Education

The IMS group offers four master programs:

• MSc Business Administration – Strategic Innovation Management
• MSc Business Administration – Change Management
• MSc Business Administration – Small Business & Entrepreneurship
• MSc Business Administration – Health

In these programs, students are taught advanced theories by a group of international, experienced researchers with diverse backgrounds in disciplines such as economics, business, sociology, psychology and information management. This diversity of perspectives is used to teach students about a wide range of business domains, including product and service innovation, organizational change, technology management, new business development, entrepreneurship, healthcare management and healthy ageing. Working with the latest knowledge on innovation, change, entrepreneurship and healthcare management, students are trained to develop the critical professional competences that are required to understand and manage the complex relationships between corporate strategy, technology, product and service innovations, customers and the firm’s business ecosystem. This multidisciplinary and crossfunctional approach provides students with the knowledge and skills to contribute to successful product, service and social innovations in both established organisations and startup firms, and in both for profit and non-profit organisations.

In addition to these four master programs, the IMS group participates in two minor programs:

• Minor Innovation & Entrepreneurship (for students of the Faculty of Economics & Business)
• Minor Entrepreneurship (for students from other faculties)

Both minor programs teach bachelor students about innovative entrepreneurship, both in the context of established firms and startup companies. The programs teach students how entrepreneurs identify new business opportunities and develop them into viable new businesses with compelling value propositions that customers are willing to pay for. These new businesses may address all types of innovations, such as new products, new services and social innovations that contribute to social progress. Students are taught a wide range of topics that are relevant for identifying and developing new business opportunities, including entrepreneurial skills, management of knowledge and technology, entrepreneurial marketing, legal aspects and financial aspects. As part of the program, students apply this knowledge to their own entrepreneurship project.

In all programs, students are taught by a group of experienced, international researchers with close ties to both the international academic community and local business community. As a result, many courses illustrate their theoretical knowledge by using guest speakers from business.

Students positively evaluate the Master of Science Business Administration of the University of Groningen. In the academic year 2014-2015 and 2015-2016, the MSc BA ranked second (out of 6) in the Netherlands. In the academic year 2016-2017, the MSc BA ranked first (zie Keuzegids).

As a department we are proud of what our students achieve. Many students have gained external recognition for their master thesis or extra-ordinary performance. See an overview for the period of 2010-2016 .