The International Business Administration (IBA) field of Economics & Management is the broadest of the selection of IBA specialisations, enabling students to understand management from an international and organisational, economy-based perspective.

Knowledge of how the economy works has become essential to businesses around the world. The idea that the way companies and organisations, consumers and governments make decisions that will affect the operation, performance and eventual success of a firm has been embedded within business administration, which makes the programme Economics & Management the broadest business degree offered by Wittenborg. Economics concerns the conduct of business within the local, social and political environment, looking at the conduct of business, government policy-making, laws and restrictions and the enormous changes taking place within Europe, America, Asia, Africa and the rest of the world.

Management looks at the skills and competencies required to effectively manage a company or organisation within the economy, and the coordination of materials and labor within the scope of the organisation’s mission, goals and defined objectives. It looks carefully at the distinct relationships between the segments of an organisation, and how these segments are united to form a successful and thriving enterprise. Management students look at the way managers function, lead and make decisions, and they consider a manager’s decision-making role and effect on the organisation’s operations.

The programme covers many of the IBA fields, focusing on the management of core areas of business that are fundamental to the economics of the organisation, such as quality control and logistics, as well as the comparative areas of financial management and business accountancy. Excursions to profit and non-profit organisations will be arranged and Economics and Management students will also be given the opportunity to create a start-up business, through a series of modules which include the Business Plan.

Key business modules include World-Wide Business and Law, Logistics, and Quality Management. The Economics & Management programme also fully prepares students for administering business through modules in Accounting, Bookkeeping and Finance.

During their second year, Economics & Management students will be taught a variety of specialisation courses. Procurement & Production, Business Philosophy and Managing Organisations are among them.

Procurement & Production focuses on the purchasing and supply function of an enterprise. Students have to show how these functions interrelate with the rest of the organisation.

The course Business Philosophy is concerned with the ideas of several economic philosophers (such as Smith, Marx, Keynes, etc). In class, different approaches will be discussed in order for students to understand the political economy. The main objective is for students to develop their capacity to read management literature from a more critical perspective and to develop their interest for fundamental questions as part of their evolution as effective executives or managers.

In the course Managing Organisations students learn to identify all organisational resources, including financial, physical and intangible resources, and analyse how they contribute to organisational capabilities and competitive advantage.

Students who choose the BBA programme of Economics & Management will specialise in the field of understanding macro and micro environments in business, looking at the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services. You learn about the management of assets and wealth, also about the market forces that can change a product’s outlook or a company’s market share.

The BBA Economics & Management programme does not lead to an industry in itself, as it is the broadest of programmes that encompasses literately all industries at many different levels of management. Based on their in-depth knowledge of the commercial environment in which they operate, Business Administrators who are strong in economics can quickly become key personnel in the management of both large and small organisations, directing and driving the company towards greater turnover, bigger yields and higher profits.

Around 30% of graduates choose for continued education at master’s level, but the career prospects of Economics & Management graduates are excellent. Many graduates enter business directly in such sectors as the financial services and real estate sectors, and also companies dealing with international trade, import and export.

Wittenborg graduates can be found as logistics managers at robust SME manufacturing companies, and as financial specialists in corporations, such as Achmea Insurance and Sun Microsystems.

Entry Requirements – Bachelor Programmes
High School Diploma or final certificate, equivalent to the Netherlands HAVO or MBO level-4 diploma / UK AS & A-Level or BTEC. Please contact the Admissions Office to receive High School diploma comparisons. Advanced Placement / Credit Transfer Possible – please see Credit Transfer & Accreditation of Prior Learning at WUASfor more information.

Direct Entry to Final Year
Students with successful study experience equivalent to 160 European Credits in a related business or economic field are able to enter directly into the Final-Year programme (80 credits). The examination and graduation board will decide on entry based on credit transcripts and qualifications presented. Please see Entry Requirements for Direct Entry Final Phase Students (‘Top-up’)for more information.

English Language Requirements
IELTS 6 or TOEFL equivalent. Click here for an overview of the equivalent scores.
TOEFL Code of Wittenborg is 4889.

Not got the English level requirements? Find out about our Foundation Programme here.