Where to go to study: the international ranking of universities has been published. Interfax National Ranking of Universities

Rotterdam School of Management is one of the leading business schools in Europe, regularly ranked among the top ten schools in the Financial Times international rankings and the Elsevier national rankings. It is also one of the three most significant research centers Europe, which brings together more than 250 world-renowned scientists.

RSM is included in the 1% of the world's business schools with triple accreditation (Triple Crown Accreditation) - this is an exceptional indicator of the highest quality of business education, research potential and professional reputation.

Ksenia Odintsova, who graduated from the master's program in HR management at RSM, spoke about the peculiarities of studying in Holland, about how studying proccess about the opportunities of studying at the leading business school in Europe, about the culture of the Netherlands and the friendliness of the Dutch.

How was your admission to a master's program in Holland?

Actually, for rather personal reasons) I graduated from the Faculty of International Management at the GSOM SPbU, and during my exchange studies I went to Austria (WU) for a semester. It was the third course, where I met my young man from Holland. He also came to study in Austria on an exchange. When I returned, our relationship continued, but, in fact, I needed to finish the university, and so did he. And so when I finished my studies, I left my job at Citibank at that time and I moved to Holland in March (the next year after graduation). All this time I worked a little, helped friends with projects. The rest of the time I studied Dutch because I had to pass exams to get a residence permit.

And after moving to Holland, did you immediately decide to apply to the magistracy?

In fact, everything somehow 'worked out' - even before moving to Holland, I started looking for a job, but the year was quite difficult (2009). The friends of Peter, my young man, had big problems then looking for a job. Of course, I had to look at some small companies that work with Russia, this kind of employment. That is, it was really difficult to find something at that time. And of course, I understood that it was very difficult to find a job in Europe with only a bachelor's degree. Of course, there is also the question of language - then my Dutch was not at a high enough level.

When I arrived in Holland, it seems to me that I 'tormented' for another 2-3 weeks - I did not really want to return to my studies (because it required a lot of effort at the bachelor's degree), and I thought that I did not want to study again, but I wanted to work .

But then Peter convinced me, he told me to enter the magistracy. He himself studied at Erasmus in a master's program in financial economics.

At that moment, when I started considering programs in Erasmus, there was about a month and two weeks left before the submission of documents. I spontaneously, in fact, made a decision, literally for 2-3 days I thought about which program to enter, in the end I chose HR Management. That is, the decision whether to go to university or not was made at lightning speed for me, because I understood that this would clearly increase my chances in the job market in Holland.

On what basis did you choose the program?HR?

First, I wanted to stay in business anyway. It was mine basic education, and it was not so difficult to enter the magistracy, even in a slightly different direction of business. Plus, I looked at what kind of universities there are in general, but, as for business, in Amsterdam, of course, there are also universities, but Erasmus University is the oldest university in Holland. I settled on it. Of all the faculties, I was attracted by the Faculty of Economics and Business and the business school itself (Rotterdam School of Management). At the Faculty of Economics and Business, I was considering a master's degree in marketing - the only one that could be in some way related to what I studied before. I considered it, among other things, because there was little time and I didn’t have to take the GMAT for this program. To be honest, I didn't know how great my chances of passing the GMAT were right away, as I never prepared for it. Of course, I expected that I could, but I knew that many do not pass the first time, and so on.

And the program forHRyou accordingly considered at the business school of Rotterdam?

Yes, at RSM (Rotterdam School of Management) I chose the master's program on the principle of exclusion. Some areas were not very interesting to me, for example, I immediately brushed aside finances. I excluded strategic management for the same reason (I graduated from international management and in my opinion, this is not a specific enough program, it does not give you any clear direction in terms of your future specialization). Later, public administration I was also not interested in how the very form of future work.

In the end, I settled on HR and marketing. I veered between the two. But as a result, I still decided to choose HR, because I had few statistical subjects in international management before (this, by the way, was the reason why the Faculty of Economics and Business later refused me). We had, of course, both statistics and mate. analysis of different levels, but this was not enough - they needed a bachelor with a good statistical base. I chose HR because it was the second direction I was interested in, and I actually thought that in the future, when I work in Holland, it will be easier for me to find a job with such an education.

