Degree Programme in Business Management
Anastasiya Kisurina
"During my studies I had excellent opportunities to apply my knowledge to real business situations."
Lots of lectures were attended, lots of courses were completed successfully and lots of materials were read, and at the same a great amount of information was learnt. I am a second-year student in Business Management and I can undoubtedly say that I never had a thought to regret on my decision to apply for studying in Business Management degree programme at Mikkeli University of Applied Sciences (MUAS) after finishing my school in Russia.
Education in Finland is at the top among others all over the world. The great reason for that is the principle of combination theory and practice. During my studies in MUAS, apart from basic theoretical material, I had excellent opportunities to apply my knowledge to real business situations.
One huge part of my studies is learning languages, as I find languages a tool for successful operations in a business environment. On top of the Finnish language, I had a chance to study German and French, also to practice and improve my English. This is where I really started to feel the international environment of studies.
Having such a good background I am thinking now of the exchange program and it seems to be a hard decision because there is a wide range of countries and universities to choose from. Though as a French learner I find it more suitable and useful to go to France, to practice language and to broaden my knowledge in marketing, as I prefer this very specialization in business.
As a student of MUAS I also had a chance to become tutor for the first year students and to help other international students adapt to the surroundings. I can say that in spite of the responsibilities, this actually is great fun. What also I would like to point out is that I got place in MUAS marketing group for my professional training where I can apply my knowledge to the practice. I am not only a student of MUAS, but also an employee here. That is luck, as I can show what I am learning in the actual working environment in my studies.
As a student of MUAS I also had a chance to become tutor for the first year students and to help other international students adapt to the surroundings. I can say that in spite of the responsibilities, this actually is great fun. What also I would like to point out is that I got place in MUAS marketing group for my professional training where I can apply my knowledge to the practice. I am not only a student of MUAS, but also an employee here. That is luck, as I can show what I am learning in the actual working environment in my studies.
Olga Yurbacheva
"The study environment at MUAS is wonderful. Teachers are always supportive and understanding. They are ready to reward talented and motivated students."
When I was looking for the university in Finland, I immediately paid attention to Mikkeli University of Applied Sciences. First of all, Business Management Programme awards the Bachelor of Business Administration degree – which was exactly what I needed. Moreover, there is a possibility to specialize in several core areas: Marketing, Management, or International Business. At the same time it is possible to study all fields together and to understand what you are really interested in. Secondly, I was pleased with the location of this school: I really enjoyed that Mikkeli is “the town inside the nature”. It is a great pleasure to go to school through a forest, breathing fresh air, and enjoying the sounds of nature. It is even possible to see a squirrel or rabbit on your way to school!
The regular study time in the programme is three and half years. There is also chance to speed up the studies and I was really excited by the opportunity to finish the Bachelor’s degree faster. The International Summer Term makes it possible. I took part in it with a great pleasure. It was an unforgettable experience. The study environment at MUAS is wonderful. Teachers are always supportive and understanding. They are ready to reward talented and motivated students. For those who are willing to develop their studies outside of the school, it is possible to take part in various conferences. Thus, my classmate and I took part in Euroweek 2011 in Coimbra, Portugal, where we were working on School water efficiency and awareness project together with Spanish and Portuguese students. That week was, without any doubt, an excellent international experience and a great plus to my CV.
During my studies at MUAS, I was trying to study different areas of Business in order to understand what I really like and what I would like to continue studying during my Master’s degree. Thus, in addition to compulsory courses I took optional professional and optional courses in the field of Marketing, International Business and Management. This possibility gave me a great chance to understand that for instance Marketing is not the area of my interest; instead International Business and Management or Accounting is what I would like to do.
Another benefit of studying at Universities of Applied Sciences is the compulsory Practical Training. It encourages to look for a good place for the internship. Consequently, after finishing Bachelor’s degree students are coming out of school with some work experience that is, for sure, beneficial. My practical training was conducted at Lumi Accessories Oy, Helsinki. Lumi Accessories is a Finnish brand producing leather bags and small leather goods that received the highest fashion award in Finland “Kultainen vaatepuu 2011”. This experience gave me a good insight into a real business process and helped me to understand what I would like to do.