3.1 Structure of the Programme and Scheduling
The IBMS programme is a four-year, full-time study. Each academic year consists of four study periods (two study periods per semester). In the first year, semesters are offered concurrently and/or interchangeably, so that students may start with either semester. In the second year the same applies to blocks. The language modules should preferably be followed in a set order.
Year
Period 1 Period 2 Period 3 Period 4
First
Year Semester 1 Modules Semester 2 Modules
Second
Year Block 2.1 Modules Block 2.2 Modules Block 2.3 Modules Block 2.4 Modules Third
Year
Semesters 5 & 6 Year Abroad (Study Abroad and Placement) Fourth
Year Semester 7 Specialization Semester 8 Research semester incl.
Graduation Project
Lectures are given Monday through Friday. Detailed class schedules are provided to students shortly before the start of the period via Mijn Hanze (access www.mijnhanze.nl > Digirooster). Lectures are always to start on the exact time mentioned in the schedule below. IBS plans lectures of 60 minutes each, of which 50 minutes are used for classes and 10 minutes for a break. In case of a one-hour class, the 10-minute break is always at the end. In case of a two-hour class, teachers can decide where to put the two 10-minute breaks: either a 10-minute break during the lecture and one at the end, or a 20-minute break at the end of the second lecture hour.
First Year/Main Phase
Hour
1 08:30 - 09:30 2 09:30 – 10:30 3 10:30 – 11:30 4 11:30 – 12:30 5 12:30 – 13:30 6 13:30 – 14:30 7 14:30 – 15:30 8 15:30 – 16:30 9 16:30 – 17:30 10 17:30 – 18:30 Note
Students involved in the Honours Talent Program may also have lectures in the evening.
3.2 IBMS Year plan 2014 15
Month Week HG IBS WEEKS Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Activity
34 resit week 18 19 20 21 22 ma i n pha s e res i ts peri od 2 a nd 4 (2013/2014)
29 -36 Summe r Brea k 13 Jul y through 4 Se ptember 2014 (STUDENTS ONLY)
IBS Year planning 2014 / 2015 bachelor
3.3 The IBMS Undergraduate Programme major and minor Structure
The contents of all modules of the IBMS Programme are described in detail in the separate Course Outlines for Year 1, Year 2, Year 4 and the Year Abroad Information which can all be found on Mijn Hanze (access www.mijnhanze.nl > organisatie > International Business School> Course Outlines, Prospectus and Transition Schemes). Credits & assessment schedules can be found in later chapters. A general overview of the course content can be found below.
Major and minor structure
The fulltime study programmes within the Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen have a major-minor structure. This means that a student can take one minor next to his major (main programme). The major comprises 210 ECTS, the minor 30 ECTS.
A minor is taken outside the major, is aimed at broadening the student’s scope and consists of a coherent semester programme. The minor is mentioned on the diploma supplement. Students can take minors at their own school or externally. In IBS, the minor is taken in year 3 (Study Abroad);
students have to do this study semester in a country that is not their home country (country of nationality). In case of multiple nationalities, the nationality used for admission to the IBMS programme is the deciding nationality.
Major and specialization
Upon graduation, all students of the International Business School obtain the major: International Business and Management Studies.
Specialization
A specialization is a coherent package of (at least) 30 ECTS, aimed at providing in depth knowledge of, and skills, in a specific area within the student’s study programme.
IBS offers the following four specializations in the academic year 2014-2015:
• International Marketing
• International Finance & Accounting
• International Management
• International Strategy & Business Development
International Travel & Tourism: Students who started at IBS before the academic year 2011-12, still have the possibility to choose the Travel & Tourism specialization, but the modules of the
specialization will be offered by the School of Facility Management (SIFM) instead of IBS (spring semester depending on number of applicants).
Minors
Next to a major, students can get a minor.
Upon fulfilment of the Study Abroad requirements, IBS students can get a minor if they meet one of the following requirements:
• If the student has taken and passed at least 20 EC at the partner school, the student will acquire a minor in " Business and Culture in……… (country where they studied)".
• If the student did a thematically unified study programme while abroad i.e. at least 20 EC were done in one knowledge area, for instance International Marketing, the student may apply for a minor in that knowledge area, e.g. "International Marketing” (which then comes in place of the minor "Business and Culture in……..").
• Upon completion of an entire formal minor at the partner school, the student may apply for recognition of this minor by IBS.
Please note that the credits have to be earned while abroad and that a student’s minor cannot be the same as his/her specialization at IBS!!
In all other cases students will not get a minor, but their grade will state: “Study Abroad in … (country where they studied)”.
IBS can never guarantee beforehand that it is possible to actually study a certain minor at the institution abroad. There are too many variables that IBS has no control over: such as changes of study plans and curricula, schedule changes etc. What is possible beforehand, of course, is to have the study plan for Study Abroad checked for the possibility of earning a certain minor (other than Business and Culture in……..). To obtain approval for this, students should send the proposed study plan, Course Outlines and a note from the IBS Study Abroad Supervisor (responsible for the school the student will be studying at) stating his opinion on the matter, to the Study Abroad co-ordinator.
Please be aware that once students arrive at the institution abroad, they may find out that they have to make changes in their study plan. In that case they can do the same again: ask the Study Abroad co-ordinator and always include the opinion of the IBS Study Abroad Supervisor.
Students with a nationality that is not Dutch are allowed to do their Study Abroad semester in the Netherlands. (In case of multiple nationalities, the nationality used for admission to the IBMS programme is the deciding nationality.) They can either stay at IBS to earn a minor in European Business (5th semester) or take one of the minors offered by the other Hanze schools. In Osiris all available minors are listed with a remark from IBS whether a minor is recommended or not.
Students who take a minor at the Hanze but outside IBS should register for this minor in Osiris via www.mijnhanze.nl. Students who take the IBS European Business minor should contact the
Educational Support Staff member for year three.
3.4 Articulation Programme
The IBS Articulation programme is a cooperation programme with the Jianhang University, Wuhan in China. Students in this programme first study at Jianhang University up to the entry level of Year 3 of the IBS bachelor programme. These students then come to IBS in Year 3 where they enter the Harmonisation Semester (see Table of Credits later in chapter 4.2.5 for more details).
3.5 Excellence
Hanze University Groningen offers additional challenges to outstanding students. Students, who possess potential to excel not only academically, but professionally and personally, can apply for admission to the IBS Honours Talent Program. Applications for this programme will be assessed by the Honours admissions committee in January and June of each year.
More information about the IBS Honours Talent Program, the admission criteria and the selection procedure can be found in chapter 4.3.
3.6 Compulsory Attendance
The IBS Course Outlines which are available on Mijn Hanze (access www.mijnhanze.nl > organisatie >
International Business School > Regulations IBMS and BW) contain information regarding compulsory attendance. See chapter 8.3 for more information about class attendance rules.
3.7 Course Outlines
The contents of all modules of the IBMS Programme are described in detail in the separate Course Outlines for Year 1 – 4 including information about the year abroad information which can all be found on Mijn Hanze (access www.mijnhanze.nl > organisatie > International Business School > Course Outlines, Prospectus and Transition Schemes). Together with this Prospectus and the Student Charter, the Course Outlines are an official part of the Teaching and Exam Regulations, in Dutch: ‘Onderwijs- en Examenregeling: ‘OER’.
3.8 Prerequisites
Certain study components are subject to prerequisites. The prerequisites for PLM and SAB can be found in chapter 4.2.2. For other modules, please refer to the Course Outlines.