On HR, after all, it was necessaryGMAThand over?

Yes need. Of course, any RSM faculty needs both GMAT, TOEFL, and the rest of the package of documents.

That is, toGMATdid you prepare in a couple of weeks?

It turned out like this: there was a month and a week left for two exams (GMAT and TOEFL). I prepared for the GMAT for 3 and a half weeks, then, as soon as I passed it, there was about a week and a couple of days left for the TOEFL. This was enough for me on TOEFL, I have already taken it several times and, in general, it doesn’t seem too much to me difficult exam. By the GMAT, of course, three weeks is extremely short, but it depends on what the initial base is. It seems to me that this is a critical period, it is not worth going to such an exam without preparation. My result was 670.

Great result, especially considering such a short preparation!

I remember that for a master's program at RSM, you had to score at least 600, and 650, it seems, was required for a PhD. At that time, RSM still allowed to submit all documents and an application before the TOEFL and GMAT results were “on hand”. They gave a second deadline to submit these results in a month. You give them your password and login so that they can log in and check that you passed both exams before the second deadline. I remember that it was like that with me, they accepted me. In principle, I just managed to meet all the deadlines. I had everything in deadline but, of course, it is better not to do so. I read that decent applicants start preparing for the GMAT a year in advance. This, of course, is terribly scary, but nothing.

Was your master's program designed for a year?

Yes, it was a one-year program - in September you start and in August you have to finish. More precisely, at that time, it was not limited at all - in Holland you can write a diploma, by and large, as much as you like. Now, though, this is somewhat limited due to the financing of the entire system. higher education.

What are your main impressions of the program?

Learning in my program seemed easy enough to me, but I think this is most likely related to HR, because in finance, as Peter told me, everything was much more intensive.

It seemed to me that it was easy there, at least because of the schedule. In the first semester, two courses run in parallel, then you take an exam in late October - early November, and then before the New Year you take two more courses and then you pass exams in January. Firstly, it’s very cool, because nothing “gets in the way” in the head, there are only two courses at one time. No matter how many tasks you have on them, it’s still only two courses, there’s no madness when you can do everything. There were days when there were no classes at all, there were days when there was only one lecture, that is, there was enough time.

And what are the features of studying in the magistracyRSM?

Of course, there were many tasks, in this respect I cannot say that nothing needed to be done. It took a lot of time for them, because all the tasks were in a group - this basically changed my view of learning. There were also many group assignments at GSOM, but this cannot be compared with RSM - absolutely all assignments are group assignments.

For the most part, groups are formed randomly, that is, you cannot attract your smart friends with J, but you get into a group with whoever you get into. Get out as you like, because the guys are different, with very different views on how to perform these tasks. You always work in different groups, then they change, and by the end of the course you have time to work with almost, if not with the entire group, then with 70% of the group for sure. Groups are usually large, 5-6-7 people, and the tasks are quite complex.

Another important point about the language: I had English then, and now it is very good, because before that I studied and lived in English-speaking countries. But the literature that we went through was quite difficult in terms of vocabulary. Even I sometimes, when I was reading, had to use dictionaries or consult with someone to understand what we are talking. I had to read a lot, maybe, I say that it was easy, because I was used to studying a lot at GSOM. And if a person goes there, then you need to improve your English very much, because then it will take a lot of time to do it.

‘Ambassadors’ of master’s programs at the Rotterdam School of Management

How was your program built?

The order was this: in the first semester there are 2 main courses at the beginning, then you take an exam in November, then you completely forgot about them, then the other 2 - that is, the focus is always in one direction, this is good in terms of preparing for exams. The exams are very close to each other. For example, you may have an examination period starting on November 1, you will have an exam on November 2, and on November 4 there may already be a second one. This is where you need to plan ahead. I remember that there were even 2 exams on the same day, that is, you need to clearly plan your time in order to prepare.

