6 out of 10 MSc applicants are international
20 April 2017This year's number of applicants to BI Norwegian Business School shows that the master programmes are on the rise. Compared to last year, the five master programmes show an increase of 20 per cent.
BI’s President, Inge Jan Henjesand, is pleased with the number of applicants. He points out that the increase in the number of master students comes as a result of BI's strategic focus on the growth and internationalisation of the programmes at master level.
BI's master programmes are taught in English, and in recent years there has been a significant increase in the number of international students. In total there are 3 816 applicants for BI's five master programs (Master of Science) compared to 3 196 applicants in 2016.
– It is pleasing to see that a solid research-based business school education is sought after. The fact that more people wish to pursue a master's degree can be a sign that more people seek academic strength in order to have a competitive advantage in a tough international workplace in continuous change, Henjesand said.
The president encourages students to choose an education they are interested in, and to not place too much emphasis on projections and cyclical fluctuations.
– The most important thing about choosing an education is to find something you are passionate about. It takes three years to complete a bachelor's degree and five years to complete a master's degree. Business cycles change rapidly, restructuring leads to new demands, while the labour markets are becoming more international. It is therefore important to have a solid education that offers broad opportunities in an ever-changing workplace.
"The most important thing about choosing an education is to find something you are passionate about."
President of BI Norwegian Business School
More applicants for prestigious international master's
This year's application numbers show a large increase in the number of students in BI's international network master Quantitative Techniques for Economics and Management (QTEM). This master's degree with two specialisations in Finance and Economics increases by 50 and 76 percent respectively.
– The network master was launched in 2013, and is designed for students who wish to lay the foundation for a career in multinational companies. QTEM is now established as an attractive international master's program that attracts the most ambitious graduates in quantitative subjects, Henjesand said.
Bachelor of Business Administration on the rise
The applications for Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) have gone from 1009 applicants in 2016, to 1249 applicants in 2017. This is an increase of 24 percent. The BBA programme is BI’s English taught bachelor programme, located at Campus Oslo. In 2017, 85 percent of the applicants are international.
Master programmes with the highest increase compared to 2016 (ranked in order):
- Master in Accounting and Auditing
- Master of Science in Business (Economics and Management / MSc in Business)
- Master of Science in Finance
(Based on percentage increase compared with 2016. The Master of Science is taught in Oslo only).
Bachelor programmes with the highest increase compared to 2016:
- Campus Oslo: BSc in Finance
- Campus Bergen: BSc in Economics and Business law
- Campus Trondheim: BSc in Finance
- Campus Stavanger: BSc in Finance
(Based on percentage increase compared with 2016)
Facts:
- BI Norwegian Business School is Europe's second largest business school with its approximately 20 000 students, and the only business school in Norway that has the three most prestigious international accreditations. Schools with all three are called "Triple Crown" schools. By 2016, there were about 70 of approximately 15 000 business schools worldwide holding the Triple-Crown status.
- Every year, BI's bachelor and master programmes have more than 10 000 applicants. This year, a total of 12 071 people have applied to a full-time programme at BI Norwegian Business School. This is an increase of 5 percent compared to 2016.
- The application numbers are as of Tuesday, April 18th. BI Norwegian Business School is not part of the Coordinated Admission, and it is therefore possible to apply up until the start of the semester.