Program and courses International Business Administration BSc
The International Business Administration program is the ideal preparation for a career in one of the many aspects of international business: Management, Marketing, Accounting or Finance. Together with students from all over the world, you will study how international organizations function and will become well equipped to deal with the dynamic environment of a multinational.
Video: short overview of this Bachelor's program (02:48)
- 00:00 Intro
- 00:31 Business & economics
- 01:01 Professional skills
- 01:24 Personal skills
- 01:50 Character building
- 02:18 After this bachelor
Program structure and content
The core of the program is formed by business-related courses in international management, marketing, finance and accounting. You will also take socially oriented courses, and learn the principles of good research. Through lectures and teamwork, you will acquire (academic) communication, planning, programming and quantitive skills.
During the first year, the program gives you a solid base in Marketing, Accounting, Finance, International Strategy, Organizational Behavior and Economics.
Year two offers an in-depth exploration of the core subjects, and you will focus on the international aspects of the program in subjects such as Comparative & Cross-Cultural Management.
The third year is your specialization. You will choose a minor, which is your chance to specialize during the program, in one of the core topics or a new subject, such as entrepreneurship. Many students choose to study abroad for a semester and follow their minor at one of the many partner institutions of Tilburg University. Or you can choose to gain business experience via an internship. You will finish your Bachelor’s program by completing a research project independently: your Bachelor’s thesis.
Check the first-year content
You will study the core business topics from the start of year one: Marketing, Accounting, Finance, International Strategy, Organizational Behavior and Economics. In addition there is room for the development of general skills. You will learn to apply your knowledge right away in Project Management for IBA.
You will take the following courses in the first semester:
- Microeconomics
- Financial Accounting
- Foundations of International Strategy
- Mathematics
- Organizational Behavior
- Programming and Quantitative Skills
- PASS for IBA*: Mentoring program focusing on social cohesion, study success and personal development
SKILLS: Career Development
Career Development: personal development, study skills, and job market (not compulsory)
And these courses in the second semester:
- Macroeconomics
- Finance & Investment
- Marketing Management
- Project Management for IBA
- Statistics 1
- Academic Communication Skills
SKILLS: Career Development
Career Development: personal development, study skills, and job market (not compulsory)
Check the second-year content
Year two offers a further exploration of the core subjects, but also introduces new ones, such as Human Resource Management, Comparative and Cross-Cultural Management and International Business Research.
You will take the following courses in the first semester:
- Comparative and Cross-Cultural Management
- Corporate Finance
- Human Resource Management
- Philosophy of Science
- Statistics 2
- Operations Management OR Introduction to International Business Taxation
SKILLS: Career Development
Career Development: personal development, study skills, and job market (not compulsory)
And these ones in the second semester:
- Decision Making in Marketing
- International Business Research
- Management Accounting
- Corporate Governance
- Decision Making with Business Analytics
- Information Management OR Global Sustainable Leadership
SKILLS: Career Development
Career Development: personal development, study skills, and job market (not compulsory)
Check the third-year content
The third year offers most flexibility
All the choices you make in the third year are your chance for specialization, and could be your steps towards a specialized Master’s degree or your future career!
Please select for your first semester:
- a Minor (18 ECTS) + Elective(s) IBA (12 ECTS) OR
- an Internship (24 ECTS) + 1 Elective IBA (6 ECTS) OR
- an exchange semester to Study Abroad (30 ECTS)
SKILLS: Career Development
Career Development: personal development, study skills, and job market (not compulsory)
In the final semester you will follow your last courses:
- The Morality of Commercial Life
- Business Strategy & Data Analytics
- Innovation & Technology Management for IBA
- Business Law for IBA
And write your thesis to display your knowledge in a topic cluster of your choosing: Management, Marketing, Finance or Accountancy. To start your bachelor thesis, you must have completed 120 ECTS of the bachelor program, including skills. You can write your thesis in Fall or Spring.
Please Note! There are specific entry requirements for the thesis.
SKILLS: Career Development
Career Development: personal development, study skills, and job market (not compulsory)
Watch a trial lecture
Trial lecture
Do you want to experience what a lecture of this Bachelor's program is like? Watch the recording of a lecture and get an impression what to expect.
Organizational Behavior for International Business Administration
Get to know the program better by viewing these trial lectures:
- Decision making in International Marketing by dr. ing. Niels van de Ven (video - 48:24 min)
- Business analytics in music (and Marketing) by dr. Hannes Datta (video - 46:11 min)
Follow a trial lecture on campus?
Join our Student for a day events.
You will find a detailed description of the courses and required literature in our course catalog. Please note: this is the program of the current academic year.
Please note: programs are subject to change. We advise you to look up the current program in OSIRIS Student at the start of the year.
Do you want to know more about this Bachelor’s program?
Learn more on this Bachelor's program at one of our events
Why International Business Administration in Tilburg?
- Tilburg University is well known for Business, Management and Economics, as is reflected in prominent international (subject) rankings.
- Study with fellow students of more than 50 different nationalities in lectures and small scaled tutorials.
- The broad nature of the program provides a solid base and gives access to a wide range of different Master’s programs at Tilburg University or elsewhere in the world.
Interested in the Bachelor's program in International Business Administration?
Check your eligibility and the deadlines for application