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International Business

Leerdoel

Firms that do business in just one country are becoming extinct. In many cases, the home market is not large enough, so firms are forced to go abroad to sell their products or services if they want to survive. Also, key inputs, like raw materials, components and subassemblies, software, and human resources may have to be obtained from other countries. As a consequence, the internationalisation of business is increasing rapidly. The master's programme in International Business (IB) prepares students to deal with this increasing internationalisation. The master's programme International Business offers students interested in the international aspects of doing business an advanced, high-quality education that provides a thorough theoretical background, but is also embedded in a case-oriented practical business setting. The international dimensions of all key business fields (accounting, marketing, management, and finance) are treated. Consequently, the scope of the programme is relatively broad, although there are several opportunities for specialisation in specific disciplines.

Programma

Semester 1

• International Accounting
• International Financial Management
• International Management
• International Marketing
• Elective

Semester 2

• Seminar International Business
• Elective
• Master's Thesis

Teaching methods
For the regular courses, the core method is interactive teaching in small groups (approximately 40 students in class), based on both theory and cases. When applicable, other methods, like lectures for larger audiences, are used. The Master's thesis is always written on an individual basis. A personal thesis advisor is assigned to each student. However, if the business problem is too large to be handled by one student, team work is sometimes allowed, even if this spans more than one business field. Subsequently, the broader problem is split up into several smaller theses.

Toelatingseisen

In order for you to be admitted to the master's programme International Business of Tilburg University you should have a solid background in Business Administration as well as a thorough grounding in relevant methods and tools for managers (mathematics, statistics, and information management). You must be able to function both independently and as part of an international team. Furthermore, you are expected to make valuable contributions to the discussion of cases. A bachelor's degree in International Business or Business Administration of Tilburg University, or equivalent, will give you automatic acces to the programme. Work experience is not required to enter the programme. Neither is a background in a specific discipline like sociology or psychology, nor in courses on international subjects. In some cases, extra reading assignments will be used to bring students up to a certain level. Proficiency in Dutch or any other language -except for English of course- is encouraged, but not mandatory.

Beroepsperspectief en arbeidsmarkt

With a Master of Science Degree in International Business you will have a completed academic education with excellent career opportunities, both professionally and scientifically.

In terms of professional orientation, an International Business graduate should be able to achieve careers in all areas of business:

• General management jobs (within multinationals and firms that deal with foreign companies)
• Marketing (specialised marketing consultancy firms, multinational companies)
• Corporate Finance (corporate finance and treasury departments within companies, commercial banks, assurance companies, other financial Institutions, corporate finance consultancy firms)
• Accounting (financial reporting, financial analysis, accounting & control departments within companies, accountancy firms, management consultancy firms)
• Organisation (organisation & strategy within companies as well as consultancy firms); more specific examples of career opportunities are international management trainee, international marketing and sales consultant, international (business) consultant and international financial manager.

In terms of the scientific career perspective, an International Business graduate is able to join a PhD programme in one of the four main areas of Business Administration. He or she is likely to be qualified to write a PhD thesis on topics such as Comparative Management, Strategic Marketing, Empirical Corporate Finance, and Behavioural Accounting. Career opportunities after finishing the PhD programme can be found in private and public research organisations (universities, business schools, consultancy firms, and research departments of larger multinationals).