Strategic Business Management and Marketing (SBM)

1-year academic pre-master’s programme | English-taught

Pre-master
1 year
Full-time
English

Your optimal route to a Master of Science programme

This academic English-taught pre-master's degree prepares you for entrepreneurship worldwide; it covers business administration and marketing. You will learn how to do scientific research in a field you are interested in. This could be e-tourism, hospitality, sports and culture, the media and creative industries, games, logistics or urban planning.

After completing the pre-master Strategic Business Management and Marketing (SBM), you will have direct access to no fewer than 35 Master of Science programmes at home and abroad.

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Why choose SBM at BUas?

  • You can earn your academic Master of Science title in just one year after graduating from the pre-master’s track, thus saving you one year!
  • In-depth theoretical knowledge on business-related issues as well as academic skills in research and report writing
  • International classroom consisting of super motivated students, and access to a support team and an individual tutor.

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Study overview

Study programme

The academic pre-master Strategic Business Management and Marketing trains you for entrepreneurship in the European market, but also in doing academic research in the sector of your choice. Just think of the tourism and leisure industry, the sports and cultural sector, the hospitality and facility industry, the media and creative industries, public-sector organisations involved in destination development, or the traffic, mobility, transport or logistics sectors.

You are required to find a company where you can do your academic research within a sector of your own choice and within a country of your own choice. Breda University of Applied Sciences has a strong international network, so of course we can help you in finding a suitable place.

Course details

This programme covers 12 months and is made up of two main phases.
In this pdf you can find more information about the module structure.

Phase 1 - Pre-master’s courses

In term one, the programme focuses on the content of strategic management and marketing within the module units. The module units are set up in a holistic and integrated way, structured around business issues. This enables you to identify an adequate business-applied problem, which is the foundation of your future research proposal.
 
Term two of the programme is designed to search for secondary data to support your topic and different sub-problems with facts or evidence. These data can be found in the literature, expert interviews or other documentation in order to analyse and appraise the situational business environment in terms of cause-and-effect relationships to define the business problem more specifically. The term units will also support you with useful inputs on current theories within various disciplines.
 
In term three you mainly focus on Applied Statistics and on your final research proposal (SBM5c) to be submitted at the end of this term. By analysing your selected problem, you will be able to formulate adequate and relevant research questions for the purposes of your research project and to develop a conceptual framework. Not only does this research provide a foundation in learning and further developing your academical skills, such as literature review and qualitative interviewing, but it also deepens your knowledge in the fields of research methodology, applied research philosophies and approaches. Also, the logical research framework matrix (LRFM), investigative research questions, sampling methods, data-collecting design strategies, data requirements and other information needs are formulated here. 

Phase 2 - Final Research Project

Term four sees the culmination of the dissertation fieldwork by data collecting. During this stage of the programme you collect primary data for each of the research questions as defined (LRFM). Your project fieldwork will either complement or contrast your secondary findings for each of the problems defined in the research proposal. Your methodological report will critically reflect on your used methods and findings, and supports conclusions and recommendations to solve the identified business-applied problem. 

To find out what kind of dissertations were written in the past; check our abstract list (pdf).

 

Study load and coaching

The academic pre-master Strategic Business Management and Marketing is a one-year, full-time programme. The total study load is 75 ECTS credits. To give you an idea: 1 ECTS credit = approximately 28 hours of study a week. This one-year pre-master's replaces the last year of study at Breda University of Applied Sciences.

We offer you a small-scale study environment as the number of students involved in this pre-master's track are limited. For questions on the content of the programme, lecturers can be easily reached. In addition, the pre-master's coordinator is available to help with day-to-day issues. If you wish to discuss personal problems that may be affecting your life as a student, you can turn to the student counsellor.

A challenging and highly valuable programme. It proved the best decision I have ever taken.

Liza Herzog

Graduate Strategic Business Management and Marketing

Liza

Admission

BUas students from all BUas domains are welcome to apply (regular students as well as fast-track students), as are external students. To be admitted to this degree programme, you must have completed three years on a professional bachelor’s programme in business-related studies. 

  • Check out the complete  admission requirements and the possibilities if you do not meet the requirements 
  • Short-track students can also apply. 

Application

If you meet the admission requirements, you are invited to apply for this programme. Admission is based on selection.  Please check out the application procedure.

What does this study programme cost?

In the academic year 2025-2026 the statutory tuition fee for master's programmes is €2,601. In addition, you should take extra costs for software, excursions, etc. into account.

Information about study costs

 

You will go in-depth

I have no doubt how valuable the experience I gained writing this thesis is going to be when I will write my master thesis next year! 

Marjolijn Franssen,
graduate

It was an intense year

The wide variety of subjects helped me to further explore my interests and to select a master that fits these interests.

Larissa Wijnen,
graduate

Just go for it

Although I was kind of frightened at the start, the programme turned out to be an amazing experience.

Mark van Oosten,
graduate

After your pre-master

After the pre-master Strategic Business Management and Marketing (SBM) you will receive a certificate that gives direct access to selected Master of Science programmes at our partner universities.