INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION WITTENBORG University of Applied Sciences Business School Research Centre
About Wittenborg Wittenborg Business School 1 Wittenborg Business School 2 Founded in 1987, Wittenborg Business School is probably the most international, private, notfor-profit business school in the Netherlands. Located in the city of Apeldoorn since the summer of 2010, the school offers educational programmes on both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Our Mission Wittenborg s mission is to provide talented, hard-working and motivated students from around the world with a unique learning experience that will prepare them to occupy important positions in business, management, and entrepreneurship within an international environment. Our Vision Wittenborg is essentially an international concern. We expect our graduates to emerge fully-qualified and ready to aspire to important management and leadership positions in today s modern world of international business and commerce, either by joining successful, globally-orientated organisations, or by employing their recently-acquired knowledge and entrepreneurial ideas and communication skills to set up their own companies. Our Philosophy Wittenborg s education philosophy is to simulate real life in our approach to higher education. We provide you with a differentiated programme which combines traditional knowledge-based teaching with a development of essential business skills and competencies. This results in a vocation training experience in which you can soon identify your own personal strengths and weaknesses. We help you to build on the former and improve the latter. Location of Wittenborg Wittenborg University is located in Apeldoorn, a large modern city in the centre of the Netherlands, renowned for its greenery and royal palaces, but also wellknown for its high-tech and corporate service sector industries. Apeldoorn is the chosen location for thousands of SME companies. Wittenborg s campus is situated within easy reach of the central railway station, within a few minutes walk of the residential and shopping areas in the city centre of Apeldoorn city, with Amsterdam only an hour away. A Multinational Experience With around 200 students representing nearly 40 countries, as well as a team of multinational directors, staff and faculty members, Wittenborg is truly one of the most International Business Schools in The Netherlands. We offer you a guaranteed multinational learning environment. Education is tailored to your individual needs. Enter Wittenborg and you find yourself in a professioinal business environment, part of a multicultural community where more than 40 nationalities work, study, innovate and socialise together in great harmony. We are entrepreneurs. We identify and nurture your talents. We help you to achieve success. Wittenborg promotes international excellence! Bachelor Degree Programmes Business Administration Business Administrators are the central key to all today s successful companies and organisations. A fully-trained Business Administrator can be found at the heart of any successful enterprise, whether in the international finance industry, the hospitality and tourism world or an international import and export company. As a business administrator, you are the person who keeps the business processes well-oiled and running smoothly, whilst being constantly alert to new opportunities and solutions to keep upto-date and move your company forward. A progressive, successful organisation requires the services of a fully trained Business Administrator to make it function well in today s competitive global society. As a business administrator you have an important internal liaison role in which you are responsible for coordinating logistics with finance, human resource management with products and facilities, information management with technology, sales with marketing, communication with management - a complex network under your control, combining personnel, processes, strategies and policies. International is Business 2 Modern business is internationally orientated. In today s global market, as a successful manager you must develop an international focus when handling any cross-cultural dealings and situations. You develop a sharp eye for new business developments in other parts of the world, so that your company can benefit from the information you have been able to acquire. While English is becoming the lingua franca of the world, communication and presentation skills in other languages are also central to the business administrator s success. Wittenborg s busy academic schedule allows the time and support you need to continue development of your global language skills. Bachelor Degree Programmes 3
