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Bachelor Exchange

Undergraduate students from our partner schools are welcome to join the bachelor exchange programme, affiliated with RSM’s Bachelor of Science in International Business Administration (IBA). 

One of an elite group of truly international bachelor programmes, IBA brings you the opportunity to enter and experience a unique, global learning environment – one that is charged with differing world views and the energy of motivated students who are interested in changing the way we do business. 

Our Exchange Office is dedicated to supporting you before and during your exchange. Once nominated by your home university, you will receive our online application form and once accpeted, all relevant information for your exchange at RSM and in Rotterdam will come your way. We will organize you an exchange ambassador (buddy) prior to arrival and upon arrival we organize orientation activities, social events, and regular evaluation sessions. We have close connections with all of our partner school institutions’ study abroad advisers/coordinators, and an open-door policy, whereby you are always welcome to pass by our office. 

In the Bachelor exchange programme you will experience:

Programme Overview

Fold out your tab of interest below, for the programme overview details

Fall

The full fall term consists of 2 blocks; all students are required to stay the full fall term:

Block 1

 

Courses

1 September till 31 October 2025

Exams

13 October till 18 October 2025

 

3 November till 8 November 2025 (3rd year minor courses)

Re-sits

15 December till 20 December 2025

 

6 July till 11 July 2026 (3rd year minor courses)

 

 

Block 2

 

Courses

27 October till 5 December 2025

Exams

8 December till 20 December 2025

Re-sits

2 February till 14 February 2026

 

Spring

The spring term consists of 3 blocks:

Block 3

 

Courses

6 January till 30 January 2026

Exams

2 February till 14 February 2026

Re-sits

30 March till 11 April 2026

 

 

Block 4

 

Courses

9 February till 3 April 2026

Exams

30 March till 11 April 2026

Re-sits

8 June till 20 June 2026

 

 

Block 5

 

Courses

13 April till 5 June 2026

Exams

1 June till 13 June 2026

Re-sits

29 June till 11 July 2026

 

We offer 5 different exchange options (periods) in which students can participate in the exchange:

Exchange option

Period including exams

Included blocks to choose courses from

2

5 January – 13 June 2026

3, 4 & 5

3

5 January – 11 April 2026

3 & 4

4

9 February – 13 June 2026

4 & 5

5

9 February – 11 April 2026

4

6

13 April – 13 June 2026

5

Undergraduate students from our partner schools participate in our Bachelor Exchange Programme and moreover in courses from our 3-year BSc International Business Administration (IBA) programme. All courses are taught in English and the curriculum offers a broad approach and options for differentation in the 3rd bachelor year, covering all functional areas of business. The IBA student population consists of 60 different nationalities. 

What is new?

  • all courses are offered in blocks, see also our academic calendar:

Course overview & descriptions

On this page an overview of bachelor 1, 2 and 3rd year courses are given. Please note that not all courses are open to incoming exchange students.

On this page short descriptions of courses/minors including time tables can be found. An overview will be sent to nominated students.

Course manuals are published about 1.5 weeks prior to the start of the courses. They can be found on the Knowledge Base webpage:
https://www.rsm.nl/information-for/current-students/bachelor-iba.

Workload

Required workload for a full the Fall term is a minimum of 20 EC, maximum is 30.  In the Spring term, the required workload depends on the period of stay. Exchange students may enroll in courses from all three bachelor years, however courses from different bachelor years may cause overlap in timetables. 

Course registration

Upon nomination by their home university, students will receive, in addition to all practical information, instructions on how and when to register for courses. 

Access to courses at other schools within Erasmus University

Only a few other schools/courses are open to exchange students. Every school has its own course registration procedure and deadline, it is therefore the student's own responsibility to register in time for courses and avoid overlap in the timetable of RSM.  

Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC) 

Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (ESSB)

Language of instruction

All courses are taught in English.

Course load

Courses are denominated in EC (European Credits). The workload of one academic year is 60 EC. One EC is the equivalent of 28 hours (including in-class hours, self study, group work, writing papers and exam preparation).  A 10 EC course has approximately 12 contact hours a week. 

Class format

The programme includes case-based learning, teamwork and discussions, held in a highly diverse international student body. Classes show a mix of lectures (large number of students), workshops (vary in size, between 16 and 60 students), small team work and private study. Class participation and attendance affect final grades.


