Study plan - Bachelor of Business and Administration, Haugesund

The program is based on the recommended national plan from the Norwegian Association of Higher Education Institutions (UHR) and its academic strategic unit for Economics and Administration, which coordinates bachelor's programs in Economics and Administration in Norway. The goal of a shared plan is to ensure a high academic standard and a common knowledge base for bachelor’s students.

The curriculum consists primarily of mandatory courses during the first and second years, covering business economics, administrative subjects, economics, methodology, as well as ethics, social responsibility, and sustainability. The second year, and particularly the final year of the program, allows students to choose from various elective courses in addition to working on an independent bachelor’s thesis.

The program is well-structured to enable students to spend the 4th semester abroad. It is an interdisciplinary and career-oriented program that qualifies students for admission to master's programs in economics and administration, both in Norway and internationally.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

The courses included in the bachelor program should in combination help students achieve the following learning outcomes at program level, defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

KNOWLEDGE

The candidate has accumulated knowledge on key topics, theories, issues, processes, tools and methods in economics and administration, including:

• how the capital markets and securities work, how companies are financed, how investments are assessed
• how financial management tools are used and how accounts are prepared, reported and analyzed
• how businesses develop and implement strategies, how they are organized and managed, and how products and services are marketed and positioned.
• how the market works, how consumers and manufacturers meet their choices and how these are influenced by economic policy, technology and international framework conditions
• how businesses start, develop and change in line with needs, legal frameworks and expectations in society, such as sustainability, globalization, innovation and technology development, as well as the importance of the Nordic working life model for work and business
• how businesses carry out their activities in an ethically sound manner so that they safeguard their stakeholders and at the same time promote the UN's sustainability goals
• has basic knowledge in mathematics, statistics and social science method, and understands how methodological tools are used in connection with obtaining, organizing and analyzing data.
• is familiar with the subject areas' history, traditions, distinctive character, place in society, as well as research and development work
• is familiar with research and development work in the field and is capable of updating their knowledge within the field.

SKILLS

The candidate use professional knowledge and relevant results from research and development work onpractical and theoretical issues and make justified choices, including:

• obtain, sort and evaluate relevant information
• analyze financial-administrative issues using suitable theory and empirical methods
• make a critical assessment of uncertainty in their own analyzers
• abilities to communicate content in analyzer, method selection, results and assumptions both verbally and in writing
• can use work-relevant digital tools, techniques and forms of expression
• can assess different types of risks and consequences of decisions
• use different professional perspectives and theoretical approaches to understand how businesses work
• can integrate accountability and sustainability considerations into the companies' business models and practices

General Competence

The candidate:

• is conscious about own values ​​and how this affects one's own behavior and decisions
• demonstrates ability for accountability, critical thinking and ethical reflection
• understands how issues, processes and decisions affect and are influenced by resources, context and values
• has a basis for contributing to long-term value creation for business and society
• has a basis for operating in an international labor market
• can collaborate in different contexts and across disciplines
• has a basic understanding of IT systems and processes, and how these can contribute
• business development and value creation
• shall be able to contribute to promoting enterprises' innovation and adaptability in a changing labor market

Content

The program consists of foundational courses within the following five main areas:

• Business Economics Analysis
• Administrative Subjects
• Economics
• Methodology
• Ethics, Social Responsibility, and Sustainability

Throughout the program, students can also select courses relevant to economics and administration based on their own preferences and interests. It is possible to go on an exchange during the 4th semester.

The program offers a specialization in Accounting and Taxation. Additionally, students can pursue a general degree without a specific specialization. The specialization in Accounting and Taxation fulfills the educational requirements for authorization as a public accountant. Relevant work experience is also required to apply for authorization.

Practice

It is possible to have an internship as an elective either in the 3rd or 5th semester.

Teaching

We offer lectures, discussions, seminars and accounting at the Haugesund campus. You work with assignments both individually and in groups. The program assumes that you are present in Haugesund, and both lectures, seminars and accountants can include compulsory activities.

In courses with mandatory learning activities, these must be approved for students to be eligible to take the exam. In several courses, assignments are submitted using digital tools. All students are required to have their own laptop.

Assessment

The forms of assessment that are used are ie. written school examination, home exam, folder assessment or oral exam. There may also be a combination of several forms of assessment, such as home exam and school examination. In many of the courses there are mandatory work requirements which must be approved in order for the student to be able to take the exam in the course. The grading scale consists of the letter grades A-F or passed / not passed.

See the course information for each course to get accurate information of the type of assessment chosen.

Required progression

At least 60 credits must be passed in mandatory subjects before starting the internship period when choosing an internship as an elective.

To be eligible to write a bachelor's thesis, a certain number of credits within the field of economics and administration is required before the start of the fifth semester (see the course description for details).

Internationalization

The program is designed to allow you to apply for an exchange semester in your fourth semester at an institution with which the department has an exchange agreement.

Organization

The Bachelor's program in Economics and Administration is a three-year program, with each academic year divided into two semesters. In each semester, students take courses equivalent to 30 ECTS credits. All students follow a common curriculum in the first year, with the option of some elective courses in the second year.

In the third year, students can choose courses more freely based on their own interests.