Programming Your yearly timetable is flexible and businesslike. The programme is divided into three phases. Each academic year consists of 40 weeks in total. This is divided into six 6-week blocks, followed by two 2-week retake exam periods. Most first and second phase modules are fully taught in blocks of six weeks, with one day module examinations taking place in the sixth week, completing that part of the programme. Students are more motivated after receiving real credits at the end of each six-week study period, which is a proven visible advantage of Wittenborg s independent block system. Additionally, certain core modules run throughout the whole academic year:- Personal Develop ment Plan, Tutoring and Foreign Language Studies. A further advantage of the independent block system at Wittenborg is that it allows new students to join the programme at six entry points during the year. This in turn provides six graduate dates a year, which saves students valuable time and money. The atmosphere within the classroom created by the block system can be described as helpful and active. There are always current students in the same classroom to give a personal introduction and assistance to newcomers. Among students from different continents and cultures, discussions are always encouraged to create further and deeper understanding about certain issues. First Year/ 60 Credits In the first year of your Bachelor programme you are introduced to the theory of Business Administration. The following modules form the main building blocks of the programme: Management, Marketing, Finance, Accountancy. You are introduced to the main concepts of starting a business, looking at the commercial environment, examining different organisations and companies from a worldwide perspective. Languages such as English, Dutch and Spanish play an important role. You develop your intercultural and interpersonal skills. Each student starts a Personal Development Plan, with help and advice from your Personal Tutor, which will take you all the way through the programmes until the day of your final graduation at Wittenborg. Second Year / 60 Credits In the second year, as an IBA student you choose the business administration specialisation in which you will eventually graduate. You then follow modules made up of research and project weeks reflecting your own fields of interest. During this time you also continue following the main business administration modules from your first year, but now concentrating your focus on more complex areas, including logistics and planning issues. Third Year / 60 Credits During the third year you will enter the final phase of the IBA programme. In this phase of the programme you will further specialise, in your chosen field. Also, during the third year, students will be introduced to modules that look at the strategy and planning required by business administrators, including Strategic Marketing and Cost Accounting & Management. Also, during year 3, Language Development and Work Placement Preparation will be given, preparing students for their work placement module. Fourth Year / 60 Credits Work Placement and Graduation are the main elements of the fourth year, and Tutoring and Personal Development Plans are completed on the basis of individual appointments with personal tutors. The curriculum in the final phase has been carefully planned and arranged to allow you the opportunity to complete both your work experience and your graduation programme within a company. Learn Theory from Experience At Wittenborg you are presented with a curriculum which includes the valuable opportunity to learn both theory and practice from professional people who can relate the text book to the reality, calling upon their personal experiences in the organisations and companies for which they work. More than 70% of Wittenborg s lecturers are currently still active in professional fields and are pleased to play their part in the teaching, preparation and business training tomorrow s Managers, Leaders and Entrepreneurs. Together with their integrated approach to business knowledge, the lecturers relate examples and business cases from their own industries to demonstrate, and test out, the links between the theory and practice. As these lecturers from business are also involved in student coaching and tutoring in your Final Year, you are encouraged to start building your own business networks right from the start of your programme at Wittenborg. Top Talent 3 Year Pathway For a select group of extremely motivated and talented students the 3 year pathway allows students with a high level of English proficiency and an excellent previous study record to complete the programme within the 3 phase programme. Students following this pathway will be expected to use the summer periods for work experience and assignments, however will also receive additional tutoring. Switching from the 3 year pathway to the normal 4 year route is always possible. Bachelor Degree Programmes 5
Improve Skills & Competencies Personal Touch Before, during and after the theory lectures and exams, you are continually learning skills and competencies that will lead to success in your future career. Preparation for Traineeship becomes an important feature in all key subjects that are continuously taught and strengthened through the year, including Languages, Business English and Personal Development Plan. You will find the constant process of coaching and evaluation somewhat tough and demanding, but at the end of the programme you will have the satisfaction of graduating from Wittenborg with the potential and confidence to apply for a responsible position with an international organisation or company, in the knowledge that you have acquired the essential skills, competencies and qualifications required of the post. Wittenborg is an educational business in which the school itself offers many students the opportunity to be involved in the daily running of the institute, also in consultancy projects carried out through our Innovation Centre. At Wittenborg you are assigned an educational tutor who supervises your study programme in liaison with our university administration team. Final Year and Postgraduate IBA students are provided with a personal tutor to guide them through their studies, available throughout the week, either in person or through Wittenborg online. 