In the second semester we had electives (elective courses). You could choose - 1 elective from your courses in the program, in my case - from the HR program, and the second you can choose in absolutely any direction. I took one course in leadership and another in negotiation. From now on, you are already starting to work very actively with a diploma. In fact, we had certain deadlines when we needed to meet with the supervisor or do something. They were tougher than at GSOM, so to speak. And despite the fact that in the second semester there are only 2 electives, the work there is very big.

By the way, it was quite difficult for me to write a diploma in Holland. There is a very strict attitude to practice and you really have to do it clearly. A full study is supposed, and you need to somehow get into some company and build your study. That is, it is better to start worrying about the diploma in advance - from October-November, otherwise it will be difficult to complete the program in a year later.

What topic did you write your dissertation on?

I had the topic “Cross-cultural Code Switching” - this is a certain concept that reflects the change in human behavior depending on the context at a particular point in time. I conducted a number of interviews with Shell employees. I spent 1.5-2 hours with each interview, and I had a qualitative study. I identified certain criteria that a person relies on, for example, the environment and so on. As a result, I myself got confused later in my study J. Quantitative research is still somewhat simpler, it is more specific. In my HR program, there was a course in statistics, they dived very deeply into research methods, so that later it could be used in their research. Qualitative methods in RSM do not pass clearly, so they need to be studied in depth yourself.

Who studied with you on the program - what is the approximate composition of the group?

There were approximately 60-65% of the Dutch (who were originally undergraduate students at RSM or other Dutch universities), then another 10% are other Europeans (Germans and Swiss, mostly who completed their undergraduate studies in their home countries). The remaining 30% were guys like me, plus there were a lot of Asians. There are a lot of Indonesians in RSM in general (this is a former colony of Holland), but there are quite a lot of them in the country, because they have special programs for financing, support, etc. There were a lot of Chinese, guys from Hong Kong. It was especially difficult to work with them in groups, because their language is good for reading, but it is very difficult for them to talk, and it is difficult to find understanding, especially if you speak quickly. And the rest - from the CIS countries, a few Americans, Canadians ... There are quite a lot of Russians there, by the way, and Ukrainians too.

Which one then age structure? Any guys with experience?

Basically, from 24 to 26 years. Approximately this age, because the Dutch leave school at 19, then their bachelor's degree lasts differently at universities (3-4 years).

As for work experience, the Dutch themselves are very easy to do this, they like to have fun. First, it's only a year. Their logic is this: I'd rather have fun for 3 years, and in the last I will study hard and graduate with honors, with a red diploma. And they do, and besides, during the bachelor's degree, many work on student jobs - in some bars, at the university as assistants. That is, of the students in the magistracy, few have work experience.

I know that inRSM the culture of student clubs, events is very developed and life outside of school is very rich. Did you participate in anything?

Yes, it just abounds! First, there is a big student organization in which everyone can participate. It's called Star, it's the biggest student organization in the world as far as I know. For example, I worked, one might say, in the master's club. You have a certain budget, you have company contacts, and you can arrange events yourself, participate in general Star recruitment events, find ways to get through the company, etc.

Often, Star had, for example, such tasks: they needed some kind of business case with a certain company, and it was directed, say, to finance. Then the guys from Star in charge of financial program, arranged some kind of competition within the framework of their magistracy, selected guys to participate in this project for this company. Then some of these guys could get an internship at this company. In general, the main thing that Star had was a lot of internal contacts with various companies. They were divided into different levels, for example, large international companies, some Dutch companies, and so on. In Star, basically, you meet a lot of people and make a lot of contacts.

In addition, there was a very interesting program: you are doing some kind of project for a real company. This project is divided into some functions, that is, part is allocated to finance, part to statistics, marketing, and so on. Then, when you present the project, you go to one of the offices of this company. When I was studying, the guys went to Sao Paulo to present their project. This is all financed by the company, they really worked, that is, if you participate in this project, then you will seriously spend 50% of your time there. The project is very complex, it's not a joke. In any case, it's super interesting, everyone can go there, it doesn't matter if you're Dutch or not. It depends only on your level of initiative.

