BSc in In­ter­na­tion­al Busi­ness and Polit­ics

I chose BSc IBP because I’ve always been curious about how politics and business connect. Geopolitics really interests me, and BSc IBP takes that big-picture perspective and shows how it applies to companies and the corporate world. It felt like the perfect mix of something I enjoy learning about and something practical for the future. 

I like learning about the many different perspectives and applying them to real-life examples. The courses allow us to think critically and debate issues from different angles, and being surrounded by classmates from diverse backgrounds makes it even more interesting. It constantly challenges the way you see the world! 

How diverse the courses are: some are very business-focused while others are more abstract and theoretical. It can be challenging to enjoy or do equally well in everything, since we all have different interests. And that’s completely okay, it’s part of figuring out what you like most! 

That it’s normal to feel overwhelmed at first, but you don’t have to understand everything right away. Over time, the connections between the courses become clearer. I also wish I had known how flexible BSc IBP is career-wise. There isn’t just one fixed path, which can feel uncertain at first, but it’s actually a huge strength because it lets you explore different directions. 

I would like to work in public affairs in an international company, where I can combine business and politics and the private and public sector. I’m excited to analyse political environments and translate those insights into strategies that shape business decisions. 

Don’t be afraid, and don’t feel nervous! Everyone is going through the same experience, so it’s totally normal to feel overwhelmed at first. Reach out to classmates, ask questions, and take things step by step. With time you’ll find your rhythm, and everything will start to fall into place. 

When it was time for me to choose a study programme, I struggled to decide between a business degree, which I had studied in upper secondary school, or studies in Political Science, which is where my strongest interests lay. After finding BSc IBP and attending the open day at CBS, I learned from the students about how interconnected the courses were, and I immediately knew this was the next step in my life and academic journey. I was excited to explore how business interacts with society, and how big business decisions affect politics – and vice versa.      

When I started the BSc IBP programme at CBS and moved to Copenhagen, I had no idea what to expect of the university, the city or the student life. However, after living here and attending school for a year, my greatest surprise is the vibrant student life at BSc IBP and all the great opportunities to tag along to different social and academic events. BSc IBP has a very active union, which creates a strong sense of community within our class as well as with the year above us. This cooperative environment has also helped me to perform better academically, as my fellow students never hesitate to offer their help.     

For me, the most difficult part of my first year of university has been balancing work, studies and leisure time. In an environment like BSc IBP, the majority of your peers are highly ambitious both when it comes to work and studies, which can be overwhelming at first. It takes a while to figure out the grading system, the job market and the culture of social life, especially if you are new to the city. It can therefore be difficult at times to prioritise and allocate your time efficiently, as the workload can vary between different courses, depending on what you find challenging.      

Before starting BSc IBP, I would have liked to know more about the international focus and the large number of students from various nationalities and backgrounds attending. It would have reassured me to know that I wouldn't be the odd one out as an international student. I believe the diversity of the people, in combination with the varying courses, is what makes BSc IBP such a dynamic and stimulating programme. In addition, although CBS is a business school, many students at BSc IBP are just as interested in and fascinated by politics as they are by economics and business.    

Apart from being certain that I will take a master degree after this programme, I am not yet entirely sure what career path I will take. BSc IBP is a broad programme, and the possibilities seem endless – whether it’s in consulting, working with NGOs, deciding on policies, or starting my own business. As of right now, I hope to work within the UN in my career, or in another international setting. Nevertheless, with regard to my master degree, I am carefully considering the MSc IBP programme at CBS, or International Relations somewhere else in Europe.    

If I could give myself one piece of advice before starting BSc IBP, it would be not to stress about finding the classes difficult to keep up with in the beginning. At first I worried about the academic level of the courses, especially as I was not used to studying, after two gap years. However, it will naturally fall into place, and you will find your own best way of studying. Almost everyone feels a bit lost in the beginning, but you are just as capable as your classmates. So don’t panic if the environment feels unfamiliar.  

I knew pretty early on in upper secondary school that the BSc IBP programme would probably become my first choice. I was drawn to the possibility of studying politics while still gaining a lot of knowledge about economics and business. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do for my career, so I decided that taking a broad Bachelor degree would be the safest option. The international aspect of IBP was what ultimately became the deciding factor, as I hope to work in international environments.  

In the beginning I felt that the courses in the first semester were a bit confusing and perhaps slightly irrelevant, but all of a sudden it felt like it all came together. Each course builds on the previous one, making the whole programme feel very coherent and the courses very structured.  

In the beginning I had a really hard time readjusting my expectations. I carried over the mindset that I had in secondary school, which meant that I thought I could and should do everything perfectly. Over time I did a lot of reflecting and slowly started to readjust my mindset to be more realistic and less harsh on myself. Changing your mindset is not easy. It takes time and hard work, but knowing that the way I was working was not sustainable, I decided that the hard work would be worthwhile. I know I am not fully there yet, but I am actively working to change my expectations and enjoy the study life.  

In BSc IBP you are not assigned a study group. I get the feeling that many IBP students like self-study – however in university, that is not always the best method. For the more demanding classes like microeconomics, in particular, forming your own study group is a great way to make sure that you and the students you know don’t accidentally fall behind. The workload is large, so if you fall behind it can sometimes be hard to catch up.  

Luckily, I don’t know! I think the freedom of not knowing what you want to do in life will allow you to organically land in the perfect place. I know that I am more interested in politics than in business, so that is probably the direction that I will go in for my career. I might take an MSc in IBP, but I also see myself specialising a bit more by going for a more politics-oriented master degree – perhaps abroad, if I can find the right scholarships.  

Be openminded about new study techniques! One thing that has really helped me is to look at the exam format for a course and use that to determine the best study technique. If the exam is a take-home one, then good notes are key, while no-aids, sit-in exams require a more memory-based approach to studying. This not only helps your performance but is also a great way to see what your professor actually wants you to get out of the course.