3 Bachelor Degree Programmes 6 From Student to Career Maker Wittenborg is pleased to offer all students the opportunity to carry out work placements in companies as trainee consultants. Work experience can start as soon as your studies begin, and you will be paid a basic fee which is commensurate with your duties. Our tutorial staff arrange all work placements through their network of associates and contacts, in liaison with the External Relations Office, carefully aiming to match your placement to your chosen vocational speciality with any specific additional requirements you may have. Graduation is concluded with a separate In-Company Research Project for the Graduation Assignment at Bachelor level and a complete Action Learning Research Dissertation for Postgraduate IBA students. Graduation assignments and dissertations become the curriculum vitae of a graduating student. Economics & Management Students who choose the specialisation of Economics will be involved in the field of understanding macro and micro environments in business, looking at the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services. You learn about the management of assets and wealth, also market forces which can change a product s outlook or a company s market share. Based on their in-depth knowledge of the commercial environment in which they operate, Business Administrators who are strong in economics can quickly become key personnel in the management of both large and small organisations, directing and driving the company towards greater turnover, bigger yields and higher profits. The programme covers many of the IBA fields of activity, with the main focus on the management of core areas of business that are fundamental to the economics of the organisation, such as quality control and logistics as well as the comparative areas of financial management and business accountancy. Excursions to profit and non-profit organisations will be arranged and Economics and Management students will also be given the opportunity to create a start-up business, through a series of modules including Business Plan. The career prospects of Economics and Management graduates are excellent, with around 30% of graduates having opted for continued education at Master level. However many graduates enter business directly in sectors such as Financial Services and 7
8 Real Estate, but also companies dealing with international trade, import and export. Wittenborg graduates can be found as logistics managers at robust SME manufacturing companies, but also as financial specialists in corporations such as Achmea Insurance and Sun Microsystems. Hospitality Management This specialisation covers the business manager s role in the world of hotels and travel. We look especially at a leisure-orientated market from an international perspective. You will learn that hotel chains are companies like any other, that macro and micro demographics cause changes in direction and policy - just as in any other industry. You will study the administrative processes involved in hotel management and catering, discovering the special importance of human resource management, marketing and quality control in this leading business segment. You will also gain an accurate insight into the changing global scene in the tourist industry, focusing on the opportunities, as well as some of the risks, associated with this exciting market. The programme includes modules such as Hospitality Operations, Hotel Management,Service Management, also areas such as International Standards and Law in Tourism, Economics and Tourism, Strategic Management in the Hotel Industry. Students will be expected to fulfil a work experience position in a company such as a restaurant, hotel or travel agency in which they will discover and learn about the business administration in these industries. The most successful hotel managers in today s world tend also to be some of the most skilful business administrators. Accustomed to dealing with a most diverse, daily assortment of tasks, they often work under great time constraints while combining a range of skills and managerial competencies which are without parallel in the conventional business community. Global tourism largely drives today s hotel industry. Informed knowledge of where and when to invest, build a hotel or develop a new resort is vital to managers who wish to succeed in this flourishing market. Wittenborg graduates can be found in both the hotel and the tourism industries, working in international companies such as Hilton and Radisson, but also operating their own tourism companies either in the Netherlands or abroad. A number of graduates have also gone on to open their own restaurants, where fellow alumni are of course always welcome! Marketing & Communication In this field, you discover the overlapping business areas of Public Relations, Publicity, Internal Communication, Advertising, Marketing Design and its relation to Sales. You learn about policy making, in-house design and promotion material. You study technical areas such as the impact of information management. You learn the rules, regulations and impact of issues such as copyright, patenting and certification. Communication strategies, both internal and external, are vital factors to a modern company s success. Marketing & Communication specialists have become key people who ensure successful and sustained growth at each level of an organization, in all types of business, corporate or SME. The Marketing & Communication programme is aimed at developing the skills and competencies that a modern Marketing and Public Relations Officer requires. Students are