Do you want to know more about the MSc Business Information Management programme?
The video below will answer the most frequently asked questions about the programme.
Overview
The MSc in Business Information Management programme is one academic year’s duration. Core courses are compulsory and will be offered during the autumn semester (24 EC). Master electives (18 EC) are offered during the spring semester, of which one elective can be chosen from another MSc programme. It is also possible to replace an elective with the BIM Company-Based Research Project (CRP). During the year, students work on a master thesis project (18 EC).
MSc programmes are often associated with a research group, guided by accomplished researchers making meaningful contributions in their respective fields. The faculty team consists of active researchers globally recognized in the fields of Information Systems, Management and Data Science. For a closer look at the exciting research initiatives by our academic faculty, we encourage you to explore the department of Technology and Operations Management under which the MSc in Business Information Management falls.
Please note that core courses and electives are subject to change each academic year. While some electives are very popular and we can place most students in the elective(s) of their choice, there are no guaranteed places.
In the core courses, we offer a management, and a technical foundation. In the management foundation, we focus on how digital transformation impacts digital strategies that can lead to competitive advantage (Information Strategy), and how does it impact internal processes lead by CIO’s (Business Architecture and Transformation). In the technical foundation, we focus on how to translate a business idea to technical requirements (Designing Business Applications), and the entire life cycle of data science, from collecting, analysing, presenting, and visualizing data (Big Data Management and Applications). In the research foundation, we teach all the necessary methods and tools to allow you to conduct your own research (BIM Research Methods and BIM Thesis Clinic). Lastly, we support students’ professional development through the RSM Career Centre, and our online e-learning platform Career Explorer, which will help you to discover your career direction, build your confidence, and develop a stronger sense of purpose in your professional journey.
Electives* are organised into two tracks. Students choose one of the tracks to follow.
For a detailed description of all of the courses including electives, please view the course catalogue (for reference only, catalogue continually updated throughout the year).
*Please note that certain electives may be very popular. Although we can place most students in the elective(s) of their choice, there are no guaranteed places.
In the Digital Business track, the electives focus on the business side of managing technology.
The electives available in this track are:
- Data Privacy and Cybersecurity
- The Future of Sustainability: AI in Circular Business and Energy
- Strategy and Economics of Platforms
- Digital Technologies and Social Change
For a detailed description of all of the courses including electives, please view the course catalogue (for reference only, catalogue continually updated throughout the year).
Electives in the Data Science track focus on the latest advances in methods and technologies that allow collection and analysis of data using R and/or Python.
The electives available in this track, are the following:
- Programming for Managers
- Introduction to Data Science with Python
- Introduction to Deep Learning
- Big Data and Business Analytics
For a detailed description of all of the courses including electives, please view the course catalogue (for reference only, catalogue continually updated throughout the year).
The BIM Company-based Research Project (CRP) allows students to replace one free elective in the programme with a full-time thesis or research internship - a minimum of 168 hours - for one of the elective blocks. During the other two blocks, students should follow the remaining electives and may continue working part-time.
The BIM CRP combines writing your thesis with an internship, and takes place during one of the elective blocks, so it's important that your internship is related to your thesis. Students should decide on their internship in consultation with their thesis coach and their master thesis coordinator. You must be able to show that your internship will allow you to collect data from your internship company for your thesis project.
Your Company-based Research project will be assessed separately from your thesis by the thesis coach, company supervisor and master thesis coordinator. They will issue either a pass or a fail result.
The writing of your master thesis – the report of your scientific study – is the most important part of the Business Information Management programme. During the year you will participate in a structured master thesis trajectory.
One of the reasons companies hire university graduates is because of their academic accomplishments. One of them is a critical attitude towards what is presented as 'the truth; another is the ability to assess the quality of research presented to them; and the competence to study a particular phenomenon in a structured way. These same qualities are required from students as they design and execute their master thesis projects. This course will focus on the basics of conducting sound scientific research and writing a good master thesis.
The structured master thesis trajectory starts in September during the core courses when you will familiarise yourself with research being done in the department, and the academic literature and topics available. Staff involved in this master programme will present their current research projects, and you will be invited to link your master thesis to one of these projects. Before Christmas you will decide on your thesis topic, and you will be assigned a coach who is expert in that subject. In early January, you'll join a thesis clinic to help you complete your thesis successfully. In February you will deliver your research proposal, then you implement your research question. You finalise your thesis before the summer. Staff and researchers will provide assistance by coaching you through the entire master thesis process.
