Business Administration with a Major in Business Development and Promotion

Master of Science in

www.hslu.ch/master-bdp-e

English-Language Track

2

Publishing details

Design and Editing

Lucerne School of Business

Layout

Marketing and Communication M&K

Information and Contact

www.hslu.ch/master-bdp-e

Preface

The programme at a glance

The Bologna reforms and the new master’s degree

The advantages of a Master of Science in Business Administrationdegree with a Major in Business Development and Promotion

Skills profile of the course

Important aspects for successful completion of the course

The modules of the course

Application, admission and further information

The location of the Lucerne School of Business

3

4

6

7

8

9

11

14

15

Table of contents

3

Preface

From “know how” to “can do” Companies have a strong need for talented young managers. They are not so much concerned with what a person has learned while in training, but instead are attaching increasing impor-tance to the person’s ability to apply this know ledge when dealing with problems in the applied realm with a view to generating new knowledge. The Master of Science (MSc) in Business Admi-nistration degree with a Major in Business Development and Promotion aims to develop precisely these skills and thus constitutes a stepping stone for graduates who have potential. The master’s course is laid out in two broadly defined yet closely related content areas. During the first year, students will primarily focus on the topic of services management. Today most companies offer a complex bundle of output consisting of tangible products and their accompa-nying service components. In the second year, students will learn about the innovation process: from generating ideas on the design of products, processes and business models, all the way to the successful launch of the product in the market. Here, innovation is much more than just a technique. Instead it consti-tutes an attitude and approach vis-à-vis change. This master’s course gives students an under-standing of behavioural changes and plays an active role in the design of change management processes. When speaking with successful managers and reviewing the empirical research of leading experts in Business Studies at universities, it becomes clear that optimising service quality and safeguarding the innovative capabilities of companies are among the main challenges that graduates will face when competing in a global and integrated market. And that’s exactly what this course has been designed to offer its students.

Prof Dr Gordon MillarCo-Head of the Major in Business Development and PromotionThe Lucerne School of Business

“If you’re not failing every now and again, it’s a sign you’re not doing anything very innovative.”Woody Allen (*1935)

4

The course continues where a bachelor’s degree (or an equivalent qualification) in Economics or Business Administration leaves off .

The course offers specialist and management training with an international focus using a sound academic approach that nevertheless stays focused on applied fields.

Graduates will have attractive career prospects as process, project, account or product mana-gers in Switzerland and abroad. They may also be motivated to start up their own businesses.

The course contents focus on the product and service development process – from developing ideas all the way to introducing innovative products in the market place.

The course lasts four semesters and offers 90 credits on completion of the coursework. In terms of workload, students will need to invest approximately 2,700 hours.

In the last semester, students will complete a master’s thesis that focuses on a specific prob-lem encountered in industry.

The course allows students to hold a job of up to 50% of regular working hours or to spend time on childcare.

Classes are held in the heart of the city of Lucerne, right by the railway station.

Graduates will hold a Master of Science (MSc) in Business Administration degree, which is internationally recognised.

The programme at a glance

5

6

The Bologna reforms and the new master’s degrees

The Bologna process has redrawn the map of education in Switzerland like no other reform to date. By establishing an international benchmark in programmes and qualifications, the Bologna reforms promote mobility among students on the one hand and open up international career opportunities on the other. Furthermore, students now have the opportunity to graduate from universities or universities of applied sciences with an equivalent bachelor’s or consecutive master’s degree.

What is a consecutive master’s degree and what are its benefits? The consecutive master’s degree is geared to individuals who have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification and are interested in gaining an additional qualification or who have a strong desire to pursue an academic interest. As a rule, consecutive master’s degrees at universities of applied sciences award 90 credits, which equals approximately 2,700 hours of coursework, usually distrib-uted over four semesters. As a continuation to the bachelor’s degree, a master’s course specialises in a particular area of academic expertise and at the same time focuses on applied subjects. Master’s courses are thus strongly focused on developing analytical skills among students and thereby providing them with career prospects at the middle and upper management levels. Many master’s programmes are designed as a work-study option that permits participants to benefit from immediate knowledge transfer and continue their professional development without interruption. Thanks to the Bologna reforms, consecutive master’s degrees are internationally recognised and open up career opportunities for graduates outside of Switzerland as well.

The Master of Science is not the same as the Master of Advanced Studies The new consecutive master’s degree counts as a second level of higher education and should not be confused with the Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) or the Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) degree. Both the MAS and the EMBA are professional development programmes requiring students to have several years’ of practical experience before they start. A consecu-tive master’s degree, however, involves more coursework and places stronger academic demands on students.

