Combining safety, security and sustainability with compliance and efficiency in international trade

Innovative developments force customs professionals, other inspections and business professionals to collaborate. You must follow the general trend towards regulatory compliance rather than command and control. This is facilitated by information systems. In RSM’s unique part-time executive master programme, you will explore and discuss these developments, and assess their value and implications for practice.

Unique content for leaders in customs and international trade

Knowledge from customs regulations, supply chain management, and IT-based compliance is brought together in this programme. During the two-year programme:

  • you can improve effectiveness and efficiency of customs supervision and enforcement on compliance, safety and security
  • you can stimulate uniform application of customs laws across the EU
  • you can reduce administrative burdens for business and government
  • you can embed compliance with laws and regulations concerning the import and export of goods into business processes and information systems
  • you will find out how customs supervision can meet business challenges
  • you can create mutual understanding among parties from diverse backgrounds
  • you will join a group of aspiring leaders from custom authorities, governmental agencies, businesses, consultancies, IT and more.

Accreditations and recognitions

Master of Science (MSc) accreditation

The Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO) has renewed the accreditation of the Executive MSc in Customs and Supply Chain Compliance at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM). 

World Customs Organization recognition

The part-time Executive Master in Customs and Supply Chain Compliance programme has been developed in conjunction with the World Customs Organization as meeting the requirements of its international standards for the Customs profession.

European Union Commission recognition

The European Commission recognises the part-time Executive Master in Customs and Supply Chain Compliance academic programme delivered by RSM as a high-quality Customs related programme that is in line with the EU Competency Framework for the Customs profession and its associated EU Reference Training Programmes for Academic Customs Education. Learn more.

More information

Curriculum

The Rotterdam School of Management Part-Time Executive Master in Customs and Supply Chain Compliance is a unique learning journey that focuses on the integration of customs with global logistics, facilitated by information systems. In each block of your learning, you will explore all of the critical dimensions of international trade through the lens of three core pillars: Customs and Regulations, Supply Chain Management, Information Technology and Compliance.

Executive education students in class
Read the thesis report of former students

During the programme, you will focus on:

  • Customs regulations
    You will thoroughly explore and understand the legal and regulatory aspects of the customs domain, including the international background of customs procedures, the perspective of the World Customs Organisation, and the Union Customs Code. You will deal with the harmonised system, rules of origin, customs valuation, formalities, suspension regime, excise and VAT, and regulations concerning safety and security. You will also discuss the impact of new developments in international legislation.
  • Supply chain management
    You will develop new perspectives of the hierarchy between supply chain management, logistics and transport. You will also be introduced to the authorised economic operator (AEO) schemes, including how businesses deal with regulatory compliance and risk in an international and networked environment.
  • Information and compliance
    You will learn how to analyse the adequacy of information systems to support business processes, and make recommendations to improve them. You will be able to assess the appropriateness and operating effectiveness of a system of internal controls to ensure compliance, using system-based auditing techniques.

The Part-Time Executive Master in Customs and Supply Chain Compliance integrates face-to-face and online learning to optimise access and flexibility. You have the time and space to learn, to experiment with new ideas and approaches, and to apply your learning in real-time, in your real-world role and organisation for impact as immediate as it is enduring.

In a small team you will apply your new knowledge and skills into a specific project. This project serves to bring together the three main pillars of this programme: customs regulation, auditing and IT and supply chain management. In previous rounds, project topics included:

•    Being in control and creating a secure trade logistics environment
•    Corporate social responsibility in the supply chain
•    Applying elements of the Union Customs Code in practice
•    Transitions in customs declaration systems. 

You will explore and solve a real and topical customs issue that is hindering your organisation to be fully in control. This may be a multidisciplinary research project, or more focused on one of the pillars of this programme. In previous years, we have often seen combinations of safety, security, trade facilitation and sustainability with compliance management and logistics efficiency. This project must meet academic and practical standards. You will document your findings, solutions and next steps in a report.

Are you interested in developments in, for instance, e-commerce, trade management, customs supervision or corruption in the customs domain? Then read the thesis report of some of our former students. You can find them at the thesis repository of our programme: https://thesis.eur.nl/col/7011

 

Tuition fee

€32,000, including course materials, lunches, and snacks. This fee does not include hotel accommodation, transportation or parking fees. The tuition fee is exempt from VAT. A non-refundable €1,000 admissions fee is required to secure your place on the programme. This is due by the registration date as stated in your offer letter.

