February MSc in Management programmes Nyenrode Business Universiteit

Transcription

1 February 2008 MSc in Management programmes Nyenrode Business Universiteit

2 Quality Assurance Netherlands Universities (QANU) Catharijnesingel 56 PO Box RA Utrecht The Netherlands Phone: +31 (0) Telefax: +31 (0) Internet: QANU Text and numerical material from this publication may be reproduced in print, by photocopying or by any other means with the permission of QANU if the source is mentioned.

3 Table of contents Foreword 5 Preface 7 Part I General 9 1. Introduction Frame of reference General remarks 17 Part II Report on the Master degree courses Structure and organisation of the business school 1 2. Introduction of bachelor and master degree courses, wrapping up old doctoraal degree courses: State of affairs 3 3. The assessment framework 5 Overview of the assessment by the Committee 55 Appendices 57 Appendix A: Short CVs of the Committee members 59 Appendix B: Visitation programme for Nyenrode MSc in Management programmes

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5 FOREWORD This report forms part of the quality assessment of university degree programmes currently being carried out in the Netherlands. It aims to present a reliable picture of the results of the degree programme submitted for this review, provide feedback for the internal quality assessment of the institutes concerned, and serve as the basis for accreditation by the Accreditation Organization of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO). QANU ensures independent, unbiased, critically constructive assessments using identical quality criteria as far as possible, while taking specific circumstances into account. The Assessment Committee for the MSc in Management programme of Nyenrode Business University has fulfilled its tasks with great dedication. The programme was evaluated in a thorough and careful manner. We trust our conclusions and recommendations will be treated likewise. We thank the Chairman and members of the Assessment Committee for their willingness to participate in this assessment and for the dedication with which they carried out this task. We are also grateful to the staff of Nyenrode Business University for their carefully prepared documentation and for their co-operation during the assessments. Mr. Chris J. Peels QANU Director Dr. Jan G.F. Veldhuis Chairman of the QANU Board 5

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7 Preface National and international accreditations are important in guiding students in their choice for a MSc in Management programme. The outcome of the assessment process described in this report is, therefore, not only important for current students, alumni and stakeholders but also particularly relevant as a guide for future students. Nyenrode can take pride in their full-time and part-time MSc in Management. These programmes are uniquely positioned in the Netherlands as they combine both theory and practice. As Nyenrode states in the self-assessment document, they are educating 'entrepreneurial managers who can excel in any environment'. The Assessment Committee thanks in particular the President of Nyenrode, Mr. Herman Bruggink, and Prof. Jack van der Veen, Associate Dean of Master Programmes, and its team for their kind hospitality. Our visit to Nyenrode was a pleasant and very productive experience for the whole assessment team. As Chairman of the Assessment Committee, I thank the various members of the Assessment Committee for their valuable contribution to the assessment process. I especially thank Professors Ed Vosselman, Beate van der Heijden and Jan Bunt for their important contributions to the discussions on management education and the Dublin descriptors in general and on the various dimensions and components of the MSc in Management of the Nyenrode programmes in particular. I wish to express my sincere appreciation to Karin Scager for her important and valuable input on pedagogical matters and Chantal Savelsbergh for her perspective from a student's point of view. Without the dedication and valuable support and assistance from Jan Willem Meijer and Dr. Barbara van Balen, this report could not have been completed in its current form. The whole team provided a stimulating environment in which to work. To evaluate both the qualitative and quantitative dimensions of quality, innovativeness and relevance of a MSc in Management programme for current and future students, a well rounded team of professionals is needed. As Chairman of this Assessment Committee I could not have asked for a better team. Prof. Ronald S.J. Tuninga Chairman, Assessment Committee 7

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9 PART I: GENERAL 9

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11 1. Introduction Administrative data Master degree course MSc in Management programmes: Name of the degree course: MSc in Management programmes CROHO number: Level: Master Orientation: WO Study load: 123 EC Degree: Master Variant(s): full time, part time Location(s): Breukelen Expiration accreditation: 31 December 2008 The visit of the Assessment Committee to the Business School of the Nyenrode Business University took place on November 21-23, Structure of the report In this document the Educational Evaluation Committee for the MSc in Management programmes (in this report referred to as the Committee ) reports its findings. The report consists of two parts: a general part and a part that contains the results of the educational evaluation and assessment of the MSc degree courses in Management offered at Nyenrode Business University. The general part summarises the tasks, composition and input documentation and contains some general remarks concerning the degree courses. Part II is structured in accordance with the accreditation criteria prescribed by the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO) Task of the Committee The task of the Committee was to evaluate and assess the MSc in Management programmes offered at Nyenrode Business Universiteit. Nyenrode offers a full-time and a part-time programme, referred to respectively as MSc and PTMSc. This evaluation and assessment are based on, and comply with, the NVAO accreditation requirements The constitution of the Committee A shortlist of candidates was formally approved by the QANU Board. All members of the Committee signed a declaration of independence as required by the QANU protocol to assure that: the panel members judge without bias, personal preference or personal interest, and the judgement is made without undue influence from the institute, the programme or other stakeholders. 11

