Global Project and Change Management

In the first two years you will discover what the field of sustainable project and change management entails. Year one will introduce you to key areas of project management and professional skills, and you will learn basic knowledge for example about research, finance and accounting. You will get acquainted with the industry and discover which skills you need. In year two, you continue to build your (sustainable) business skills and deepen your knowledge. You will study modules designed to embed key knowledge in managerial and sustainable practice, while at the same time working on practical skills, such researching, communication and presenting.

Key elements of the programme

Global Project and Change Management is based on four principles:

• Business Skills
• Research
• Global Challenges
• Project and Change Management

Throughout the programme your personal and professional development will always be at the forefront. With the support of your career counsellor, you get the opportunity to explore your strengths and passions, and work on your personal and professional skills. You can work on this during one-on-one coaching sessions, workshops, the 7 Habits course based on Covey and by exploring your talents in our bi-annually Personal Development Weeks.

Hands-on teaching methods

Our teaching consists of assignments, projects, online activities, lectures and events. Every semester you will work in a small group on a large project that has been put forward by local businesses, organizations or the government. By collaborating with different clients, you get a direct glimpse behind the scenes. That way, you will find out what types of jobs and organizations suit you best.

Your timetable and assignments will give you a study load of roughly 40 hours a week. Our teaching style is interactive. This means that we expect you to pro-actively collaborate with your lecturers and fellow students, instead of only listening to presentations.

The last two years (consisting of four semesters) of your degree allow you maximum flexibility to plan your own learning journey and to further increase your employability. The focus in these years is on change management. You may plan the four semesters listed below in the order you prefer.

Managing Projects in a Globalized World

During this semester you will work in small and diverse teams on complex assignments from an organization in the Netherlands or abroad. We have, for example, implemented and executed projects in Uganda, Kosovo, Ghana, Aruba, Hong Kong, Philippines and Chili. During the first half of the semester, you will prepare your plan and research proposal and engage in coursework at Windesheim. This is followed by an 8-week stay in your destination country, where you will work on your results. The semester ends with presentations and assessments at Windesheim. 
The assignment is broadly related to one (or more) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that have been set by the United Nations. While putting your knowledge and project management skills into action, you will also be developing '21st century skills', such as collaboration, leadership, critical thinking, problem-solving and creativity.

Value Creators

Value Creators(opens in new tab) invites you to become a change agent by addressing the United Nations' SDGs in collaboration with professional networks. Together with other students and professional partners, you will tackle wicked challenges and co-create various solutions for a more sustainable, inclusive society.

This semester lets you immerse yourself in world issues that are close to your heart. You will take ownership of your learning path by choosing your own classes, attending conferences and building your own network. You will also be trained in Theory U methodology, enabling you to make a change in society and work on complex issues in direct contact with local, national or international communities.

Value Creators is an educational concept developed by Windesheim Honours College.

Discover your specialism

We encourage you to go abroad and choose your own set of elective courses and specialize on a topic of your choice. Windesheim has more than 100 partner universities worldwide you can choose from. Previous students have, for example, chosen subjects in the field of Global Health, Communication and Psychology in Amsterdam, Sweden, Mexico and South-Korea.

Internship

In your final semester, you will do an internship of approximately 17 weeks. We encourage you to find an organization abroad or an international organization in the Netherlands. You are free to choose the company and the topic of your research. We have, however, guidelines to ensure that your organization allows you to meet your learning objectives. Together with a lecturer (your coach) and your in-company mentor, you will carry out independent research that will lead to a professional product that meets the clients’ needs. The last two weeks before graduation, you will be back at Windesheim to prepare for graduation. You will now demonstrate that you have achieved all set competences. Together with fellow students you will work on your professional portfolio and defend your final thesis. Have you completed everything successfully? You have then obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration!

The Global Project and Change Management programme is part of Windesheim Honours College (WHC), an intensive, small-scale, international learning community for talented and socially engaged students who want to study in the field of international development and want to make a difference in the world. WHC is the first professional college in the Netherlands and is based on three pillars:

• Academically challenging: with lecturers from various professional and cultural backgrounds and our strong focus on research, we provide an academically challenging learning environment.
• Community: we believe in close contact between lecturers and students and in a meaningful connection with the outside world to make the world a better place.
• Bounded freedom: we offer a personalized learning environment in which there is space for experimentation, risk-taking, personal initiatives and pursuit of your interests.

For whom?