Application and admission

The part-time Executive Master in Customs and Supply Chain Compliance is intended for people with an ambition to become customs leaders in international trade. The admissions procedure emphasises motivation, maturity and creativity, as well as a strong interest in international trade.

You should comply with the following requirements if you wish to take part in the part-time Executive Master in Customs and Supply Chain Compliance:

  • have a bachelor or master degree
  • have a minimum of three years of relevant work experience
  • have affinity with supply chain management and IT or auditing
  • have experience with customs
  • non-native English speaking candidates may be required to provide results of a TOEFL or IELTS test.

€32,000, including course materials, lunches, and snacks. This fee does not include hotel accommodation, transportation or parking fees. The tuition fee is exempt from VAT. A non-refundable €1,000 admissions fee is required to secure your place on the programme. This is due by the registration date as stated in your offer letter.

 

Participants will learn as much from each other as from the faculty. To ensure a diverse and high-quality group, all applicants to the programme will be required to undergo an intake discussion with the Programme Director. This way we can guarantee that the programme is suitable for you.

We will schedule the intake call within two weeks of receiving your application form and required documents. After the intake call, the Programme Director will advise the Admission Committee to either accept or reject your application.

If your application is accepted, your formal registration for the programme will be confirmed via email. 

Please note that the following documents are needed for your application for the programme.

  • Copy of passport photo page
  • Official transcript of academic records, signed by the appropriate university officials
  • Certified (stamped and signed) copies of your degree(s) or diploma(s)
  • CV or résumé
  • Results of TOEFL or IELTS test (if applicable)

Your application can only be processed when all required documents have been received. Candidates are selected for intake interviews based on completed applications. For more information about this programme and the upcoming deadline please contact Rudsel Maduro (rmaduro@rsm.nl).

Registration for the programme is done through Embark. Via Embark you can register and provide us with the documents needed to assess your application. After your submission, one of our Marketing & Admissions managers will get in touch with you to discuss the following steps.

Dates and location

RSM’s part-time Executive Master in Customs and Supply Chain Compliance programme takes place in Rotterdam and is taught in English.

Start date Executive Master in Customs and Supply Chain Compliance: January 2024.

Please contact our Recruitment & Admissions Manager Rudsel Maduro for the full timetable of the programme.

Your courses will primarily consist of extended periods of weekly online sessions (2 hours) and self-study, alternated by on-campus or hybrid intensive weeks. The on campus courses will be held at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, Bayle (J) Building, Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, Rotterdam.

If you require hotel accommodation in Rotterdam, we recommend Novotel Rotterdam Brainpark Hotel, adjacent to the university and less than five minutes’ walk from campus.

Academic and corporate partners

Erasmus University, the Customs Administration of the Netherlands and international associations representing international trade and supply chain partners contributed to the development of the Executive Master in Customs and Supply Chain Compliance programme. They all pursue a strategy to strengthen and improve international trade through collaboration and innovation and recognise the need to develop leaders in customs.

Erasmus School of Law (ESL) offers international high-quality law education that provides theoretical knowledge as well as practical skills. Its programmes attract students and staff from all over the world. ESL’s interdisciplinary education and research combines legal, economic, political and social thinking, and has a strong social and business-driven orientation. Due to its excellent education and research, ESL achieves high positions in international rankings.

The AWA Foreign Trade Academy was founded in 1996 and is one of Germany's leading providers of customs-related learning services. Its portfolio ranges from professional sources to academic programmes. The AWA is a cooperation partner of the University of Münster and Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Manages the cross-border movements of goods that enter or exit the EU via the Netherlands. The Customs Administration of the Netherlands facilitates trade, and applies checks when and where needed. The Customs Administration constantly innovates its supervision processes, respecting EU-legislation in close co-operation with industry and academic institutes to reduce administrative burdens and interferences in logistics to an absolute minimum.

Meet our alumni

Meet some of our recent EMC graduates and discover how this Executive Master impacted their careers and what are the benefits of following this programme.

Jeroen Borst

EMC Class of 2020

Boosting legislation logic while optimising data sharing and IT

Agnieszka Brodacz, Onno van Elswijk, and Isabel Hanot share their experiences of RSM’s part-time Executive Master in Customs and Supply Chain Compliance.

Watch the videos to find out!

Agnieszka Brodacz, class of 2019

Onno van Elswijk, class of 2019

Isabel Hanot, class of 2019

Read what previous participants say about this master

The programme brings strategic value to customs and foreign trade management by driving compliance efficiency, confronting new challenges and accelerating growth in cross-border trade.

