Venlo Plymouth Full-time Part-time
2009
2010
Master of Science in Business and Management (MBM) Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Modern business is a vital process.
Requirements from the field of work change as fast as our own demands. An academic educa-tion nowadays is no status quo, but implies an enduring willingness for further development. A qualification in economics on an adequate level is not only relevant for jobs with classical business orientation. In nearly every position and industry, a profound economic way of thinking is a key qualification for management – not only for your current job, but also for the realisation of your personal objectives and your occupational outlook.
Fontys International School of Economics is leading the way. Our master programmes meet the requirements of the labour market and the needs and wants of you as a student. They arrange a high-quality economic education; either for rounding off or for augmenting your primary degree.
Thus the offered programmes are tailor-made to your personal predispositions and require-ments: our pre-experience programme leads directly from your bachelor degree to our MSc in Business and Management; our post-expe-rience Master of Business Administration is perfectly adapted to the needs and conditions of combining both work life and studying.
Fontys International School of Economics in Venlo cooperates on Master level with reputable educational partners from the United Kingdom and Germany. For a short overview please see our synopsis on the next page, for a more comprehensive insight please refer to the relevant programme description.
Master programmes at a glance
MBM MBA
Educational Partner University of Plymouth (UK) FOM (Germany)
Duration 1 year (3 terms) 2 years (4 semesters)
European credits 90 ec 120 ec
Language English English
Degree Master of Science in Business and
Management (MSc Business and Management)
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Subjects Business context
Accounting and finance Analysis and management of information
Human Resource Management Marketing management Operations
Strategic development of enterprises
General Economics Marketing Management Human Resource Management Financial Management Strategic Management Business law
Management Decision Making Research Methodology
Soft Skills & Leadership Qualities Specialisation 2nd term + thesis (3rd term) 3rd semester + thesis (4th semester)
Modus of operandi Full-time Part-time
Type of master Pre-experience (consecutive) Master Post-experience Master (minimum 2 years relevant work experience) Location(s) Venlo (1st term) and Plymouth
(remainder)
Venlo
Scheduled times Monday to Friday Friday evening and Saturdays
Accredited by British Government’s Quality Assurance Agency (QAA)
Foundation for International Business Administration Accreditation (FIBAA)
Master of Science in Business Management
In cooperation with the University of Plymouth U.K. Pre-experience
Full-time
Today’s dynamic business environment can, among others, be characterized by an increasing competition. Providing added value to
customers, shareholders and other stakeholders requires insight in the strategic and practical value driving processes in key fields of a company, as for example finance and marketing. The MSc programme, which is offered in cooperation with the University of Plymouth addresses graduates of all branches of study with no or little professional experience and it combines all advantages of studying in two different places (Venlo and Plymouth). This programme is meant for people who have a clear picture of their personal goals, high motivation, success orientation, flexibility and mobility. It will give you a broad base of knowledge and skills in business and management that will enable you to develop a successful career as a manager on a strategic level.
The overall aim of the MBM is to bring graduates up to speed in the terminology, techniques and skills required to become a business leader. This programme is a master programme fully qualified by the UK Government and is recognised around the globe as a leading educational qualification. The MSc study at Fontys International School of Economics
arranges a high-quality economic education; either for rounding off or for augmenting your primary degree.
MBM degree holders are working all over the world, from family owned businesses to the biggest multinationals as well as semigovern-mental organisations. Some examples are: Kraft Foods, IBM, Government of Bermuda, Philips, National Health Service (UK), Jet Airways (India), WS Atkins (Engineers), PriceWaterhouse Coopers, Nike (South America).
