Business Specialisation (MSc) after Minor SBB
Students that have followed the previous SBB minor can also follow the Business Studies master specialisation.
If you have followed the SBB minor, students can replace the 15 EC of the 'management courses' (Strategy, Marketing Science, Strategic Financial Management, Operations Management*) with Business Electives (see other tab). Next to that, students will need to follow the course Research Methods (5 EC), which is not part of the minor.
In addition to the 20 EC worth of business courses, students will need to perform a business internship of 20 or 30 EC.
In total, by following both the former minor SBB and the Business Studies master specialisation, students can take more business related courses than if they were to follow either the minor or master specialisation. For students who would like to supplement their science knowledge with business knowledge, it is therefore an interesting option to choose both the minor and master specialisation.
If you have followed the SBI minor, students can't replace courses anymore and need to follow the whole Business Studies program.
*The course Technology and Operations Management is part of the minor since September 2017. Students that have done the SBB minor before that, will have to follow this course as part of the master programme.
Career Preparation
Career preparation at Leiden University
In addition to offering you a solid university education, Leiden University aims to prepare you as well as possible for the labour market, and in doing so contribute to the development of your employability. In this way, it will become easier for you to make the transition to the labour market, to remain employable in a dynamic labour market, in a (career) job that suits your own personal values, preferences and development.
'Employability' consists of the following aspects that you will develop within your study programme, among others:
1. Discipline-specific knowledge and skills
Knowledge and skills specific to your study programme.
2. Transferable skills
These are skills that are relevant to every student and that you can use in all kinds of jobs irrespective of your study programme, for example: researching, analysing, project-based working, generating solutions, digital skills, collaborating, oral communication, written communication, presenting, societal awareness, independent learning, resilience.
3. Self-reflection
This concerns self-reflection in the context of your (study) career, including reflecting on the choices you make as a student during your studies, what can you do with your knowledge and skills on the labour market?
In addition, reflecting on your own profile and your personal and professional development. Who are you, what can you do well, what do you find interesting, what suits you, what do you find important, what do you want to do?
4. Practical experience
Gaining practical experience through internships, work placements, projects, practical (social) assignments, which are integrated into an elective, minor or graduation assignment.
5. Labour market orientation
Gaining insight into the labour market, fields of work, jobs and career paths through, for example, guest speakers and alumni experiences from the work field, career events within the study programme, the use of the alumni mentor network, interviewing people from the work field, and shadowing/visiting companies in the context of a particular subject.
Employability in the curriculum of Business Studies
During the Business Studies specialisation, we want to provide you with the best possible preparation to enter the job market after graduation. Building on discipline-specific knowledge and skills acquired during the first year, the specialisation provides training on core business topics, teaching students to work in a professional environment and fostering the development of an extensive set of transferable skills. These are, for example, your cognitive skills such as critical thinking, reasoning and argumentation, innovation, flexibility, initiative, appreciation of diversity, communication, responsibility and conflict resolution. Combined with discipline-specific knowledge and skills, this makes its graduates well-prepared for a career in industry.
In the e-prospectus, learning objectives have been formulated for each course to inform you further about how courses contribute to the development of your (study) career profile and preparation for the job market.
An important part of the Business Studies specialisation is the mandatory Business Internship. By doing this Business Internship you can put your knowledge into practice and discover work life at a company, while at the same time helping you to prepare yourself for the job market.
Activities to prepare for the labour market co-curricular or outside the curriculum of Business Studies
Every year, various activities take place, within, alongside and outside of Business Studies, which contribute to your preparation for the labour market, especially where it concerns orientation towards the work field/the labour market, (career) skills and self-reflection. These may be information meetings on decision moments within your programme, but also career workshops and events organised by your own programme, the faculty Career Service or your study association.
Business Studies specialisation year
Colloquia
Workshops and Career Colleges Science Career Service
De Leidsche Flesch talks and meetings
Master Career Orientation Day via De Leidsche Flesch
Science Career Event
Career Service, LU Career Zone and career workshops calendar
Faculty Career Service
The Career Service of your faculty offers information and advice on study (re)orientation and master's choice, (study) career planning, orientation on the labour market and job applications.
Leiden University Career Zone
Leiden University Career Zone is the website for students and alumni of Leiden University to support their (study) career. You can find advice, information, (career) tests and tools in the area of (study) career planning, career possibilities with your study, job market orientation, job applications, the Alumni Mentor network, job portal, workshops and events and career services.
Workshops and events
On the course calendar you will find an overview of career and application workshops, organised by the Career services.