In addition, career days were held twice a year. There, again, one could different projects participate, go to lectures, business games. I myself also participated in various business games. You get, again, contacts with people from different companies.

There were still a lot of circles, clubs for career interests. The guys, when they are already studying in the magistracy, have a different attitude - “the fun is over, we are already set to work” - all with such a practical bias.

I remember that a lot of guys found their contacts in this way: they got an internship or wrote their diploma with the company, and only then they stayed to work with it. At some point in time, I already knew that I would need to leave Holland, so I can’t tell by my own example how it was (my young man moved to work in Moscow, so I immediately planned to look for work there). I can only say that I myself received very, very many contacts, and if later I knew that I would stay in Holland and look for a job there, I think that it would definitely help me. Recruiters who have seen remember, and you remember them - it's easier to get into the company. And I remember the guys from Russia, they then went to other European countries to work, so it's all quite realistic and depends on how active and proactive you are.

I was also the ambassador of my master's program, you can also sign up for such a program. You will participate in the days open doors for students and so on. For each magistracy, an ambassador is selected, you answer questions not related to what you can find out on the site, but related to what you see in your life, study.

What are the opportunities for sports?

With a student card, as elsewhere in Europe, you generally get a lot of discounts everywhere. I remember that I went to the gym, which we had in one of the buildings in Erasmus. The Dutch guys are very passionate about sports, for them it is also very important. In general, they are very social in general: whether it is sports, work on cases, something like that, group work. In terms of sports, too, a lot. In general, the city is like that, everyone rides bicycles, and not just on a daily basis, but also for sports. That is, he came home on an ordinary bike - he moved to his mountain bike. In general, the city is very sporty. Everyone around you is constantly running around, riding the same bikes.

What are your impressions of the country itself?

In Holland, everything is very friendly and absolutely comfortable if you only speak English. Personally, I needed Dutch, because I applied for a residence permit, but in general nobody needs Dutch there, everyone there, from street sweepers to 90-year-old grandmothers, speak English to some extent. In this regard, they are very well grounded. In fact, it’s even difficult to learn Dutch there, because when you speak something in clumsy Dutch, they still answer in English everywhere, even those who are sitting at the checkout in the supermarket.

In terms of studies, for example, I have a lot of Dutch friends left. From my own experience I know that as an international student you usually communicate mainly with foreigners, but this is not quite the case here. The Dutch are very open, they are absolutely internationally oriented, they are not afraid of anyone) I have the same number of Dutch friends from my studies, as I have friends from other countries. Therefore, with regard to the language and general openness, in this respect they are great fellows and it is very interesting to study there after all. You learn a lot about Holland, they tell a lot.

But in Rotterdam, for example, where the school is located, every third person speaks a language you don't know, there are a lot of foreigners in general. And, in general, 70% of the population of Rotterdam are not native Dutch. There are many migrants there, of course, this is a city where many migrants from former colonies emigrate. In terms of religion, too, a very large variety can be seen. Indians also study with you, for example, there are a lot of Muslims, of course, because in Holland there are a lot of them in general. It is very interesting, in fact, it completely expands the worldview completely, changes and expands your horizons. In this regard, it is very interesting.

In general, there are a lot of international companies there, mostly, after all, something is connected with logistics, because it is a port, or with finances. There is a lot of work for foreigners. And there is a very open and friendly atmosphere, more attractive to foreigners. For example, if you compare with the same France. I have never studied in France, but I have been a lot. There's still a different atmosphere in this regard. In general, the attitude of the French towards foreigners is very different from the attitude of the Dutch towards foreigners. They are absolutely calm, very open, they even ask questions, they are kind, so in this respect it is very cool there.

What was the most rewarding of the entire learning experience atRSM?

