Business Administration course summary
The Business Administration degree at NHL Stenden focuses on how organisations, companies and departments are run. You learn how to deal with people and processes so that there is a shared vision for the company and everything runs smoothly. And if things aren't going smoothly, you will be the one that will adapt, change or improve the processes or ways people are working.
The programme for Business Administration
The programme focuses on developing your insights into how an organisation operates and how to keep it running successfully. You'll develop your skills in being able to identify where new opportunities lie and taking the initiative to come up with solutions and methods for helping the organisation better attain its goals. This means you'll cover subjects such as organisational behaviour, economics, marketing, and innovation management.
As this degree is a management course, you’ll also develop the skills needed to be a manager. These skills are integrated into the programme and developed through the practical assignments you do as well as during your internship.
Module 1: Business & Entrepreneurship
Experience what it is like to run a company during a simulation game. You explore the field of business, like purchasing & sales, marketing, HRM, finance, clients & staff, quality & price, competition and ethics.
Module 2: Purpose-driven Organisations
Study the day-to-day operations of an organisation and learn how to apply business models and theories.
Module 3: Sustainable Innovation
Creating and developing innovative solutions based on a sustainable development goal of choice.
Module 4: Business in Progress
In a society where information is becoming more and more important, more numerous and questionable, business experts are expected to be able to use, analyse and deploy information.
Subjects:
Study load: 16-20 contact hours, 16-20 self study hours | 60 ECTS per year
Module 1: Green Operations
Translate business strategy into business operations and organisation. Advise a company on operations management and look into optimising business processes using various decision-making tools. You research and present the ‘greenness’ of your own operations and an industry of your choice.
Module 2: Data-driven organisations
Explore the methods used by companies to gain, analyse, manage and protect information.
Module 3: Organisational Behaviour
Focusing on human behaviour in organisations, you carry out
desk research for a company and advise on organisational change. You study aspects of corporate social responsibility using real-life examples and academic articles.
Module 4: Strategic Management
Study the strategic management process in relation to marketing and advise a company on the ultimate combination of the organisation’s value proposition, the customer’s demands and the earth’s needs.
Subjects:
Study load: 14-18 contact hours, 20-24 selfstudy hours | 60 ECTS
per year
Semester 1: Minor subject (study abroad)
During your minor you focus on a specific subject or expand your knowledge by taking an additional subject. This allows you to truly take charge of your education by ‘customising’ your course.
You can take these minors on the NHL Stenden campus in the Netherlands or at one of the NHL Stenden Grand Tour locations in South Africa, Bali or Thailand. You can also choose from minors offered by other courses and universities of applied sciences via an Exchange programme – this is all part of broadening your academic skills.
Read more about the options available and where you can take your minors in the section below on minors and specialisations.
Semester 2: Internship
Putting your knowledge into practice in an internationally oriented organisation. You’ll carry out a research project that will prepare you for your graduation period.
60 ECTS per year
Semester 1: Future-Ready Business
With the emphasis being placed on People-Planet-Profit-Purpose,
you examine the future of companies and organisations and the field of business administration.
Semester 2: Graduation project
Conclude your studies with a graduation project to show you
are a business professional in the making. You can do this at an organisation of your choice, anywhere in the world.
If you’ve already turned your dream for your own business into a reality, you could consider doing your final project in your own start-up. The Center for Entrepreneurship at NHL Stenden can advise you on how to do this.
60 ECTS per year
The degree at a glance
Download the brochure to get a really useful one-page overview of the curriculum with a description of the modules and a list of subjects per year, the study load and the ECTS you can earn. Use it to compare the programme with other studies you’re interested in.
Projects
Within the program, you get to do lots of exciting things: from various projects and fun collaborations and several trips abroad as part of International Week.
Minors and specialisations for Business Administration
In your third year of Business Administration, you get to specialise by taking a number of minors.
- Business Model Innovation & Leadership (Leeuwarden, the Netherlands)
Design the business models of the future and explore insightful leadership. Using Business Model Generation, this minor gives you the chance to innovate for a company and work on your creativity and consultancy skills. - Change and Innovation (South Africa)
With this minor, you explore the mechanisms, psychology and tools needed to empower employee-initiated innovation and facilitate organisational learning. Discover how adaptive organisations and committed staff share vision and a drive for innovation. - E-business (the Netherlands)
Offering a combination of creative and technical skills development, this minor gives you an understanding of digital marketing strategy and how you can build the online presence of a brand and manage digital platforms to sell products. - Mindful Leadership (Bali or Thailand) Mindful Leadership (Bali or Thailand)
Develop your emotional intelligence with this minor focusing on stress management, mindfulness, communication, resilience and empathy. You’ll develop the skills to become a better leader. - The Art of Ethical Leadership (South Africa or the Netherlands)
Learn how to apply key concepts of ethical and critical thinking and why tomorrow’s leaders cannot do without a developed moral compass. Develop your soft power, your ability to attract and cooperate rather than to coerce.
Course Catalogue
Practical approach of Business Administration
We aim to help you put theory into practice as quickly as possible. Through our educational concept, Design-Based Education (DBE), you work in small teams of students, teachers, researchers and industry professionals. You tackle current, real-life issues developing and adapting your visions and ideas to form a solid solution.
International opportunities
We want to prepare you for an international, intercultural, and ever-changing environment, so that you can dive into the unknown and gain experience in an international context. It is possible with our Grand Tour, Exchange programme or one of our mobility options offered by RUN-EU. Or you can choose to do your internship abroad. You’ll be able to put together the right combination of courses and internships to develop both your professional and personal skills – and develop your own network for the future.
Is this the degree for you?
If you're confident this degree is the one for you, then why not apply online straightaway? Or pick one of the other options to help you take the next step.