7

The advantages of a Master of Science degree with a Major in Business Development and Promotion

The Master of Science in Business Administration degree is in demandA study of numerous Swiss companies has shown that there is a great demand for people with qualifications in Business and Economics. Experts emphasise in particular the value of the master’s degree and the importance of graduates being able to think like entrepreneurs and effectively implement ideas. In this connection, it becomes especially important for students to have a strong applied focus combined with a solid foundation of academic and analytical skills. The consecutive Master’s in Business Admin-istration is a future-oriented degree whose contents are geared precisely to the requirements of businesses. A valuable degree with interesting development prospects The Master of Science in Business Administration has a strong academic foundation and at the same time offers specialist and management training with an international perspective. It thus constitutes a stepping stone for successful career development by allowing participants to systematically combine wide-ranging theoretical approaches with expertise drawn from the applied realm in order to tackle new problems arising in their daily work, address complex situations, and make well-considered decisions for the benefit of all stakeholders.

Are you looking for a course with both a practical and academic focus that offers you interesting development and career opportunities in Business Administration? Would you like to learn more about managing in a market-oriented way and developing new business areas, about product and process innovation, about the specific processes and characteristics of small and medium-size companies, or about the kinds of competitive strategies organisations use internationally? Or perhaps you are simply thinking about a second academic degree? If so, the Master of Science in Business Administration as a work-study course will prove to be an attractive option.

Possible employment areas for graduates with a Master of Science in Business Administration In the long term, those with a master’s degree have particularly favourable career and development opportunities because the course enables them to take up challenging roles in project work and in management. Possible entry-level jobs with small and medium-size companies involve working as an assistant to a senior manager, product manager or (key) account manager.

8

Skills profile of the course

Developing a range of skillsThe Master of Business Administration with a Major in Business Development and Promotion clearly focuses on developing students’ ability to implement ideas. Upon completion of the programme, students will be able to develop a business idea with partners from an industry or a company and to launch their innovation successfully in the market. In the context of the Master of Science in Business Administration degree with a Major in Business Development and Promotion, graduates will have acquired the following skills:

Expertise in managing and marketing a company competitively, in developing new business fields, in overseeing product and process innovations, and in finance and accounting.

Ability to analyse complex questions and problems.

The ability to plan, supervise and successfully evaluate complex projects spanning multiple organisational units, to work with people from a range of disciplines; to participate in and contribute to the design of group processes, and to lead a group.

Ability to communicate appropriately and effectively both orally and in writing and to explain complex content convincingly to a particular audience of specialists.

Ability to obtain and analyse data from research projects and to present it appropriately to a particular audience.

Ability to reflect conscientiously and self-critically on one’s own action as a basis for success when working on projects in the field.

Expertise in business development and promotion Analytical and problem-solving skills

Project management and organisational skills

Communication and presentation skills

Applied research skills

Ability to self-reflect and make decisions

9

Academic and practical orientationStudents will further develop their academic skills, participate in practical research projects, and write a master’s thesis on a particu-lar topic relevant to an applied field. They will collaborate closely with industry partners when working on their research projects and master’s thesis.

The course pays close attention to ensuring that the academic skills being taught are of direct relevance to day-to-day professional life. Students will have the opportunity to apply many of the methods and instruments in their professional experience already during their studies.

Furthermore, they will reinforce what they have learned immedi-ately and use it at the applied level when working on specific projects. This ensures a lasting effect when it comes to developing skills. The course also offers considerable freedom for those with families and/or part-time jobs by allowing them to work up to 50% of regular working hours. Furthermore, the Lucerne School of Business offers students with an outstanding academic record a limited number of fixed-term employment contracts as research assistants.

LanguageThe programme is entirely taught in English because a strong command of English is essential for a career in international business. The university recommends level C1 of the Cambridge ESOL suite (IELTS 6.5 – 7.0), or an equivalent, as the entrance requirement.

Important aspects for successful completion of the course

Teaching methodsThe programme combines contact study with guided and self-directed study. To ensure that the programme aligns academic and practical orientations in an optimal way, lecturers at the master’s level are required to have a sound academic background as well as up-to-date practical experience in their field.

ParticipantsThe master’s course is primarily geared to graduates with bachelor’s degrees in Business from a university or a university of applied sciences. Students who have a bachelor’s degree in another discipline may be admitted if their background in business fulfils the entry requirements or if they complete any missing coursework during the first two semesters.