12 The Committee consisted of a chairman and five members: Chair Prof. R.S.J. Tuninga Dean and Director of the Maastricht School of Management; Professor of International Business and Marketing, Open University of the Netherlands. Members: Prof. B.I.J.M. van der Heijden Director of Research and Doctoral Programmes/Head of Department of Organizational Behaviour/Human Resource Management, Maastricht School of Management Full Professor of Strategic HRM, Open University of the Netherlands; HRM Department, University of Twente. Mrs K. Scager Senior Educational Advisor, University Utrecht, Interfacultair Instituut voor Lerarenopleiding, Onderwijsontwikkeling en Studievaardigheden (IVLOS) Prof. E.G.J.Vosselman Professor of Management Accounting and Control, Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen. Prof. J. Bunt Emeritus Professor of Marketing Management and Business Policy, Erasmus University Rotterdam. Mrs. C.M.J.H. Savelsbergh Assistant Professor of Management Science, Open University of the Netherlands and PhD candidate, University of Tilburg. Mrs. Savelsbergh, acting on the basis of her experiences as a student of marketing management and business policy at the Technical University Eindhoven represented the students' view on the Committee. A short curriculum vitae of each of the Committee members is included in Appendix A. J.W.M. Meijer and Dr. B.M. van Balen were appointed secretaries of the Evaluation Committee Materials presented to the Committee as a basis for the assessment Nyenrode Business University prepared a self-evaluation report in accordance with the NVAO accreditation criteria 1 and the QANU instructions for the compilation of a self-evaluation report. Appended to the self-evaluation report Nyenrode University provided information about the course outlines, CVs of the faculty, rules and regulations, evaluation results, admission requirements, thesis guidelines and other guidelines and regulations. The Committee feels that the self-evaluation report is elaborate and reflects the existing status of the degree courses and related subjects. After studying the report, the Committee asked the University to provide them with additional information on the strengths and weaknesses per subject, which was done immediately. The self-evaluation report and the additional information proved to be sufficient for the Committee as preparation for the site visit. During the site visit the Committee remarked that Nyenrode University could have strengthened their 1 Accreditation protocol for academic educational programmes, NVAO, 14 February Brief instructions for the writing of a Self-evaluation report; QANU, March

13 self-evaluation report even further by including more information about their future plans, improvements and developments of the programmes Working method adopted by the Committee The Committee used the QANU protocol 3 for the assessment of degree programmes. This QANU protocol is an elaboration of the NVAO assessment criteria. The Committee had a kick-off meeting on November 8, During this meeting the Committee was instructed by the QANU coordinator on educational matters, F. Wamelink, on their tasks and responsibilities. Furthermore, the Committee agreed upon a division of tasks and subjects between the Committee members. A first analysis of the self-evaluation report was made by the QANU secretary. In preparation for the site visit, the members of the Committee formulated questions on their own subjects. Nyenrode Business University was visited on November , The programme of the site visit is included in Appendix B. The visit started with a preparatory meeting on the evening of November 21 and another two-hour preparatory meeting on November 22, in which the Committee reviewed a selection of documentation relating to the degree courses (MSc in Management part-time and fulltime). Interviews with representatives of all relevant agencies of the Nyenrode organisation were held. The Committee interviewed the directors, programme management, teachers, full-time and part-time students, alumni, the Exam Committee, support staff and staff responsible for career services. Finally, a sub-committee toured the campus and educational facilities. After the site visit the QANU secretary made a first draft of the report. The Committee members commented on that draft and added their analysis and assessment by . A second draft was made on the basis of the comments and agreed upon by all the Committee members on the basis of consensus. This draft was sent to Nyenrode for a factual check. A third draft was made with the factual corrections by Nyenrode. The Committee finalized the report in their meeting on February 8, The scores per facet in this report follow the scale prescribed by NVAO and have the following connotations: The standard score is used to indicate that for this level the facet achieves the basic standard of quality, and is evaluated as being satisfactory. The connotation excellent means that for this facet a quality level is attained that cannot be improved upon and is of top quality at an international level. The connotation good means that for this facet a quality level is attained that exceeds the standard, and that can be considered as an example of best practice. Unsatisfactory means that the level for this facet is below the basic standard of quality. 3 QANU protocol for the external quality assessment of academic Bachelor s and Master s programmes for accreditation v3.1., Jan 2004-Aug

