The Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) European and Asian Business Management offered by the University of Zurich is a top-level post-graduate study programme.

In light of Asia's increasing importance on the economic, political and social stage and the growing importance of cooperation between Asia and Europe from a socio-economic development perspective, business leaders and managers who work in the context of either continent need to have profound interdisciplinary know-how and strong intercultural competences.

This MAS programme offers both advanced theoretical knowledge and hands-on skills in international management. Students with high career ambitions and promising managerial potentials from around the world study in an intellectually challenging and inspiring environment. Courses are taught entirely in English by an international faculty with lecturers from world renowned universities and business schools. Guest lectures contribute to the learning of applied knowledge. In addition, elective courses are provided, which include seminars on the latest developments in the business world and language courses in both Asian (Chinese/ Japanese/ Korean) and European (German) languages.

Curriculum setting

The curriculum consists of 4 modules and lasts 18 months (70 ECTS).
In module 1, participants learn the basics of international business management. Module 2 focuses on regional characteristics of business management in Europe and China.
The courses are held weekly in 2-3 day course blocks (module 1: Monday-Wednesday, module 2: Thursday-Saturday) and are awarded a total of 55 ECTS.

In the second part of the studies, consists of a mandatory internship in an international company or organization (5 ECTS) and writing the MAS thesis (10 ECTS).

Module 1 - Fundamentals of International Management on Master Level (31 ECTS)

13 course-blocks à 1-3 full days

• Applied Business Ethics
• Asia Business Series (Japan, Singapore ASEAN, Indonesia, Korea, India)
• Corporate Finance
• Entrepreneurship
• Financial Accounting
• Innovation Management
• Leadership and Human Resource Management
• Macroeconomics, Development Economics and Future Economic Systems
• Marketing in the Era of Digitization
• Neuromanagement
• Research Methodology
• Strategic Management
• Supply Chain Management

Module 2 - Courses on Management with a focus on Europe and China

11 course-blocks à 1-3 full days

Focus on Europe

• Case Studies on Cross-Border Business - Focus Europe
• European Business Environment, Government and Society
• FinTech
• Luxury Brand Management
• Management of European Multinational Corporations
• Swiss Family Business

Focus on China

• Case Studies on Cross-Border Business - Focus China
• China Updates
• Chinese Culture and Enterprise Management
• China Digital Business: E-commerce, Marketing and Entrepreneurship
• Macroeconomics in China

Module 3 - Internship

All participants are to complete a paid internship (6-8 months) in an international company/organization. For European students it is recommended to do the internship in Asia, for Asian students in European work environments.

Module 4 - MAS Thesis

Students write their MAS thesis within the last 5-6 months of the programme. The thesis is written in groups of 2-3 students. The research thesis is supervised by one of the programme instructors.

The written part of the thesis will be graded and will count for 9 ECTS.

The thesis has to be presented in an oral defense session which will count for 1 ECTS with a pass/fail grade

Additional courses

In addition to these modules, elective courses are provided.

Language courses will be offered to MAS students. Attending a German language course is a requirement for Asian students; Chinese, Japanese or Korean language courses for Western students.

Faculty

The teaching staff is made up of instructors from the University of Zurich, guest lecturers from other higher education institutions, and of specialists with practical and/or academic experience in Asian-European cooperations.