The MaastrichtMBA: interview with Mariëlle Heijltjes
The MaastrichtMBA officially started last month. In a recent interview, we asked Professor Mariëlle Heijltjes, Director of Postgraduate Education at Maastricht University School of Business and Economics (SBE), to share her views on this innovative new MBA program, its strengths, her role in the program, the different variants (full-time and part-time) available, and candidates profiles.
Why the MaastrichtMBA?
“The MaastrichtMBA combines the strengths of Maastricht University School of Business and Economics (SBE) and Maastricht School of Management (MSM). MSM builds upon a 60 year experience in teaching, researching and supporting socially and environmentally sustainable business in emerging and developing countries; SBE is known for its problem-based learning educational approach and its innovative and student customized approach to leadership development and part of a university that belongs to the world’s Top 100 universities. Through our collaboration we will be able to provide the students with a degree that develops their personal capabilities and effectiveness to lead themselves and their organizations toward success in a global, multicultural world.”
What is your role at SBE and what role will you play personally in the development of the MaastrichtMBA?
“Currently I have three roles at SBE. As Associate Dean Strategic Development and Internationalization I am a member of the Board of SBE and welcome our collaboration in the MaastrichtMBA as an important strategic development. As Director of SBE’s Postgraduate Education division, I consider it a new gem in our postgraduate education portfolio and in my third role as Professor of Managerial Behavior I look forward to working with MSM colleagues in further developing the joint curriculum and teaching a very diverse student population.”
What are the five core strengths of the MaastrichtMBA?
“Only five :-)? Based on how SBE and MSM currently deliver value to students, their combined strengths will yield a program with an outstanding academic foundation in which challenging and innovative educational settings will enable the participants to translate academic knowledge into work practice. The academic specialized knowledge focuses on managing international developments for the full-time residential variant, and on responsible leadership and change for the part-time executive variant. Furthermore all students together, as a truly international and multicultural classroom, will participate in integration courses on societally relevant and globally responsible themes.”
Can you name some concrete examples of an ideal candidate profile for the MaastrichtMBA?
“The ideal candidate profile differs somewhat between the full-time residential and the part-time executive variant. In the full-time residential variant it is a young professional working anywhere in the world with at least three years of work experience and a bachelor’s degree. (S)he is willing to put his/her career on hold to go back to school for a year to experience what it is like to live and work in an truly multicultural community. In the part-time executive variant it is a more senior professional working anywhere in the world with at least five years of work experience and a bachelor’s degree. (S)he has decided to combine career progression with studying and seeks an MBA program that enables co-creation of knowledge between faculty and fellow participants that will also immediately benefit his or her current work environment. They would both indicate in their motivation letter how this MBA degree with a specific focus on developing globally responsible leaders would enable not only their own development, but also that of their (future) organization and their community.”
How will SBE and MSM complement each other in the part-time executive and full-time residential variants of the Maastricht MBA?
“The two schools will complement each other in the core courses and in the integration modules. In the integration modules students of both variants meet to experience and understand differences in the global business landscape and to address the global challenges in the areas of CSR, ethics, the market and the state, constrained resources and change and innovation.”
