To stay competitive, firms need to develop new products, services, processes and business models – and they need to do it continuously. Innovation and the ability to create competitive advantage for firms are at the very core of this programme. Through an introduction to the theory and practice of innovation, you will learn to manage and solve problems pertaining to the organisation of innovation and business developed in established as well as in entrepreneurial firms.
An innovation does not become successful by taking a one-sided focus on these aspects. You will learn about the processes of identifying ideas for innovation, strategies in different types of companies as well as how innovation can become a part of the overall strategy of a company.
You will also gain knowledge on how to put innovation on the corporate strategy agenda. Also, how the innovation process has changed from a rather closed to an open process that involves many different stakeholders, such as customers, suppliers, or universities. Innovation is also the key to solving the grand challenges of our time, making sustainable innovation front and center.
You will also learn about the core aspects of management control and financial management in relation to innovation projects. You will gain knowledge of how to forecast the future needs of a company for product innovation to secure future revenue earning opportunities. To do so, you are provided with a thorough understanding of firm organisation, project management tools, and relevant tools in management and financial control.
During the programme, you have various opportunities to create your own academic profile.
Electives
On the 3rd semester, you can choose to study courses of your specific interest. CBS offers a large number of electives within a wide range of topics. You can also choose to take electives at other Danish universities. The electives you choose have to be relevant for your programme.
See the current selection of CBS electives on Single courses and electives - Master.
Minor
On the 3rd semester, you can also choose to study a so-called minor. A minor is a package of electives within a specific academic area. Typically, it consists of 3 courses. By taking a minor, you strengthen your competences within a specific area of interest, and you can use it to qualify for specific jobs or industries.
See the current selection of CBS minors on Minors
Exchange
Many students choose to go on exchange on their 3rd semester; usually at one of CBS’ more than 300 partner universities. When you go on exchange through CBS, you do not have to pay for the teaching at the foreign university (with a few exceptions), and you can bring your SU (student grant).
Find a list of all CBS partner universities here.
Academic internship
You can choose to replace some of your electives with a so-called academic internship. The academic internship consists of an internship period at a company, which is then completed with a project report. You can do the internship at a company in Denmark or abroad.
When doing an internship you get the opportunity to relate theory to practice and reflect on the academic training you receive at CBS in a practical setting. Therefore, the project report and work assignments during your internship have to be relevant to your study programme.
CEMS - Master in International Management programme
On Management of Innovation and Business Development, you can apply for the CEMS - Master in International Management programme. CEMS MIM is a double degree programme, which gives you the opportunity to add a second degree in international management to your CBS degree. This means that you will get both the MSc degree and the CEMS in International Management degree.
CEMS is a 1-year programme, which you study in combination with your CBS degree in your 3rd and 4th semester. Part of it takes place at one of the other CEMS universities abroad.
Learn more about CEMS / Master in International Management.
Double Degree
On MIB, you can apply for a double degree with Università Bocconi in Milan, Italy. As a double degree student, you get a degree from both CBS and Università Bocconi.
For the 1st year of your programme, you will study at CBS and for the 2nd year at Università Bocconi. This way, you achieve a degree and a diploma from both CBS and Università Bocconi.
Learn more about Double Degree.
Learn more about Double Degree with Università Bocconi.
Master's thesis
Your 2nd year is completed with a master's thesis. You choose the topic you want to write about, which allows you to focus on a specific topic of your interest. Typically, you write your master's thesis with a fellow student.
Analytical skills and teamwork
To be a good match for this programme, you should have a strong interest in innovation management and entrepreneurship, applying a strategic perspective on how firms can gain and sustain competitive advantage. This requires strong analytical skills to apply theoretical insights and models to concrete business cases. You also need to have the skills and openness to work in groups as groupwork is an integral part of most courses of the program.
Mix of theory and application
The curriculum is fairly large and academic. The mix of theory and application require that you should not only apply theory and perform the necessary analyses, but that you should also be able to understand, discuss and explain the relevance of the theories in innovation and business development various contexts. As such, the programme can be seen as consisting of roughly 40% theory comprehension and discussion, and 60% applications on cases.
