Introduction to the programme
All modern companies must navigate in an increasingly complex field: They must be both innovative, sustainable, ethically sound and employee friendly, all the while thriving as a business. If you want to contribute to tackling these challenges and make a difference for businesses of the future, a Master in Business Administration and Leadership (cand.merc.) is the right education for you.
Our profile
In this interdisciplinary programme you will be working with leadership, management, and organisation in companies in a modern context. You will gain in-depth knowledge of relevant scientific theories and methods in the field of business leadership and management, including companies’ strategy, organisation, management, economics, innovation, and value creation.
Throughout the programme we have an integrated focus on business ethics and sustainability perspectives.
We also acknowledge the situational and relational perspective of leadership and organisational challenges, and we train you to critically reflect on the variety of complex dilemmas, that companies might find themselves in. You will learn how to analyse the circumstances a business operates in and how to act on your findings, including analysing organisational processes, implementing strategies, developing business plans, evaluating investments, and conducting financial accounts. In short, we will prepare you for the multifaceted challenges faced by modern businesses.
The study allows you to shape your own profile both through a broad selection of optional courses and through the project work. Regardless of your choices, we expect you to engage in your studies and take advantage of your possibilities to create your own academic profile.
Additionally, it is possible to spend a semester doing an international exchange or an internship in a company or organisation. An internship is an opportunity to combine education with real business experience and expand your academic network while studying.
Study environment
You will join an international study environment, with both students and faculty from all over the world. If you join us from abroad, you will get to know many Danish students through courses taught jointly (in English) between the international and Danish business programme. You will meet an academic staff with a wide variety of backgrounds and a research focus in leadership and organising, service innovation, ethics, CSR and sustainability and tourism. You will work closely with the researchers through lectures, seminars, and supervisor meetings, where small groups work together on real-life problems. Through the programme, you will meet different companies and work with their challenges, both through projects, field trips and panel debates with external experts and leaders.
The learning environment at Roskilde University requires you to lead and motivate yourself, and most importantly, to cooperate with others. The close teamwork ensures the foundation for a strong academic network, and the programme provides rich opportunities to organise and attend both academic and social events. Regardless of your background, you will be challenged to broaden your perspective and learn new skills.
Career and qualifications
As a graduate in Business Administration and Leadership you have a wide range of job opportunities in areas like organisational and leadership development, HRM, innovation, change management, CSR, business analysis, project management, finance, accounting, marketing, communication, and business consulting. You can find work at the management levels of both private and public companies, in analytical institutions documenting business developments, and in public authorities regulating business and enterprise issues. The programme also qualifies you to enter a PhD-programme.
Examples of employment include:
- Global Head of Human Resources at Apax, working with recruitment strategies
- Director of Talent Management at GN Group, working with HR
- CEO of Rejsekortet, developing the Copenhagen travel card
- Supply Chain Partner, Novo Nordisk, managing manufacturing processes
- Partner at PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC), developing consulting services
- Communications consultant at Mastercard, working with stakeholder communication
Brochure about the programme
Study Programme
| 1. year | 2. year | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Semester | 2. Semester * | 3. Semester * | 4. Semester |
| Course
Leadership 10 ECTS |
Course
Advanced Organisation and Change 10 ECTS |
Course Elective course with in Advanced study course in Business Administration 15 ECTS |
Master Thesis
Thesis in Business Administration and Leadership 30 ECTS |
| Course
Innovation Management 10 ECTS |
Course Elective Course within Advanced Methodology 5 ECTS |
||
| Project/Internship
Project B: Project with Knowledge Transfer or Project-oriented Internship 15 ECTS |
Project/Internship
Project C: Project with Product or Project-oriented Internship 15 ECTS |
||
| Choose A or B
A: Project (recommended) Project A: Project with Facilitated Empirical Data 10 ECTS or B: Courses Advanced study course: Strategic Management 5 ECTS and Advanced study course: Ethics and Responsibility 5 ECTS |
|||
* If you start your studies in the spring semester, the content of the 2nd and 3rd semester will be swapped around.
Study regulations: Study regulation for Business Administration and Leadership (pdf)
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Internship and stay abroad
You can choose to spend a semester travelling with your education. Either as an internship at one of our partner companies or at a company that you find yourself. You test your academic and procedural skills in a job, make valuable contacts, and find out whether it is a future career path for you. You can also choose to take a semester of exchange at a partner university abroad, where you can gain international outlook, experience and network.
Master’s degree from Roskilde University - why?
You will be part of a strong academic environment where you will be in close contact with researchers, in dialogue about everything from academic issues, possible methods and theories, ways to create new insights and your wishes for the academic direction of your master’s degree study. You will become part of a social environment typically centred in one building on campus, where researchers and students work next door to each other. You will study within the university's project format, where identification of a problem, in-depth analyses, choice and implementation of a methodological approach, as well as setting up a strong theoretical framework are your responsibilities under academic guidance from a researcher. You will participate in a number of courses which expand your methodological and theoretical knowledge. During a semester, you will identify a significant problem within your subject field and develop the knowledge to produce scientific arguments for possible solution(s). You will gain concrete experience with the entire scientific process.
Student life
Roskilde University’s Campus
The university is situated on one single physical campus. There are multi-purpose sports courts, a football field, a disc golf course, nature trails along the lake, stream and the fields, a training centre, innovation workshops, a canteen, and a cinema. Our joint meeting place is called Student House RUC, where there is a student-run café and lounge. Both outdoors and indoors, we work to make the campus as sustainable as possible. Among other things, we have reduced energy consumption by 38 percent over the last 5 years and are converting our outdoor areas to wild nature.
Be inspired: Other options
Other international master's programmes
Other enrolment opportunities at Roskilde University
Roskilde University welcomes both exchange and guest students and you will find suggestions for semester packages taught in English.
Do you want to know more?
Contact the Study Guidance office
Contact us if you need advice on choosing a course of study, more information about the content of a degree, or about applying and admission to Roskilde University.
Contact the Study Guidance office
Meet us
See if there are current events that might be something for you. For example, participate in Open House, see the campus, and meet teachers and students.
Ready to apply?
Read all about requirements and admission to Roskilde University's master's programmes.