MBA International Business Management (Daytime Studies) Centria University of Applied Sciences

The MBA studies are conducted in English on weekdays at our Talonpojankatu campus in Kokkola. You are eligible to apply to the MBA programme if you have a higher education degree completed outside the European Union or The European Economic Area and you have at least two years of work experience.

During your studies, you will deepen your knowledge and get new perspectives on international business management. You will study human resource management, leadership, strategic management, financial management, international marketing and brand management – to name a few subjects. The studies also include business ethics and sustainable development studies. You will dive deep into international business management from many aspects. An essential part of the degree is the Master’s thesis project. If you have previous business studies on master’s level, it is possible to integrate those skills into your MBA degree to speed up your studies. We do our best to offer high-quality education and flexible arrangements to guarantee good study progress.

Our students come from all over the world. Some class exercises and assignments are done in groups, which is an excellent way to network with fellow MBA students. The subjects of the group activities are usually related to real business life. The study environment is very international, and you will not just learn about international business, but you will also learn about different cultures and habits while practicing your language skills. You can choose optional studies from Centria Master Schools’ supply which allows you to connect with other Master’s students from Centria, or alternatively you can have optional Master’s level studies from the Finnish national CampusOnline study portal.

We constantly develop the degree programme with companies. We aim to build the expertise of our students so that both the students and the working life can benefit from it. In the annual national survey, our graduating Master’s level students have ranked Centria as the best university of applied sciences in Finland for two years in a row now.

The Master’s Degree in International Business Management is conducted in English. The scope of the studies is 90 ECTS, and the duration of the studies is 1,5 years. The studies are organised as daytime studies. Multimodal learning methods are used. Live lessons are offered at Kokkola Campus on weekdays. Furthermore, independent distance studies on the student’s own time are required. The learning process consists of lectures on campus and partly also online, exercises in class, independent work, as well as distance learning assignments and development projects.

The studies consist of core studies and profiling studies that are compulsory for all MBA students. You can also study optional courses, which you can choose based on your interests. The master’s thesis is a large part of the degree, and you will get a chance to start planning it from the early stage of your studies. The thesis process is also supported by courses on research and development methods and tools, as well as research and expert communication.

See curriculum

Internationalisation

The study environment in Centria is very international, and this will give you many possibilities to practice and improve your language skills and learn about new cultures and habits. We also provide you with the opportunity to go on a Master’s level exchange to one of our partner universities abroad.

Thesis

The thesis is a research and development project, and it is an essential part of the studies. The thesis project aims to develop your ability to find new research information and implement it in your thesis work. The thesis project helps you to gain the expertise that you need in challenging expert and managerial positions. The thesis project is a combination of theory and practice.

The scope of the thesis is 30 ECTS.

The MBA Programme in International Business Management provides a wide variety of potential thesis topics depending on your personal interests. Examples of thesis topics include, for example, development of management systems or leadership practices, organizational development, international business opportunity mapping, advanced market surveys and marketing research, internationalization plans for businesses, advanced business planning and business model development, development of e-business solutions, etc.

After you have completed the MBA programme, you have grown into a business management professional. You are capable of independent decision-making, working in management or demanding expert tasks in businesses. You have learned tools and methods. You can operate in international business or as an independent entrepreneur in the global business environment.