University of Plymouth and Fontys: two strong partners
The University of Plymouth is one of the UK’s most prominent and dynamic universities with an educational history dating back to 1862. It is the largest university in the southwest of England, with over 30,000 students and is the fifth largest UK university based on student population. It has almost 3,000 staff and it is consistently ranked as one of the top five modern universities in the UK and is a national leader for teaching excellence. Plymouth has performed very well in all teaching reviews carried out by external bodies since 1996. The MBM was specifically praised by the European Foundation for Management Education (EFMD). Fontys is the largest group of universities for applied sciences in The Netherlands. Its international spear point is located in Venlo: Fontys International Campus. Fontys
player on Fontys International Campus, has built up experience and reputation on an international scope over the past years. The three bachelor courses of study (International Business Economics, International Marketing and International Business and Management Studies) show a good foundation for offering MBM in Venlo at FIHE.
The MSc in Venlo is international, competence-oriented and linked to modern corporate structures. Business problems typical for earlier stages of management are analysed and solved. The delegation of responsibilities to these earlier instances requires employees who are able to make practical decisions based on a holistic comprehension of business processes. The core objective of the MSc programme is this very integrated understanding, augmented by theoretical management competences. The concept serves to focus the student’s attention, during all modules, on the complex interaction at all times between the individual disciplines and decisions that have to be taken by the management.
The full-time design of the MSc facilitates mutual exchange of consolidated knowledge. Theoretical aspects can be applied to your practical project in the 3rd term. The transfer of theory and practice is not limited to national borders. The internatio-nal character of the MSc programme in Venlo can be found both in ambiance and content.
The multinational formation of students and lecturers alone will arrange for that.
Consequently, the whole course of study is in English.
At Fontys in Venlo, you are part of an internationally oriented community on a modern, country estate-like campus next to the river Maas. Teaching and tutoring is done by a multi-disciplinary team of first-class lecturers who are experienced in Master courses. Fontys sees her strength in the international
orientation of its programme and the
international experience of its staff e.g. gained by exchanges. Thus forming the right location and the right ambiance for heading towards your future.
Programme highlights
• Designed for new or recent graduates • Specialist options available
• Gives a broad perspective on the nature of management
• Combines all the advantages of studies in Venlo and Plymouth (UK)
No prior work experience is required. The first half of the course introduces you to all the key business functional areas, after which you develop the areas of interest for your future career by taking relevant electives and a project of your choice.
The typical class size is 20 to 30 students in Venlo and about 50 in Plymouth.
General programme structure
The programme will enable you to develop knowledge and understanding in the disciplines and functional areas of business and manage-ment. The core part of the programme will provide you with a comprehensive grounding in the principles that apply to the management of organisations, covering the main functional areas of a business and management theories and practices at a strategic level. The programme is very flexible and you can shape more than half of the programme to meet your career aspirations. This is by choosing two electives and a project. If both electives plus the project are taken from a particular subject grouping (subject to availa-bility), the degree awarded will be a specialist MBM. The number of specialisms available will depend on demand and may include:
MBM (Finance)
MBM (Operations and Logistics)
MBM (Operations and International Supply Chain Systems)
MBM (International Business) MBM (Marketing)
MBM (Tourism and Hospitality)
* Please note that the list of electives which actually run will depend on the level of student demand. If there is very low demand the Plymouth Graduate Business School will not commit to running any given elective(s), and it is possible that a specialism might not run.
Finally, you will carry out a project which is a substantial piece of work enabling you to pursue a topic in depth.
Business context
Contextual issues as economic factors; legal and regulatory constraints; environmental and social trends; cultural and ethical attitudes, and their varying impacts on organisations.
Accounting and finance
Accounting concepts for the provision of information for stakeholders and management decisions; interpretation of accounting state-ments; sources of finance and financial management.
Analysis and management of information
Information for decision making; use of communications and information technology in organisations; information systems and systems design; implications of and for e-business. Sources and uses of data; statistical data analysis techniques; applications to management decision problems; business research methods. Please note that capability in the basic skills of numeracy and computing will be assumed.
Human Resource Management
Organisational behaviour; management and motivation of people in organisations; personnel management processes including recruitment, appraisal, staff development, grievances and
discipline, employee representation.
