Degree: Master of Business Administration, MBA

•  Study type: Blended learning
•  Duration: 90 credits
•  Campus: Talonpojankatu 2, Kokkola
•  Places: 23
•  Application period opens: 13.03.2024 at 08:00
•  Application period closes: 26.04.2024 at 15:00
•  Studies start in autumn 2024
•  Curriculum 
• Link to Studyinfo
•  Teaching language: English

Centria’s Master’s Degree Programme in International Business Management is for you that want to develop your expertise and take the next step to advance in your career. A Master’s degree is an excellent way to increase your professional knowledge of business administration, especially in the field of international business. The MBA studies are conducted in English and in a blended learning format. The online lectures take place usually on Saturdays twice a month. You are eligible to apply for this MBA programme if you have a higher education degree completed in one of the member countries of 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 and leadership, 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. The studies also include optional studies that you can choose based on your interests. An essential part of the degree is the Master’s thesis project. In addition, if you have previous business studies at the Master’s level, it is possible to apply for credit transfers and integrate that knowledge and 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 MBA students come from Finland and other European countries. Some 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 international, and you will not just learn about international business, but you will also learn about different cultures and habits while practising your language and communication skills. 

We constantly develop the degree programme with companies and other cooperative partners. 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.

More information on the programme

Content of studies

You can find the curriculum here.

The Master’s Degree in International Business Management is conducted in English. The scope of the studies is 90 ECTS. The duration of the studies is 1,5–3 years, depending on the student’s personal situation and personal graduation plan. The studies are conducted in a blended learning format. Multimodal learning methods are used. Online lessons are typically offered approximately twice a month, usually on Saturdays. Furthermore, independent distance learning on the student’s own time is required. The learning process consists of online lectures, independent work and 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 & tools, as well as RDI processes and expert communication.

Internationalisation

The study environment at 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.  

You can find Master’s thesis made by our students in www.theseus.fi. 

Career possibilities

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. 

According to a study commissioned by the Professionals of Business and Technology (Tradenomiliitto TRAL), a higher education degree completed at a university of applied sciences has a positive impact on career development and salary. More than 80% of the respondents feel that the degree has significantly impacted their organisational status and the content of their work assignments. 

A Master’s degree from a university of applied sciences delivers the same qualifications to positions and vacancies in the public sector as a university Master’s degree. 

Student selection

Eligibility criteria

For this specific direct application round, the following education gives applicants eligibility to apply for the Master’s programme:

• a higher education degree completed in one of the universities in Finland
• a higher education degree completed in one of the universities of applied sciences in Finland
• a higher education degree completed in one of the EU/EEA-area countries

Furthermore, applicants are obliged to have at least two years of relevant work experience, gained after obtaining a higher education degree (applicants can accumulate work experience until the end of July 2024).

Applicants are also required to submit a proof of English language proficiency since the Master’s studies are conducted in English.

Language requirements

English language skills can be proved by the following documents:

1. Language test results

• IELTS Academic: a minimum total score of 6.0
• TOEFL Academic (iBT): a minimum total score of 60
• PTE Academic: a minimum total score of 55
• Cambridge C1 Advanced: a minimum total score of 169
• Cambridge C2 Proficiency: a minimum total score of 169

2. National Certificate of Language Proficiency (YKI) English: Proficiency level 4 on all the subtests (reading, writing, listening and speaking).

3. Higher education degree completed in English in an EU/EEA country, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Kingdom, or the United States

4. Upper secondary degree completed in English in an EU/EEA country, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Kingdom, or the United States

5. One of the following grade cases in Finnish Matriculation Examination, European Baccalaureate, International Baccalaureate or Reifeprüfung/DIA

• Finnish Matriculation Examination: English on advanced Level with a minimum grade of M
• International Baccalaureate completed in English
• International Baccalaureate diploma: grade 4 in higher level English
• European Baccalaureate: at least grade 6.00 in L2-level English
• Reifeprüfung/DIA completed diploma: at least grade 7 in advanced English

6. Certificate of higher education degree completed in Finland

Required attachments

To demonstrate his/her eligibility, the applicant must include the following attachments to the application form:

• Copy oforiginal Bachelor’s or Master’s degree certificate
• Authorized translation of the Bachelor’s or Master’s degree certificate if the originals are not issued in Finnish, Swedish or English. The translation must have the translator’s signature and stamp.
• Copies of testimonials: testimonials of the work experience entered on the application form. The testimonials need to be in English, Swedish or Finnish. Only work experience that is documented by the employer’s testimonial can be accepted. The testimonials/work certificates should show starting and closing dates as well as a description of work tasks. If you have worked part-time, the work certificates should indicate the number of work hours per month. 150 work hours or 20 working days (the minimum length of one full working day is 7 hours) compares with one month of work experience. Work experience gained as an entrepreneur, in one’s own or family business, can be documented by a certificate from an unchallengeable third party, such as a bookkeeper.
• A proof of English language proficiency

The deadline for submitting the documents is 3rd May 2024.

Admission criteria

Students are selected on the basis of points received from the entrance examination. The entrance exam is in form of an online test. The instructions, detailed content and the schedule of the online entrance exam are going to be sent to eligible applicants by email. When filling out the application form, applicants are advised to double-check if the given email address is functional. Functional email address is necessary in order to be able to contact applicants with essential guidelines.

The content of the entrance examination is based on given reading material and connected assignments. Applicants’ English language skills are going to be tested as well. A functional computer with a stable internet connection is required.

More information concerning the admission criteria can be found here.

Entrance exam

After all eligibilities are checked, eligible applicants will be informed about the next procedures via email which they submitted in their application. Instructions for the entrance exam will be sent to eligible applicants via email on Monday 20 May 2024.

Online exam is scheduled for Monday 27 May 2024 between 2 – 4 pm Finnish time

The online entrance exam has two parts – an oral and a written one. In the oral part, applicants prepare a short video based on the material. In the written part applicants create an essay based on the reading material following given instructions. All necessary instructions, detailed content and the schedule of the online entrance exam are going to be sent to eligible applicants via email. Applicants’ English language skills are going to be evaluated as well. Please notice that a functional computer with a stable internet connection is required.