business Administration (UIBS), programmatically-accredited by ACBSP & ECBE + Metropolitan Graduate Degree in Business Administration.

  • 9 to 12 months full-time, or 12 to 36 months part-time, with 8 starting dates per year.

  • English as the language of instruction at our campus in downtown Amsterdam.

Starting Dates

Our academic calendar is based on a quarter system with four 10-week quarters per year that consist of two 5-week terms each. We refer to these quarters as Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer, and to these terms simply as A and B. Our program’s flexible structure and modular design allows you to optimally plan your studies and choose from among multiple starting dates in October, November, January, February, April, May, July, and August.

Additional Programs

After finishing the program, you can register for a 90-credit Dual Master program, or for a professional internship.
During the program, you can register for private tutoring per hour or per course, or for distance learning per course.
Before starting the program, you can register for a customized Pre-Master Foundation program designed for Bachelor-qualified students who previously studied something other than business and management, or for one or more Pre-Master Seminars designed as a refresher for those who did study business and management.

Modular Design

Everyone’s professional career is different, and we’ve always believed that your academic career can be too. You will be the one customizing your program based on your previous studies, current interests and future ambitions. You will also attempt courses with students from other programs and concentrations through shared electives. Our program is modeled after our academic partner’s long-standing MBA program, through which it is also validated. We’ve made it our own and refined it for young metropolitan professionals such as yourself.

The structure of our flexible study programs is based on the American model of higher education, allowing students to choose their courses (with some limitations) based on program requirements, previous studies, current interests and future ambitions. Each of our programs has different “Program Requirements” that need to be met by the end of the studies. Once a minimum number of courses has been completed or a minimum number of credits has been earned in each category of these Program Requirements, a request for graduation can be submitted.

Program Requirements for MIM – Master in International Management (Specialization in Strategic Management)
Courses European Credits (EC)
Courses from the Marketing Management cluster 2 out of 4 4
Courses from the Financial Management cluster 2 out of 4 4
Courses from the Human Resource Management cluster 2 out of 4 4
Courses from the Supply Chain Management cluster 2 out of 4 4
Business Skills courses 2 out of 4 4
Courses from the concentration cluster 3 out of 4 6
Electives 11 22
Subtotal 21 48
Final Project I Graduate Thesis in the concentration + Applied Research Seminar

ourse-based alternative (academic and other conditions apply)

12
Total 60

These requirements are valid for all students starting in October 2020 or later. Students who started prior to this date can refer to the Student Guide for the applicable program requirements. All students should refer to the Student Guide for the correct program requirements at the time of starting the program. Information on this webpage may be outdated and is intended for promotional purposes only. The related courses listed below are subject to change and availability.

Note that while most courses account for 2 EC, some account for 4 EC. Attempting 4 EC courses will affect the course count in the tables below which is based on 2 EC courses only. The credit count is leading in the determination of meeting program requirements.

Alternative Final Projects, such as a Business Project may be available in the Metropolitan programs at our campus in Amsterdam. Academic and other conditions apply.

