MSc Business Administration in Sustainability and Circular Innovation

With your grit and 'can-do' attitude, you are able to thrive in the demanding changes ahead. Join our vanguard programme to become part of a new breed of thought-leaders harnessing disruptive innovation and focussing on developing new skills. Your vision and actions will make an impact! 

The pace of business continues to accelerate in just about every domain. Decision cycles, computation speeds, news-feeds, returns on investment, supply chains – to name a few - are all operating at break-neck rates.  Companies gallop along, trying to keep-up and over-take the competition.  At the same time, there is broad recognition that we need new ways of managing business and the many challenges it faces now and in the longer-term. 

Large external global trends around digitalisation, globalisation, and chronic eco-system stress (water, climate, and biodiversity) present one set of challenges for companies. To this we add internal and operational management processes, characterised by uncertainty, volatility, and complexity.  The sum of both these external and internal drivers requires a new skill set that combines vision with leadership capable of implementing change. Sustainability know-how that integrate circular economy principles and practices offer the opportunity for a more future-proof way of doing business.

The implementation of circularity requires a fundamental change in our system and our ways of doing to business with a holistic approach towards economy, ecology, and people/society at the forefront of change. Cooperation, reciprocity, trust, transparency and a sustainable “business case” are important success factors.

This master’s programme provides you with the tools you need to solve sustainability problems, lead transformation and innovate for success.  You will learn how to incorporate the goals and principles of circularity into your business strategies and nurture sustainable values from thoughtful investing, not least in order to strengthen the resilience of your company in times of crisis, but also to empower your company to pioneer.

Being a role model also means keeping people in mind. Today’s leaders need a forward-looking and positive mindset, entrepreneurial creativity, as well as key competencies to transform the organisation towards circular economy and build a corporate culture for sustainability. A strong core for these challenges is comprised of a reflective attitude and one’s own resilience.

This programme is strongly oriented towards the real-world, real-time issues companies face on a day-to-day basis. We focus on the practical and the strategic, connecting operational challenges with strategic insights, combined with scientific foundation. We have our fingers on the pulse of a dynamic job market within both the EU as well as global firms with high calibre hiring requirements, orienting our courses and curriculum to those market demands.   

Your Prospects

Excellent and growing career opportunities within challenging and diverse fields in all sectors, for instance in leading and management positions for sustainability, digitalisation or circular economy and innovation, in business development, investment and asset management, logistics and procurement, reporting and finance, marketing, human resources, product and project management, consulting,  facilities management

Your advantages

  • Accreditation as well as international recognition and "proof" of the master's degree on the market
  • Profound competencies with international orientation and direct practical relevance
  • Extraordinary flexibility and personalisation of your study
  • Top lecturers and experts

Key Information

Degree: Master of Science SUPSI in Business Administration (MSc BA) with major Sustainability and Circular Innovation

Start: Beginning of February and September (for the first Sept 2022)

Duration: 5 Terms

Study locations: online

Mode of Study: Online (teaching language English)

Credits (ECTS): 90

Registration deadline: 30th November and 31st May (later registrations subject to availability)

Fees: CHF 8'100.–

Course

Target group:

  • New breed of leaders who want to force innovation in sustainability, circular economy and digitalisation
  • Mid- to top-level managers who want to drive business sustainability, advancing their career and company
  • Consultants who want to offer their clients innovative and sustainable solutions through in-depth knowledge and competence
  • (Start-up) entrepreneurs, people who want to start their own business
  • Professionals at a domestic and international level

This Master's degree is accredited, internationally recognised and paves the way for you both in the global business world and for PhD studies at international universities.

The programme is interdisciplinary as well as modular. It combines sustainability and the circular economy with innovation, entrepreneurship, the right investment strategies and internationality. The focus lies on a holistic view of companies and society, of networking with experts and of scientific foundation. The study is divided into three areas:

 

Sustainability & Circular Innovation

  • Transforming societies, economies and global effects
  • Business development and transformation for circular economy, sustainable and resilient business strategies
  • Business model innovations in circular economy, sustainability and digitalisation
  • Value chain management in the circular economy
  • Sustainable investment strategies and ESG management
  • Relationship management with strategic and digital marketing
  • Organisational transformation to a circular economy
  • Leadership and responsibility in a time of change
  • Entrepreneurship, design thinking and new mindsets
  • Intrapreneurship and diversity
  • Technology management for innovative, circular and sustainable business models
  • Measurable impact and performance of innovation, circular economy and sustainability

Economic Research

  • Scientific methods and research
  • Data analytics and coping with large amounts of data for strategic issues in companies
  • Ethical aspects of analysis and the use of information
  • Innovation Hub with transfer of innovation from research and education to business and society

Modul overview

Combine Master and Modules

You can tailor the content of this master's programme to your future plans and job requirements and combine the modules with those of the Master Innovation Management (German) at any time during your studies. The modules are selected before the start of each semester. Please note the minimum ECTS to be achieved in the areas of General Management (min. 18 ECTS), Sustainability & Circular Innovation/Innovation Management (min. 30 ECTS), Economic Research (min. 36 ECTS).

