International Business bachelor full-time programme

You’ll become an expert in doing business across cultures and learn how companies grow internationally in a sustainable way. The bachelor in International Business is fully taught in English.

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Location

Breda, Den Bosch

Starting month

September

Duration

4 years

Language

English

What is International Business?

From the start, you work on real-life case studies with real companies, applying theory directly to practice. For example, you might analyse why a cereal producer for people with food allergies struggles to grow its market share in Eastern Europe. As an international market intelligence officer, you assess the company’s organisation, the market, the industry and the wider economic environment to identify barriers to growth.

You gain broad knowledge of international management, marketing, organisations, supply chain, finance, and sustainability, including key EU legislation. You also develop essential professional skills such as intercultural teamwork, leadership, languages and business communication.

You are trained to make a difference in a sustainable international society by combining interdisciplinary expertise, intercultural awareness and a strong understanding of global markets. You learn to identify opportunities, design international strategies, support sustainable expansion, and make sound financial decisions. With adaptability, innovation, digital skills and international networks, you create broader prosperity and long-term value for business and society.

You’ll graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree.

Discover this programme

Learn more about International Business

Programme features

You will be proficient in English + another language
You work in teams on real assignments for companies
You can go abroad 3 times for an internship, exchange semester or graduation
We have a team of teachers with a lot of international work experience

More about this study programme

Your job

What can you become with your bachelor International Business? The world of international business offers many opportunities, both in the Netherlands and abroad. These can be at multinational corporations or with family-owned, mid-sized companies with ambitious goals in developing their international sales. Governmental institutions that promote trade or development, regional development agencies or large cities also offer opportunities for young international business professionals. Alternatively, you could start your own business.

Depending on your talents and which areas you choose to specialise in during your studies, you may go on to a career in the fields of Sales and Marketing, Organisation management, Sustainability, Finance or Operations and Supply Chain Management.

When recruiting, international companies often prefer candidates with experience abroad. Your solid foundation in International Business, combined with the experience that you will acquire abroad during your studies, will help you to stand out as a candidate.

International Business

Alumna Simone talks about her career after the programme

Potential careers after the programme

(International) Marketing Manager

You are responsible for developing and implementing the marketing strategy for a company, brand, or product. You ensure that the products or services are promoted in the right way (globally) and that they reach the right target audience, paying attention to creating both financial and societal value. Your goal is often to boost sales, increase brand awareness, and enhance customer engagement.

(International) Sales Manager

You are responsible for leading and coordinating the sales team of a company with the goal of achieving sales targets and increasing revenue. You play a crucial role in developing sales strategies, motivating the sales team and maintaining customer relationships from various countries in an ethical and transparent manner.

(International) Entrepreneur

As an Entrepreneur, you start a business with a (global) vision, looking for opportunities to offer new products or services. You use global trends to create a responsible business that creates value not only locally but also internationally.

(International) Market Researcher

You analyse market trends, customer satisfaction and competitors to provide insights for business strategies. You conduct market research and investigate how different cultures and key societal challenges influence consumer behavior. You use this data to develop strategies for international market entry or expansion.

(International) Buyer

As a Buyer, you are responsible for planning, selecting, and purchasing goods for retail businesses. Your work involves market research, competitor analysis, product evaluations and testing, tracking purchase orders, and preparing reports for the management team.

(International) Business Development Manager

As a Business Development Manager, you are responsible for identifying business opportunities and driving (international) growth for the company. You play a key role in expanding business operations, forming (global) partnerships, and generating new customers or markets.

Country Manager

As a Country Manager, you lead a company’s operations in a specific country. You ensure that business plans are executed, manage the local team, and make sure all activities comply with local regulations. In addition, you build relationships with customers and partners to achieve the company’s objectives.

Import / Export Manager

As an Import / Export Manager, you oversee the import and export of products for a company. You ensure compliance with international trade regulations, coordinate the logistics of goods, and negotiate with carriers and customs authorities to keep trade running smoothly and profitably.

(International) Digital Marketeer

You manage the online presence of your company. You use tools like Google Analytics to analyse data from different regions and create targeted campaigns to improve (international) sales. Your goal is to ensure that the company's products are easily accessible and visible to (global) consumers.

You take an interest in international businesses, how they are organised and how they can improve. You like to set your own learning goals. You are open-minded, independent, self-motivated and adventurous. Your work makes an impact and also respects people and planet. Discerning and creative, you are a born communicator. And you embrace challenges and enjoy working in an international team. If you recognise yourself in this, then the International Business study programme is something for you.

After completing your International Business bachelor, you will have a broad range of opportunities. You can choose to do your master in the Netherlands or abroad and further specialise within the field that most interests you. Think of master's such as International Management, Master of Science in Management, Marketing Management, Logistics, Supply Chain Management or you can take a post-graduate MBA-programme.

Student tells

Jette’s internship in Australia was a milestone

Former student tells

Sijanda gained a lot of experience abroad

Student tells

Josefine completed an internship in Valencia

Former student tells

A valuable experience and learning a new language

Programme structure International Business

In the IB programme you learn by doing and constantly develop as an international professional. You work with international students on real cases assigned by companies. Your work will be assessed in a group and individually. Out of the 4 years you can be one and a half year abroad besides the Netherlands.