  • MAN5001 – Applied Business Strategies (2)
  • MAN5105 – Comprehensive Cases in Strategic Management (2)
  • BUS5508 – Creative Innovation (2)
  • BUS5006 – International Business and Management (2)
  • MAN5009 – Competitive Intelligence (2)
  • FIN5001 – Applied International Financial Management (2)
  • OPE5509 – Applied Project Management (2)
  • LAW5001 – Business Compliance (2)
  • INF5001 – Business Intelligence (2)
  • MAN5003 – Change Management (2)
  • MAN5103 – Comprehensive Cases in International Management (2)
  • MAN5004 – Crisis Management (2)
  • MAN5506 – Cross-Cultural Skills (2)
  • INF5002 – Digital Business Analysis (2)
  • OPE5001 – Enterprise Resource Planning (2)
  • GLO5001 – Globalization and Integration (2)
  • MAN5203 – Graduate Research Project in International Management (2)
  • BUS5006 – International Business and Management (2)
  • ECO5003 – International Economics and Policy (2)
  • QUA5002 – Management Science (2)
  • MAN5006 – Managing Across Cultures (2)
  • FIN5007 – Mergers and Acquisitions (2)
  • COM5006 – Negotiation Techniques (2)
  • LAW5002 – Intellectual Property (2)
  • OPE5009 – Project Management (2)
  • BUS5007 – The Sustainable Enterprise (2)
  • OPE5010 – Total Quality Management (2)
  • 2021-FIN5002 – Budgeting (2 EC)
  • 2021-FIN5004 – Cost-Volume-Profit Analysis (2 EC)
  • 2021-FIN5006 – Financial Statement Analysis (2 EC)
  • 2021-FIN5008 – Working Capital Management (2 EC)
  • 2021-QUA5001 – Applied Financial Calculus (2 EC)
  • 2021-FIN5001 – Applied International Financial Management (2 EC)
  • 2021-FIN5003 – Capital Budgeting (2 EC)
  • 2021-FIN5007 – Mergers and Acquisitions (2 EC)
  • 2021-HUM5004 – Personnel Performance Management (2 EC)
  • 2021-HUM5005 – Personnel Planning and Work Design (2 EC)
  • 2021-HUM5006 – Personnel Recruitment and Selection (2 EC)
  • 2021-HUM5007 – Personnel Training and Development (2 EC)
  • 2021-MAN5003 – Change Management (2 EC)
  • 2021-HUM5001 – Compensation Strategy and Systems (2 EC)
  • 2021-HUM5002 – International Labor Relations (2 EC)
  • 2021-MAN5006 – Knowledge Management (2 EC)
  • 2021-MAR5001 – Analyzing Marketing Opportunities (2 EC)
  • 2021-MAR5007 – Creative Advertising (2 EC)
  • 2021-MAR5008 – Developing Marketing Strategies (2 EC)
  • 2021-MAR5011 – Planning Marketing Programs (2 EC)
  • 2021-MAR5006 – Applied Brand Management (2 EC)
  • 2021-MAR5002 – Applied Consumer Behavior (2 EC)
  • 2021-MAR5013 – Applied Sales Management (2 EC)
  • 2021-BUS5003 – e-Commerce (2 EC)
  • 2021-OPE5507 – Applied Operations Management (2 EC)
  • 2021-OPE5508 – Applied Production Management (2 EC)
  • 2021-OPE5509 – Applied Project Management (2 EC)
  • 2021-OPE5001 – Enterprise Resource Planning (2 EC)
  • 2021-INF5001 – Business Intelligence (2 EC)
  • 2021-QUA5002 – Management Science (2 EC)
  • 2021-QUA5003 – Operational Decision-making Tools (2 EC)
  • 2021-OPE5010 – Total Quality Management (2 EC)
  • 2021-COM5501 – Business Communication Skills (2 EC)
  • 2021-HUM5503 – Business Leadership Skills (2 EC)
  • 2021-COM5006 – Business Negotiation Skills (2 EC)
  • 2021-MAN5506 – Cross-Cultural Skills (2 EC)

Electives can be any course from any category. The choice of electives is limited however to those courses that are listed on the course planning for a specific quarter or term, and that are scheduled at a certain campus during that period. The scheduling of courses is based solely on the enrollment of students for certain programs and specializations. The more different programs and specializations students enroll for, the more different courses, and thus electives, will be available. Should all students have enrolled for the same program or specialization, a limited number of courses can be scheduled based on the preferences of enrolled students and the availability of professors.

 

The Final Project consist of a Graduate Thesis + an Applied Research Seminar. Alternatively, students may opt for a course-based alternative, which consists of a selection of courses for the same number of credits as the Final Project.

Admission

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Credit Transfers

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Student Visa

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Unparalleled Flexibility

If you believe this flexibility is what you’ve been looking for, then go ahead and schedule a call with our admissions advisors today.

Academic

  • Credit System

Our Graduate/Master programs are based on and are fully compatible with the established European and American educational systems. Master programs consist of 60 European credits, equivalent to 40 American semester credits. Courses are assigned a number of credits, indicating the estimated workload. Each credit equals up to 30 learning hours, including contact hours, exam hours, self-study hours and group-study hours. The workload of a typical full-time graduate student amounts to 20 credits and 600 learning hours per quarter.

Program European Credits (ECTS) American quarter credits American semester credits UK credits
Master degree 60 60 40 120
Graduate Diploma 24 24 16 48
Graduate Certificate 12 12 8 24
  • Grading System

Students are assessed on a combination of attendance, participation, individual assignments, group assignments and exams. Assignments may include reading materials, term papers, reports, presentations, and others. The combination of these assessments provides students with an equal opportunity to demonstrate their skills and knowledge. The minimum passing grade is D (60%). In case of an FX grade, students have the option to request a second exam or assignment in order to obtain the minimum passing grade of 60%. Exams can be in paper-based, open-book or take-home format.

Percentage Grade Definition
90 to 99 A Excellent
80 to 89 B Good
70 to 79 C Average
60 to 69 D Poor
50 to 59 FX Unsatisfactory
0 to 49 F Fail
  • Honor System

Students who achieve a certain GPA (Grade Point Average, or the weighted average of all grades earned, calculated on a 4.0 scale), will have their academic honors listed on the academic transcript and diploma supplement that is issued together with the diploma.

