Ethics and the Future of Business

The purpose of this course is to explore the trends, core concepts, theories, and approaches of business ethics and corporate sustainability. The course is divided into a general part and a track-specific part.

Business Seminar

To prepare you for your professional career, this course is a combination of a series of corporate guest lecturers in Royal Theatre Carré. Leaders and decision-makers of well-known Dutch and International companies present insights, challenges, and their take on the Future of Business.

Professional Skills 1 & 2

In this professional skills training you are offered courses on career-relevant knowledge and skills such as Presentation Skills, Programming with Python and more.

The Business Lab: choose your electives

In The Business Lab, you can choose from a wide selection of electives we call business labs. Each one is connected to a corporate partner. You will be challenged to solve real-world business issues, working in international teams and presenting your solution to the company.

Research Foundations & Thesis Proposal

This course is meant to support you in writing you research proposal for you Master's thesis. During the course, you will learn how to change a general topic into a specific research proposal.

Theories of Leadership and Management

In this course you will get the theoretical framework for understanding how to lead and manage people to foster a company’s success. You will learn what drives people’s motivation and performance as well as how, when, and why people succeed or fail together in groups and organisations. This course is based on groundbreaking classic theories and modern research findings.

Leadership

Get an insight into our latest knowledge and research discoveries on leadership. We will focus on how leaders influence employee motivation, extra effort or counterproductive behavior, and discuss ethical considerations leaders make. Thereby, you will not only learn about leading well but also about poor leadership and what happens to employees and organizations when leaders lead poorly. We will also cover real-life examples, implications for leadership practice and of course in-depth research in leadership. A critical and motivated attitude is key, as we ask for independent as well as interactive participation.

Managing People Strategically

There is growing evidence that managing people in a strategic way is crucial for organisational success. However, as a lever for achieving organisational goals, the strategic management of people is both complex and challenging. What does it mean to manage people strategically? What choices does it entail? And who makes these choices? How can managers direct teams and individuals to achieve organisational goals? In this course we draw on the most up-to-date theorising in the field of management and to some extent psychology, and look at how organisations seek to achieve a competitive advantage through people, as well as at what impact their choices have on employees.

The new knowledge is applied immediately during the course in an ongoing challenge faced by a Dutch or International company: in teams, you will solve the business problem posed by the company and present your solution, contributing to the company’s future success.

The Master’s thesis is the final requirement for your graduation. It is your chance to dive deep into a topic that you are enthusiastic about. A professor in your field of choice (track) will supervise and support you in writing your thesis.

Upon graduation, you will be awarded the title Master of Science (MSc).

Highly motivated students can participate in the MSc Business Administration Honours programmes Sustainability or Data Driven Management. These challenging programmes are a great chance to stand out for future employers.

If you have completed your curriculum, you can do an internship or go on an exchange abroad. For international students it is an excellent opportunity to experience the Dutch labour market.

Are you interested in learning Dutch? There are different options to give you the opportunity to maximise your Dutch experience and prepare for your future job in the Netherlands.

Many of our students are members of a study association. It is fun and useful for your future career at the same time. Faculty student associations are a great way to meet fellow students and future employers. They organise study trips (abroad), career events, weekly debates, parties and receptions with drinks. Sometimes you can also purchase your textbooks and course syllabi at reduced rates.

Overview Study Associations

• Faculty student association Sefa
• International Student Committee (ISC,part of Sefa)
• International Student Network Amsterdam (ISN, part of Sefa)
• Study Association Actuarial Sciences, Econometrics and Operational Research (VSAE)
• Financial Study Association Amsterdam (FSA)
• Marketing Association Amsterdam (MAA)
• International study association (AIESEC)

Amsterdam has a thriving student community with many activities organised outside of the university’s grounds. You will find student associations focusing on networking, specific interests and sports. It is only at sororities and fraternities that you can expect an initiation ritual (hazing).

At university, you are entitled to make your voice heard and assess the quality of your own education. Students can participate in the discussion on the university's education policy in various ways, such as by joining the Programme Committee, the Faculty Student Council or the first-year focus group. You can also stand for election and dedicate your efforts to the programme and your fellow students.