Application deadline: 1 June
Only 80 students are accepted via a selection procedure. We work on a first come first served basis.
Do you want to change the world and are you looking for an international challenge? Are sustainability, human rights, global health, social responsibility, the increasing divide between rich and poor, global warming, civil society and advocacy for minorities themes that you care about? Do you want to contribute personally and professionally to a better world? In our four-year English-taught programme we teach you how you can make a difference.
We combine theory and practice, project management, business and research with global issues. The programme consists of courses, real projects with companies from the first year onwards, an international internship and professional career counselling. In the end you'll know how to lead a project team and how to put innovative ideas into practice. You'll become a change maker, aware of your own strengths and ambitions, able to create sustainable value for society.
Global Project and Change Management is a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) offered by the Windesheim Honours College, the only honours college in the Netherlands. It’s a residential college which makes it easier to build a learning community. In our programme, we challenge ourselves and our students to be critical thinkers, work hard and put in the extra effort, but we also motivate each other to excel. Our international learning community (comprised of more than 15 different nationalities) is characterized by close involvement between lecturers and students. With lecturers coming from diverse backgrounds and our strong focus on research, we provide an academically challenging environment. Because of this engagement and small-scale community we can offer our students a personalized learning environment.
Global Project and Change Management is a small-scale programme: we only accept 80 students per year via a selection process. It is the best Business Administration and Management programme within the Netherlands and has been awarded the label ‘Top rated programme’ in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 by www.keuzegids.org.
After graduating, you can start your career for example as a:
Also, many students continue with a Master’s programme at one of the Dutch or other international universities, for example:
In the first two years you will learn everything about the basics to be a Project and Change Manager. In your last two years you have the opportunity to choose your own profile and develop your own learning path based on your own interest within our ‘Value Creator’, combined with an internship abroad.
Years 1 and 2
In year 1 and 2 you will complete five courses per semester. Most courses last fourteen weeks and in between you will take tests to see how you are performing. Some courses run for seven weeks. Tests can be written exams, an essay but also a presentation or a video blog. You will have classes every day of the week; one course a day so that you can focus and obtain depth. Each semester you will work in a small group on a larger project with a real-life client. Due to your schedule and the assignments, your study load is roughly 46 hours a week. At Windesheim Honours College we teach in an interactive style, expecting you to work together with a teacher instead of only listening to a lecture.
At the end of each semester (in January and in June) you will have the opportunity to work further on your personal development. At the end of your first semester you will engage in the ‘7 Habits for Highly Effective College Students’ training.
Some of our students struggle with the courses ‘Managerial Accounting’ and ‘Financial Analysis’. That is one of the reasons we offer the mathematics summer course, which we discuss with you during the interview selection. Due to the intensity of the programme we have extended Career Counselling to give you additional help and guidance in your own development.
Years 3 and 4
The last two years of our curriculum, are designed to allow the maximum flexibility in order for you to address your own individual interests and prepare you for the biggest challenges ahead. You have the opportunity to plan your semesters yourself. You will:
It is up to you! You are the architect of your own learning journey.
In the last semester of our programme you will do an international internship of about 15 weeks. We want you to have an international experience, so we expect you to find an organization abroad or an internationally focused organization in the Netherlands. You are free to choose the organization and the topic of your research, however we have guidelines to ensure the organization will allow you to meet your learning objectives. Together with a coach at WHC and your own in-company mentor, you will carry out independent research, which forms the foundation for a professional product the client wants answers to. There are three internship orientations:
The last two weeks before graduation you will be back at the College and meet with all your fellow students to prepare for graduation. You will demonstrate that you have achieved all competences set by WHC. Together with fellow students you will work on your own professional portfolio and organize a mini-symposium to defend your final.
Windesheim is a vibrant place to learn. All over campus, there are areas for private study and for group work. You’ll find all the facilities you need to realize your potential. We have student counselling, a media centre, intranet packed with news and information, a Virtual Learning Environment, computer rooms, an audiovisual centre for borrowing laptops and AV equipment, a copy shop, a shop for office supplies, sweets and gifts. Our students are impressed by our great, state-of-the-art sports facilities on campus: we have gyms, fitness rooms, a dojo for karate and judo, indoor football halls, a heated swimming pool and a climbing wall.
You're always more than welcome in our restaurants and cafés. We don't provide free meals, but prices in our campus canteens are altogether reasonable. Moreover, we have a sports café and our own Grand Café with the highly appreciated Starbucks coffee. And in case you’re really going for the Dutch experience by riding a bike, we also have a bike repair shop on campus.
Windesheim provides housing for international students in a student residence close to campus and to the city centre, where you can live and study together. Besides, all new students start with an ‘Introduction week’ to learn about Windesheim, the facilities on campus and the city of Zwolle. A ‘Dutch language’ course is offered to all students, so they can learn about the language and typical habits of the Dutch.
Windesheim is in the top three of broad-based Universities of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands; we are highly ranked by both students and experts. Students appreciate our personal approach, allowing them to work in small groups and making each talent count. At Windesheim you are not just a number. Our lecturers are coaches as well and they challenge students to reflect and think critically and get the best out of themselves. Windesheim is also renowned for its innovative and entrepreneurial approach. We work in close collaboration with businesses and institutions, so the knowledge we gain and share is of instant practical relevance. This method of working empowers the professional field around Windesheim and our graduates.
Zwolle is a lively and welcoming medium-sized city only one hour’s drive from Amsterdam, with reasonable prices for living expenses. About 30,000 students study in Zwolle, at one of its four Universities of Applied Sciences. As well as a beautiful historic centre, the city has lots of parks (really nice for picnics!) plus atmospheric cafés and places to eat. Zwolle is also a great place to shop, with all the big chain stores and loads of independent boutiques. It's also a safe city: once you’ve learned how to ride a bike, it's easy to get around.
Student life in Zwolle is focused in and around the city centre, which is packed with attractive cafés and restaurants. Zwolle has lots of cultural activities too, including music and cultural festivals, theatre shows, movies and museums. Zwolle is also famous for its annual Liberation Festival (free access), the Rhythm & Blues Night and a wide variety of sports events. There are student clubs and societies for just about anything from rowing to socializing with other international students.