introduced to modules such as Mass Communication, Public Relations and Company Branding, also areas of marketing such as Marketing Research, Direct Marketing and E-Presence. During their final year, students will be asked to design a company communication plan, or a marketing strategy as part of a business plan. Many Wittenborg graduates have found direct employment in small sized marketing and communication companies, and some have started their own agencies. These students understand that developing marketing and internal and external communication strategies for companies can be extremely profitable, specialised work, and that success is often to be found in made to measure solutions. Graduates have also found careers in non profit and government organisations, working in areas such as public relations and international communication. Real Estate Management Students learn about portfolio management of property, also valuations, with buying and selling procedures operating in various countries. You will study the exciting world of real estate as an investment, examine the relationship between property, insurance and tax, then understand the complex system of loans and mortgages which are involved in the highly profitable industry surrounding the development, buying and selling of property. A detailed knowledge of the real estate world enables business administrators to fulfil their specialist functions within organisations that are involved in buying and selling property or locations for industrial purposes or investment. These specialists are also trained to operate independently as property consultants and advisors, real estate being one of the major growth areas in which individual entrepreneurs are becoming highly successful today. The programme is combined with national certificates required by law for real estate managers and owners of estate agencies to operate in the Netherlands. Areas such as taxation, valuation, and building regulations are dealt with. Students are also required to study fields such as insurance, mortgages and investment. The modules leading to the National Certificate Examinations are offered only in Dutch and are specifically aimed at students wishing to become real estate agents in the Netherlands. International students are offered similar non-certificate modules in English. 9
10 Most Wittenborg Real Estate Management graduates have entered the world of real estate through estate agencies and real estate investment brokers. More than 90% of all graduates have found direct employment, mainly through their work experience and graduation assignment companies and many students have later gone on to open their own businesses. A number of graduates have also joined real estate investment departments at leading banks. Information Management In this specialisation, you will discover a world of business managed by software. Policy is dictated by the way managers and employees use that software. You will discover strategies and systems to manage documents, customer and product information, with the way all this information can be linked and integrated into the systems used. You will learn to manage specialists, change through IT, and develop a scope of infrastructure. In the modern company, the CIO has now generally become the second most important manager, because of the huge fundamental impact that Information Technology has made on business practices, processes and working environments. Companies can no longer operate successfully without a secure and well-designed Information Management Policy. Business Administrators must be in firm control of these key areas of their company, and of each department, which includes all personnel working in the team. The programme looks at the management of information, the impact of databases and information retrieval on companies and businesses. We also offer modules such as Open Source Software Concepts, Web Design and Benchmarking, CRM & CMS Systems. The programme also deals with the company s management of software and the implementation of networks in SMEs. The career prospects for an Information Management graduate remain excellent in the ever changing world economy. Students have joined corporations such as Sun Microsystems and Microsoft. Many graduates have also found management and leadership positions in SME s as information officers. Financial Services Management Financial Services Management looks at the different branches of banking: - Insurance, Financial Advice, Investment. Students learn about mortgages, loans, insurance, pensions, investments and the stock market. Financial systems and regulations imposed by different countries are illustrated, analysed and compared. Through combining theoretical perspectives with case studies from practice, the programme aims to allow students to develop critical and contextualised understanding of the issues, problems and solutions faced by and offered to financial services institutions worldwide. Students will learn to understand the provision of financial services within a wider economic context, also from the perspective of developing countries. In addition to the base IBA modules, the programme focuses on various industry specific areas such as pensions and investment, the legal environment of financial services, financial tax regulations, mortgages and real estate. Also the fundamentals of the banking world and international finance are offered. The modules will introduce students to key factors driving change in the banking sector, the financial services marketing environment, the key principles of regulation and