Examination

In general exams are scheduled at the end or the week after each block. Re-sits, however take place in different periods.
The assessment of the performance of students varies: written or take-home exams, progress reports, in-class presentations, group performance and essays.


Grading

In the Dutch grading system, grades from 1.0 up to 10.0 are used, with 1 being the worst and 10 being the best. In general, grades with one decimal are issued; the lowest passing grade is a 5.5. When rounding off these grades, grades with a 0.4 or lower will be rounded down, and grades with a 0.5 will be rounded up. Students in our exchange programmes receive their transcripts reflecting grades with one decimal.

Code of Conduct

RSM hosts a large number of students in its various programmes. It is important for us and our student community to have a code of conduct describing the main rules of behaviour at this school. Some view rules of conduct as self-evident and comply with them automatically. Others find them less clear and may even be unfamiliar with such codes.

The Dutch grading system has a scale from 1 (very poor) to 10 (outstanding). The lowest passing grade is 5.5.

Dutch grades Dutch grade rangeExplanationFrequencyEC Grade
109.5-10Excellent0.2%A
98.5-9.4Very good3.4%B
87.5-8.4Good16%C
76.5-7.4Satisfactory31.8%D
65.5-6.4Pass34.4%E
1-51.0-5.4Fail0-11.9%F

Special marks

VD - Pass
O - Student did not meet the requirements to pass the course
NO - No show at examination

EC (European Credit) workload

In EC, 60 credits represent the workload of a full academic year. 1 EC is equal to 28 student working hours; these include class hours, self-study, preparations for exams, reading and/or writing papers.

Practical Information & Need to Know

Application

Students studying at one of our partner schools are welcome to apply for an exchange at RSM and are to be nominated through their home institution.
Nominated students will receive a so-called Welcome e-mail which will inform them on further application procedures, about one month before the application deadline.
 

Students applying for an undergraduate exchange at RSM are expected to have good academic standing at their home institution, and should have at least completed the second year of undergraduate studies.

Part of your home institution’s selection process is an evaluation of your proficiency in English. We trust our exchange partner schools in nominating students who will not have difficulties in class due to the language.  As a guideline, the following definitions of language levels are applicable:

  • TOEFL iBT: score of 80+ (minimum subscore of 18 for reading & listening, and 20 for speaking and 21 for writing).
  • IELTS: minimum subscore of 6.0 for reading, listening, speaking, and writing.
  • TOEIC: 800+ (listening & reading) AND 320+ (speaking & writing).
  • CEFR: level B2.
  • Cambridge: FCE/CAE/CPE/BEC higher 170 (minimum subscore of 170 for reading, listening, speaking & writing).
  • Pearson PTE: overall score of 70+ (subscores of 65+)
  • LanguageCert Academic: overall score of 70+ (subcscores of 65+)
  • Or another English language certificate of a comparable level.
  • Non-native English speakers whose currently study programe is completely taught in English are exempted, though proof needs to be provided.

To study at RSM as an undergraduate exchange student, you must first be nominated by your home institution. Please contact your university's study abroad adviser/coordinator for more information on requirements and selection procedures.

Deadlines to be nominated are:
Fall term:          May 1
Spring term:    October 1

In the Welcome e-mail you will receive from our programme manager, you will find further information about the online application procedures. Subsequently, you need to complete the online application and upload requested additional documents (a copy/scan of your recent academic transcript, proof of your proficiency in English). If the application for entry visa and/or residence permit is applicable to you, you will receive information on how to apply from the Exchange Office.

Together with the Welcome e-mail, you will also receive a preliminary course offer overview and information on course registration. It is, however, important to already look at the course offer and inform yourself at your home university which courses you are allowed to take during the exchange.

If you have met the academic and English language requirements, the official letter of acceptance will be sent to you via the online system.

Deadlines for application:
Fall term:        May 15
Spring term:   October 15

RSM Exchange Office team
Ellen Vermeulen

Programme Manager Incoming Exchange

Working days: Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri

Ligaya Borgonje

Programme Manager BSc Outgoing Exchange

Working days: Tue/Wed/Thu/Fri

Sherida Wong

Programme Manager MSc Outgoing Exchange

Working days: Tue/Wed/Thu/Fri

Sofie van Hattem

Senior Exchange Officer

Working days: Mon/Tue/Wed/(every other)Thu/Fri

Xue Liang Dong

Programme Assistant

Working days: Tue/Thu