In the classroom: A student’s perspective on the Full-time MBA courses

Course highlights

“The standout modules for me in my full-time MBA journey so far have been Finance as well as Leadership and Organisational Behaviour. When it comes to education these modules provided the development of skills on a practical basis. Finance provided many of us with a first-time glimpse into the world of company stocks and bonds, taught by Dr. Angelo Corelli. Leadership and Organisational Behaviour, taught by David Cass, was an introspective course for me by challenging my personal management style and the understanding of leadership from both perspectives, as a leader and as a follower. What stood out the most for both courses was the problem-solving focus of the daily lessons. I left many days feeling a sense of accomplishment.”

Key learning outcomes

“The Finance course provided us with insights into company valuations, not only into the numbers but also how opinions can influence the value of a company. The topic of compounding interest consistently raised its head and being able to see when and why it is used as well as who benefits from it, can be an invaluable learning. Especially for those who have had limited exposure to the finance world. The time value of money, future cash flows, and interest rates were a constant and it was encouraging to be able to apply these concepts to the problems we were expected to solve or provide financial recommendations for. Understanding the cost and reward of risk was a good reminder of how important financial decisions are in our daily lives.

Leadership and Organisational Behaviour began with a bang as we had not expected to tackle this module until April 2024. Every day was a practical example or challenge based on theories. It was very encouraging for me to relate the learnings to my everyday office situations and having David as your lecturer makes the application so much easier. David often shared his experience and learnings from the corporate world as well as the time he spent as a leader in the Air Force. The structure of the final assignment was personal as we were expected to apply the theory to ourselves and then provide a structured plan that would see us as better leaders for the future and in our respective lives. To be honest I have never been this anxious to get my results of an assignment.”

“The lessons learned and problem-solving skills gained with these two modules will go a long way in assisting me in my professional career. “These modules will forever be constants in anyone's professional career and it is practically impossible for someone to move forward and up any ladder without these learnings. I can take it a step further and say that it will be very difficult to grow personally without these financial and leadership skills. The only thing that would stand in my way is myself. Applying time value of money principles to financial decisions or reacting appropriately to different scenarios because of the insights gained in leadership will only benefit me when I consciously apply the lessons learned.”

“The lectures of both modules created an environment that encouraged interaction with themselves as well as peers. Discussions of the challenges faced, and the learnings taken from the daily classes often would take place at the coffee machine or sometimes over a beer at a local pub after class. With Finance many were interested in understanding the valuation techniques and loved how they could apply some finance skills to their personal finances. The fact that we had group assignments made it impossible to not interact with classmates, but the quality of the interaction is what stood out, even though some in my finance group were completely lost in the finance world. With Leadership and Organisational Behaviour many were sharing their experiences with leadership or the lack of it in their professional careers. The lecturer made sure that we were to consciously operate in groups to make sure we experienced the dynamics that come with working with different types of people.”

Studying at the Tapijnkazerne campus

“Being a student again after 20 years has come with its own set of challenges not to mention the fact that I am in a different country. The MSM Tapijnkazerne campus has a feeling of continuous learning for me, as I find myself wanting to know what these students on the other side of the glass wall are learning. The lecture rooms feel focused yet open and the staff make it that much easier when assisting with a smile. Being a student on this trendy campus is a pleasure. All you need is available in one place.  I am looking forward to spending many more challenging days learning at this beautiful campus.”

About the Finance course
This course introduces key topics in corporate financial management, focusing on valuation and value creation, thus enabling the learner to acquire finance management skills and understand the process of value creation.  The topics covered include time value of money, the valuation and role of debt and equity, capital budgeting/project evaluation techniques, company valuation, cost of capital and capital structure decisions, and working capital management (short-term financing).

About the Leadership and Organisational Behaviour course
This course is designed to help you become a better leader, able to optimise your performance and that of your team for any given situation and as you progress in your career. Leadership and organisational behaviour are traditionally discussed within separate academic disciplines, but here they are linked together, underlining the managerial reality of needing to offer leadership, needing to motivate and work effectively with teams of varied people, and needing to respond to the challenges of implementing and sustaining values in the organisation's practice.

Click here for the course description of each course in the Full-time MBA.

Do you also want to join the full-time MBA and develop your management skills in a diverse, international and multicultural environment? Click here for more information about the programme, the curriculum, the available scholarships and the admission requirements. You can also chat with current students and alumni and get first-hand insights in how they have experienced the programme. The next intake will start in September 2024.

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