Management Consulting Specialization

Supporting organizations when they need help

Consultants are hired when clients do not know what action to take, when they are uncertain or when they lack sufficient time for proper reflection. The consultants’ task is to solve management problems, improve performance, implement changes or seize new opportunities.

Facilitating and justifying change

However, even when consultants are called in to help, it is far from certain that clients will follow their advice, make the right decisions or carry out the measures necessary to implement change. That is what makes management consultancy such a challenging profession. How can you help improve a decision? How can you assist effectively during a change process? How can you manage the expectations of your client and convince them of the best course of action? What consulting role is most appropriate? The specialization in Management Consulting will prepare you for these challenges by equipping you with the tools you need to succeed in this exciting field and by providing you with the best training available. You will also develop the personal skills consultants need, which will help you become an invaluable partner to businesses, government agencies and other organizations.

Career prospects

The specialization in Management Consulting will prepare you for a job in consulting as:

• a junior consultant or research associate at a consulting company
• a junior policy adviser at a ministry or with local government
• an internal consultant working in business
• a general in-company management trainee
• an academic researcher in the field of consulting
• an independent consultant

To date, the majority of our graduates have started their careers with consulting companies. Some are currently involved in major projects, including the integration of ING and Postbank in the Netherlands. Others have taken up positions in consulting firms with a more specialized focus, such as strategy consulting, IT consulting, project management or marketing research. These career choices often depend on a graduate’s individual talents and interests, and their Bachelor’s specialization.

Management consulting is a broad profession and the range of services provided by consultants is spread across diverse areas of management. Examples include general and strategic management, human resource management, operations management, performance management, change management and organizational development.

The Management Consulting specialization of the Master’s Programme in Business Administration takes one year to complete. It is worth 60 credits and it is taught entirely in English. Besides focusing on your own individual studies and attending lectures, you will work in small groups based on activating learning methods, where you learn to write and present projects, study international real-life cases and conduct small-scale research. Each subject is assessed on the basis of individual interim examination scores and the result of an individual or group assignment.

There are six courses that are specific to this specialization. You will take four of them from September until December and the other two courses in the winter and spring. There is also a required ethics course and a research seminar. During the final phase of the programme, you will organize and conduct an independent scientific research project which will serve as the basis for your Master’s thesis.

You will enjoy the close supervision of our expert staff while you write your thesis.

There are strict admission criteria. These are set by the Admissions Board, which also decides on individual applications. The requirements are split up into Masters specialization specific requirements and general requirements. Please read them both carefully.VU University Amsterdam requires all applicants to take an English test and to submit their score as a part of the application. In order for you to be admitted unconditionally you must send us a certificate from a recognised authority concerning your proficiency in English including the writing/composition test (e.g. TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge International Examinations CAE: A/B or CPE: A/B/C). Check the Master's specific Language Requirements. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 CAE score: (read more) Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) is part of the Cambridge English suite and is targeted at a high level (IETLS 6.5-8.0). It is an international English language exam set at the right level for academic and professional success. Developed by Cambridge English Language Assessment - part of the University of Cambridge - it helps you stand out from the crowd as a high achiever. 75 (Grade B) TOEFL paper-based test score : 580 TOEFL iBT® test: 92

Scholarships / Grants:

Neso Indonesia:
StuNed Scholarships for Master studies, short courses and customized training programmes are available for Indonesian professionals with at least two years work experience in a development-related organization.
For additional information: Website

Nuffic:
The Orange Tulip Scholarship Programme supports promising Taiwanese graduates and young professionals intending to pursue postgraduate degree programmes at a Dutch higher education institution.
For additional information: Website

VU University Amsterdam:
VU University Amsterdam awards its own scholarships to outstanding students joining our international Master's degree programmes. The VU Fellowship is an amount of money between 2.500 and 15.000 Euros to cover a part of the study expenses. The general criteria for selection are excellence, motivatio
For additional information: Website

Accreditation

Accredited by: NVAO in: The Netherlands