Testimonials

Countless new doors have opened up to take the next step in my career

"I chose the Business Development and Entrepreneurship course to take the next step in my career. I was hoping to learn more about entrepreneurship, to build a network in Utrecht and redirect my career in a new direction. All of my expectations were exceeded at Utrecht University. During the programme, we were led through a series of courses which put entrepreneurship as a central focus point and examined the topic from theoretical, practical and data-driven perspectives. The programme also helped me to find my way to the student startup incubator: Utrecht Inc. Students. At Utrecht Inc. Students, myself and our team tested our business model on the market. If you are aiming to further your education, while also looking to learn more about data, entrepreneurship and to take the next step in your career, I would highly recommend the Business Development and Entrepreneurship course at Utrecht University. I have learned more than I could have hoped for. I am now close to signing a contract for an extremely interesting job and have been offered several more positions. Countless new doors have opened up and I can attribute it to the guidance received from those within the Economics faculty at Utrecht University."

— Robert McDonald (Ireland), MSc graduate

The small-scale education formed a unique environment to learn and grow

“The master Business Development and Entrepreneurship represents an academic experience that goes way beyond the understanding of ‘how to become a successful entrepreneur’. I have learned that, next to representing the foundation of start-ups, entrepreneurial initiatives are at the heart of any existing organization that aims to succeed and survive. This so called ‘intrapreneurship’, entrepreneurship within existing firms, formed one of my greatest interests during this master’s programme. Yet, the projects I have performed during my master ranged from fostering sustainable energy consumption within Dutch households, to understanding how creativity can be fostered by an innovative workspace, to examining how entrepreneurial opportunities can be identified collaboratively within teams. In other words, this programme captured numerous aspects related to business development and entrepreneurship and provided me the opportunity to focus on what interested me most. Furthermore, I have perceived the incorporation of a variety of skills within the master’s curriculum as highly valuable, including both ‘hard skills’ as doing statistical analysis and market research, as well as ‘soft skills’ represented by e.g. efficient teamwork. The small-scale education, in which I could make an individual contribution and received personal guidance, formed in my opinion a unique environment to learn and grow. Last but not least, I feel fortunate that I was accompanied by a sociable and cooperative master’s community."

— Lucie van den Bergh (The Netherlands), MSc graduate

Opportunities to practise real-world entrepreneurship helped me decide on a career path

"After completing my Bachelor’s degree, gaining some work experience and brushing up on economics during my pre-Master’s course, I was very eager to start this Master’s programme. Despite some initial uncertainty, once I began the first course specifically designed for the BDE programme, Intrapreneurship, it soon became clear that I had made the right decision to apply.

The programme’s balance between exploring theory and studying how it is applied (or not applied!) in practice encouraged us to stay critical while keeping business goals in mind. The year flew by; with many hands-on opportunities to practise entrepreneurship and work with industry leaders and entrepreneurs, I had a clear idea of the kinds of jobs I wanted to apply for by the end of the programme.

Although balancing three academically challenging courses is tough, the workload is manageable and allows plenty of opportunity for personal development and socialising. Being an active member of the Master’s community was particularly useful and helped me develop the organisational and networking skills that I rely on in my role today. Collaborating on group projects also encouraged the whole class to engage with each other, offering an unexpected opportunity to build strong friendships, which I am extremely grateful for."

—  Natalia Litvak (Russia), MSc graduate