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International Business Semester
The International Business Semester trains students to understand and develop processes in a company
The programme contents
The semester is offered twice a year, starting in early September and early February. Class and project work is completed before Christmas or the beginning of June. Evaluation and exams take place in January or June, and students receive their diplomas at the end of January or June.
IBS is designed to train engineering students in understanding and developing processes in a company as well as understanding and developing the role of different departments and functions.
The objective of the programme is to enable the student to apply a
holistic view to a company and to manage or participate in the entire
project process from prototype to industrial marketing. This involves
co-operation with all departments with a view to produce a complete
business plan.
Descriptions of subjects below.
Marketing (5 ECTS)
To familiarise students with theories,
concepts and methods in industrial marketing and to give them
fundamental knowledge of marketing in a company. To achieve an
understanding of the problems of decision-making in connection with
overall marketing.
Project Management (5
ECTS)
Gives the student an understanding of the project-oriented working method, with special emphasis on inter-organisational contexts. To give an overview of the management elements in the special working method of project organisation. To provide an insight into analytical methods and planning tools which can be applied to many types of projects.
Strategic Analysis and Development (5 ECTS)
Gives the student basic knowledge of the strategic analysis of a company and the practical application of a number of basic tools. Based on given financial key figures, the student should be able to perform a simple analysis of a company’s operational development in order to support the strategic analysis.
Quality Management (5 ECTS)
Gives the student an understanding of and
insight into organisational and management problems as well as quality
management systems and their application. At the end of the course, the
student can:
1) Account for central concepts and methods in the description of the
operation and development of an organisation
2) Apply these concepts and methods to the analysis of organisational
and management problems as well as propose and apply a critical
evaluation of solutions to such problems.
Production and Inventory Management (5 ECTS)
To give the student an understanding of and insight into the total, internal logistics of a company and thorough knowledge of basic analysis and management tools. To give the student an understanding of the occurrence of capital ties and tools to control these.
Industrial
Project (5 ECTS)
Project work starts after six weeks. The students work with a case, preferably based on a real-life situation. The main content of the case is a product idea, a prototype and a wide variety of information.
Working in teams, the students will prepare
a complete business plan. In the course of the process, they will meet
two or three times with a “steering group” consisting of two IHK
teachers and an external examiner with the relevant expertise. At the
meetings, the students will present a progress report and account for
various “loose ends” which will have to be cleared with the steering
group. They will perform a role play in which the members of the
steering group will assume fixed roles. During the game, the
specifications of the project can be changed.
See table which
summarizes the activities
- please note that the autum semester typically covers 16 weeks whereas
the spring semester typically lasts for 17 weeks due to spring
holidays.
Student prerequisites
A prerequisite for joining the International Business Semester is two years of completed engineering studies at a technical university, which is either a member of the Socrates Programme or offers Bachelor of Engineering degrees. Copenhagen University College of Engineering is, however, open for discussion on alternative student qualifications.
Computer skills and English
The students should be practised users of Word and Excel. Some students may already have taken a comparable course in one of the subjects being offered. In that case, a course in Selection of Production Technology or Selection of Materials may be chosen instead. It is important that students have a good working knowledge of English in order to participate in and contribute to the teamwork and to follow lectures.
Copenhagen University College of Engineering offers optional English and Danish courses for all exchange students. Read more about the optional courses.
Group of IBS Students in front of Copenhagen University College of Engineering, February 2009