Applicants who received their diploma from a university of applied sciences under an older model also have the opportunity to transfer some of the credits they earned at the time.

LecturersSessions are taught by lecturers of the Lucerne School of Business, whose teaching staff also includes distinguished experts from companies, consulting firms and other organisations. This ensures that the curriculum maintains a high quality standard in its content and relevance to applied fields.

10

11

6 credits = 6 ECTS credits (1 ECTS = 30-hour workload for students)

1st S

emes

ter

2nd S

emes

ter

3rd S

emes

ter

4th S

emes

ter

Modules 11/12, 6 creditsSME – Acquisition and Presentation to a Client, Project Development

Wor

king

up

to 5

0% o

f a

full-

tim

e po

siti

on p

ossi

ble

whi

le s

tudy

ing

Filli

ng a

ny g

aps

in t

he

stud

ent’

s en

try-

qual

ific

atio

n pr

ofileModules 8/9, 12 credits

Research Methodologies

Module 10, 9 creditsApplied Research Project

Module 1, 6 creditsNetwork Management

Module 3, 6 creditsChange Management

Module 2, 6 creditsCustomer RelationshipManagement

Module 13, 3 creditsPreliminary Studyfor Master’s Thesis

Module 4, 6 creditsBusiness Opportunity

Module 5, 9 creditsBusiness Design

Module 14, 12 creditsMaster’s Thesis(incl. Defence)

Module 6, 9 creditsBusiness Implementation

Module 7, 6 creditsIntegration Module and Study Tour

The modules of the course

The Master of Science in Business Administration consists of a foundation course with general and services management content.

The Major in Business Development and Promotion includes the Business Opportunity, Business Design, and Business Implementation modules so as to reflect the current structure of innovation processes. The final module requires students to go on a study trip to visit an important business region abroad and participate in specific projects on site. On the one hand, this ensures that the programme does indeed have an interna-tional orientation, and on the other hand it reinforces students’ ability to cope in an intercultural environ-ment.

12

Module 3Change Management

This module examines the interface between the organisation and its markets from a dynamic developmental perspective. This means that change becomes the source of innovation in techno-logy, services and processes, thus forming the prerequisite for safeguarding the long-term survival of organisations. The need for organisations to change forces them to recognise the importance of planning, supporting, driving and evaluating their change processes.

6 credits, Semester 2

Module 4Business Opportunity

In this course students will develop their understanding of the driving forces in markets (technology, globalisation, customer behaviour, etc.) and be able to identify and create new opportuni-ties by tapping into the potential within companies. They will also acquire the necessary methodological skills during the course. In addition, they will go on to define the opportunities they discovered for the purposes of decision-making and evaluation, and present them in the form of a strategy paper. As part of a next step, they will develop a set of criteria for the benefit of decision makers.

6 credits, Semester 3

Module 1Network Management

This module focuses on strategic management as observed in the context of networks. As a continuation of coursework on strategic management in organisations, the module further examines the particular nature of management involving networks. It analyses the fluid boundaries that exist between organisations and their external networks and markets and also focuses on the possibili-ties and limitations that arise in this regard. In this context, traditional contrasts such as cooperation and competition, or markets and hierarchies tend to cancel each other out, while legal and regulatory control mechanisms are increasingly gaining in importance.

6 credits, Semester 1

Module 2 Customer Relationship Management

Customer relationship management (CRM) suggests a holistic management approach that places the client at the centre of the organisation’s activities. Client-focused management practices are further understood as the central strategic issue of small and large companies across all sectors of an industry. CRM has proven to be a robust concept when it comes to coordinating strategies, processes and measures across functional lines so as to secure profitable client relationships in the long term. By working on projects, students will develop their understanding of the applied methods and skills relating to internal support functions as encountered in CRM projects.

6 credits, Semester 1

13

Modules 8/9Research Methodologies

These modules provide the knowledge of research theory and the associated instruments and procedures used in social-scientific research. In Semester 1 the focus is on qualitative methods and research theory and in Semester 2 on quantitative approaches to research.

12 credits, Semesters 1 + 2

Module 10Applied Research Project

Students will learn to use the various research methods correctly while working on a research project ideally sponsored by an external client.

9 credits, Semester 2

Modules 11/12SME – Acquisition of a Client, Presentation to the Client, Project Development

In the second-semester module students are required to acquire an SME client by way of an appropriate pitch presentation. This will involve working in small groups with the client to develop suitable, innovative scenarios for moving the business forward. In the third-semester module, these scenarios will be tested or implemented and the results presented.