Marketing management
The marketing concept; the influence of environmental factors on market behaviour; marketing information; marketing mix; marketing planning.
Operations
Operational management of organisations in service and non-service sectors: performance measurements; quality management; capacity management; resource planning; project management; operations strategy.
Strategic development of enterprises
Meaning of enterprise; entrepreneurial behaviour; conditions for enterprise culture. Economic factors and their effect on
enterprises; economics of innovation and risk taking; government policy towards enterprise and innovation. Nature and purpose of strategic management in enterprises; analytic
frameworks/techniques; development of enterprising strategies.
Electives
You will choose any two from a range of around 15. The number of specialisms available will depend on demand.
Your practical project
Finally, you will carry out a project which is a
substantial piece of work enabling you to pursue a topic in depth. Executing your practical project offers you the opportunity to demonstrate that you have successfully acquired all the necessary skills and know-how to continue to indepen-dently develop scientifically-based and
integrative solutions for relevant problems in the business world. The project will be at the centre of your attention during the third term. The main focus lies in the practical aspect of the master’s thesis. Having discussed the project with your supervisor you will, in most cases, be working on a specific business problem or work out a research based question in depth. Business research methods leading to a practical project with a 15,000 word report.
Examinations / assignments
As MSc student with Fontys in Venlo you will be taking written exams relating to the area of a given module as you did for your first degree. Furthermore group or project related work is supposed to help you gain a deeper knowledge of presentation and expanding your social skills.
What else do you have to know?
At Fontys in Venlo, you do not only study in an international setting, but also with international fellow students. Therefore, the whole programme is conducted in English. Please have a look at our requirements for language skills and tests.
One year full time study in Venlo and Plymouth Starting date: fall term (5 days per week) Commencement of studies: mid September 2009
1st term: (end of September till mid December) in Venlo 2nd term: (mid January till beginning of April) in Plymouth 3rd term: practical project
Last date for enrolment: 9 weeks before start of fall term Requirements
• Bachelor Degree obtained in the Netherlands or UK degree or equivalent degree • Alternatively, qualifications or experiences that meet the challenges of the programme • For non UK students, an IELTS score of at least 6.5
• For further details please see our website www.fontys.nl/mbm
Non-EU residents please notice the special demands, permit of stay for non-EU residents! Tuition fees
The payment for the tuition fee is in two instalments Part 1 (1st term)
Tuition fee Venlo
€ 3.000,- for EEA residents € 4.550,- for non-EEA residents Part 2 (2nd and 3rd term) Tuition fee Plymouth in GBP £ 3.534,-* for EEA residents £ 6.667,-* for non-EEA residents
Tuition fees for 2nd and 3rd term will be charged in January. * Second instalment fees are indicative
Further information: For any further queries you may have concerning our MSc course please call our office on line 0031 877 879 260 or send an email to fihe-msc@fontys.nl
For more detailed information, an abstract of the curriculum and an application form please see our website at www.fontys.nl/fihe/msc or www.fontys.nl/mbm
Martin Niedernhuber, alumni IBE and MBM
I started my studies at Fontys Internationale Hogeschool Economie Venlo in 2002 where I took International Business Economics. I enjoyed the challenging four years of practice based studies in Venlo including two work placements, which I undertook in England and Germany. After I graduated 2006 on a controlling project, I took on a fulltime position in the Finance department of the internship company. However, I was attracted by a good offer to upgrade my bachelor’s degree to a master at the University of Plymouth. I have mainly chosen the MSc Business & Management at the University of Plymouth due to the cost of living, career prospects, tuition fees and the accommodation. After comparing prices I came to the conclusion that Plymouth offered me an MSc with a good value for money, if not the best.
After I finished my dissertation in the area of Financial Management several companies invited me to an interview. This underlines the reputation of the master degree. I now work in the Fixed Income Securities Division at UBS Investment Bank.