Studying in English
All teaching is in English, which is why you need to be fully proficient in English.
If you do not have a bachelor’s degree taught in English, we recommend that you read more about what to consider before applying for an English taught programme.
Read more about Teaching and literature in English on Teaching and working methods.
Highly international environment
The Management of Innovation and Business Development (MIB) programme consists of around 30% international students, which makes the study environment highly international. The study environment is very supportive and there is a good exchange between professors and students, and the professors strive to have an engaging dialogue with the students.
Entrepreneurial attitude
The students in this programme have an interest in innovation and business development and more generally the processes through which change is shaped. Many students have a very entrepreneurial attitude and seek to start their own company.
Student life at CBS
Studying at CBS is much more than just preparing for and going to classes.
At CBS, there are more than 20,000 students with different backgrounds and nationalities. Teamwork is an essential part of studying at CBS both in classes and in extracurricular activities.
With more than 100 student organisations, you also have plenty of opportunities to engage and connect with students across programmes and classes.
Learn more about the vibrant student life at CBS, the student organisations, and the international environment on Student life.
For internationals
If you are an international student, we have gathered a lot of information about what it is like to be an international student at CBS and how you can prepare for life in Denmark.
Read more on For internationals.
Teaching
Teaching in Management of Innovation and Business Development is a mix of lectures, case-based exercises and project work in groups. In almost all courses, guest speakers from different companies, such as managers and innovation leaders, are invited.
There is a strong focus on putting theory into practice as well as gaining the newest knowledge within the field of innovation. There are numerous international professors teaching in the different courses as well as a focus on trying different ways of teaching.
Courses involve a lot of reading material, including more technical and theoretical discussions of innovation and business development.
Read more on Teaching and working methods
Exams
The exam types in MIB are a mix of the exam types offered at CBS in general. This includes exam types such as oral exams based on a synopsis, four-hour written exams and oral exams based on a group project.
A special type of exam takes place in the course Innovation and Knowledge in the 1st semester. The course is taught by a range of different professors who each present a number of exam questions after each module of the course. The exam consists of a selection of exam questions out of the total pool of questions. Answers to all questions need to be based on a case company and innovation that you choose during the course and that you analyze in a group. In this way, you have the opportunity to work on the content of the exam throughout the course.
Read more on Exams at CBS.
Time consumption
You should know that it is demanding to study in a graduate programme, and both the curriculum and workload is significantly higher than at bachelor level.
If you are studying on a full-time graduate programme, you should expect spending approximately 37 hours on average on your studies each week. The workload will vary during the year.
The time leading up to assignment submissions and exams can be hectic, and you can easily work more than 40 hours a week in this period. Preparing for oral exams can be especially time consuming, because you have to be able to explain and discuss the covered concepts and theories and learn things by heart.
Read more on Teaching and working methods
Student job
Most programmes are quite flexible in terms of combining studies with a student job. Most students work a maximum of 15 hours a week in order to have sufficient time for their studies.
Studying in Denmark - for internationals
If this is your first time studying in Denmark, you may find teaching and exam formats, the grading scale and the academic calendar very different from what you are used to.
Read about everything you need to know as an international student studying at CBS on For internationals > Academic information.
What gets you the job?
In order to address the uncertainties of innovation, entrepreneurship and business development you learn to:
- develop innovation strategies
- organise and manage innovation projects
- manage knowledge as a resource for innovation
- manage intellectual capital
- design business models for innovation
- align innovation with market development
- manage and control innovative firms, including entrepreneurial start-ups
- attract venture capital
Career opportunities
You will be qualified for positions in a broad range of business functions in knowledge-intensive companies, e.g. as management consultant, controller and business developer, in jobs relating to project and product management and organisational development or as entrepreneur and manager of innovative start-ups.
Competence profile
In the academic profile you can find more information about the various competences you achieve on the programme:
Competence profile for MIB