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15 2. Frame of reference The Committee used a compilation of available reference lists as their frame of reference to assess the degree programmes. The compilation was made by the Chairman of the Committee from domain-specific criteria used by the acknowledged accreditation organisations QAA and AMBA, and the general profile that was employed by the Educational Assessment Committee for Management Studies, University of Twente (April 2007). The compilation is presented in Table 1 below: Table 1: Frame of reference QAA Domain-specific criteria AMBA Domain-specific criteria Content: Markets Business Environment International Dimension of Business General profile Political Sciences, International Orientation, Economics Customers Marketing of Goods and Services Marketing Finance Financing of Business Enterprises Financial Management People Manage Change, Organizational Theory, HRM Issues Organizational Sciences, Alteration Sciences, Personnel Policies, HRM, Organisation Culture, Organisational Sociology, Organisational Psychology Operations Accounting, MIS Production, Logistics, Purchasing, Chain Management, Financial Accounting Communication and IT MIS and Communication Communication Business Policy & Strategy Business Policy and Strategy, General Management at Operational and Strategic Level Strategy Pervasive Issues (CSR, Diversity, Innovation, etc.) Pervasive Issues (creativity, knowledge management, innovation, globalisation, e- commerce) Quality Assurance, Business Ethics and Philosophy, Corporate Governance, Law, Technology, ICT, Innovation Competencies: Think Critically and Creatively Solve Complex Problems and Make Decisions Ability to Conduct Research Intellectual development Apply concepts in a business setting Research and consultancy skills, business research Research in domain of studies, learn how to perform research, consultancy skills Using Knowledge Effectively Quantitative Skills Quantitative methods Use of CIT Computer skills Communication Skills Communication Communication Personal Development Team Skills Co-operative and team player Leadership and Performance Management CSR and Business Ethics Leadership and entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship, Management and leadership skills, Project skills 15

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17 3. General remarks Nyenrode Business University is very well known for its educational programmes in Management and Business Administration. Graduates from Nyenrode are very attractive to industry, government and corporations, and as one of the students remarked, Nyenrode graduates can be met everywhere in management, consultancy and at the level of CEOs in industry. Nyenrode Business University is also unique in the Netherlands because of its intensive fixed time - fixed quality programme and the campus facilities. These elements are important arguments for students to choose Nyenrode. The Committee had a very interesting site visit to Nyenrode campus and spoke to a number of motivated, positive, ambitious students. The programmes that Nyenrode Business University offers definitely fulfil a need. It is remarkable that the MSc students interviewed by the Committee, all with a pre-education at the professional (HBO) level, unanimously want to seize the opportunity to obtain an academic degree through a 16-month programme (4-month Adaptation Phase and a 12-month Main Phase) with a high success rate. The 16-month programme is much shorter than the other university programmes. Compare the main competitor, the 2-year programme of Rotterdam School of Management. The length of the programme was one of the main arguments to choose Nyenrode. It is even more remarkable that Nyenrode is the only one which can fulfil a fully fledged Management programme of 123 EC in such a short period of time. Undeniably, this is because of the three pillar concept (IntensiveMSc + Campus + Student Association), the stimulating and challenging environment for qualified, responsible and committed students and staff. This concept urges and stimulates the students to work far more than 40 hours a week. The strongest element of the Nyenrode programmes is the close link to management and business practice. Nyenrode has devoted itself to the difficult ambition to achieve an academic level, and to offer a MSc in Management programme. This ambition forced the programme management to create a balance between the acknowledged and well-known strong focus on practice, and the focus on academic skills and research that is required for accreditation as MSc. The Committee has, in its assessment, paid special attention to this balance. The balance achieved is satisfactory in the Committee's view, but it needs to be maintained continuously. The strong focus on practice, reflected in the slogan 'By Business for Business', requires the students to learn research-based strategic decision-making. The academic research is also actual and business-relevant as much as possible, but they have to comply with the requirements of academic research. Partly based on the contacts with its own alumni, Nyenrode can rely on a vast network of contacts in industry. These contacts have a huge surplus value for the quality of the degree programmes. The alumni the Committee interviewed spoke highly of the network and contacts resulting from their study at Nyenrode. Most of the contacts between programme management and functionaries in industry are informal, however. The Committee would recommend formalizing these contacts, e.g. by including alumni on programme advisory boards. The Committee received a lot of information in preparation for the site visit. This information was checked and evaluated during the site visit. The interviews during the site visit were necessary to obtain a good, practice-based image of the degree programmes. Some of the information presented in the interviews with the Committee would have had added value in the self-evaluation report, such as the plans to structure and stimulate research by the staff, and the continuous restructuring of the degree programmes. 17

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19 PART II: Report on the Master degree courses 19