Percentage GPA Academic Honors
90 3.6 Summa Cum Laude
85 3.4 Magna Cum Laude
80 3.2 Cum Laude
  • Honor Society

The top 20% of our students each academic year who also achieved a GPA of 3.25 or higher are eligible to become a member of our Omicron Rho chapter of the Delta Mu Delta honor society. The local chapter welcomes alumni holding a Bachelor, Master and/or Doctoral degree of UIBS. Delta Mu Delta membership itself is limited to students and graduates of business programs accredited by ACBSP. Delta Mu Delta recognizes and encourages academic excellence of students at qualifying colleges and universities to create a DMD community that fosters the well-being of its individual members and the business community through life-time membership. Membership to this exclusive honor society comes with the relevant academic regalia and framed membership certificate.

  • Ranking

This program was modeled after our Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program that was ranked in the Global Top 200 and the European Top 60 in the 2019 QS MBA ranking, as a Tier One program in the 2020 CEO Magazine Global MBA ranking, 41st in the 2019 CEO Magazine Global Executive MBA ranking, and 4th in the 2020 CEO Magazine Global Online MBA ranking. Learn more about the school’s rankings.

  • Accreditation

Our Master in Business Studies (MBS) program is programmatically accredited by the US-based Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). This program was also originally modeled after our Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program that is programmatically accredited by the EU-based European Council for Business Education (ECBE). Learn more about the school's accreditation.

  • Academic degree

Upon successful completion of the study program students receive an international private Master in Business Studies (MBS) degree awarded by the school's HQ in Switzerland, based on the recommendation of the faculty of the local campuses where credits were earned, and upon the recommendation of the school's Academic Council. Learn more about the school's academic degrees.

  • Blockchain-verifiable diploma

All certificates, diplomas, degrees and other awards issued by the school can be awarded not only the traditional way on paper in a school-branded diploma cover, but also through the Ethereum blockchain. With this cutting-edge technology, we are adding a whole new dimension to diploma verification, of which students and alumni benefit. With secure document verification, one such benefit is the instant verification of the awards by employers during the recruitment and hiring process, thereby reducing the processing time and avoiding unnecessary delays in by instantly verifying the validity of the award. Those with Blockchain-verifiable awards will have a major benefit over other candidates when it comes to the speed at which they go through the hiring process. Refer to the program fees document for pricing details.

  • Professionally Experienced Professors

Academically qualified and professionally experienced professors link theory and practice by bringing contemporary case studies into the classroom, preparing students to become the global leaders of the future.

  • Interactive Teaching Methods

Small class sizes with up to 30 students allow professors to use interactive teaching methods, thereby increasing group interaction, improving group dynamics and building long-lasting connections among students.

Admissions

  • Admission info

Learn more about the Application Process, or find out about specific guidelines for Transfer Students and Exchange Students. For those without national passports or residence permits, the Student Visa Guidelines may also be of interest.

  • Application deadlines

Our Admissions Department applies a rolling admissions process and does not set deadlines to submit applications because of the multiple starting dates available. Applications are reviewed continuously troughout the year. Only in case a student visa is required do we recommend to apply 1-3 months prior to the intended starting date.

  • Program fees

Program fees are calculated pro-rata per campus where the student completed courses and earned credits. The total fees are due payable on a quarterly basis on a fixed payment schedule. Program fees cover matriculation and tuition fees but do not include the cost of living, housing, travel, transport, health insurance, study materials and other expenses. For more details, refer to the document attached.

  • Admission requirements

Students should be fluent in English, and have obtained a Bachelor degree (or equivalent). Refer to the application process for further details on the recommended English language levels.

Degrees with 180 European credits or 120 American semester credits are considered equivalent. Other degrees can be submitted along with your application for review by our Admissions Department. No distinction is made between academic or professional Bachelor degrees.

Students who do not hold a business-related Bachelor degree or equivalent may be required to complete an inbound assessment test prior to starting the program, and, depending on the results, earn an additional number of credits in leveling courses from the Pre-Master Foundation Program in order to be fully prepared for our graduate programs.

Students who have 15 or more years of relevant work experience may apply directly for the Pre-Master program and will be required to complete an inbound assessment test prior to starting the graduate program, and, depending on the results, earn an additional number of credits in specific undergraduate courses.

Program options

  • Private Tutoring and Private Coaching

The Private Tutoring and Private Coaching options allow students to schedule additional one-on-one sessions with professors or study coaches to catch up on missed contact hours or to receive additional academic support. Sessions are charged per hour and take place on-campus at a time that is convenient for both the student and professor or coach.

  • Professional Internship

The Internship option encourages students to put their skills and knowledge into practice through offers received by our Careers Department from regional and international companies and organizations. No credits can be awarded for internships. Internship agreements of up to 3 months are available only for students with a national passport or residence permit and cannot be considered for a student visa extension.

