Master in Strategic Business Development
Vaasa, Finland
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Request the earliest start date
TUITION FEES
EUR 12,000 / per year
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Introduction
Do you aim for a successful career in business development and strategy? Do you see yourself in developing prosperous businesses? If you have completed a Bachelor’s degree in management and organization, international business, or marketing, or your degree includes a minimum of 35 ECTS business studies, your dream of obtaining an MSc in Economics and Business Administration can be realized.
Developers of Tomorrow's Business
The master's programme in Strategic Business Development is your stepping-stone into a flourishing business career. The programme offers you in-depth knowledge and the work-life skills needed in analyzing and identifying smart strategic choices; envisioning and planning fruitful business opportunities; and implementing them towards successful, well-grounded solutions.
The master's programme in Strategic Business Development is taught by academics who are highly active in conducting academic research and collaborating with companies in their research projects. This ensures that the content of the programme is up to date. To warrant efficient and motivating delivery, our teaching approach is typically based on practice-oriented activities, in which the students need to apply knowledge and theoretical insights. In addition to the interactive lectures and sessions, many of our courses include real-life and Harvard-style cases, simulations, projects, group works and presentations. Some courses also involve visiting presentations by managers from various industries.
Students in the Master's Programme in Strategic Business Development can apply for a Double Degree programme and spend the second year of their studies at our partner institution and gain complementary degrees from two countries. A double degree programme is also a great opportunity to gain valued international experience. Our double-degree agreements are elaborated below.
Double Degree Opportunities
The double-degree agreement with the University of Pavia (Italy) includes two tracks to choose from: (1) Digital Management (e.g. courses on Big Data Analytics, Information Systems for Managers, and Coding and Database Management), and (2) Sustainability (e.g. courses on Performance Management of ESG Practices, Sustainability Reporting, Governance, and Ethics, and Digital Sustainability)
The double-degree agreement with the Kedge Business School (France) focuses on supply chain management and includes courses on e.g. Supply Chain Management and Procurement, Supply Chain Planning and integration with SAP, and Supply Chain Simulation and case Studies.
The double-degree agreement with the Umeå School of Business (Sweden) focuses on Business Development, Entrepreneurship, and Internationalization and includes courses on e.g. Entrepreneurship and Business Growth, Managing networks and internationalization, and Social and Environmental Entrepreneurship.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
The University of Vaasa offers a generous scholarship program for students who are subject to tuition fees. The scholarships can be granted for the target time of the program, which is two years in the Master’s programs.
First-Year Scholarships
Scholarships are applied for by choosing the scholarship option in the application form to the program. Students are informed about receiving a possible scholarship together with the admission results.
Scholarships are personal and linked to the acceptance of the offered study place. They do not transfer to other universities. Finland scholarships awarded by the University of Vaasa are part of the national Finland Scholarship program funded by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture.
Second-Year Scholarships
All first-year scholarships include a conditional Achievement scholarship worth EUR 5 000 or EUR 6 000 for the second year. In order to receive the Achievement scholarship, the student must proceed with the studies in the target time (55 ECTS during the first year). With a possible scholarship, the tuition fee for the second academic year is:
- EUR 5000 (Industrial Management, Industrial Systems Analytics, Smart Grids, Strategic Project Management, Sustainable and Autonomous Systems) or
- EUR 6000 (Finance, International Business, Strategic Business Development)
The required ECTS credits must be completed by the end of the first academic year i.e. by the 31st of July.
Students who do not have a first-year scholarship can apply for a second-year scholarship during their studies. Details about the application for the second-year scholarship will be communicated to the students during their first year.
Curriculum
Major Studies in Strategic Business
- Sustainability and Business Ethics
- Managing Business Networks
- Project Management
- Strategy Work
- Service Business Development
- Developing Business Models
- International Strategic Management
- Research Update in Strategic Management
- Business Development in Practice
- Research Methodologies
Program Outcome
Graduates of the program are equipped to operate at middle and upper-management-level positions in many businesses such as large multinational corporations, consulting, manufacturing firms, service businesses, and small entrepreneurial firms (e.g., in platform companies). Some examples of the career prospects that this program offers are e.g., business developer, consultant, project manager, sales and key account manager, business analyst, business controller, and entrepreneur.
By the end of the program you will:
- Understand the role of strategic management as a part of managerial work
- Be capable of using strategic analysis and decision-making tools and frameworks
- Possess an ability to develop business models and strategies to develop existing businesses and to sense and seize new market opportunities
- Gain know-how to implement strategies effectively in a complex and changing business environment
- Become a competent expert in project management, change management, organizational systems and process development, and network management
- Understand roles of digitalization, sustainability, and ethics in business development
- Become comfortable in working in international environments
- Be able to work efficiently as a member of a team
- Be able to express yourself fluently in writing and in giving presentations
The program has well-established quality control procedures. The data obtained via an independent survey conducted by The Finnish Business School Graduates indicate that ca. 90% of the recent graduates believe the delivery of the program is well in line with its objectives and that the gained competencies met their expectations. Moreover, the Strategic Business Development program is awarded with EFMD Program Accreditation. EFMD Accreditation is an international acknowledgment that approves the program as being among the top-quality business or management programs in the world.