Learning Across Borders (IBA - LAB)

Studying in two learning environments will strengthen the development of a broad set of knowledge and competences.

One of the University of Twente’s distinguishing characteristics is its practical application of scientific knowledge and combining in this management sciences with technological innovations. Societal impact is one of our university’s core values and we have a strong focus on connecting theory with the real-life challenges of today’s businesses and society.

In every module throughout the UT part of the IBA-LAB programme, you will work on a team project in which you and your teammates will directly apply the knowledge you have gained to a current issue. This is the foundation of the Twente Education Model. You will make plans, work together in multidisciplinary teams, collect information, analyse, distribute tasks, report and present. You will become an academically grounded, creative problem solver. It’s different than what you might be used to – and very challenging and exciting.

The fundamental and in-depth focus on theory taught in Münster will strengthen your academic expertise and will support you in a specialists approach to creative problem-solving.

A successful study of IBA- LAB results in the diploma BSc Business Administration of the WWU as well as the diploma BSc International Business Administration of the UT.

The IBA-LAB programme is an excellent way to combine the innovative entrepreneurial and technological oriented design approach of Twente with the in-depth fundamental approach of the Universität Münster. The Münster expertise in Economics, Finance, Accounting and Marketing is of added value to the Entrepreneurship and innovation expertise in Twente.

Studying at two universities in two neighbouring countries will enrich you personally and boost your career. Whether you end up as a manager, an advisor, a researcher or an entrepreneur, you will increasingly be dealing with people, organisations and issues that transcend the traditional national, cultural and disciplinary boundaries. An added factor is UT’s strong international profile. The colourful blend of students and staff from all over the world will prepare you for that reality. You will approach subjects and topics from a distinct cross-border perspective. And in your team projects, you will gain experience in working with team members from other countries and disciplines. This is important because, in our view, the best and most future-proof solutions nowadays emerge where different disciplines, cultures and experts meet.

In addition to thorough professional knowledge and skills, you will develop a broad set of 21^st-century skills and personal competencies throughout this programme. You will learn to recognise and anticipate trends and developments. You will develop a work ethos centring on self-reflection and lifelong learning. You will be challenged to collaborate across disciplinary and cultural boundaries. You will benefit from Münster’s outstanding education and the UT’s magnificent campus and small-scale educational environment with its informal, personal approach aimed at helping you to flourish professionally and personally. You will learn to manage tasks, to communicate and give and receive feedback. In short: you will become a competent, internationally oriented business professional.

After your programme, you will be ready to start your career but you also will have the opportunity to start a MSc Business Administration programme at a variety of universities. You are directly admissible to the MSc BA at the UT (which has 7 specialisation tracks and plans double degrees with programmes in different countries for each of them).

With a double degree in (International) Business Administration – especially if you also have a Master’s degree in this field – you will have many career opportunities.

The study programme of the double degree International Business Administration – Learning Across Borders consists of two tracks. One track for students who start at the UT (UT track) and one for students who start at WWU (WWU track).

In both tracks students study first 1.75 year at the university they start, followed by 1.25 year at the partner university. At the end of the 1^st year of study participation in the double degree needs to be arranged. 

International Business Administration – Learning Across Borders is a double degree starting from each of the regular degree programmes, the BSc International Business Administration diploma of the University of Twente and the BSc Business Administration of the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster.

Starting at the University of Twente means following the UT track and starting from the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster means following the WWU track.

If you would like to enrol in the IBA-LAB programme you should apply for one of the regular degrees according to its standard admission and selection process. At the end of your first year you as a motivated student, with sufficient study progress,  get the opportunity to sign up and being selected for the double degree IBA-LAB. After your selection, you have to register to the partner University also in your  2^nd year.

For more information about how to enrol please look at the pages of either UT or the WWU Münster. 

Further studies 

With your double degree in (International) Business Administration, you can directly enter various Master’s programmes, such as the one-year MSc Business Administration programme here at the UT (with double degrees in several of its specialisations), or the two-year MSc Business Administration of the Universität Münster. These programmes are completely English-taught. 

You can also opt for a different Master’s programme at the UT or elsewhere. For some Master’s programmes at the UT, you may have to complete a pre-Master’s transition programme first.

Check the overview of Master’s programmes offered at the University of Twente

Career perspectives

With a double degree  in International Business Administration – especially if you also have a Master’s degree in this field – you will have many career opportunities.

The University of Twente encourages international students to start their career in the Netherlands. The Connect project will help you find appealing job opportunities to get your career off to a flying start. Read more about the Connect project.

Where do graduates work? 

Our focus on innovative and entrepreneurial processes, in particular, will allow you to develop skill sets that are relevant to a wide variety of organisations and organisational functions in different sectors:

• Industry (for example, Grolsch, Philips, Bosch, Siemens, Volkswagen)
• Consultancy (for example, McKinsey, Deloitte, EY, KPMG, Simon Kucher)
• International organisations (for example, the EU, World Bank, Shell)
• Startups or small to medium-sized enterprises

Most of our graduates join commercial companies, but also non-profit organisations, government or scientific institutes, often at management level. In time you may attain a leadership or strategic position. Another option may be to start your own business; many Business Administration graduates have done so with great success.

You will start your double degree in Münster around the beginning of April in your second year.

You have two semesters, the summer and winter semester. When doing a double degree, you will enroll in the summer semester. This semester starts in April and lasts until the beginning of August. After a break until October, the winter semester starts. This semester lasts until the end of February.

The electives that you are able to pick differ per semester. You can find the electives in the course catalogue of the University of Münster. The course descriptions of these electives can be found here.

The selection process is based on whether you passed the modules in your first year. You can register your interest by mailing our study advisors before the 15^th of October via studyadvisers-iba@utwente.nl. Our team will then make a selection and inform Münster about this before the 1^st of November. Depending on the number of applications, your registration at WWU will be finalised around 1^st of December.

Module 5, 6 and 7a will still be part of your study path at the University of Twente. Instead of the regular module students follow in module 7, you will follow the third year module CHANGEL instead. So, you will not follow SUM or DMNB.

If you follow the regular study path and schedule, you will not be at Twente during your time in Münster, only to defend your thesis at the end of your studies. So, unless you have a deviating study plan with resits, you will not be in Enschede.

Yes, you do need to stay enrolled at the University of Twente. This is because you will get a diploma from the University of Twente as well. Keep in mind that you have to pay the regular tuition fee, since you will not pay an additional tuition fee at the WWU. Therefore you will have to stay enrolled at the University of Twente and also re-enroll via Studielink.

You will write your thesis at WWU and get supervisors via there. However, you will also get a supervisor from the University of Twente to guide you, since you will have to return to the University of Twente at the beginning of July to defend your thesis and pick up your diploma.

You will have to pay a semesterfee at Münster. This is not an actual tuition fee, but offers you the opportunity to travel by train from Münster to Enschede, provides you student support services, sporting opportunities, insurance and the opportunity to visit cultural events. You can read more about this via this website.

If you are considering the Double Degree with Münster whilst having a N-EEA nationality, please consider this has consequences for your visa. We request you to reach out to the programme management team of IBA or to contact the Student Services department via studentservices@utwente.nl.