Master in Strategic Business Development
Vaasa, Finland
Master degree
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
EUR 14,000 / per year
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
The programme is delivered by experienced academics actively engaged in research and collaboration with industry partners, ensuring that the curriculum is current and relevant. Our teaching emphasizes hands-on, practice-oriented activities, allowing students to apply theoretical insights through interactive lectures, real-life cases, simulations, and group projects. Additionally, guest speakers from various industries provide valuable perspectives on real-world challenges.
Graduates of the programme are prepared for middle and upper management roles across diverse sectors, including multinational corporations, consulting firms, and startups.
The 2-year programme consists of 120 ECTS and leads to a degree of Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration.
Double Degree Programmes
Students in the Master's Programme in Strategic Business Development can apply for a Double Degree programme and spend the second year of their studies at our partner institution and gain complementary degrees from two countries. A double degree programme is also a great opportunity to gain valued international experience. Our double-degree agreements are elaborated below.
The double-degree agreement with the University of Pavia (Italy) includes two tracks to choose from: (1) Digital Management (e.g. courses on Big Data Analytics, Information Systems for Managers, and Coding and Database Management), and (2) Sustainability (e.g. courses on Performance Management of ESG Practices, Sustainability Reporting, Governance, and Ethics, and Digital Sustainability)
The double-degree agreement with the Kedge Business School (France) focuses on supply chain management and includes courses on e.g. Supply Chain Management and Procurement, Supply Chain Planning & Integration with SAP, and Supply Chain Simulation & Case Studies.
The double-degree agreement with the Umeå School of Business (Sweden) focuses on Business Development, Entrepreneurship, and Internationalization and includes courses on e.g. Entrepreneurship and Business Growth, Managing networks and internationalization, and Social and Environmental Entrepreneurship.
You are eligible to apply if you have a bachelor’s degree in business administration. See the full list of eligible majors in the link below. If you do not have one of these degrees, your background education is considered suitable if the degree includes min. 20 % of academic business studies or at least 35 ECTS (or equivalent) of academic business studies have been completed outside of the degree.
The University of Vaasa offers a generous scholarship program for students who are subject to tuition fees. Scholarships are offered in the form of waivers based on the speed of commitment to the offered study place, previous academic performance and progress in the studies. The scholarships can be granted for the target time of the programme, which is two years in the master’s programmes.
First-Year Scholarships
Scholarships are applied for by choosing the scholarship option in the application form to the programme. Students are informed about receiving a possible scholarship together with the admission results.
6 000 EUR waiver for all who pay within 21 days from acceptance
The university offers a discount of 6 000 euros from the first year tuition fee to all fee-paying students who accept their study place offer and pay the remaining 8 000 euros within 21 days from receiving the acceptance email.
If you do not pay within 21 days, you may still be entitled to a smaller waiver if your previous academic performance has been excellent (see "International Excellence Scholarship" below). Please note that you cannot receive both the 21 days discount and the International Excellence Scholarship. If you do not meet the criteria for the International Excellence Scholarship, you will be required to pay the full sum for your first year after the 21 days have passed.
International Excellence Scholarship
Each Master’s Programme offers International Excellence Scholarships to applicants who have a CGPA of at least 4/5 (Finnish system) or equivalent in their respective international grading. The International Excellence Scholarship is granted as a first year tuition fee waiver as follows:
- EUR 4 000 (in all programmes)
Therefore, if you qualify for this scholarship, you are required to pay 10 000 euros for your first year.
Scholarships are personal and linked to the acceptance of the offered study place. They do not transfer to other universities.
Second-Year Scholarships
All first-year scholarships include a conditional scholarship for the second year (Academic Achievement Scholarship). Students who do not have a first-year scholarship can apply for the second-year scholarship during the studies. Details about the application for the second-year scholarship will be communicated to the students during their first year.
The second-year scholarships require registering as attending. If a student is non-attending for their second academic year for a reason other than one of the statutory reasons, the scholarship will not transfer to the next year of attendance.
Academic Achievement Scholarship
For the second year (academic year 2026-2027) students may receive the Academic Achievement scholarship worth EUR 6 000. In order to receive the Academic Achievement Scholarship, you must proceed with the studies in the target time, which means that you must complete at least 60 ECTS by the end of your first academic year. The required credits must be registered by 31 July 2026, and the credits must be included in your degree.
If you are granted the scholarship, you will need to pay the remaining 8 000 euros of tuition fee for your second year.
In case you have been registered as attending for only one semester during your first year, you must have completed at least 30 ECTS during that semester to qualify for the award of Academic Achievement Scholarship.
Finnish Language Achievement Scholarship
If you meet the requirements of the Academic Achievement Scholarship, you may be granted an additional Finnish Language Achievement Scholarship worth EUR 1 000. In order to receive this additional scholarship, you must complete at least 60 ECTS by the end of your first academic year and these studies must include all of the Finnish language studies required in your degree.
If you are granted the scholarship, you will need to pay the remaining 7 000 euros of tuition fee for your second year.
Please note that it is not possible to receive the Finnish Language Achievement Scholarship without receiving the Academic Achievement Scholarship.
The Master's Programme in Strategic Business Development at the University of Vaasa offers a comprehensive curriculum designed to equip students with advanced skills in business strategy and development. Key components include:
- Strategic Management: Develop expertise in formulating and implementing business strategies to achieve organizational goals.
- Innovation and Business Development: Learn to foster innovation and drive business growth in dynamic markets.
- International Business: Gain insights into global business operations and strategies for international market expansion.
- Entrepreneurship: Cultivate entrepreneurial skills to identify and capitalize on new business opportunities.
- Leadership and Change Management: Enhance leadership abilities and learn to manage organizational change effectively.
This curriculum is designed to prepare students for leadership roles in various sectors, emphasizing strategic thinking, innovation, and global business acumen. For detailed and up-to-date information, please refer to the official program page.
Graduates of the program are equipped to operate at middle and upper-management-level positions in many businesses such as large multinational corporations, consulting, manufacturing firms, service businesses, and small entrepreneurial firms (e.g., in platform companies). Some examples of the career prospects that this program offers are e.g., business developer, consultant, project manager, sales and key account manager, business analyst, business controller, and entrepreneur.
By the end of the program you will:
- Understand the role of strategic management as a part of managerial work
- Be capable of using strategic analysis and decision-making tools and frameworks
- Possess an ability to develop business models and strategies to develop existing businesses and to sense and seize new market opportunities
- Gain know-how to implement strategies effectively in a complex and changing business environment
- Become a competent expert in project management, change management, organizational systems and process development, and network management
- Understand roles of digitalization, sustainability, and ethics in business development
- Become comfortable in working in international environments
- Be able to work efficiently as a member of a team
- Be able to express yourself fluently in writing and in giving presentations
The program has well-established quality control procedures. The data obtained via an independent survey conducted by The Finnish Business School Graduates indicate that ca. 90% of the recent graduates believe the delivery of the program is well in line with its objectives and that the gained competencies met their expectations. Moreover, the Strategic Business Development program is awarded with EFMD Program Accreditation. EFMD Accreditation is an international acknowledgment that approves the program as being among the top-quality business or management programs in the world. All business studies programmes at the University of Vaasa have been granted the internationally renowned AACSB accreditation, ensuring that each programme meets a high quality standard.