In general, of course, only the most positive memories from studying at RSM. As for the study itself, I will probably have a similar opinion with many others, that, despite the fact that studying seems easier, it is more useful for work, or something. I don’t know what the right word to choose, because all, for example, teachers at RSM are practitioners, they work, that is, someone has their own business, someone advises companies. It's not just learning from a book. You have literature, you read it at home and should already be prepared for the lesson, and when you are at the lesson, directly, there are a lot of special cases, examples of what happened yesterday at work. I remember that we were even invited to lectures by directors of departments from different companies. The cases that we worked with in groups are not antediluvian from some book, but something real that happened in reality in the company: real numbers that you work with. In this regard, I really liked this practical orientation of study. Still, despite the fact that you read a lot, you do a lot in the group and get a lot of experience from the teacher. In Russia, after all, studying at universities is more connected with literature and theory.

Well, plus all the connections that are made with companies during your studies, if, again, you yourself are very active, very useful, very cool.

So, I have only positive memories: both about the country as a whole and about my studies. Right now, it's actually pretty cool. In terms of amenities, everything is also very well organized there. In principle, you don’t need to have anything there - neither the Internet nor a computer. Libraries there are huge, come and study.

What advice would you give to those who are just choosing a master's program for themselves?

I can judge from my own experience - when I was still studying international management at GSOM, I really liked the program and it was interesting. But it seems to me that when you choose a master's program, you need to choose clearly, because it greatly affects the future choice of profession. For those who graduate from such 'vague' master's programs, such as international management, something strategic, after that it is difficult to understand where to go, because, it seems, there was marketing, and HR, and finance ... You know how to do a little, but nothing specific, in particular, you cannot. For example, those who studied in personnel management or finance, everything turned out more clearly. After international management, some of us went to work in the bank, where I also worked for the first time during my studies, some chose personnel management, some chose some exhibitions, some work at summits. In my opinion, it is important for a master's program to choose a clearer direction and specialization.

(All photos courtesy of Ksenia!}

[Many thanks to Xenia for open communication, a lot useful tips and interesting information!]

More information about the business school Rotterdam School of Management can be found at school website. About master's programs - .

The Rotterdam Business School accepts applications for admission to the master's program from November to May.

The following materials will help you prepare a successful set of documents for admission:

The purpose of our work is to give you practical and proven recommendations for successful admission to the master's program of the world's best universities and business schools.

We provide professional assistance c and .

of our clients speak for themselves - contact us if you want to increase your chances of admission!

There are legends. About the admission system, the quality of teaching, the conditions provided, etc. And there is no more truthful information than first hand - a person who studied in Europe.

If in English universities trying to do more and more Russian student applicants, they ignore. And as it turns out in vain. Alisa Kapitonova, a graduate of one of the Dutch universities, spoke about the conditions provided by the local education system. ()

Learning changes the worldview

“The longer I live here, the stronger my decision to stay in this country. Studying here completely changes your outlook on the student-teacher relationship, on the acquisition of knowledge. And the concept of corruption goes somewhere in the distant past, in a slightly bitter memory of their homeland. I live in Utrecht (this city belongs to the 4 main cities of Holland), I rent a room of 20 square meters for 350 euros, but you can find cheaper ones.

All students earn extra money here, as the ministry allows it (up to 10 hours a week). I work part-time to improve my Dutch (although I also study in English). Education is mostly paid, about 15-35 thousand euros per year (10 times less for their locals) - as for free education- it is, but you need to know where to go and where to learn something.

Study and work

“After my studies, I plan to stay here to work, and I myself really like this language. Many students work here to pay not only for accommodation, but also for education, although this is not the case for everyone, because. it's hard. In order to start education, of course, funds are needed to pay for tuition, for paperwork, for moving and for the first time of residence, funds are also needed. These are mandatory expenses that cannot be avoided. After adaptation, you can already earn extra money.

“Recently, a law came into force that after receiving a bachelor's or master's degree, a foreign graduate is granted the right to stay in Holland for the next year to look for work. And after 2 years of work, you can also request a passport. But the truth is, this is not such a simple procedure. Here it is necessary to correctly issue a request so that there is no refusal, otherwise you will have to go home.

