Bachelor in International Facility Management

Please visit link for more information

Year 1

Year 1 is the propaedeutic phase. The two first-year modules are offered on an alternating basis.

Knowing the Fundamentals of Facility Operations. This module is an introduction to Operations Management and Management Information Systems in facility management organizations, in combination with practical training in the in-school training company Sibelicious. You will work in several outlets such as catering, Service Desk, store room, restaurant, and kitchen. You organize, cater for, manage, and provide service to real customers, who come in daily for lunch, dinner, a meeting or a conference. In addition, you will learn the basic principles of emergency response.

Understanding the Facility Management Industry. You will learn how to deal with the basics of Finance, Economics, Marketing, Business Law and ethics, and Research and design in the facility management industry.

Competencies learned in these modules are brought together at the end of the year in a final project. In a small group of students, you will make a prototype or renewal of a facility environment.

Years 2 and 3

Years 2 and the first semester of year 3 are referred to as main phase I. Main phase I consists of a total of three modules, the second and the third of which are offered on an alternating basis.

Developing People and Organisations

Take a close look at the behavioral aspects of working with people in organizations. (Courses: Organisational Behaviour, Business Law & Ethics, Research & Design, and Economics)

Managing Business Performance and Innovation

Learn how to deal with customer relations, service marketing, and pricing strategies. (Courses: Accounting, Operations Management, Management Information Systems and Marketing)

Exploring the International Facility Industry

In this five-month practical placement, you will experience living and working in a real-life, cross-cultural facility environment abroad.

Specialisation: Attractions & Theme Parks Management

In year 2 you can specialize in Attractions & Theme Parks Management. This is an English-taught study track that you will complete in years 2 and 3, together with students from Leisure & Events Management and International Facility Management.

Attractions and theme parks are continuously innovating and diversifying. For instance, attraction parks are evolving into complete holiday resorts offering accommodation and entertainment at the same time. Shopping centers nowadays often have additional attractions such as food courts or simulators, zoos are expanding to include more facilities (e.g. climbing parks), and museums are adding entertainment and experiential elements to their cultural and educational offerings.

If you choose this area of specialization, you will gain insight into marketing, finance, staff planning, hospitality and security, and safety. You will also have the opportunity to do a work placement at leading parks such as Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Europa Park in Germany, and Efteling.

Year 3

In year 3, you will follow the course Creating Impact, during which you will design a sustainable strategic business that creates impact. A good challenge where you can put your knowledge and skills from the first 2 years into practice! During the course, you’ll dive into the sustainability debate of the industry, as well as develop strategic thinking skills, and expand your knowledge of experience design. Understanding the interrelation between these aspects will form a sweet spot for your design!

Year 4

In the final year, the graduation phase, you choose a personalized context in which you will perform your bachelor’s thesis and you can complete a personalized curriculum component (e.g. a minor, work placement, advisory report, business plan). Under the supervision of a personal coach, you will work on your final thesis, which you will defend at the end of the year.

Pre-masters

BUas offers its own pre-master's program Strategic Business Management and Marketing (SBM). Successful completion of this track will give you direct access, after Breda University of Applied Sciences, to various Master of Science programs in business-related studies in management and marketing at several partner universities. A few examples are the universities of Amsterdam, Maastricht, Tilburg, Brussel (B), and Warwick (UK). In this way, it will be possible for you to earn an academic master's degree within five years or, after having completed an accelerated three-year track, even within four years.

Study load and coaching

Study load

The study load differs per theme but you will spend an average of 32 hours per week on school. This means attending lectures, working on projects and assignments, and preparing for assessments. During the practical weeks of 'Food and Beverage' weeks, you will be working full-time in the kitchen, restaurant, or at the reception of our school.

Study coaching

To help you develop your personal and professional skills, you will take part in the Management Development Programme that runs throughout years 3 and 4 of your studies.

Topics addressed in this program include report writing and referencing, Excel and other relevant IT skills, time management, (interpersonal) communication skills, teamwork, learning styles, and leadership styles. As you move on to the final stages of the program, the focus will shift toward the industry, where decision-making, advanced leadership, negotiating, and entrepreneurship are key elements.

Within the framework of the Management Development programme, you will create a Personal Development Plan. You will be supervised in this process by your study coach, who will also generally monitor your progress and development throughout your academic experience.

Student counsellor

The student counselor provides information, advice, and guidance relating to educational and occupational choices, study conditions, and student grants. This is also the person to turn to if you wish to discuss any personal problems that may be affecting your life as a student.

Get a Job

As a facility manager, you organize and manage the supporting department of an organization. You direct the facility department and you are responsible for the possible outsourcing of work (for example catering services). The facility manager holds a key position in the organization and in an innovative manner, he takes care that all facilities are in order.

Career examples

Today’s facility manager is transforming more and more into a strategic advisor to corporate management; he/she monitors the beating heart of an organization. Our graduates work across the entire spectrum of the facility management industry at, for instance:

• multinationals
• airports
• hospitals
• event planning agencies
• catering, cleaning, and security organizations
• real estate owners

After graduating you often start your career in an assistant position and over time, you work your way up to (senior) management positions in the facility branch.

• Fully English-taught degree bachelor's program in cooperation with international industry
• Internationally accredited and top program in the Netherlands
• International team of lecturers with extensive experience in the facility sector
• One-to-one coaching and personal development program