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IBA redesign

In the academic year 2025-2026, several changes will take place in the bachelor curriculum. You’ll find the changes and what this means for your situation on these webpages.*

Smarter Academic Year

EUR is moving to a smarter academic year (SAY) to help reduce the workload and pressure for both students and lecturers. RSM will also implement these changes starting in the 2025-2026 academic year.

This will affect the schedule of courses across all three bachelor years. Here is an overview of the key changes for the smarter academic year:

  • There will be fewer study weeks per academic year, which will result in Bachelor years 2 and 3 of your programme to conclude earlier (unless you need to resit an exam).
  • Additional self-study weeks will be introduced. These weeks will have no scheduled activities, but they are specifically designed for independent study. This isn’t vacation time, we strongly encourage you to use this time effectively to stay on track with your course work.

You can find the new academic calendar for Bachelor 1, 2, and 3 here.

Curriculum redesign

We have also taken this opportunity to make some adjustments to the curriculum to better align with the evolving demands of international business. These changes are small to more substantial, depending on the bachelor year. If you study within the nominal timeframe, the changes will have little impact. You will follow the new curriculum starting next academic year. 

You can find the new curriculum here.

Want to know what the changes mean for your situation? Choose below: 

In Osiris we will move you to the new exam programme, corresponding to the new curriculum. If you study within the nominal timeframe, this has no consequences for your study progress.

If you have not passed a Bachelor 1 course, you can follow the course next academic year. Do keep in mind that we are working with a new academic calendar in 2025-2026 where exams for Bachelor 1 and Bachelor 2 take place in the same week. Some courses will have a new name:

Statistics will be: Probability and statistics. If you have not yet passed Statistics, we will enroll you for Probability and statistics next academic year. The content of the course is comparable.

Economics will be: Microeconomics. If you have not yet passed Economics, we will enroll you for Microeconomics next academic year. The content of the course is comparable. 

In Osiris we will move you to the new exam programme, corresponding to the new curriculum. If you study within the nominal timeframe, this has no consequences for your study progress. We strongly encourage you to follow all Bachelor 2 courses this academic year (2024-2025) if possible. If you still have open Bachelor 2 courses next academic year (2025-2026), please read below what this means for you. 

We are working with a new academic calendar in 2025-2026 where exams for Bachelor 1 and Bachelor 2 take place in the same week. There are also changes in the Bachelor 2 curriculum. The courses below will have changes, click on the course which you have not passed yet to see them: 

Research project will get a new name: Quantitative research methods. If you have not yet passed this course, we will enroll you for Quantitative research methods next academic year. The content of the course is comparable. 

Business simulation will move from block 6 to the new block 2.3 (start: January).  

Innovation management will move from block 6 to the new block 2.4 (start: February). 

Strategic management changes, please read further if you have not passed the course yet:

  • In case you also have not passed Technology management (3 EC) yet, you can follow the new Technology management (4 EC) and the new Strategic management (4 EC).
  • In case you have passed Technology management (4 EC), you will also need to retake the 'old' Strategisch management (5 EC). This will be done as follows:  
    • You will follow all educational activities of the course BT2314 Strategic management (4 EC). Please note, this course is 1 EC smaller than BT2214 (5 EC) in the past. As recidivists you will need to master additional self-study material that is not covered in the course BT2314. More specifically, this additional self-study material concerns strategic management models.
    • Please be aware, this course will move from the old block 8 to the new block 2.2 (start: October).

Technology management (BT2112) is discontinued. There will be a new course with the same name and a larger workload (4 EC) with the course code BT2122. You will follow this new course as part of your new exam programme. If you have not passed Technology management yet, we will enroll you for the new course next academic year.

Entrepreneurship (BT2108) will no longer be a core course in the IBA curriculum. International business BT2118 (5 EC) will replace the course in the new curriculum. If you have not yet passed Entrepreneurship, you will need to take International business as part of the new examination programme. 

If you are studying within the nominal timeframe and you will finish your bachelor this summer, you will not notice any changes. We strongly encourage you to follow all Bachelor 3 courses this academic year (2024-2025) if possible. 

If you are not studying within the nominal timeframe and you will not finish your bachelor this summer, please read carefully. There are a few substantial changes in Bachelor 3. You will be moved to the new exam programme or stay in the ‘old’ exam programme, depending on your study progress. We will choose the option which is best for you and results in the least effects. Additionally, we will work with a new academic calendar in 2025-2026. The courses below will change, please select the course which you have not passed yet to see the changes. 

 

If you have not completed other parts of Bachelor 3, there are two options:

  • The course will not change; nothing happens.
  • The course changes or disappears; you will be able to follow a substitute course OR will be offered the old examination twice (one regular opportunity and one resit).

Keep an eye out on this website, as we will publish more information soon about all the options for Bachelor 3. 

Advanced research methods (ARM) will move from block 12 to the new block 3.3 (start: January). The course will also get a new name: Advanced research skills (ARS). If you did not pass ARM yet, we will enrol you next year for ARS. The content of the course is comparable. 

Frequently asked questions (FAQ) – will be added as soon as possible.

Do you have questions about the curriculum redesign? Please check our FAQ page. If your question is not answered there, contact Bachelor Programme Management via bsc.pm@rsm.nl. If you need to discuss your personal situation with a study adviser, you can make an appointment here. 

 

* Disclaimer: No rights can be derived from this page.