Creators and makers

“In general, all Russians who arrived in can be divided into 2 groups: creators and whiners. The former learn the language, join society and feel happy in Holland.

The latter are sure that everything in this country is difficult: it is difficult to learn the language, it is impossible to pass on the rights, work can only be found by the Dutch themselves. Although if you type the word Russisch on a good job search site (for example), you will see how many workers with knowledge of the Russian language are required. There are currently many companies in Holland that are starting to work with Eastern Europe.

If you want to work in the Netherlands - do not miss the chance. The main desire is to make an effort to achieve the goal. And now there are really not enough specialists. That is why a decision was made to allow students who have completed their higher education to remain in the country, on the condition that they have a job. And they are taken to work already in the last year. So the wolf is not as scary as it is drawn.

An important factor

“A local diploma is quoted all over the world. It's just that the education of this country is not so advertised. But you don’t feel such a definition on yourself: “Oh Russians, how many of you are here, come in large numbers.”

And this is indeed an important factor for many, because it is pleasant to study when there is no serious psychological impact. After all, you are a guest in this country. Otherwise, it turns out that if you take your head and take training seriously, then everything will work out. And get a diploma, and a job, and the quality and level of the diploma allow it. The main desire and action.

Master's degree in Holland is the first stage of postgraduate education. Dutch master's programs are quite flexible and varied, they include long-term internships and exchange studies. Teaching is conducted in Dutch or English language, and the number of English-language programs is growing every year. Thanks to this, the popularity of Holland as educational direction: in 2016-17, every tenth student came to the country from abroad.

The universities of the country are divided into several large groups. Of interest to foreign students of the master's program are two of them - research universities and universities applied sciences. Master's programs in universities of these types differ in goals, content and duration.

Education in the Netherlands is paid, but its cost is significantly lower than in the UK, USA or Canada. At the master's level, students are offered more choice scholarships than at the first higher education - this is especially true for research universities. In addition, applied universities encourage work in the specialty during study, as it allows you to immediately apply the acquired knowledge in practice.

Holland Research Masters

Research universities combine academic activities and fundamental Scientific research which allows them to participate in international rankings, annually occupying high positions. The purpose of the programs offered by universities of this type is to train future scientists and specialists in all subject areas with deep theoretical knowledge and a solid scientific outlook.

Master's research programs last 1-3 years, depending on the chosen subject area and the education received in the bachelor's degree. Longest research programs and highest study loads- in the field of engineering, Agriculture, mathematics, natural Sciences, medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, pharmaceuticals.

Students do not have to receive a second higher education in the specialty that they acquired in the bachelor's degree - they can choose an area that is quite close to the first education, or they can change their specialization, but in this case, studies can last longer.

Applied Masters in Holland

Universities of Applied Sciences are career-oriented, the purpose of the programs they have developed is to train practitioners. Applied universities do not lead fundamental research and do not participate in international ratings, because of which they may be less known foreign students. The main advantage of their programs is the mandatory long-term internships that allow students to gain professional experience directly during their studies.

The duration of applied programs depends on the subject area and previous education and ranges from one to two years, but some programs, for example, in architectural specialties, can last up to 4 years. Often in academic plan applications included optional foreign language, because in the Netherlands highly valued specialists who speak several languages, who understand cultural characteristics well different countries able to work well in a team and have developed communication skills. Of course, learning Dutch is also encouraged, and despite the fact that almost the entire population of the country speaks English, employers are more likely to give preference to a candidate who knows Dutch.

Teaching methods in the Dutch master's program

The system of higher education in the Netherlands has adopted a problem-based approach to learning, which is very different from the Russian one, and initial stage may present certain difficulties for students from Russia and the CIS.
Learn more about peculiarities of studying in Holland in comparison with Russia it is possible in here.

Dutch master's degrees

Research programs lead to MA (Master of Arts) degrees in the humanities or social fields, MSc (Master of Science) in engineering and technical fields.

Applied programs also lead to MA or MSc degrees, but besides this, master's degrees with a subject area are widespread in Holland - for example, M.Aarch.