Kirstine

Why did I choose my programme (and CBS)?
Due to my critical perspective on the role of business today, I was convinced that I would never study at CBS. So I was very surprised to feel so excited when I first read about the Business Administration and Philosophy programme. It seemed like it would give me the toolbox to properly understand the dynamics of business and society and with that put forward a more qualified and, especially, constructive critique. I chose the program because of its boldness to question the very foundation of the mainstream business curriculum.

What do I like the best?
It excites me how critical thinking is built into almost all aspects of the programme or at least is implicitly expected from the students at this programme. Furthermore, I like how the programme doesn’t just teach you theories, but essentially teaches you how to think. I believe that’s why I don't experience my studies as exclusively preparing me for the job market, but as an education in becoming better at understanding the world we live in. Also, I like that we are a minor group of students in the programme, which increases the general engagement.  

How do I experience the difference in academic level between my bachelor and master programme?
I experience that the academic level hasn’t increased as much as expected. It varies from course to course, but in general I am slightly disappointed with the academic level on the master’s. So far, we still spend a lot of time in the lectures on a quite explanatory level. I guess coming from the BSc in Business Administration and Philosophy, I thought we would be moving on faster to higher levels of abstraction on the master’s. The good thing is, though, that students from other bachelor programmes seem to pick up on BSc in Business Administration and philosophy’s line of thinking fast. 

What are the biggest challenges in my programme?
The biggest challenge is for my (and most of my peers’) personal engagement in the programme to keep up with the progression of the courses and not be able to go as deep into the themes as desired. We are introduced to some of the greatest philosophical texts and ideas and have only a singly lecture to work with it in class before we move on to the next. Often we have as much time to grasp complex philosophical concepts, as we have to go through business cases, which can be challenging as the 'business' part of CBS suddenly becomes quite evident.

What would I have liked to have known before starting my programme?
My initial impression of the programme is aligned with my experience both at the bachelor and the master’s programme, so there has been no surprises as such. It has been very positive to experience how much at eye level most of our lecturers have been, which is very encouraging. I guess it would have been nice to know before starting the programme that if I had prioritized my studies and the activities around it more, there is a great potential of being more involved in the Department of Business Humanities and Law  already as a bachelor students e.g. through reading clubs etc .

 What do I want to do after finishing my programme?
I would like to go into the area of consulting that challenges the traditional way of doing business and that dare to raise the question of how we can organise corporations differently. I imagine working in the intersection between corporate law and culture, at least for some years. At some point, I can imagine coming back to CBS to do a PhD that is based on what I find empirically relevant as well as my academic interests.

If I could give myself a piece of advice, before starting it would be…
Make sure that you have adequate time for your studies. Not because the Business Administration and Philosophy programme is especially demanding, but because you really want to understand what you learn on this programme. A lot of the philosophical texts we have read I have always wanted to read on my own, and the economic courses provide a valuable take on why society is as it is. At least, I sometimes feel like I would like to start all over just to get even more out of it.