6 credits, Semesters 2 + 3

Module 13Preliminary Study for the Master’s Thesis

Students will write a proposal for their master’s thesis project.

3 credits, Semester 3

Module 14Master’s Thesis (incl. Defence)

While working on their master’s thesis, students will pursue a research topic independently and thus create an overarching context for the technical, applied and academic skills they have acquired in earlier modules. The master’s thesis is the culmination of the master’s course.

12 credits, Semester 4

Module 7Integration Module und Study Tour

This module gives students a comprehensive overview of the innovation process based on specific examples from current practice. To this end they will go on a study trip to a major business region in order to learn more about international and cultural aspects. This ensures that the course maintains its international orientation and that students will further develop their intercultural awareness.

6 credits, Semester 4

Module 5Business Design

This module enables students to design a clearly defined service concept based on an innovative product or idea. Besides defining the content of the innovation, they will also learn to design its processes and plan the steps that will make service delivery unique. Innovations thus become integrated into an existing business model or form part of a new business case.

9 credits, Semester 3

Module 6Business Implementation

The business concept developed in the third semester can, by way of the Smart Up - Support for Start-Ups programme, now be implemented. In the “Entrepreneurial Management” course the building blocks of the whole degree programme come together in the analysis of relevant case studies. Parallel to this the challenges of leadership are applied and reflected on in the “Leadership and Management Simulation” course.

9 credits, Semester 4

14

The decision on whether or not to accept a student to the MSc in Business Administration programme rests with the Head of the Programme. Applicants should have the following:

– a bachelor’s degree or similar university qualification in Business Administration or Economics, Business Economics, Business Law or a related discipline

– proof of being able to participate actively in an English-speaking curriculum at university level

– an exceptionally high level of motivation and willingness to perform

– a positive admission interview

Applicants who do not meet these requirements may be admitted on the condition that they make up any missing coursework during the first year of the course.

The application must include:

– the completed application form

– proof of a previous qualification (degree, degree supplement, transcript, document showing grades)

– a statement explaining the reasons for the application

– proof of a command of English

– a curriculum vitae with photo

– a copy of a bachelor’s degree thesis or similar individual project, including the grade

Candidates who are still working on their bachelor’s degree at the time of the application can submit any missing application docu-ments at a later time

The application documents must be submitted by mid-May to:

The Lucerne School of BusinessMaster’s OfficeZentralstrasse 9, P.O. Box 2940 CH-6002 Lucerne

T +41 41 228 41 30F +41 41 228 41 31master.business@hslu.ch

Admission interviews will be conducted from the end of January onwards. The University does not issue confirmation of acceptance. We recommend that applications be submitted early because places on the course are awarded in the order in which applications are received.

Further information on consecutive master’s programmes as well as application forms are available at www.hslu.ch/master-bdp-e.

Prof Dr Gordon Millar, the co-head of the major, will be glad to advise you and provide further information. You can reach him on gordon.millar@hslu.ch

Application, admission and further information

15

The location of the Lucerne School of Business

Motorw

ay A2

Lake of Lucerne

Historic city centre

Bale/BerneZug/Zurich

Gotthard/Horw

Railway StationLucerne

KKL Lucerne

Exit 26Lucerne centre(only to/from the north)

Exit 27Lucerne-Kriens

Vierwaldstättersee

P

P

Karte Luzern

The Lucerne School of Business

The Lucerne School of Business is one of the Schools of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. As a competence centre for higher management education, it makes an important contri-bution to developing the overall level of knowledge in society through its participation in applied educational fields, research and consulting. It provides education for specialists and managers and supports organisations and institutes in developing solutions

for their administrative and operational requirements. Besides the bachelor’s programme in Business Administration with its several focus programmes, the Lucerne School of Business is the largest provider of post-graduate courses of all Swiss universities of applied sciences. Furthermore, it is affilia ted with other universities and partners in the fields of business and administration in Switzerland and abroad.

The Lucerne School of Business

Zentralstrasse 9

P.O. Box 2940

CH-6002 Lucerne

Switzerland

11-2

015

The Lucerne School of Business

Master’s OfficeZentralstrasse 9P.O. Box 2940CH-6002 LucerneSwitzerland

T +41 41 228 41 30F +41 41 228 41 31master.business@hslu.chwww.hslu.ch/master-bdp-e