the global frameworks that exist. Work placement is carried out within a bank or financial services company. Financial Services specialists work in various branches of varying sizes, from corporate banks and insurance companies to SME companies advising home owners and private investors on matters relating to their personal finance. Financial advisors are affiliated to most real estate brokers and law firms; many Wittenborg Financial Services Management graduates have gone on to work in international banks such as HSBC in Shanghai, Commercial Bank of China in Beijing, RaboBank Netherlands in Utrecht and ABN AMRO in Rotterdam. Also, many students have gone on to work for mortgage, investment and insurance companies such as Nationale Nederland, Achmea, and AON Consulting. A number of students have started their own consultancy. Entrepreneurship and SME Management In this specialisation students are invited to discover the fascinating and exciting world of small business, big business, your business. Students learn to appreciate that although entrepreneurs are people who have ideas and make things happen, they are not just born. They must also learn to develop the qualities of intuition, inventiveness, persuasiveness and leadership. All this requires great energy and stamina. Many young business students begin their studies with the ambition to make their mark as successful self-made business people. This programme will help them to understand the challenges ahead while providing a firm foundation on which to plan their future. Entrepreneurship looks not only at starting a new business venture, but also possibly walking away from one. Whether successful or not, entrepreneurship is about looking at new ideas from every perspective, about taking and managing risks, about motivating and empowering people, about developing a gut feeling for certain projects and acquiring instinct in business decision making, then having the courage to go for it! 11
Logistics & International Trade 12 The programme will aim to bring young entrepreneurs into contact with experienced business people, who through their networks can advise and support students during their studies. The study programme is centred around the student s own company, which is a real company doing real business with real shareholders and real money! This part of the programme is completely managed, monitored and supervised by Wittenborg experts, keeping risks small and within the study environment. The programme will also look as aspects such as raising finance, bootstrapping, dragons, angels and bankruptcy. It is expected that Entrepreneurship graduates go on to run their own companies, and many Wittenborg students have done so, in fields such as hospitality, import and export, retailing and consultancy. Logistics and International Trade involves purchasing, materials management, inventory control, warehousing, transport and distribution. Logistics supports effective and efficient supply chain management by integrating the flow of materials and goods from the initial purchase of raw materials through to final delivery of a product to customers. Logistics and international trade students will be introduced to the supply-chain, both in theory and in practice. Today, supply chain management is also concerned with the management of the return of goods or packaging to manufacturers as part of global awareness of the environment and conservation. This is known as reverse logistics and it is becoming increasingly relevant to business. The programme will prepare graduates with an understanding of supply chain management and general business; and knowledge, skills and attitudes to enable them immediately to contribute to organisational objectives at an entry level. Modules include SCM, Procurement and Production, Maritime and Transport Law, Shipping Transportation and Forwarding and logistics Accounting. Logistics and supply chain managers are employed in all aspects of logistics and supply chain management operations. They are responsible for the effective and efficient integration of all logistics activities supported by the application of relevant IT and e-business practices. They also work closely with other functional company managers i.e., marketing, manufacturing and engineering. Wittenborg graduates can be found as logistics managers in companies both in the Netherlands and abroad. The opportunities for employment in this sector are increasingly good, especially for international students wishing to stay and work in the Netherlands. Apeldoorn A City for Business Students If there is one city in the Netherlands where living and working, commerce and recreation, natural beauty and urban style all come together, it must be Apeldoorn. It is the 12th largest city in the Netherlands, situated in a central location and only an hour from Amsterdam. With more than 150 thousand inhabitants it is a natural location for a progressive, successful business school. Apeldoorn s attraction to large and small companies is evident, as the city provides more than 100,000 jobs within the municipality. Large companies in the area include corporations in the insurance and banking industry, also in the information technology sector. Apeldoorn also provides a home to large sections of public sector employees including the Taxation Department and the Land Registry Office, which both administer information and IT services from the city. The number of companies in the Apeldoorn area exceeds 7.5 thousand, 4 making it one of the top business cities in the Netherlands. The potential for students to complete their work placements and graduation assignments within the thriving city is one great advantage of Wittenborg s location. Apeldoorn has enjoyed a long relationship with the Dutch Royal Family and two of their Palaces are located in the leafy suburbs of the city. One of these is open to the public, with the other remaining in use for the Queen and her family, who often spend their weekends in the city. Apeldoorn is situated on the edge of the Veluwe, which is the Netherlands largest natural open area, stretching from Apeldoorn to the west of the country, and renowned for its wildlife and natural beauty. This closeness with nature is reflected in Apeldoorn s ability to maintain a green and leafy urban healthy environment. Apeldoorn 13