  • Pre-Master Foundation Program

This entirely optional and fully customizable program allows students who do not hold a business-related Bachelor degree or equivalent to earn up to an additional 30 credits in levelling courses in order to be fully prepared for our graduate programs. Learn more at the Campus-based Pre-Master and the Online Pre-Master.

  • 90-credit Dual Master

Continue at UIBS and earn a second private (programmatically-accredited) Master degree for an additional 30 European credits and a total of 90 European credits on a full-time or part-time basis throughout the campus network, including also in an online, executive or blended format. Any combination of programs is possible, including with those from our sister institution, European College for Liberal Studies (ECLS). The applicable program requirements will depend on the combination of programs. Shorter Graduate Certificate programs are also available that can be completed on top of your Master program. Additional dual degree programs are available with our academic partners; these typically add another academic year to your studies rather than 1 to 2 additional quarters.

Global options

  • Transfer between campuses

Students can transfer between campuses on a quarterly basis with guaranteed program compatibility. Our quarter-based academic calendar allows for a continuous study abroad experience across Europe and Asia.

Consider spending one or more quarters at our satellite campus in Tokyo, Japan and experience all the city and country have to offer.

  • Graduation ceremony

Each academic year, students from across the campus network celebrate their graduation in Barcelona, Spain. During the ceremony we honor all students who graduated in the past 12 months, all students who graduated just recently, as well as all imminent graduates who wish to participate. Watch the video of our most recent Graduation Ceremony below!

  • Global study trip

Each academic year, students from all campuses in Europe, as well as students from our academic partners can join our Global Study Trip to Tokyo, Japan. The weeklong trip is packed with cultural excursions, company visits, social activities and an Asian Management seminar.

  • Global Master program

Earn a Global Master degree at UIBS by studying in Europe and Tokyo, and finishing with one of our academic partners in the United States, such as UC Irvine or UC Berkeley.

Career outlook

  • Dedicated career services

With the help from our dedicated career services and our online career center, students and alumni get the career support they need to help their professional careers take off. Our dedicated career services organize relevant career seminars and guest speaker events on a quarterly basis, and our online career center provides 24/7 access to the latest job offers and internship opportunities and to a wide range of videos and articles with helpful tips and advice.

  • Professional career perspectives

Our professional study programs prepare students for a wide range of professions across a wide range of industries. Important to note is that our programs do not aim for access to regulated professions or government employment. While access to government employment may be limited because of the private nature of our degrees, several alumni do work for government authorities in a number of positions.

  • Alumni career insights

Take a look at our LinkedIn page and see where our alumni work, what they do and what they have accomplished with a professional degree from UIBS. You may be surprised about the variety of positions in small, medium, large and multinational companies across numerous industries that is represented among our alumni.

Extension programs

  • Extension Program in California @ UC Berkeley

The California Extension Program is operated by one of our local academic partners, the Haas School of Business from the University of California at Berkeley (UC Berkeley), through its Berkeley Haas Global Access Program (BHGAP), and is available to all Graduate students and alumni who wish to complete a study abroad period of up to 2 semesters in Berkeley, California, in addition to the studies at UIBS. Credits earned at UC Berkeley may also partially count towards a second Master degree at UIBS. Exclusively for students in the Master in Business Studies (MBS) program, up to 8 American semester credits (12 European credits) can be transferred from UC Berkeley into the program at UIBS. Specific admissions and/or academic conditions may apply.

  • Extension Program in California @ UC Irvine

The California Extension Program is operated by one of our local academic partners, the Division of Continuing Education from the University of California at Irvine (UC Irvine), and is available to all Graduate students and alumni who wish to complete a study abroad period of up to 2 semesters in Irvine, California, in addition to the studies at UIBS. Credits earned at our partner may also partially count towards a second Master degree at UIBS. Exclusively for students in the Master in Business Studies (MBS) program, up to 12 American quarter credits (12 European credits) can be transferred from UC Irvine into the program at UIBS. Specific admissions and/or academic conditions may apply.

Further education

  • Postgraduate/Doctorate programs @ UIBS

Continue in a Postgraduate program at UIBS and earn a private Doctorate degree by completing an additional 60 European credits on a part-time basis throughout the campus network. Shorter Postgraduate Certificate programs are also available.

  • Postgraduate/Doctorate programs @ ECLS

Continue in a Postgraduate program at our sister institution, the European College for Liberal Studies (ECLS), and earn a private Doctorate degree by completing an additional 60 European credits on a part-time basis throughout the campus network. Shorter Postgraduate Certificate programs are also available.

Learn more

  • Student interviews

Check out several interviews with students from our various campuses!

  • Professor interviews

Check out several interviews with professors from our various campuses!

Faculty and Team Members Testimonial

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