International Management & Consultancy

In today’s rapidly globalizing business world huge economic power shifts are taking place. In this dynamic arena, young Dutch professionals have a name for taking on active business roles. For this reason, International Management has become a vital and highly specialized discipline, particularly in Dutch Business Administration curricula. An increased number of businesses worldwide are in search of ambitious, business-savvy professionals who can help them advance internationally. These businesses can be small, international start-ups (also called ‘born globals’), established companies entering new foreign markets, consultancy firms, or multinationals offering exciting traineeships. In our International Management & Consultancy track, you can gain the expertise they are looking for. Through the elective courses you take, you can learn how to help these businesses raise to and stay on top, develop effective cross-border strategies and operations, navigate the opportunities and risks of global sourcing, co-lead (global) change projects, deal with cross-cultural differences on their globalized work-floors, or understand the challenges of launching an International New Technology-Based Venture (INTBV). In addition to this specialized international expertise, the IMC track will also provide you with the broader in-depth knowledge you would expect from a Master’s in Business Administration.

The University of Twente has a long history in internationally oriented management research and education. Our professors frequently issue high-quality, award-winning publications with other international professionals and/or have (international) business and consultancy experience. We also have a strong doctoral programme for Business Administration, involving about a dozen active PhD researchers located across the world. Many of these are engaged in cutting-edge cross-cultural research, working closely with numerous global brands such as ING Bank, KPMG and Heineken, but also the Ministry of Defence, healthcare institutes and other international companies and research institutes in our network. As a technical university, the UT is also on the frontier of global developments such as smart industry and the use of advanced technology in healthcare. All of this means that as an  International Management & Consultancy student at the UT, you will be keyed into the very latest scientific insights and practical experiences – in areas ranging from strategy and operations in a global context to changes faced by international organizations and their leadership. This includes, among others, management trends such as agile, lean, digitalization, Industry 4.0, and appreciative inquiry.

Find out more about Our Change Management and Organizational Behaviour Research Group

About 40% of our IMC students are international and our staff also represents a variety of nationalities. This is typical of the strong and growing international profile of the University of Twente. Many of the graduation theses our Master’s students work on come directly from international businesses, both at home and abroad. We have strong links with organizations, management consultants and research institutes in Austria, Brazil, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, among others. This means that even while studying, you will gain vital practical experience and expand your global network with excellent connections, both in- and outside the Netherlands. Many of our students also choose to do part of their Master’s thesis abroad, gaining first-hand experience of cross-cultural differences. An example is a graduate who studied how to implement a lean healthcare system in a developing economy such as Brazil. Such willingness to go abroad is exactly what many businesses are looking for in job applicants nowadays. Our international orientation makes the UT an ideal place for studying International Management & Consultancy. Elective courses such as Change Management & Consultancy in a Global Context and Cross-cultural Behaviour will help you to gain the knowledge and practical insights to navigate such globalized arena.

The UT is frequently praised as the most entrepreneurial university in the Netherlands. Entrepreneurship (including intrapreneurship) is one of our core values, and we consider it part of our mission to keep redefining what it means in today’s constantly changing societal and corporate landscapes. As an International Management & Consultancy student, you will benefit from being part of our vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem. Do you want to gain specialized knowledge of International New Technology-Based Ventures (INTBVs)? The IMC track includes the elective International Entrepreneurship that will take you to the very forefront of this rapidly evolving science. Do you aim to launch your own enterprise? The UT has an outstanding track record in successful start-ups, with over 1,000 spinoffs in business today – many of whom were helped by our innovation specialists at Novel-T. All of this means that as an IMC student you have access to leading innovation and entrepreneurship expertise as well as excellent UT examples, including Booking.com and Takeaway.com.

The IMC Master’s track has been designed to help you develop academically and professionally. Throughout the course, you become competent at independently conducting international and multidisciplinary research, as well as at designing and organizing innovative, hands-on paths and tools to business solutions. We will equip you to deliver scientifically sound analyses and solutions to real challenges faced by businesses and society. You will work on practical cases from the real business world, and attend lectures by experienced guest lecturers from around the globe. Our guest speakers represent world players such as ING Bank, KPMG, Accenture, and other prominent members of the international business community and even healthcare. This blend of academic knowledge and application is also central to your team projects. We offer a broad choice of courses and topics, with the opportunity to closely align your electives and graduation research with your own interests and ambitions. Uniquely, one of the electives in this track allows you to explore your personal preferences, strengths and challenges when it comes to (cross-cultural) collaboration with others. You can also participate in one of the many external thesis projects we offer. All this means that, as a graduate, you will not only have in-depth knowledge of the international business arena, but also marketable skills in strategy and operations, analysis, teams, consultancy and projects.  

The IMC track is part of our Master’s programme Business Administration (BA). Discover what makes this BA Master’s different from other business programmes, or explore our other BA specializations.