Here are some examples of themes for BIM master thesis topics:
- The Impact of IT on Business
- Online Human Behavior
- Big Data and Analytics
- Social Media and Digital Commerce
- Green IT and Energy Business
Learn more
The Business Information Management (BIM) Honours Course offers a challenging extracurricular course with strong grounding in research and practice to the most talented and motivated MSc BIM students. The course is designed to complement the MSc portfolio with in-depth training in particular areas. The Honours course also offers networking opportunities and contact with executives and companies.
Participation is by invitation only, whereby the best 10 per cent of students will be selected based on their grades in the core courses in Blocks 1 and 2. The small group size ensures that students have the opportunity for interaction with faculty members and participating companies.
Sudents compete as small groups in real-world challenges in two activities. They will need to combine their business and analytic knowledge. After this extracurricular course, students will have an enriched academic experience and deep knowledge of how theoretical notions can be applied in practice.
Invitations go out to the best performing MSc BIM students In late February. Invitations to participate in the Honours Course go to the top 10 per cent based on performance in the five BIM core courses. Students with an above-average performance can also apply for a place in the Honours Course. These additional places are made available for students who can demonstrate excellence outside of their BIM studies. The final selection is announced in early March.
Students who successfully participate in all activities will:
- have 'Honours Course MSc Business Information Management' included on summary of grades accompanying their MSc diploma, and a 'Pass' for 10 extracurricular ECTS.
- receive the certificate “Honours Course MSc Business Information Management”.
You can get a taste of working life – in large multinationals or fast-growing start-ups – by applying your new wealth of knowledge to a real company problem during your internship, which is optional in your programme. The RSM Career Centre will support you in finding a suitable position. Many students acquire their first job after graduation from the contacts they make during their internship.
Explore the world and broaden your study experiences by going on international study trips and exchanges at other top schools. RSM has an extensive partner school network of more than 100 business schools and universities worldwide, including top business schools such as ESADE in Barcelona and The Wharton School in the USA. An international exchange is an optional element after you’ve studied for your master for at least one year.
There is an increasing demand from companies for graduates with a deep knowledge and understanding of the strategic value of information: the career prospects for business information management graduates today are excellent.
The following job descriptions are frequently applied to our graduates working for large or multinational companies or consultancy firms:
- Information managers who analyse and implement information solutions for companies;
- Business consultants who advise managers to develop business applications to create value;
- Business analysts who analyse and implement new ways of doing business;
- IT consultants who advise managers on how to develop new IT-enabled solutions;
- Business development Managers who develop new IT-enabled business models;
- Project managers who initiate, direct, and manage projects in and between companies;
- Management trainees who usually follow a two-year ‘training on the job’ programme and will continue their career in a management position.
Graduates work in the following sectors:
- Management consultancy (33%);
- Software and computing services (19%);
- Technology, multimedia, and telecoms (12%);
Our top employers include:
- PriceWaterhouseCoopers (12%);
- Accenture (11%);
- LogicaCMG (11%);
Curious to see what our alumni are doing?
Good to know
Non-EEA nationals who have earned a diploma from a higher education institute in the Netherlands can apply for a special residence permit called the orientation year after completing their studies. The 'Orientation Year for Graduates Seeking Employment' is a residence permit aimed at retaining foreign talent for the Dutch labour market. During this orientation year you are free to work without a work permit. Participants who find a job during this period can change their orientation year into a residence permit for Highly Skilled Migrants under more favourable terms.
For the most up-to-date information please visit the Erasmus University webpages about immigration.
What's next after your studies? The RSM Career Centre is your guide for an impactful career. Its expertise in the labour market, personal branding and connections with employers will prepare you for your business career. Get ready for some exciting job fairs, workshops, speed interviews and coaching. You may land your first internship or job before you even graduate!
You’re a member of the RSM community from Day 1. After you graduate, you’ll also be a member of the RSM alumni network. The countless benefits include networking events worldwide with local chapters, lifelong learning and professional development, mentoring opportunities and access to the latest business knowledge and research. Your study at RSM is the first step towards being part of this inspiring community that you’ll be part of forever.
Talk to our current students!
The 2026-2027 tuition fee for the MSc programmes is approximately €25,800 for non-EEA students. The Dutch government contributes towards this cost for students who hold a nationality from a country belonging to the European Economic Area (EEA). These students therefore only pay the statutory fee €2,694 in 2026-2027.
For EEA nationals who have already completed a master in the Netherlands (and obtained the diploma) the tuition fee for a second master is approximately €14,800.
Please note that all these tuition fee tariffs are subject to change.
There are other costs associated with the Master programmes, for more information please review the “Other expenses” section below thoroughly.