During both bachelor and master studies I have gained analytical, team working and problem solving skills as well as commercial awareness which I regard as crucial for business life. I therefore feel well equipped to contribute significantly to any company and to face the upcoming challenges of my future career. I made many friends in Venlo and in Plymouth and will certainly be in touch with a handful a lifelong.
Master of Business Administration
In cooperation with FOM, Germany Post-experience
Part-time
The MBA study at Fontys International School of Economics arranges a high-quality economic education; either for rounding off or for augmen-ting your primary degree. Lawyers, medical professionals, social scientists and engineers acquire management qualifications relevant for their field of work, business and political econo-mists benefit from an update of their specific knowledge and additional competence in inter-national business.
The MBA programme, which is offered in coope-ration with FOM Essen, addresses graduates of all branches of study with several years of professio-nal experience. People, that is, who dispose of a clear picture of their personal goals, high motiva-tion, success orientation and flexibility.
FOM and Fontys – two strong partners
The FOM, being Germany’s largest private uni-versity, has a long-time experience in the field of part-time study courses in economics. The accre-ditation by the FIBAA (Foundation for Interna-tional Business Administration Accreditation) with the overall rating of “very good to excel-lent” guarantees a first-class education. Fontys International School of Economics in Venlo is part of the largest group of universities for applied sciences in The Netherlands and
The MBA in Venlo: international, competence-oriented, practical
In modern corporate structures, business pro-blems are analysed and solved at earlier stages of management. The delegation of responsibilities to these earlier instances requires employees who are able to make practical decisions based on a holistic comprehension of business processes. The core objective of the MBA programme is this very integrated understanding, augmented by practical management competences. This is achieved in particular by the so-called Integral Total Management (ITM) concept of our MBA programme. The concept serves to focus the student’s attention, during all modules, on the complex interaction at all times between the individual disciplines and decisions that have to be taken by the management.
The part-time design of the MBA facilitates mutual exchange. Theoretical aspects can be applied to your job, and vice versa, real-life projects can be subject to your studies. The transfer of theory and practice is not limited by national borders. The international character of the MBA programme in Venlo can be found both in ambiance and content. The multi-national formation of students and docents alone will arrange for that. Consequently, the whole course of study is in English.
At Fontys in Venlo, you are part of an internatio-nally oriented community on a modern, country estate-like campus next to the river Maas. Teaching and tutoring is done by a multi-disci-plinary team of first-class docents. Thus forming
sional background and your objectives and supports you accordingly.
Thanks to the concept that was especially designed for the MBA Programme you will learn from the very start to view the theoretical foun-dations and their practical applications in the overall context of all business procedures. The didactical concept of Integral Total Management (ITM) guarantees an all-inclusive perspective in our course activities. Any theory always needs to stand the test of the practical day-to-day operations in management. In their final theses students will deal with specific problems of companies and present practical solutions.
Course schedule / contents
The modules of the first and second semester cover all relevant areas of management. Next to theoretical foundations, the course work comes with applying the knowledge you have acquired. Carefully selected, realistic and relevant tasks from a specific discipline are covered in greater depth. Specific problems that will occur during the implementation in real life are at the centre of attention. As far as the methodology is con-cerned, the course work concentrates on dealing with case studies, best practice examples on discussions and role plays. The practical applica-tion follows in the assignments when you will be dealing with genuine problems that affect your company. You will present some of your work for discussion by the group. The teachers support the critical evaluation of the results.
Two initial courses are offered to prepare
stu-facts, to develop your own solutions and to critically assess economic approaches. Since the assignments are a crucial part of the MBA pro-gramme, the course is meant to help you write economic reports and work on case studies.
Module 1: General Economics
Economic policies and economic developments have a tremendous impact on companies. This module helps you understand the macroecono-mic contexts you need to take into account, if you want to be pro-active in your decisions instead of simply reacting to the given circumstances. Some of the topics include underemployment, inflation or globalisation.