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21 1. Structure and organisation of the business school In 2007 the Nivra-Nyenrode School of Accountancy & Control became an integral part of Nyenrode Business University. As a consequence Nyenrode has two schools, namely the Accountancy School and the Business School. The MSc and PTMSc programmes are positioned within the Business School. This school is organized according to a matrix structure to integrate the various lines of business and departments. Figure 1.1: The organization s matrix structure. Business Degree Programmes Strategy Finance Accounting Supply Chain Mgm Human Accountancy Degree Programmes NRG: Nyenrode Research Group Executive Education The various programmes are organized in four groups: Business Degree, Accountancy Degree, NRG, and Executive programmes. The faculty is organized in four so-called clusters: Strategy, Finance & Accounting, Marketing & Supply Chain Management, and Human. These clusters generate internal income from delivering faculty and resources and incur costs from salary payments to the faculty. The matrix cells reflect the faculty s involvement in activities in all lines of business, while at the same time all programmes are making use of the expertise in all clusters. Each cluster has its own budget and profit-and-loss responsibility. Programmes generate external revenue by selling their products to students, participants and organizations, and face internal costs from hiring expertise from clusters. 21

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23 2. Introduction of bachelor and master degree courses, wrapping up old doctoraal degree courses: state of affairs The MSc programme was designed in 1992 as the IDP (Intensief Doctoraal Programma Bedrijfskunde), to enable students with a pre-education on a professional (HBO level) or academic level to obtain an academic degree in Management. The Dutch-language doctoraal programme was followed by the MSc programme in In 1997 the part-time equivalent of the programme was launched under the name part-time Doctoraal Programme (PDP). The 3-year PTMSc of today is very much the same programme as the PDP, but positioned as an academic MSc in Management programme under the international bachelor-master structure. The Committee concluded that given the fact that students finished their intensive doctoraal programme in 16 months (full-time) or three years (part-time) and the fixed time condition that underlies the degree courses, no arrangements were necessary for the transfer from the old to the new degree programme. 23

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25 3. The assessment framework 3.1. Aims and objectives of the degree course F1: Domain-specific requirements The final qualifications of the degree course correspond to the requirements made to a degree course in the relevant domain (field of study/discipline and/or professional practice) by colleagues in the Netherlands and abroad and the professional practice. Description: The mission statement of Nyenrode Business University is: Improving the quality of business and management by delivering innovative, entrepreneurial people and ideas into the global business community. The mission and purpose of the full-time MSc programme is to: Prepare young, talented students with a bachelor degree to become entrepreneurial managers who can excel in any environment. The mission and the purpose of the part-time MSc is formulated as (because of the work experience the target student group has): To provide students with a broad academic basis in business and management and to improve their professional and personal competences, to enable them to excel as entrepreneurial manager in any environment. Entrepreneurial Manager is best described by the Nyenrode International MBA brochure: To some, the phrase entrepreneurial manager is an oxymoron. We tend to think of entrepreneurs as creative thinkers, risk-takers and innovators. We associate managers with analysis and administration, planning and logic. Entrepreneurs lead with their hearts and get their hands dirty. Managers live in their heads. Nyenrode graduates use all three head, heart and hands. The description in any environment includes: Nationally but also internationally; At multinationals but also at SMEs or their own start-ups; In various departments such as Marketing, Finance, HR and Operations even if they are not specialists; In all kinds of sectors, including financial services, manufacturing, hospitality, and consultancy. More specifically the objectives of the MSc programmes are formulated as follows. The MSc graduate: Has knowledge and understanding of an area of business administration and is capable in its application; Has an academic attitude; Has multi-disciplinary knowledge, understanding and skills for application; Is problem-oriented and application-directed; Has good communicative and social skills; Has the ability to work under severe pressure; Has an international orientation. 25

26 The final qualifications of the MSc student are: [A] In terms of the descriptor knowledge and understanding, the MSc students gain: 1. Thorough knowledge of business studies in academic terms, i.e. of a coherent entity of disciplines and subject areas, and the methodological and theoretical knowledge and skills belonging to these areas. The most important disciplines/subject areas are: Accounting, Finance, Operations & Logistics, Organization & Personnel, Economics, Marketing, Communication, as well as aspects of Business Strategy. Less dominant, but still present in the curricula are subjects like Business Law, Business Ethics and Entrepreneurship. 2. Knowledge of the relevant terms and theories in the above-mentioned areas of business studies, knowledge of the relation between the various subject areas, and the ability to ask and answer questions within each area, to assess the answers given, to draw conclusions and apply them to complex business processes. 3. The ability to develop strategic perspectives from an integrative business standpoint and scientific basis, to analyze and to solve managerial problems as well as to implement changes and innovations. 4. The ability to carry out research, in teams or otherwise, which is relevant to business and preferably to management, as well as to report on the research undertaken. 5. The ability to follow new developments in business based on scientific research; to determine the importance and applicability of these developments in a specific context; the ability to trace relevant information on management in international specialist literature. [B] In terms of the descriptor applying knowledge and understanding, the MSc students gain: 1. Insight into the relation between a business and aspects of the world surrounding it (political, economic, social, legal, environmental, international); with this insight, the ability to evaluate the viability of a business. 2. The ability to apply not only business knowledge and skills to management problems and situations, but also other, more general skills in the areas of communication and problemsolving. 3. The ability to tackle new, unknown and atypical problems and ones in which all aspects of business are concerned; on the basis of doing this, to be able to bring nuances to the existing business knowledge and to generate new scientific knowledge. 4. Understanding of the role and meaning of business studies and the disciplines/subject areas involved for business and society, as well as the resulting management responsibilities. [C] In terms of the descriptor making judgements, the MSc students gain: 1. Understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses, and the ability, in a particular situation, to reflect upon their own thinking and behaviour as well as that of the other(s) involved. 2. Understanding of the relation between a business and aspects of the world surrounding it (political, economic, social, legal, environmental, international); with this insight, the ability to evaluate the viability of a business. 3. The ability to understand the complexity of management problems (previous points) for which a complete picture or insufficient data are available and to formulate a well balanced judgment. 26

