Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business

Do you dream of an international career in business? With our International Business program, you gain extensive international experience with classmates from all over the world, strong connections to the international business world, and the opportunity of spending one to three semesters abroad.

International Business prepares you for challenging management positions at companies anywhere in the world. You become equipped to do business with business partners from different cultural backgrounds.  As a graduate you will be a multifunctional professional with a set of interdisciplinary skills and a solid knowledge base, allowing you to perform as an intermediary across and within various business domains. You will be confident in expressing yourself fluently in two, three, or even four of the most commonly used business languages worldwide.

IB (International Business) -tracks

Within our business program, you can opt for three alternative tracks:

IB

The IB-track offers all major business courses plus Business English education that ensures you to master the world’s most important business language at the C1 level.

In addition, you can customize your study program by participating in a wide variety of business projects and guided MOOCs of your choice.

IB1L

The IB1L-track offers all major business courses plus Business English education that ensures you to master the world’s most important business language at the C1 level.

In addition, you can choose to study one extra language (French, German, Spanish, or Dutch) and customize your study program by participating in various business projects and guided MOOCs of your choice.

IB2L

The IB2L-track offers all major business courses plus Business English education that ensures you to master the world’s most important business language at the C1 level. In addition, you can choose to study two extra languages: French, German, Spanish, or Dutch.

Program

Year 1

Depending on your personal IB-track, you are taking part in business projects and MOOCs or study additional business languages. In year 1 you focus on themes like:

• Market Research
• Information Literacy
• Qualitative Research
• Intercultural awareness
• Human Resources Management
• Financial Management
• Sustainable Business Development & Innovation
• International Trade & Supply Chain Management
• Business Ethics
• Business English

You visit renowned companies with a wide international network, such as Outokumpu, Your Surprise, Elopak, Lamb Weston, and Kloosterboer. 

Year 2

Depending on your personal IB-track, you are taking part in business projects and MOOCs or study additional business languages. In year 2 you focus on themes likes:

• Organizational Behaviour & Performance
• International Marketing Planning
• Business Accounting
• Quantitative Research
• Customer Relationship Management
• International Sales & Sales Techniques
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Business English

You start a Student Company whereby students form teams to start a true company that designs, market, and sells a completely new product or service. 

Year 3

Minor and work placement abroad.

• IB-students will study and work abroad in a country free of choice.
• IB1L-students will study and work abroad in a country where their extra language is one of the official languages.
• IB2L-students will study and work abroad in a country where their extra languages are one of the official languages.

If you do a minor at one of our partner universities abroad, you can apply for an Erasmus- or HZ Scholarship.

Year 4

• During the 1st semester, you study at the HZ in Vlissingen and prepare your final graduation project.
• During the 2nd semester, you perform in-company research in the Netherlands or abroad and accomplish your final graduation project.

Shortened study tracks

This program is also available as a shortened track for students with more than 3 years of relevant work experience, with a degree in the professional education of two or three years, such as the French BTS, IUT, DUT; the German Berufsfachschule; an Associate Degree.

Requirements

Before you apply to the International Business program, you have to meet a few admission requirements.

Admission requirements

To be admitted to the International Business program you need: 

• Good command of written and spoken English (IELTS 6.0)
• Elementary algebra, meaning you know how to deal with fractions, percentages, and simple equations.
• For the Business & Language specialization: a second modern language, French at A2 level (good basic knowledge). German, Dutch, and Spanish start at 0 level.

Alternative entrance exam

• If you don’t have the appropriate secondary school diploma, and if you are at least 21 years old, you may be exempted from this requirement. The HZ provides the possibility of taking an alternative entrance exam.

Tuition fees

The amount that you will be required to pay depends on your nationality and the program you have applied for.

EU-students:

• 2020-2021 tuition fees for EU-students are: €2.143*

* 50% reduction tuition fees

EU-students and students with a Norwegian, Swiss, Icelandic, Liechtenstein, or Suriname nationality are entitled to a 50% reduction on Dutch tuition fees for the first study year. The halving applies to all students who for the first time in the academic year start a bachelor's degree (or associate degree) at a funded university of applied sciences or research universities in the Netherlands. Students who pay institutional tuition fees are not entitled to the halving of the tuition fees. 