Module 2: Marketing Management
For a corporation to be successful in the market, it needs to understand what products and services are in demand. That requires the correct identifi-cation of the target groups, being able to estimate the right sales potential and marketing your product better than the competition. This module is intended to introduce you to the most impor-tant marketing strategies and tools. Using case studies you will learn how individual marketing tools can be combined to create a harmonious appearance in the market.
Module 3: Human Resource Management
This module explains the most crucial tasks and challenges in human resource management, both from the perspective of a human resources specialist and that of a superior. You will learn
available? You will learn about the responsibilities of financial management, get practical experience in budgeting methods and take decisions in the area of finance and investment.
Module 5: Strategic Management
Using the scarce corporate resources in the best possible manner requires farsightedness and strategic competence. The investigation of success factors in business administration will help you develop an awareness of which strategic concept is most promising in a given situation. In this module, you will systematically practice the methods applied by the consulting industry.
Module 6: Business Law
Legal issues are part of a manager’s day-to-day business. Whether you are dealing with employ-ees, negotiating contracts with business partners or setting up a new branch abroad, you will always have to consider the legal implications. This module intends to provide the legal know-how that is indispensable for any management position. And that also includes labour law and the law of contracts as well as international economic law.
Module 7: Management Decision Making
As a matter of course, senior level managers and specialists are expected to be able to solve pro-blems and to take decisions. In the business world, however, the decision making process is being made more difficult by the fact that many different people have to be drawn in and that the
analysing secondary statistical data. In addition, you will learn to plan and execute primary research for business administration issues. A particular emphasis lies on drafting and imple-menting surveys.
In your third semester, you will be choosing one of a range of different disciplines that you will study in depth. Each discipline consists of three modules, and they cover all important areas of management. Regardless of which discipline you choose to study in depth, you will be dealing in more detail with the theoretical aspects of the management approaches you have already stu-died during the first two semesters, and you will especially learn to master complex problems during the implementation stage. By developing practical and integrative solutions you will be gaining profound decision- making skills. The didactical concept of the individual modules is very similar to those of the first two semesters. In addition to the discipline you choose to study in depth you will also be taking the module “Soft Skills and Leadership Qualities” in the third semester to complete the area of general manage-ment. The fourth semester is all about your Master’s thesis, which will be similar to that of any regular university with respect to expectati-ons and volume.
Module 9: Soft Skills & Leadership Qualities
Apart from the pure technical knowledge and skills, companies increasingly expect their mana-gers to also possess the necessary soft skills. In
within and outside of the European Union there are countries with great economic potential. Often these chances offered in growth markets are not exploited, however, because the manage-ment lacks the key competencies necessary to successfully penetrate a market. That is why the three modules of the in-depth study International Marketing cover the most crucial decision-making areas of a manager operating in foreign markets. In Module 10: International Business Strategy you will be introduced to successful strategies for entering a foreign market and you will learn to better understand and deal with other cultures. In module 11: International Entrepreneurship you will learn relevant entre-preneurial skills, such as drafting a business plan for the international operations of a company. Module 12: International Marketing Management is intended to help you understand the special tools of international marketing.
In-depth study of Marketing and Sales Management
Marketing and sales are a key factor of success for any company. The growing consumer demands, developments in the information economy and cost pressures have resulted in an enormous momentum, particularly in marke-ting and sales. In the in-depth study discipline of Marketing and Sales Management these developments are covered in three modules. Module 10: Marketing Strategies provides you with the opportunity to practice the conceptual skills demanded of product managers and
importance of this issue. Alternative methods of financing and international capital markets are covered in Module 10: Financial Management 2. It is particularly the exporting companies and those undertakings with project operations in foreign countries that need to take special finan-cing risks into account, and the safeguarding of these risks is demonstrated using real case studies in Module 11: International Finance. Module 12: Strategic Management Accounting provides students with an insight into how best to employ controlling as a strategic tool.
