BSc Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation

Follow your passion

Why study just business if you could instead join a rigorous academic degree program to study how business is started and scaled-up?

This program caters to those that really want to get ready for entrepreneurship and business innovation. You may fit the program if your friends and family confirm that you have a genuine proclivity for enterprising behavior. You are different. You are a rebel, but also a team player. You are not afraid to be heard. You want to make a difference.

• Learn all aspects of the entrepreneurial process, including the role of business innovation in creating and capturing value. Prepare for international business by studying how entrepreneurs start businesses to serve global markets. Entrepreneurship and business innovation tends to be much more dynamic than managing established business operations.
• Through this academically rigorous and practically relevant program you prepare for a career as an entrepreneur or an entrepreneurial employee (and intrapreneur). It equips you to start your first business, or to join a company as a change maker upon graduation. Obviously, you can also continue your education with a Master's program, both in Tilburg or elsewhere.

More on the program and courses

The curriculum is designed to complement an educational philosophy based on the stages: Awake, Develop and Accelerate. Each year has a specific focus:

Year One: Awake

In the first year you will follow courses introducing fundamentals of entrepreneurship, business innovation and strategy.

You will take fundamental courses in marketing, finance and economics. While courses like Business Model Experimentation and Creative Thinking  will guide you towards a more entrepreneurial mind-set.

Year Two: Develop

In the second year the emphasis shifts to alternative perspectives on and specific contexts for entrepreneurship.

This will allow you to gain an understanding of entrepreneurship in the context of the start-up, existing business, intrapreneurship and sustainable entrepreneurship.

Year Three: Accelerate

In the first semester you can participate in an international exchange program to broaden and add diversity to your knowledge and learning experience. International partner universities will provide programs complementing the learning goals for the Bachelor in Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation.

If you don't want to do an international exchange semester, you can instead take any existing Minor program offered at Tilburg University.

In the second semester you can choose a specialization out of three tracks:

• Social and sustainability-led entrepreneurship
• New venture creation and growth
• Corporate entrepreneurship

The final year graduation project and report is the equivalent of 12 ECTS of work. The project can take several forms, including:

• the validation of theoretical concepts or models;
• a challenge from an external company or organization;
• the creation and validation of a new commercial or social venture.

Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation in a nutshell - video (2:08 min)

Typical courses are:

• Entrepreneurial Business Finance 
• Business Models: Innovation & Experimentation
• Microeconomics: Markets and Games
• Entrepreneurial Marketing & Customer behavior
• Entrepreneurship in Action (practicum project throughout the entire program)

More on the program and courses

The bachelor Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation is the only one of its kind in the Netherlands by a reputed research university in the Netherlands, and one of a few in Europe. Tilburg University is consistently ranked by THE and others as one of the best Dutch universities for business and management studies. 

• You will acquire a strong academic foundation, in entrepreneurship, business innovation and strategy, mathematics, statistics, economics, finance, marketing, society, ethics and law.
• Develop into an innovative entrepreneur or intrapreneur: get ready to start your own business or become the driving force of change within an existing company or corporation.
• The Entrepreneurship in Action projects (EiA). Semester-long (multidisciplinary) projects during which you apply theoretical concepts that you learn during the core courses. You will be guided to develop yourself and your personal and professional attitudes through intensive interactions with real-life challenges from partners in business and society. The EiA runs through your entire bachelor program.
• You will learn through self-evaluation and reflection how to best apply your knowledge and skills to play a role in contributing to society and be a (pro) active and ethical citizen.

More on the program and courses

What to expect when coming to Tilburg

• Why Tilburg University?
• International student support
• Study in Holland

Opportunities outside of academic curricular work include:

• Participate in national level hackathons.
• Contribute to student organizations in entrepreneurship.
• Leverage a network of seasoned mentors & coaches.
• Advise and deliver solutions to Startups & firms in the region.
• Organize workshops and master classes at the Innovation Hub.
• Shape the entrepreneurship culture at Tilburg University.
• Join one of our student organizations. A great way to meet like-minded students and make friends.
• Challenge yourself by participating in one of the programs of excellence.
• Broaden your horizon by studying a semester abroad - an experience of a lifetime.

More on the extracurricular activities

Pursue a Master's degree

After finishing your Bachelor’s degree in Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation, the world is your oyster. Many of you will have started a business, while others opt to pursue a Master's degree in for example these Tilburg University programs:

Admission requirements

• You are eligible for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation, if you hold a secondary school diploma which is equivalent to the Dutch VWO diploma. Most European Secondary school diplomas which give access to university in your own country are equivalent, such as the IB, EB, Abitur or Swiss Maturité, but there are many others. You can find out whether your non-Dutch diploma meets our admission requirements on our page about foreign diplomas. 
• You must have sufficient knowledge of mathematics, equal to the Dutch VWO mathematics A or B level, or IB Standard Level maths.  More detailed information about the required level of mathematics is mentioned on our mathematics requirements page. 
• Finally, you need to prove your English language proficiency. Tilburg University accepts
  Academic IELTS (6.0 overall, minimum of 5.5 on individual parts),
  TOEFL (minimum score of 80 internet based), and
  Cambridge English test results: C1 advanced (formerly CAE) or C2 proficiency (formerly CPE).
  For both C1 and C2, we accept a score of A, B or C.

Are you applying with a Dutch educational background? The following VWO - profiles are accepted:

• Economics & Society
• Nature & Technique 
• Culture & Society (with Mathematics A or B)
• Nature & Health

Go to application and admission

Tuition fees for international students

Information about the tuition fees

Monthly cost of living

Living in Tilburg is relatively inexpensive compared to other student cities in the Netherlands, such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam or Utrecht. An indication for your monthly cost of living (including rent, food and drink, books, and insurance), of course depending on your lifestyle: