International Business Administration (IBA)

During the first year, students are introduced to international business through a combination of theoretical and skills-related courses that are the foundation for a career in management.

It can be tough to move from high school to university. That’s why the IBA Professional Development and Mentoring Programme helps you to settle in during your first year. You will also develop professional skills that you’ll need in today’s business world. As a first-year student, you will be guided by a mentor, an experienced and well-trained older student who has undergone arigorous selection process to support you in this role.

Right from the start, IBA students are expected to be able to write a real business plan. Working in groups of four and after meeting with employees from their chosen business, students make an internal and external analysis of the firm’s activities, check its financial position, analyse options and dangers from the outside market and devise a strategic plan to improve the firm’s chances of survival in the market – and even expand its activities. This project requires the ability to work in a team and communicate effectively – these are the skills honed in the Professional Development track. In the past, students have written plans for companies such as Bavaria and Rotterdam The Hague airport.

The binding study advice policy states the minimum number of credits you need in your first year of registration to be able to continue your studies. IBA students need to pass all their first-year courses during their first year to be able to continue into Year 2.

The second year of the IBA programme expands your knowledge and develops your research skills, with courses such as Quantitative Decision Making and Applied Business Methods. A wide array of topics are covered, with courses focusing on everything from strategy to marketing, finance, and cross-cultural management.

If you are prepared for a bigger academic challenge, you should know that Erasmus University Rotterdam offers two English-taught honours programmes on interdisciplinary subjects. They bring students from various programmes together to jointly work on a broad subject.

And, IBA students can also apply for RSM’s undergraduate honours programme on innovative entrepreneurship and a study trip to Silicon Valley. Honours programmes count as extra credit on top of the regular BSc programme.

The Erasmus School of Philosophy offers a unique Double Degree programme for students who wish to obtain a second degree in philosophy. This programme is highly flexible and can efficiently be combined with the International Business Administration programme offered at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. A degree in philosophy is an excellent complement to any other degree. In the current age of uncertainty and rapidly advancing technologies, knowledge of philosophical problems and skills remains relevant. In this programme, you will learn to express arguments clearly and to think critically and creatively.

Any academic business study has its foundations in technology and industry, so a good working knowledge of industry and industrial processes is essential. The IBA programme has formed a partnership with our neighbouring university, Technical University Delft, in which RSM’s IBA students work with students from Delft on an assignment which requires both groups of students to understand each other’s worlds of business and industry. This part of the programme encourages mutual understanding of business and industry, an essential skill for any manager.

The third year of the IBA programme offers students a range of options.

During the first half of the third year, ending 1 February, you need to earn 30 EC in total.

You can choose:

1. To do an international exchange at one of RSM’s partner schools, for 20 EC minimum and 30 EC maximum
2. To conduct an international internship, for 15 EC minimum and 20 EC maximum
3. To do a minor (mostly broadening, sometimes deepening), of 15 EC, or 30 EC if you choose the one jointly offered with Leiden and Delft University

If you do not exactly end up with 30 EC, you can take one or more electives – either at RSM or elsewhere.

The second half of the third year is comprised of 30 EC. Next to the compulsory Advanced research training and the Digital business course, you can choose from five different tracks consisting of three modules, allowing you to follow your interests and deepen your knowledge. You will write a Bachelor thesis which will fall within your chosen track.

For many students, spending an exchange semester abroad at one our partner universities is a valuable opportunity to make an early investment in their future international career, and widen their professional network. Our partner universities are all of high repute and well-ranked. They all have similar accreditations to ours. Students study at the partner university from the end of the summer term until January, and must obtain at least 20 ECTS during the exchange.  Click here for a list of our partner universities.

For students who would like to go on a short-term programme in the summer, we also have agreements with a number of schools in Europe, Asia and the USA for our students to have priority access to their summer programmes.

There is no substitute for real working experience. The IBA programme gives you the opportunity to complete an international internship lasting at least 10 weeks and worth 15 ECTS. Although academic in approach, the international internship gives you in-depth knowledge and practical experience in a company of your choice. Non-Dutch students can do this in the Netherlands or abroad. Dutch students must choose a destination outside of the Netherlands for a truly international experience.

Your IBA programme concludes with your Bachelor thesis. For this, your knowledge from Advanced Research Methods is crucial as it provides you with the research methodology knowledge and training necessary for the Bachelor project. The Bachelor Project is used to measure your ability to present research and opinions – about management of businesses and organisations – in a well-structured, coherent, and academic document. 

You’ll join a group of four students to write your Bachelor Project, which will be based on a theme offered by one of RSM’s departments, and you’ll be closely supervised by an experienced member of academic staff.