In-depth study of Project and Contract Management
More and more interdisciplinary activities and forms of interface management require
professional project management: this starts with the product development and information management and extents all the way to event management. The tools of project management are used to help leading interdisciplinary teams that work on complex tasks. Special emphasis is placed on sound project planning, on compre-hensive risk analysis, on special project control-ling and legally reliable claim management. All the objectives are realised in Module 10: General Project Management, Module 11: Project Organisation, and Module 12: Risk and Contract Management.
In-depth study of Quality and Change Management
Examinations / assignments
As an MBA student with Fontys in Venlo you will not be taking written exams as you did for your first degree. Instead, you will be demonstrating the progress you have made by means of so-called assignments which are at the same time a key tool for acquiring knowledge and skills. The papers you will be expected to write are about 12-15 pages long, and you will work on them either alone or in small groups. These papers will deal with practical issues relating to the area of a given module. Ideally, these issues revolve around problems in your company or that of another group member. On the one hand, these assign-ments are supposed to help you gain a deeper understanding, as you systematically familiarise yourself with scientific literature on a given subject and – based on theory – develop solutions which are relevant for the real world. On the other hand they help you focus on the applicability of theoretical approaches with the objective of finding practical solutions to a problem.
Your masterpiece - the thesis
Writing your Master’s thesis offers you the oppor-tunity to demonstrate that you have successfully acquired all the necessary skills and know-how to continue to independently develop scientifically-based and integrative solutions for relevant pro-blems in the business world. The thesis will be at the centre of your attention during the fourth semester, and the expectations and the volume are similar to those at a regular university. The main difference lies in the practical focus of the Master’s
Florian Friedrich Stumm, MBA-student
Finding the right MBA program is not easy. Therefore I highly recommend the MBA program offered by Fontys Internationale Hogeschool Economie. This program has an excellent reputation in the economy and has been successfully accredited by the FIBAA (the leading academic accreditation in Germany).
All modules are very well designed and are especially addressed to professionals like me. A major advantage of the Fontys is that the courses are very practice oriented. Thus the program helped me greatly in my daily management activities.
Also I like to highlight the flexibility this program contains in order to combine it with my day-to-day business. Moreover this program has been a real catalyst to my career successes. With the help of Fontys´ MBA I assumed more
Four semester part-time in Venlo
Starting date: fall term or spring term (2 or 3 times monthly, Friday 16:30 to 21:30 and Saturday 08:30 to 17:00)
Commencement of studies: September 1st or March 1st Last date for enrolment: 6 weeks before start of semester Requirements
• Bachelor Degree
• At least two years’ professional experience and current working employment in an MBA-relevant setting
• Proof of good English proficiency through appropriate certificate (e.g. TOEIC 700, TOEFL 550/213, IELTS academic 6.0)
• For further details please see our website. Non-EU residents please notice the special demands, permit of stay for non-EU residents!
Tuition fees
• EUR 10,290.00 in total
• or 24 monthly instalments of EUR 350.00, plus an enrolment fee of EUR 1,580.00 (with payment by instalments, enrolment fee must be paid in advance).
Examination fees: € 310.00
Promotion: Costs can be claimed in full from taxes or paid by employer when appropriate.
Further information: For any further queries you may have concerning our MBA course. Please call our office on line 0031 877 879 288 or send an email to fihe-mba@fontys.nl
For more detailed information, an abstract of the curriculum and an online registration form please see our website at www.fontys.nl/mba
Maik Warner, student MBA
The academic studies at Fontys are characterized by a high degree of practical relevance. Already during my bachelor degree we had the opportunity to transfer theory into real day-to-day business. The extra occupational MBA course keeps to this tradition. Every student can present
MBM MBA
MSc in Business and Management Master of Business Administration
www.fontys.nl/mbm www.fontys.nl/mba