Non-EU students:

• 2020-2021 Institutional tuition fees for non-EU students are: €7.835

Fees and finances

Next to the tuition fees and cost of living there are extra costs for your study program (study materials and books). In the first year, these costs are approximately 500,- per year. You will also have regularly an activity or excursion. These costs are about €200,-.

Scholarships

While common in other countries, scholarships, especially full scholarships, are rare in the Dutch education system. However, there are some scholarship options available at the HZ.

Holland Scholarship for incoming students

The Holland Scholarship is financed by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science and Dutch research universities and universities of applied sciences. The Holland Scholarship is for incoming students not originally from the EEA who have not previously studied in the Netherlands, and who plan to attend the HZ University of Applied Sciences in the framework of diploma mobility. The scholarship awarded is not a full scholarship. It has a value of € 5,000.00 and is allotted for one year only. 

Conditions for allotment: 

• The student is not from the European Economic Area (EEA). The EEA consists of the EU countries and Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.
• The student has not previously studied in the Netherlands.
• The student has an IELTS of 6.5 (or higher) or an equivalent.
• The student wants to enroll in a fulltime (four-year or three-year) bachelor’s program at HZ.
• The student has already been (conditionally) accepted to the HZ Bachelor’s program indicated with his/her scholarship application.

How to apply for the Holland Scholarship  

Students can apply for the scholarship by sending an email to study@hz.nl before 1 May of their starting year. In this email, the student should indicate the reasons for choosing the particular HZ Bachelor program of study. The student must also send a copy of his/her CV with the email. The applications will be assessed by a two-member HZ Scholarship Committee, nominated by the academy directors. The HZ Scholarship Committee will award the scholarship based on previous academic results, motivation for choosing a program of study, and C.V. applicants will be notified of the decision within 6 weeks after the application deadline of 1 May. 

Mobility scholarships

When you are a student at HZ University of Applied Sciences and you are thinking of studying or doing research or an internship outside of the Netherlands during your studies, then you can apply for a scholarship. 

HZ Grant

HZ offers an HZ Grant for students who study or do an unpaid internship outside the EU. As far as we know, HZ is the only university of applied sciences in the Netherlands that subsidizes its students with a grant.

Holland Scholarship

This scholarship is meant for full-time HZ students who want to study, do research, or an internship outside the European Economic Area (EEA). The EEA consists of the EU countries and Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. The Holland Scholarship is a scholarship made available by the Dutch Ministry of Education Culture and Science together with Dutch research universities and universities of applied sciences. The scholarship amounts to a one-off payment of € 1,250 and is meant as a contribution towards your study expenses. 

Erasmus+ grant

If you do part of your study at an HZ partner institute within the EU or an internship within the EU, you can apply for this grant. The Erasmus+  is a grant that the European Union has made available in order to stimulate students from its member states to gain experience abroad during their education; to enhance their languages, to become acquainted with other cultures, etc. The grant also serves as compensation in the travel and accommodation costs that a study/internship abroad will bring in its wake. Clearly, the Erasmus+ grant will not cover all the costs that you will have abroad.

As soon as you are a student of HZ, we can help you apply for a grant. 

After graduation

Bachelor's degree

Congratulations, you graduated! From now on you may use the title ‘Bachelor of Business Administration’. 

Did you participate in the Honors Program? You will receive an extra certificate with your bachelor's degree.  

Career prospects

After completion of your studies, you can work anywhere in the world. There is an increasing need for well-trained managers with international experience, as such, you’ll be a desirable candidate for companies all over the world. You’ll be able to work in positions such as international marketing professional, international market researcher, export consultant, purchasing manager, and logistics.  

Further studies

With an HZ bachelor's degree, you can continue with a Master’s program. If you wish to do a Master at a research university in The Netherlands, you may be required to follow a pre-master’s program.