Our innovative Maastricht MBA highlighted in Business Because
Cristian Tala Sánchez has just relocated from his native Chile for a one-year full-time MBA at Maastricht School of Management (MSM) in the Netherlands.
An experienced e-commerce entrepreneur, he decided to take an MBA to help grow his latest business. He took a year to look at different business schools, attending MBA fairs around the world, before deciding on Maastricht.
“If I want to do business in Europe, Maastricht is the perfect headquarters,” he says. “The wider province of Limburg is investing in a lot of resources for new entrepreneurs.
“Maastricht is full of life, events, and people. And the connection between Maastricht and other cities in the Netherlands, and the rest of Europe, is fast and easy.”
Uniquely located at the heart of Europe, MSM’s full-time MBA class is 100% international. Its diverse faculty represent 40 nationalities. The MBA is accredited by NVAO, IACBE, AMBA and ACBSP.
The full-time MBA costs € 30,500. Applicants need a bachelor’s degree and at least three years of relevant work experience to get in. The school waives the GMAT when students satisfactory complete four online leveling courses in Accounting, Finance, Statistics and Economics. These online leveling courses have to be completed after admission to the program, but prior to the start of the program.
Once admitted, MSM MBA students can choose to specialize in accounting and finance, international business and sustainable development, entrepreneurship in emerging markets, public sector management and (with separate admission) sports management and healthcare management. From September 2017, a new ‘managing in the digital economy’ specialization will see students take cutting-edge courses on online marketing, cyber security, big data analytics, and the Internet of Things (IoT).
“The MSM MBA is full of people who know what they’re talking about. And full of professors that can transmit the expertise and experience that they have,” says Cristian. “Already, in just a couple of months, I’ve gained knowledge that I’m applying to my business.
“In the future, it’s very probable that I’ll do joint ventures with my fellow MBA students,” he continues. “If I want to create something of my own here in the Netherlands, I know that I can do it with the knowledge and the network acquired during my MBA.”
In January, the MSM MBA was named runner-up in this year’s AMBA Innovation Award, beating off competition from the likes of Oxford Saïd and the Open University. Now in its 65th anniversary year, MSM is the first business school in the Netherlands ever to be nominated for the award twice, coming in third place in 2014.
With its repeat nominations, AMBA is recognizing the role MSM plays in promoting diversity, entrepreneurship, sustainable development, and – through a variety of global partnerships – in bringing the MBA to emerging markets globally.
“Our students come from across the world, and so do our faculty,” says the school’s dean, Prof. Wim Naudé. “We also run joint MBA programs across the world in emerging economies such as China, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Kuwait, Egypt, Ethiopia, Romania, Peru and collaborate in education and research with institutions in advanced economies such as the UK, USA, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. We learn from these countries, share experiences, and adapt the content of our curricula to suit local needs.”
Why should an MBA applicant choose MSM apart from its quality, innovativeness, global partnerships and location? “We don’t over-complicate business,” Prof. Naudé explains. “Too many business schools leave their students either confused or over-confident.
“The reality-check that is the MSM MBA is that success is down to having a passion and the grit and values to follow it through,” he continues. “Precisely because we are a business school that refuses to be conformist we provide the clarity and the tools for students to develop a passion in life, and to align their lives in pursuit of that passion.”
From 2nd February onwards, applicants from select countries can apply for NFP / MSP scholarships for the full-time MBA program of MSM. The application deadline is 17 March 2017.
By: Marco de Novellis, Business Because