Dual Degree track

You can also take part in a Dual Degree track with a partner business school in France or Germany. Admission is selective. In years 3 and 4, you follow the partner institution’s programme, which Avans recognises as part of your own degree.

Upon successful completion, you become eligible for 2 diplomas – the Avans Bachelor of Business Administration (International Business) and the bachelor’s degree awarded by the partner institution. This is not a joint or double degree, but a track based on formal mutual recognition of study components.

Year 1 covers global marketing principles, supply chain management, international trade, EU sustainability compliance and opportunity recognition. You attend project meetings and training sessions, and develop personal/professional skills like self-awareness, critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration and intercultural communication. You attend taster sessions in Chinese, French, German and Spanish, and pitch for your preferred language. Finally, you start looking for your year 2 internship.

Important themes:

Supply Chain Mapping
International Marketing
Financial aspects of International Business
Project management
Sustainability

In year 2 you start with a 20-week fulltime internship at an international organisation in the Netherlands or abroad - an ideal chance to get exposure to the world of international business. After your internship, you study a choice module to specialise or broaden your profile in quarter 3. This can be in the IB programme or another study programme within Avans. In the final quarter you complete an International Expansion project.

Programme:

Internship
Elective module
International expansion
Language

In year 3 you work on international business assignments and further develop your professional skills. You do an interdisciplinary module and work with students from different fields of study on a joint project. In the second semester you will pick a choice module again at Avans or another university in the Netherlands or abroad. We have partner universities all over the world.

Programme:

International business assignments
Interdisciplinary module
Choice module

The first quarter you can further specialize or broaden in a topic of your interest. Then you prepare for the graduation project that you execute in the second semester. This is focused on problem solving for an organization, related to themes such as: solving or redesigning supply chain issues, identifying sustainable international business opportunities, setting up and executing international trade activities, or developing responsible strategies for global or local delivery.

Programme:

Choice module
International business assignments
Graduation internship

Follow this study programme in Breda

Follow this study programme in Den Bosch

Admissions requirements International Business

The level of your prior education has to be equivalent to the Dutch havo, vwo or mbo 4 level. English must have been one of your courses. In addition, you should have graduated in mathematics, accounting or economics. If we are not familiar with your foreign diploma, NUFFIC, the Dutch organisation for international recognition of diploma, will check the level for us.

Read more about international secondary education diplomas.

Practical information International Business

If you have decided to pursue this study programme at Avans University of Applied Sciences, you will need to register for it.

Before you apply read the detailed information about our English language admissions requirements.

Application procedure

You must apply for this bachelor's degree programme via the Studielink website. Studielink is the Dutch portal used for all educational programmes. All students studying in the Netherlands use Studielink to register for their programme. If you are a Dutch student please apply via our Dutch website.

In addition to the application procedure via Studielink you must also send us several documents.

Before you do, make sure you have informed yourself about our rules and regulations.

Register via Studielink

Registering for a programme is done via Studielink. You do this by logging in with your DigiD. Requesting a DigiD takes 5 days.

Starting month	Location	Deadline
September	EEA	August 31, 2026
September	Non-EEA	May 1, 2026

Application deadlines:

Applicants with a Dutch diploma, the deadline is 31 August.
Non-EEA students with a non-Dutch diploma, the deadline is 1 May.
EU students with a non-Dutch diploma, the deadline is 31 August.

When you meet the deadline you give Avans enough time to process your application and, if applicable, apply for a visa. After application we will contact you to inform you on the further procedure.

Scholarships

Scholarships are much sought after nowadays: nearly every student who decides to study abroad considers applying for one. Information about scholarships specific to Avans University of Applied Sciences can be found on our scholarship page.

More information

For more information please contact Student Support on +31 (0) 88 525 75 00 or via this contact form.

In the overview below you will find the tuition fee amounts that have been set for new students at Avans University of Applied Sciences.

Which of these 3 fees applies to you depends on the category you are in. In general, students from the European Economic Area (EEA) pay the statutory fee, while other students pay the institutional or non-EEA fee. Exchange students generally pay their tuition fees to their home institution and not to Avans.

Please check the tuition fees page for detailed information.

Tarif	Year	Amount
Statutory fee	2026 - 2027	€ 2.694,-
Institutional fee	2026 - 2027	€ 10.308,-
Non-EEA fee	2026 - 2027	€ 10.308,-

Contact

Would you like to contact us? You can reach us through the contact form and WhatsApp. You can also call us at +31 88 525 75 00.

Location of your programme

Breda

Hogeschoollaan 1

4818 CR Breda

Tel: +31 88 - 525 75 00

Route

Study in Breda

Avans students Evy, Tio, and Jetske will take you to their favorite spots in Breda.

International Business bachelor full-time programme

Location

Starting month

Duration

Language

What is International Business?

Discover this programme

Learn more about International Business

Programme features

You will be proficient in English + another language

You work in teams on real assignments for companies

You can go abroad 3 times for an internship, exchange semester or graduation

We have a team of teachers with a lot of international work experience

More about this study programme