The FFHS is the vanguard university of applied sciences (FH) in Switzerland to offer all degree programmes in the blended learning model. This innovative form of education combines the advantages of e-learning with those of conventional teaching - for maximum time flexibility.

Online

This master's offers you the unique opportunity to study the entire programme online. In addition to being completely location-independent, you benefit from a special flexibility in our online model. We give room to your need for interactivity and autonomy, combined with the choice between home-based (remote) and on-site (FFHS campus) examinations. If you are interested, we will be happy to provide you with further information. Do not hesitate - the number of study places is limited!

Flexibility (Model F)

For an exceptional compatibility with your job and family this master's programme grants you the flexibility to schedule the curriculum according to your time requirements. If you are interested, we would be happy to discuss your personal curriculum with you. Please contact us at any time.

Organisational Aspects

Please take note of the following important dates:

  • Application deadline: 30 November and 31st May (with study place guarantee), later applications are possible depending on available places
  • Study Start: End of January and August

The costs of the consecutive Master in Business Administration are made up of the following :

  • Students with Swiss residence and Swiss citizens living abroad: CHF 8'100.–
  • Students with foreign residence: CHF 17'100.–

(include: study fee, online-supervision and learning platform incl. access to the digital library, regular examination fees)

The teaching materials are not included in the tuition fee. The syllabi indicate which materials would have to be organised additionally.

In addition, there is a registration fee of CHF 200.–.

Costs for the study tour taking place in the 4th semester (incl. flight, accommodation, food etc.)

  • From within Europe : CHF 500.– to 2'000.–
  • From overseas: CHF 2'000.– to 4'000.–

Graduates who hold one of the following degrees are admitted to the master's programme:

  • University degree:
    Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (FH or Uni)
    Diploma in Business Administration (FH or Uni) (according to the regulations before the Bologna reform)
    Bachelor's degree or four-year diploma in economics/business studies (according to the regulations before the Bologna reform) or a related science (e.g. industrial engineering or business informatics).
  • Sur Dossier:
    Related Bachelor's degrees and Bachelor's degrees from other disciplines will be evaluated sur dossier and maybe admitted. Students get the possibility to complete any pending prerequisites set out by the FFHS until the beginning of the 3rd semester.
  • Entry competences (to be proven):
    English language skills at least on CEF competence level B2 (certificate or Bachelor's/Diploma degree)
  • Dispensations:
    Equivalent master's modules can be credited via corresponding certificates of achievement, if you hold a master's degree and previous Bachelor's/Diploma. Please refer to the regulations.

The programme is taught in English. A personal admission interview will be held if required.

Network

Scientific & Innovation Hub

The Scientific & Innovation Hub is an important key for connecting directly in business and society to develop innovative solutions in industry or in one's own business environment in order to foster the circular economy, sustainability, innovation and entrepreneurship.

You can make an impact and chose one of the following areas:

  • Circular Innovation Lab for innovative solutions to the circular economy and sustainability
  • Corporate Project for strategic and digital innovations in practice
  • Start-up Lab for young entrepreneurs and those interested in starting a business. With the STUDENT'preneurship@FFHS initiative, this master supports you together with the Institute for Management and Innovation in solving your issues.
  • Research Lab with topics and innovation projects from the Institute of Management and Innovation 

Partners

We cooperate with partners from various industries in Switzerland and abroad to conduct a multitude of projects and future-workshops.

International Future Workshop (Study Tour)

As a source of inspiration for new perspectives, the Future Workshop is a successful and essential component in tackling ideas and addressing future challenges. It takes place as part of a 3 to 5-day study trip abroad. We explore how other countries and cultures are innovating and taking responsibility in the circular economy and sustainability, how they are stimulating entrepreneurship and stepping into a leadership role in the high-tech sector. We will dive into the ecosystems, discuss the relevant challenges with entrepreneurs and benefit from their spirit and solutions. The international future workshop offers exchange and cooperation on an international level with the focus on bringing own ideas to success and working on relevant business cases.

Impressions of the Future Workshop

Contact