1. 1. holds a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) or higher,
   2. is a manager, management trainee, supervisor, business owner, or team leader
   3. has a minimum of 2 years professional work experience,
   4. has approval from his/her organisation to do research and practical projects in their work environment,
   5. has  internet and e-mail access and
   6. should the applicant’s mother tongue not be English he/she will require a TOEFL or IELTS language test. The minimum pass mark for TOEFL is 550 (paper); 213 (computer) or 79/80 (internet-based) and IELTS 6. Applicants who have completed their Bachelor’s degrees in English are not required to provide to a TOELF or IELTS test result.

Exemptions:

1. In addition to point a: Mature and experienced applicants who do not hold a Bachelors degree, may also be considered. The guideline here is a minimum of 7 years of demonstrable, appropriate and relevant postgraduate work experience.
2. In addition to point b: Applicants who are not in a formal management position but to whose professional development the learning programme will significantly contribute, may also be considered. This would apply to professionals who operate at the post-graduate level but are not necessarily (continuously) involved in the management of people or a department. For instance; policy officers, accountants, consultants, etc.
3. Based on a thorough verification of submitted documents in respect to the above and, if deemed necessary, a personal interview, BSN will determine the applicant’s suitability to participate in an Action Learning MBA programme.

Interactive Online Zoom meetings

Online Classes. In the first and second phases of this programme you will have a weekly interactive online Zoom meeting. In these meetings, you will meet your module instructor and peer group (12-16 students). The module instructors are subject experts and experienced managers and entrepreneurs. The online classes consist of different working methods; presentations, discussions, small assignments, work in break-out rooms, questions, and answers. Students in your group are all experienced managers with different backgrounds and nationalities, providing you with interesting points of view and a high quality network.

Subset meetings. During the programme you will have 12 subset meetings. A subset is a group of 6-8 students which will be guided by an Action Learning Coach. The coach and the group will help you with your Action Learning Projects.

Themed online workshops. BSN organises 4 themed online workshops per year, 8 in two years. These online webinars cover new trends such as blockchain, design thinking, digital transition of your organisation, but also leading with impact. This is an opportunity to meet students from other groups

Action Learning – Project-Based

As an Online Action Learning MBA student, you will focus 100% on topics relevant to you and your organisation. Through research and discussion, you will discover methods to resolve issues and implement new plans; applying change through action.

You will complete 4 in-house assignments; Action Learning Projects (ALPs) focused on departmental level issues. The MBA dissertation will tackle a strategic organisational issue where various research methodologies will need to be used in order to develop appropriate and effective solutions.

No Conventional Examinations

BSN believes in assessing real competencies and developing the skills a true leader must acquire, therefore BSN does not focus on conventional examinations, but rather on real projects completed in your work environment.

Business School Netherlands will evaluate your diagnosis of the problem, your plan of action, your field research, your evaluation of the situation, and how you implement the plan to resolve the issue. Ultimately, we will also evaluate your reflection of the situation, what you learned through the process, and what you would do differently next time. This method allows us to develop you as a business leader and allows you to strengthen your managerial and business skills.

Student Support

Student interaction is continuously encouraged with the support of our specialised coaches. Renowned module instructors and our in-house staff play a vital role in the virtual class environment.

Library Access

As a BSN student, you will have access to our massive database of online business journals, periodicals and management reviews to aid you in your studies and research projects.

Programme Overview

Skill Phase 1 (3 months)

Here we lay the theoretical foundation upon which your future study will be based; this creates a common conceptual framework for the whole set whilst you follow the Online Action Learning MBA.
The courses in this phase are:

• Action Learning Fundamentals
• Research Methodology

Assignments:
You will write an Organisational Analysis of your company as well as an Action Learning Literature Review. This is based upon your current leadership skills and competencies, and you will be encouraged throughout the programme to consider areas for development.

Practice Phase 2 (15 months):

The second phase covers the following 7 core courses:

• Human Resource Management
• Marketing Management
• Operations Management
• Financial Management
• Information Management
• Strategic Management
• International Management

Each core course consists of 4 online interactive classes of 4 hours. The second phase also consists of the following modules:

• Personal skills training
• Research Methodology
• Themed workshops (6-8)

Assignments:
Each core course will be tested with a theory test, and a written assignment/Q&A. Example questions you need to answer are:

• Does my Organisation make effective use of Social Media?
• Is our strategy approach modern or outdated?
• Is my organisation ready for digital transition, or not?

In this phase, you will be acquired to execute 4 Action Learning Projects (ALPs), including 1 Group International Management ALP. To help you with your ALPs and to learn from the other students we organise 12 online subset meetings. Each subset consists of 6-8 students and will be facilitated by an Action Learning Coach.

Graduation Phase 3 (6 months):

In the last phase, you will work on your concluding dissertation and you are asked to complete an Evaluation of Managerial Learning (EAML) report. In this phase you will receive individual Dissertation Support.

Majors

When enrolling, you are able to apply for a Major. Additional costs will be charged for this. In order to qualify for the Major endorsement on the MBA degree, the following conditions apply:

The student:

• Passed the assignment ‘Personal Effectiveness Paper’ related to the respective Masterclass;
• Incorporated the Major subject as the leading theme of ALP 1, 2, 3 as well as the Dissertation;
  If applicable, is active in the respective field of business.

Duration

24 months (with possible extension to 36 months if required)

Set Meetings

100% Distance Learning. Meetings take place online in group sessions

Should you wish to attend 2 optional MBA conferences at the Netherlands campus, please consider the International Action Learning MBA 

Start dates 2023

• 24 May 2023
• 20 September 2023
• 15 November 2023 

We allow a maximum of 16 students per group

Full Course Fee 

EUR 20,000

EUR 12,000 (For Eastern European applicants)

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) scholarships are available for applicants from the developing world (Africa, Asia, South America, and the Caribbean)

Fees include: ​Textbooks, group coaching, online classes, assignments, and assessments