International Business

You can design part of the International Business study. For example, you decide what language or languages to learn and what business projects to participate in. In addition, you get to visit various major companies during your first year. Themes that will be addressed during the first study year include:

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

Study tracks

• IB: International Business
  Are you a big fan of business, but are languages not your thing? Then choose the study track International Business without extra languages. In this study track, the extra languages in the other study tracks are replaced by two extra subjects on international business. In other words, you really go in-depth on business.
• IB1L: International Business + 1 language
  Are you a big fan of business and do you have a passion for foreign languages? Then choose the International Business programme with one extra language. This track offers the best of both worlds: you can deepen your business knowledge and improve your German, Spanish, French or Dutch.
• IB2L: International Business + 2 languages
  Are you a student with a passion for languages? Then choose the study track International Business with two extra languages. During this study track, you will take in-depth classes in two languages of your choice. For example, French, German, Spanish or Dutch.

As in the first study year, in the second year you will also be participating in a few business projects. You also continue to focus on one or more languages. This study year will focus on themes such as:

• Organisational Behaviour & Performance
• International Marketing Planning
• Business Accounting
• Quantitative Research
• Client Relations Management
• International Sales & Sales Techniques
• Socially Responsible Entrepreneurship
• Business English

Your own company
During the second study year of International Business, you set up your own student company, together with some of your fellow students. Together, you brainstorm about the product or service you will bring to the market. You write a business plan and, of course, you should not forget about the financial picture and marketing.

The third study year of the International Business course at the HZ is all about your minor and your internship abroad. You choose which countries you would like to go to. Depending on your study track, the choice of countries is dependent upon the additional languages you will be studying.

The fourth and final study year of the International Business course consists of two parts. In the first semester, you are at HZ, preparing for your graduation project. The second semester will focus on the implementation: you will perform in-company research at a company in the Netherlands or abroad.

In the Netherlands, the standard of higher education is maintained through an accreditation system that ensures legal regulation and quality assurance. All programmes at HZ University of Applied Sciences are examined and approved by the accreditor, the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO). This means that they meet the quality requirements for accredited higher education set by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, ensuring that you are always choosing a programme of high standard.