Sasank Mohanty, global customs and foreign trade manager at Sandoz, a Novartis company

For supply chain and customs professionals, this interactive programme will add value to the future of business in a fast-changing dynamic world. RSM has created a professional and open working environment, which is inspiring and enhancing synergetic liaisons between various professions.

Jacky Daalmans, legal trainee and bachelor of law graduate

This executive master programme will offer me a comprehensive view of today’s customs and logistics ecosystem. Also, by combining customs officers with business representatives, the variety of perspectives is sure to broaden the views of all participants.

Hans Pieters, Head of Administration and Personnel at the World Customs Organisation

Do you have any questions?

Would you like extra information or support? We are here to help!

Faculty

Discover which expert faculty lead this programme

RSM’s Executive Master in Customs and Supply Chain Compliance programme is led by a team of expert faculty members:

Dr Ruud Tusveld

Customs regulations

Ruud Tusveld is the partner in charge of the Dutch Customs & International Trade practice of PwC, leader of the PwC EMEA Customs & International Trade group, and global co-ordinator for the customs network worldwide as a member of the global indirect tax leaderships team of PwC.

Ruud Tusveld

Prof. Walter de Wit

Customs regulations

Walter de Wit is professor of international and European customs law at Erasmus School of Law, and partner at Ernst & Young, where he advises clients on indirect taxed and international trade.

Walter de Wit

Harwin de Vries

Technology & Operations Management

Harwin de Vries is Assistant Professor at the Technology and Operations Management department at RSM. 

Dr Ziv Baida

Digital Transformation

Dr Ziv Baida is an Executive consultant in government and international trade related IT and data analytics developments. 

Frank Heijman

Customs Expert

Frank Heijman is Head of Trade Relations at the Netherlands Customs and the director of the National Committee on Trade Facilitation in the Netherlands. 

Prof. Albert Veenstra

Supply chain management

Albert Veenstra is the director of the Dutch Institute for Advanced Logistics, Dinalog, and professor in international trade facilitation and logistics at Eindhoven University of Technology.

Albert Veenstra

Prof. Rob Zuidwijk

Supply chain management

Rob Zuidwijk is a professor of ports in global networks at RSM.

Rob Zuidwijk

Dr Joris Hulstijn

Information compliance

Joris Hulstijn is researcher in responsible AI at the University of Luxemburg. 

Joris Hulstijn

Prof. Yao-Hua Tan

Information compliance

Yao-Hua Tan is a professor of information and communication technology at the ICT group of the department of technology, policy and management of Delft University of Technology.

Yao-Hua Tan

Philip Eskenazi

Philosophy of science

Philip Eskenazi teaches philosophy of science at Rotterdam School of Management. He obtained his M.A. in philosophy at King’s College London and his PhD at RSM, investigating the neurological underpinnings of management control issues.

Merieke Stevens

Operations Management

Merieke Stevens is an Associate Professor of Operations Management at the department of Technology & Operations Management, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University. 

Marcel Ludema

Technology, Policy and Management

Marcel Ludema is a Lecturer and Researcher at the faculty of Technology, Policy & Management, TU-Delft. He focuses on current and future innovations in logistics and supply chain. 

Sanne Taekema

Jurisprudence

Sanne Taekema's research addresses various themes in legal philosophy and methodology. Two core themes are the rule of law, especially in a transnational context, and the methodology of legal and interdisciplinary research. 

Andrew Grainger

Trade Facilitation

Dr Andrew Grainger is a trade facilitation practitioner, academic and educator with over 20 years of experience. His research focuses on the wider area of international trade logistics, including trade facilitation, customs and port resilience. 

 

Morteza Pourakbar

Technology and Operations Management

Morteza Pourakbar is an associate professor at the Department of Technology and Operations Management at Rotterdam School of Management. 

 

For Whom

Participants of RSM’s Executive Master in Customs and Supply Chain Compliance come from a variety of organisations.

You will benefit from the programme if you work for:

  • a national customs authority, for example as a customs officer, EDP auditor, client co-ordinator, legal advisor or policy maker
  • government agencies, such as a tax office, food and health safety inspectorate, police
  • a service business, such as a consultancy or legal, tax advisory or accounting office
  • a logistics organisation, for example as a trader, shipper, exporter, shipbroker or terminal operator
  • any other organisation, and involved in international cross-border supply chains.

More to explore

Graduation class of 2017-2020

RSM Bayle Building

Webinars on Customs and Trade Compliance

Executive education student in class

Programme Podcasts

Upcoming events

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