Student Accommodation At the present time Wittenborg s student accommodation units range from individual studios to apartments for 3 to 4 students to houses in which up to 6 students share facilities. The housing is always located within close cycling distance of the campus. The city of Apeldoorn also has an excellent urban bus system. Wittenborg aims at providing a choice between single and shared rooms. The accommodation will often provide a communal living space, kitchen facilities such as a fridge, microwave, cooker and utensils, as well as a shared bathroom, television, and Internet connection. In the summer of 2011, a new form of student housing was brought to Apeldoorn by Wittenborg Business School: the so-called Spacebox studios. 24 of these colourful compact housing units of three by six meters, including a kitchenette, bathroom with shower, and living area, are placed on a location within walking reach of the central train and bus station, the university, two supermarkets, and a shopping area. A concierge of Wittenborg University function as a supervisor of the Spacebox studios, to make sure everything remains in order. The Spacebox studios will stay in Apeldoorn for the coming five years. In the future, permanent student accommodation will be realized and possibly centralized and located closer to the university itself. Wittenborg s Student Housing Department is available throughout the week and during weekends for support. Becoming a Student Entry Requirements - IBA Programmes High School Diploma or Final Certificate, that is equivalent to the Netherlands HAVO or MBO level 4 diploma. Please contact admission@ wittenborg.eu to receive High School diploma comparisons. Enrolment with Exemption and Credit Transfer Students applying for exemptions for previous study or work experience should do so during the initial application. Exemptiond after enrolment are not possible. The two main exemption areas are: Full exemptions: for years of study (direct entry into Phase 2 or the Phase 3 / Final year). These are always based on official diploma verification, carried out by NUFFIC. Partial exemptions: for particular modules, based on previous study. Decisions on (EC) Credit Transfer are made on the basis of the Wittenborg IBA Graduation and Examination Regulations. Also, make sure you have read the following: Bachelor Education Guide General Terms and Conditions Student Charter Examination and Graduation Board Regulations Student Information Guide Scholarships Wittenborg Scholarship Funds are specially designed to attract excellent international students from around the world. The scholarships are also available for European students who enrol to study in full English taught degree programmes. The scholarships available range from 500 (Bronze) to 1500(Gold) and the award is based on a student s study background and achievements. 5 How to Apply 1. First make sure you have read important information regarding the choice of your study programme, from the website, and read the IBA Education and Examination Guide, which contains all the documents you need to prepare for your studies on Wittenborg s IBA programme. This can be downloaded at http://www.wittenborg.eu/downloads 2. Send completed application form and required documents, as stated on the form to Wittenborg. All applications can be sent in digital form (scanned) to admission@wittenborg. eu. 3. Wittenborg will inform you of the status of your application, and the admissions office will arrange either a face to face interview, or an internet / telephone interview. 4. Once your application is successful you will be offered a study agreement and sent an acceptance letter. Telephone Interview All applying students will be given a chance to have a detailed telephone conversation with a member of the admission team during the first stage of their application. During the telephone conversation applicants will be required to discuss their motivation and their understanding of the IBA programme and admission procedures. Students can use this opportunity to ask questions regarding entry, the programme, the school and accommodation in Apeldoorn. For students who are able to travel to Apeldoorn, a campus visit will be encouraged with a follow up discussion and if possible an experience day. Study Agreement Once a study programme has been agreed upon, including possible exemptions, this will be entered into a study agreement, which is drawn up between Wittenborg and the students. The Study Agreement is reviewed by a student s tutor every half year during the study period. Becoming a Student 15
Laan van de mensenrechten 500 7331 VZ Apeldoorn The Netherlands t : +31 (0)88 6672 688 f : +31 (0)88 6672 699 e : info@wittenborg.eu i : www.wittenborg.eu Colofon Design: Wittenborg Press - Text & photography: Wittenborg - Apeldoorn - 100% Recycled Paper Wittenborg 11/2012