Scholarships
The number of scholarships is limited and mainly merit based. If a scholarship covers only the tuition fees, be aware that you need to finance your own living expenses (rent, food and insurances) for the duration of your studies. RSM does not offer scholarships for the pre-master programme. We do however offer a maximum of 2 scholarships per academic year to RSM pre-master students enrolling in an MSc programme.
Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) offers multiple scholarships to prospective students from non-EEA countries who are not entitled to pay the EEA tuition fee, provided their grades are considered ‘excellent’. RSM also offers one scholarship, the Erasmus Trustfonds Scholarship, to students from EEA countries.
Besides scholarships awarded by RSM, there are also scholarships awarded by the Dutch government or other organisations that are available if you meet certain criteria such as nationality, age, etc We have listed some of them below but we encourage you to use resources such as Grantfinder or the Scholarship Portal to find additional scholarships.
- StuNed
- G&D Europe Scholarship
- NN Future Matters Scholarship
- Russia: The Global Education Programme
- LPDP
- OKP
Scholarship tips
- Contact the Ministry for Higher Education in your home country to see whether there are scholarship options.
- We have a recording of our virtual information session covering all you need to know about scholarships and financial aid. Watch it on YouTube here.
For students from the Netherlands or the EU/EEA, it may be possible to apply for limited funding towards payment of your tuition fees. Find out whether you meet the nationality and age requirements and read more information about the application process here.
The MSc IM/CEMS is a programme that - if you are still eligible - entitles you to a maximum of 1 year's use of your DUO entitlements. Students who have received a basic grant and possibly a supplementary grant from DUO in the first year of IM/CEMS and meet the following additional conditions may be eligible for an additional half year (6 months) of financial support, which is equal to the grant received in the last month during the programme. Please contact the student counselors for more information.
Conditions Financial Support Fund
Students eligible for financial support due to extended master programmes are those who:
a) are enrolled full-time in a publicly funded Erasmus University Rotterdam degree programme, which is extended on the base of article 7.4, paragraph 8 of the Dutch Higher Education and Research Act;
b) are enrolled as first enrollment (hoofdinschrijving) in the study programme described in point a) for which the student pays statutory tuition fee;
c) for this programme, is or was entitled to study finance (prestatiebeurs hoger onderwijs) as referred to in the Wet Studiefinanciering 2000, and during the period corresponding to the study load that exceeds 60 ECTs, and is no longer eligible for student finance in the form of an additional grant.
Other expenses
After having filled in all of the necessary application information on the Online Application Form (OLAF) and uploaded the required documents, applicants with a degree obtained outside the Netherlands will be asked to pay a non-refundable €100 handling fee. This fee can be paid online via the Erasmus Payment System which uses either iDEAL (for those with a Dutch bank account) or PayPal (which can be linked to any bank account or credit card worldwide). It is important that applicants complete the payment process as indicated, otherwise the system cannot register the payment.
The additional expenses in addition to tuition and general living costs (see below) vary per programme and may include:
- Study materials such as books, readers and business cases
- Costs involved in kick-off meetings
- Costs related to travel, international excursions and compulsory exchange semesters or internships abroad
Approximately € 300 - 500 (per year), these costs differ per programme.
For a reasonable standard of living in the Netherlands, you should have an income of between €1,150-€2,000 per month depending on your lifestyle. Further information about the costs of living in the Netherlands and related subjects can be found on this website. Below is an example of monthly expenditures:
| Furnished accommodation, including gas and electricity | €535-1,160 |
| Medical insurance | €50 |
| Telephone/internet | €15-40 |
| Food | €200-300 |
| Books, recreation, clothing | €300-400 |
| Public Transportation | €50 |
| Total | average €1,150-€2,000 |
| Other potential expenses: | |
| Buying or renting a bike | € 100 - 250 (per year) |
| In private residence (not student housing) municipal and water taxes | € 100 - 300 (per year) |
| Study trip or other study related travel | € 300 - 500 (per year) |
Please ensure, prior to your arrival at RSM, that you have or will have sufficient funding available to finance your stay at RSM. Finding a part-time job, may be an option, but can not be guaranteed. You should therefore not rely on finding other ways to supplement your income during your studies. For additional information on obtaining a part-time job, visit the website of the Nuffic.
For EEA students there are no formal restrictions in finding work in the Netherlands, but students with a lack of Dutch language skills will find it difficult to secure employment. Non-EEA students are subject to labour regulations, which makes the likelihood of obtaining a work permit very small. We therefore ask students not to rely on this possibility. We do not encourage students to combine studies with the heavy workload from a part-time job.
Application opens 1 October. This is a capped programme which means that the application will close either when the maximum number of applications (500) has been reached or 15 May, whichever comes first.
Find out everything you need to know about entry visas & residence permits for non-EU or EEA students at RSM.
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