27 [D] In terms of the descriptor communication, the MSc students gain: 1. Understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses, and the ability, in a particular situation, to reflect upon their own thinking and behaviour as well as that of the other(s) involved. 2. Understanding of their own role in an organizational context and the inter-actional dynamics such as power distance, leadership issues, competition and cooperation. 3. The ability to communicate and connect with people in different roles with different specialties and professions. [E] In terms of the descriptor learning skills, the MSc students gain: 1. Understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses, and the ability, in a particular situation, to reflect upon their own thinking and behaviour as well as that of the other(s) involved. 2. Understanding of the necessity of a life-long learning process and their responsibility. Assessment: The Committee concluded that the Nyenrode Business School has a clearly defined and distinguished mission. The objectives and requirements of the degree programmes correspond with the nationally and internationally acknowledged requirements for an academic degree in management and business. This is also demonstrated by the EQUIS accreditation for the institute and the AMBA accreditation of this programme. Both accreditation organizations are well-known and acknowledged within the management and business domain. The Committee compared the final requirements of the degree programmes with the final requirements of comparable degree programmes in the Netherlands (i.e. the Rotterdam School of Management, Faculty of Management Sciences Nijmegen and Maastricht School of Management, and the Faculty of Management Science, Open University of the Netherlands) and concluded that they are satisfactory. Master degree course MSc in Management programmes: the assessment by the Committee is satisfactory. F2: Level The final qualifications of the degree course correspond to general, internationally accepted descriptions of the qualifications of a Bachelor or a Master. Description: The description of the final qualifications according to the format of the Dublin descriptors for an academic master is put under Facet 1. Assessment: The Committee is of the opinion that the description of the final qualifications of the degree course corresponds broadly to the general, internationally accepted description of the qualifications of a Master. The Dublin descriptors, however, still need some additional elaboration in the final qualifications of the programme. The Committee trusts that the school will comply in the near future. The Committee concludes that the level of the degree courses corresponds satisfactorily to the level of a MSc programme. Master degree course MSc in Management programmes: the assessment by the Committee is satisfactory. 27

28 F3: Orientation The final qualifications of the degree course correspond to the following descriptions of a Bachelor and a Master at universities: The final qualifications are based on requirements made by the academic discipline, the international academic practice and, if applicable to the course, the relevant practice in the prospective professional field. A University (WO) bachelor possesses the qualifications that allow access to a minimum of one further University (WO) degree course at master s level as well as the option to enter the labour market. A University (WO) master possesses the qualifications to conduct independent academic research or to solve multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary questions in a professional practice for which a University (WO) degree is required or useful. Description: The school describes in its self-evaluation report that the Nyenrode MSc programmes are oriented towards the development of academic qualifications needed in academic and professional fields. The most important learning elements related to this particular orientation are: An analytical approach to problem-solving; The ability to submit an argument in management science to critical appraisal; An analytical and critical way of thought and the ability to apply logical reasoning in practice as well as in relation to new theories in management science; The ability to follow current developments in the field of management science; The ability to transfer academic knowledge into social, professional and economic contexts; The ability to work, to communicate and to lead in inter-, multi- and trans-disciplinary environments from an academic perspective; The skills required to reflect on their own style of thought and working methods and the willingness to take necessary corrective action; Awareness of the ethical, normative and social consequences of developments in science and technology in general and the consequences for their own conduct. Assessment: The degree programmes clearly aim at educating academic professional managers. The final qualifications are in line with the perceived relevant practice in the professional field. The Committee considers this strong link to the professional field as one of the unique and recommendable aspects of the Nyenrode MSc programmes. Master graduates from this programme are able to solve multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary questions in a professional practice for which a university degree is useful. The focus on the professional field, however, causes some tension with the requirements made by the academic discipline and the qualifications to conduct independent academic research in the opinion of the Committee. The school provided additional information about the Power Houses project aimed at enforcing the relation between business practice, research and education. This information convinced the Committee that the degree programme achieved a balance between professional and academic qualifications. Master degree course MSc in Management programmes: the assessment by the Committee is satisfactory. 28

