Business Administration

After my BSc in International Business I decided not to take the beaten track. I wanted to investigate another subject area and opted for Change Management.

This academic year I'm combining the MSc in Change Management with an administrative internship at UniPartners Groningen, an organization affiliated to the University that tries to bridge the gap between higher education and industry by involving students in consultancy projects in companies. Combining studies and administration means I have to work particularly hard, especially since the studies are very demanding. A lot is expected of you, and the lecturers are critical of everything. The backbone of the MSc programme for me is the Field Course, which deals with developments in Change Management, the things that influence it, and project management. Your level of thinking goes up by leaps and bounds because you have to take a critical approach to the subject matter. I hope to graduate in six months' time. I'm not sure what I shall do then. I want to have a good think about it in the summer: whether to continue my studies somewhere else or to start working. There's a good chance I shall go into consultancy, where I'd like to do something with people, as they often play an important role in organizational change.

The nice thing about the Master's degree programme in Small Business and Entrepreneurship is that it has a very practical orientation.

I heard about the Master's degree in Small Business and Entrepreneurship at a University of Groningen information meeting and I was immediately enthusiastic, partly because I have been interested in entrepreneurship for a long time and I am thinking about starting my own business. The nice thing about the Master's degree programme in Small Business and Entrepreneurship is that it has a very practical orientation. There is a strong focus on concrete aspects such as legislation, entry barriers and issues of succession, for example in family businesses, and students are assessed very critically on the characteristics that an entrepreneur should have, according to the literature, such as determination, being prepared to take risks and having pluck. I am currently doing an internship at AM Energy, the 'sustainable development department' of the property developer AM, where I am investigating the possibilities for exploiting sustainable energy in the Netherlands. I am very interested in the world of real estate. It's a market with relatively few big players and a good few smaller ones, there's lots of money involved and the output is visible. I think I will end up in this market after I graduate. Many students of Economics and Business want to work for multinationals, but I am more interested in SMEs. After I graduate I will first travel around Australia and New Zealand for about a year and then find a job. I would advise new Master's students not to underestimate the first six months. It's a busy time. There are no shortcuts and it's hard work, but it's definitely worth it!

"The courses offered and the beauty of the city made my stay in Groningen an unforgettable experience. If I had to choose a Master's programme again, I would again be on a flight to Groningen."

"Ana Quintana, graduate in Strategic Innovation Management" "I gained a Bachelor's degree in Management & Marketing in Mexico City before I came to the Netherlands to follow a Master's programme. During my Bachelor's studies, I spent a semester in Canada and I wanted to expand my international (study) experiences before starting work. Innovation is a specialization not usually offered in Mexico and the combination of Innovation and Strategy in one programme eventually directed me to Groningen. Now I am working as a Promotion Manager in charge of the several customer loyalty programs offered by one of Mexico's biggest hotel chains. Although the Master's program was rather theoretical, I feel that it prepared me very well for my current job. My Master's thesis dealt with Innovation in family businesses and I now benefit from the intense research modules offered during the programme. There was nothing about Groningen that I did not like: the city is just beautiful. I especially enjoyed going everywhere by bike, the variety of offers for students and, of course, the Queens day celebrations. Groningen has everything to make (foreign) students feel at home. Looking back a year after my return to Mexico, I feel that I especially enjoyed getting to know Dutch culture. In addition, the courses offered and the beauty of the city made my stay in Groningen an unforgettable experience. If I had to choose a Master's programme again, I would again be on a flight to Groningen."