Bachelor of Business Administration, International Business

Start your journey towards Global Business with our Bachelor of Business Administration!

About the programme

• Degree title: Bachelor of Business Administration
• Study programme: International Business
• Duration of the programme: 3.5 years
• Study mode: Full-time, on Campus
• Study location: Kuopio, Finland

The BBA International Business Programme aims at developing global business experts who are especially skilled in foreign trade, and in the internationalisation process of SMEs. Throughout our programme you will develop the skills and abilities needed to work effectively in international environments. This will allow you to pursue your professional career at multicultural and multinational working places - be it in Finland or abroad.

The International Business studies are versatile and practically oriented. Throughout the programme, students develop various projects in cooperation with the surrounding community, local businesses, institutions, fellow students, and international partners.

Specialization and minors

The BBA programme specializes in foreign trade, and in the internationalization process of SMESs. The programme offers three minors:

1. International sales develops your understanding of digital tools, sales and purchase operations, customer realtionship management, global sales team management, promotion and strategies.
2. Design business challenges you to create sustainable business models and processes through service design, creative leadership, and digital concept development.
3. Welness business enables you to identify opportunities and establish profitable businesses within the fields of wellness, health and well-being.

Thesis:

The thesis at Savonia is always work related. This gives you a good opportunity to networking with professionals in your field during your studies, and often the thesis turns out to be a starting point for your career.

The thesis emphasises the cooperation between you, working life and the U.A.S. in choosing the topic, setting the goals and actually doing it. During the process, you show that you are capable of working independently in recognising, evaluating and solving developmental challenges in working life. Professional reporting and communications skills are required as well. Work-related theses include the following at Savonia:

• a developmental project, which you or your team will plan and implement based on the requirements of your client. Examples of such a project include product or service development, workflow development and information material development such as a guide or manual. The developmental process and its outcome will be reported in a field-specific manner.
• a research project, where you or your team will perform appropriate research activities in order to shed light to the developmental or problem-solving needs of your client.
• a production, which you or your team plan and implement to show your expertise or artistic talent. The production could be an event, seminar or performance. The process and its outcome will be reported in a field-specific manner.
• a cumulative thesis, where eg projects, researches or scientific articles done during the studies are gathered together and reported as a synthesis, presenting the key findings or results in a field-specific manner.

Your thesis process will be supported by business research studies, thesis seminars and methodology workshops. You can do your thesis independently or in a group.

Internationality:

The BBA-groups are multinational and –cultural by nature, so you will get accustomed to an international work environment from day 1. In addition, the BBA programme itself is designed for internationalisation. Close cooperation with our international partners brings you in contact with people and organisations outside Finland, making it possible for you to compare views, share knowledge and work side by side on projects by using technology-based communication tools as well as meeting in person.

Student exchange is also a natural and recommended part of your second-year studies, and internships (basic and/or professional) could take you anywhere in the world.

Our selection of language studies is substantial, complemented by the offerings of University of Eastern Finland. Cross-cultural studies provide a good basis for your personal experiences in all aspects of internationality.

Cooperation:

Savonia is active in developing the surrounding community via, among others, student projects, joint research projects and various development programmes. The cooperation with the local working life is highly valued and based on long-term relationships. Also the joint activities with the University of Eastern Finland and Karelia U.A.S. bring a variety of options for our students. International aspects are dealt with in a close network of foreign partner institutions, covering exchange, internships, projects and joint or double degrees.

Research:

The BBA programme is dedicated to helping small and medium-sized businesses in their internationalisation efforts. Our students will work on various work-related research or developmental projects of SMEs.

Possibilities to continue studies after graduation:

A BBA degree is an internationally recognized and approved qualification. A BBA graduate is eligible to apply to continue theoretical studies at most universities worldwide. Often the following Master’s degree can be completed in 2 years, depending on the field of study and the student. However, should you wish to continue your studies to the Master level at a university of applied sciences, you will be directed to start your working career to gather 3 years of work experience before entering a Master’s programme.

Language:

The whole programme will be conducted in English apart from mandatory languages courses in Finnish (for foreign students) and in Swedish (for Finnish students). Please note that you are not expected to be perfect when you start your studies – your language skills will improve while doing business studies. The multicultural learning environment with students speaking various languages is the best way of preparing for the challenges of global business life!