29 Assessment of the subject Aims and objectives of the degree course : The Committee concludes on the basis of its assessments of the relevant facets that the assessment for the subject Aims and objectives of the programme for the master degree course MSc in Management programmes is satisfactory Programme Description of the programme of the degree course: Full-time MSc programme The duration of the full-time MSc programme is 16 months, divided into 7 blocks. The programme starts with an adaptation phase of two blocks. In both blocks there are 5 courses. The classes in each block take 5 weeks. These are followed by a study week for preparation of the exams that take place in the last week (at the end) of the block. The objective of the adaptation phase is to give all students the necessary foundation in Business Administration they need as a basis for the rest of the programme. The courses in this phase can be considered as either the introduction to the key areas within an organization (like Marketing, Operations and Finance) or as the necessary academic foundation (like Statistics and Quantitative Methods). Completion of the adaptation phase with a pass for all 10 courses is required for admittance to the main phase. The adaptation phase is therefore part of the selection process. After the adaptation phase each student has to choose one of the three possible specialization tracks: General Management, Marketing Management or Financial Management. The main phase starts with two blocks. In both blocks four courses are given in the chosen specialization track. This is followed by a short block in which all students follow courses in areas like Research for Business Administration, Academic Skills and Entrepreneurship. The next block comprises courses within the specialization areas. After this block there is a period of ten weeks in which the students perform the fieldwork for their thesis. The programme is concluded with the thesis defense (in which the research results are presented before a committee of faculty and company supervisors), a case competition (in which students discuss their findings and solutions to real life problems submitted by organisations), and a business game. This implies that during the latter part, the programme focuses on applying knowledge acquired earlier to complex and integrated cross-functional business problems, as well as models and concepts. 29

30 Curriculum for MSc programme General Management (GM) Marketing Management (MM) Financial Management (FM) Aug- Oct Business Admin Overview Business Admin Overview Business Admin Overview Financial Accounting 100 Financial Accounting 100 Financial Accounting 100 Marketing Strategy 100 Marketing Strategy 100 Marketing Strategy 100 Managerial Economics 100 Managerial Economics 100 Managerial Economics 100 Statistics for Business 100 Statistics for Business 100 Statistics for Business 100 Strategy 100 Strategy 100 Strategy 100 Oct- Dec Foundations of Finance 100 Foundations of Finance 100 Foundations of Finance 100 Human Resource Management 100 Human Resource Management 100 Human Resource Management 100 Operations Management Quantitative Methods 100 Operations Management 100 Operations Management Quantitative Methods 100 in Business 100 Quantitative Methods in Business 100 in Business 100 Business Ethics 100 Business Ethics 100 Business Ethics 100 Jan- Mar Corporate Finance 100 Marketing Intelligence 100 Corporate Finance Management & 100 Marketing Implementation 100 Brand Management Marketing Channels 100 Cost Accounting International Money 100 Economic Environment 100 and Retailing 100 and Finance 100 International Business 100 International Business 100 International Business 100 Mar- May Mgmt Communication Skills 1 30 Mgmt Communication Skills 1 30 Mgmt Communication Skills 1 30 Leadership & Personal Dev 1 30 Leadership & Personal Dev 1 30 Leadership & Personal Dev 1 30 Management & Cost Accounting 100 Innovation & New Product Dev Building a Market- 100 Financial Reporting 100 Organizational Dynamics 100 Oriented Organization 100 Investment Mergers, Acq and Private 100 Supply Chain Management 100 Supply Chain Management 100 Equity 100 Business Law 100 Business Law 100 Business Law 100 Mgmt Communication Skills 2 30 Mgmt Communication Skills 2 30 Mgmt Communication Skills 2 30 Leadership & Personal Dev 2 30 Leadership & Personal Dev 2 30 Leadership & Personal Dev 2 30 May- Jun Business Game Seminar (organized 30 Business Game 30 Business Game Seminar (organized by 30 by students) 10 Seminar (organized by students) 10 students) 10 Entrepreneurship (Integrated) 180 Entrepreneurship (Integrated) 180 Entrepreneurship (Integrated) 180 Research for Business Adm 100 Research for Business Adm 100 Research for Business Adm 100 Academic Research Paper 60 Academic Research Paper 60 Academic Research Paper 60 Mgmt Communication Skills 3 30 Mgmt Communication Skills 3 30 Mgmt Communication Skills 3 30 Leadership & Personal Dev 3 30 Leadership & Personal Dev 3 30 Leadership & Personal Dev 3 30 Jul- Aug Strategic Management 80 Strategic Management 80 Bank Financial Management 100 Elective 1 80 Purchase and Sales Customers Relations 80 Advanced Topics in Finance 100 Elective 2 80 Management Integrated Marketing 80 Derivatives and Risk Mgmt 100 Elective 3 80 Communication 80 Management Control 80 Elective 4 80 Marketing across Cultures 80 Financial Statement Analysis 100 Elective 5 80 Marketing Performance 80 Sept- Nov Thesis 600 Thesis 600 Thesis 600 Total student hours 3440 Total student hours 3440 Total student hours 3440 EC 123 EC 123 EC

31 Part-time Msc programme The duration of the part-time programme is three years. The first year is the adaptation phase. As in the full-time programme, all the courses of the adaptation phase have to be completed for admittance to the main phase of the programme. The programme is completed by the thesis phase which takes half a year. Curriculum for PTMSc Period 2008 (Adaptation Phase) 2009 (Main Phase 1) 2010 (Main Phase 2) Jan-Mar Corporate Strategy 100 Finance II 100 Academic Research Paper 75 Managerial Economics 100 Marketing Implementation 100 Research in Business Admin 100 Entrepreneurship part I Mar - May Statistics for Business 100 International Business 100 One elective of 3 80 Marketing Strategy 100 One elective of 3 80 Entrepreneurship part II LPD+MCS I 75 May Jul Finance I 100 Supply Chain Management 100 Strategic Integration 100 Operations Management 100 One elective of 3 80 One elective of 3 80 LPD+MCS II 75 Entrepreneurship part III 180 Aug - Oct Personnel & Organization 100 Accounting II 100 Thesis 600 Quant. Methods in 100 Economic Environment 100 Business Oct Dec Accounting I 100 Business Law 100 Business Ethics 100 Organizational Dynamics 100 Entrepreneurship kick-off LPD+MCS III 75 Total hours EC F4: Requirements for university degree courses The programme meets the following criteria applicable to a degree programme at a University (WO): The students acquire knowledge on the interface between teaching and academic research within the relevant disciplines; The programme follows the developments in the relevant academic discipline(s), as it is demonstrated that it incorporates current academic theories; The programme ensures the development of skills in the field of academic research; For those courses for which this is applicable, the course programme has clear links with the current professional practice in the relevant professions. Description: The self-evaluation report states that a continuous interaction between education and research has been realized in the curriculum. Students are provided with the most recent theories and empirical findings resulting from scientific research and are continuously confronted with the outcomes of current research studies. According to the self-evaluation report this can be illustrated by four examples: The PTMSc course Personnel and Organization uses scientific articles and research findings related to the current discussion in the field of the psychological contract (e.g. Rousseau, Guest and Blomme). The MSc course Entrepreneurship uses the outcomes of research studies into entrepreneurial managers and family business (e.g. Flören, Burggraaf). 31

32 The PTMSc course Organization Dynamics uses a social constructionist methodology as a learning environment in order to emphasize experimental learning with classic OB models (e.g. Gergen, Rijsman, Weick). In the MSc and PTMSc, the Quantitative Methods in Business course combines information on the state-of-the-art theories such as computational complexity, but also brings forward Nobel prize- winning theories from people such as Nash, Markowitz and Hurwicz (the 1997 Nobel prize winner). Another illustration is the usually in-company end-of-study thesis, in which the students have to prove that they are able to identify and solve challenging, complex problems in the area of strategy and policy formulation and organisation development, using state-of-the-art publications, contributing to current research and resulting in practical, applicable and relevant solutions with detailed recommendations. It is a condition sine qua non for a by-business-for-business university to prove that each thesis is also useful for the practice. Group projects in other courses are not only reviewed according to the understanding of the theory shown and application of concerned topics, but also on the basis of academic skills such as critical thinking, reflection, abstract reasoning and creativity. The methodology used to come up with an end result is also a point of review. The academic and research abilities of students are further developed in specialized courses such as Research for Business Administration, the Academic Research Paper (ARP), Business Statistics and Quantitative Methods in Business. Nyenrode has very strong ties with the business community. This is also clearly reflected in the MSc and PTMSc; virtually all courses use business cases, and many have guest lecturers. Guest lecturers from the academic and business world are an important part of the programme. Assessment: The Committee verified the information by studying the course descriptions and material and by interviewing teachers and students. The Committee concluded that the programme follows the developments in relevant academic disciplines. Some courses have strong links with actual research. The study material consists of the most recent literature and research in business and management. The programme has clear links with the current professional practice. The Committee described these links under F3 as one of the strong aspects of the Nyenrode programmes. The Committee could verify that the publications of the Nyenrode staff members form part of the study material for the students. Furthermore, part of the programme is dedicated to courses aimed at the development of academic skills and research competencies. The alumni and some of the students the Committee interviewed could clarify the differences between the professional higher education courses they followed and the MSc degree course in a convincing way. The Committee is of the opinion, however, that some improvements are possible on the interface between teaching and academic research. The research of the Nyenrode staff members can take a more prominent place in the relevant courses, and students can benefit more from the research done by their teachers. The Committee recommends inviting students to take part in the research community during their study, and to link the papers and the students' assignments to the actual research done in Nyenrode. The Committee advises structuring the development of academic skills and research competencies in the programme. It recommends starting earlier with the development of these skills and stimulating more active involvement of the students in research, for instance by incorporating the Academic 32

33 Research Paper in other courses. Theoretically and methodologically based design-oriented and evaluation research could play a more important role in the programme. By weighing the very strong aspects of the programme and the aspects that can use some improvement, the Committee assesses this facet as satisfactory. Master degree course MSc in Management programmes: the assessment by the Committee is satisfactory. F5: Relationship between aims and objectives and contents of the programme The course contents adequately reflect the final qualifications, both with respect to the level and orientation, and with respect to domain-specific requirements. The final qualifications have been translated adequately into learning targets for the programme or its components. The contents of the programme offer students the opportunity to obtain the final qualifications that have been formulated. Description: The self-evaluation report describes extensively how the objectives of the MSc programmes are embedded in the programmes by the following requirements: Academic attitude: Each course seeks to combine theoretical and practical aspects. Cases and assignments are used to develop academic and analytical skills such as critical and conceptual thinking. A variety of analytical, academic and methodological courses are provided, such as Statistics, Quantitative Methods in Business, Academic Research Paper (to be introduced in the PTMSc starting in 2008) and Research in Business Administration. In the thesis, students are asked to contribute to solving a real-life business problem by taking an academic approach (to include a literature review and use of an academically sound methodology). Problem- and application-oriented: The application of theoretical knowledge to real-life world problems is a core aspect of the MSc programme. Understanding organizations is required in all teaching and learning; all cases, simulations, presentations and assignments are intended to go into some depth. Instructors are invited to link their field to other management disciplines. Part of our course evaluation focuses on whether students experience this linkage. The evaluations are satisfactory with regard to this point. Multi-disciplinary knowledge: All programmes kick off with an introduction day, where the coherence of the overall programme is explained. This overview is therefore to be seen as an integrative component at the very start of the programme. All relevant areas of management are covered in the various programmes. Special attention is given to the operations of a business and all of its related functional areas, as well as its link to the environment and the responsibility of the business to all of the important stakeholders. One of the key components of the MSc programmes is integration. Obviously, in reallife a business issue is hardly ever related to just one functional area. 33

34 Knowledge and understanding of an area of business administration: The main phase of the full-time programme offers the opportunity to specialize (Financial Management, Marketing Management and General Management). Four electives are part of the PTMSc curriculum. In each instance, students are offered the choice between courses from the three areas: financial management, marketing management or general management. By choosing a course in the same field four times, as well as taking the opportunity to do their thesis in the specific area, students have the possibility to specialize. Since each elective requires 80 study hours and the thesis requires 600 study hours, the total for a specialization can be as high as 920 study hours or 33 EC. Ability to work under severe pressure: The intensity of the programme (more than 120 EC in 16 months) implies that the study load is challenging: typically, this is 50 hours a week for MSc students and 20 hours a week for PTMSc students. All courses have multiple assessment components (such as cases, papers and presentations). Consequently, students are facing deadlines continuously. Besides their studies, students participate in the organization of all types of events for the student association (NCV). Furthermore, some students operate in self-governing bodies with regard to study and campus life. International orientation: All courses are targeted at doing business in an international environment. In the MSc (and to a great extent in the PTMSc) the literature, cases and other course materials are in English and focus on international business. The MSc students have an international business trip as one of the extra-curricular activities (which is sponsored and supported by the programme). The MSc students are stimulated to do their thesis abroad. The course International Business was recently added as a compulsory component of the MSc and PTMSc curriculum. Good communicative and social skills: The development of management competencies is given particular attention in the Management Communication Skills and Personal Development & Leadership modules, as well as in the courses Human Resources Management and Organizational Dynamics. Specifically, the modules Leadership & Personal Development and Management Communication Skills are put in the curricula in order to develop skills in the areas of leadership, communication and argumentation. The students come from a wide variety of study backgrounds. Nyenrode has always considered this as a major asset since it firmly believes that in their future careers, the MSc graduates will be involved in multi-disciplinary teams. This diversity causes students to be confronted with different ways of approaching a managerial issue and makes them aware of the limitations of their own approach. Students not only learn from the instructor but also from their fellow students. This is especially true when students work in teams on various assignments. This is one of the key reasons for the strong emphasis on group work. Therefore, group work is part of virtually all courses in the MSc and PTMSc. Assessment: The Committee has taken note of the elaboration of the objectives into the programme and its courses. However, as mentioned in the assessment of F2, the Dublin descriptors still have to be translated into final qualifications for the programme. The relation between the objectives, the final qualifications and the courses could be strengthened. 34