We are looking for students who want to go the extra mile, who are passionate about global issues, enjoy teamwork, are open-minded, are eager to gain new perspectives and have a solution-oriented drive in approaching challenges. We challenge ourselves and our students to be critical leaders, to work hard and to do that little bit extra. It is important that we are right for each other, not only in terms of programme content, but also in terms of our approach to learning.

The concept

Our approach to excellence is based on the strength of education, delivered by a hands-on University of Applied Sciences. The focus is on the profession – in our case, the profession of the global project and change manager with specialist expertise.

Windesheim Honours College is a residential college, making it easier to build a learning community. Our international community is characterized by a close-knit community of lecturers, students, the College and external professionals.

Read more about Windesheim Honours College

In order to give you the most up-to-date and interesting study experience, Windesheim Honours College has well-established links with leading organizations and initiatives across the world. United Nations Academic Impact, SDG Academy and UN Habitat are just a few of the alliances we have formed over the years.

Sustainable Development Goals

We focus intensively on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations. The themes of the SDGs, such as no poverty, zero hunger and sustainable cities, are widely integrated throughout your courses and projects. See what projects we have already worked on.

Partnerships

Partnerships United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI)(opens in new tab) is an initiative that aligns institutions of higher education with the United Nations in supporting and contributing to the realization of United Nations goals and mandates. This includes the promotion and protection of human rights, access to education, sustainability, and conflict resolution. It is a vibrant and diverse network of students, academics, scientists, researchers, think tanks, institutions of higher education, and educational partners. There are over 1400 member institutions in more than 145 countries that reach nearly 25 million people in the education and research sectors around the world.

UN Habitat(opens in new tab) and Windesheim Honours College create project opportunities projects for our students or collaboration in existing projects run by our students, network capacity, research and development, internship opportunities for our students, exchange opportunities and possibly guest lectures. Windesheim is the second Dutch University (after TU Delft) that is a partner of United Nations Habitat.

Well-being Economy Alliance (opens in new tab)is a network of all international economic networks (circular economy, blue economy, sustainable economy, the commons) gathered in one alliance. Windesheim Honours College is partnered with the alliance on projects, guest lectures and discussing wicked challenges.

SDG Academy(opens in new tab) is the flagship education initiative of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). It creates and curates the best available educational content on sustainable development and makes it available as a global public good to prepare this generation and the next to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

SDG Nederland(opens in new tab) is a Dutch and collective initiative of Stichting SDG Charter and OneWorld with Windesheim Honours College.

Accreditation

Global Project and Change Management has obtained the special accreditations Sustainability and Small Scale and Intensive. The certification is carried out by the NVAO (Nederlands Vlaams Accreditatie Organisatie), an independent organization for Dutch and Flemish (Belgian) education. The full report can be found on the website of the NVAO(opens in new tab).

Top rankings

We are a Top-rated programme (source: Selection Guide for Higher Education, Keuzegids Hoger Onderwijs). This means we are the best Business Administration and Management programme in the Netherlands. The guide is an important, independent source of information, compiled under the supervision of the Dutch government.

National Student Survey is annually conducted by studiekeuze.nl(opens in new tab), an independent website for Dutch students. It measures how happy students are with their degree. With a score of 90 out of 100, it is safe to say our students are extremely satisfied!

Collaborations

HZ University of Applied Sciences(opens in new tab) in Middelburg also offers the programme Global Project and Change Management.

As a graduate, you will possess the skills to create sustainable solutions to the world’s most challenging problems. Your strength lies in your versatility and ability to solve problems by combining your practical skills, theoretical business knowledge and diverse areas of expertise. There are plenty of positions in which you can develop, for example:

• Project manager at an international NGO
• Social entrepreneur
• Trainee at the European Parliament
• Development manager at a non-profit organization
• Advisor improving corporate sustainability

Global warming, wealth inequality, pandemics, an ageing population - our world is confronted with numerous societal and sustainable challenges. To tackle these issues, businesses, governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) must collaborate. These intricate collaborations require professionals who can see the bigger picture, while breaking down complex plans into manageable projects and practical solutions.

So do you want to work for a consultancy firm, a non-profit organization, the government, the European Parliament, or in a specific sector like welfare or sustainable energy? Regardless of what you choose, you will play an important role in fostering connections among various initiatives.

Many of our students continue their studies and go for a master’s degree. Research has a strong presence in our curriculum, so our students seldom have to do a pre-master and can enrol directly into a master’s programme. We have a strong network of alumni at other universities and expertise in a variety of fields, so we can help you to make the right decision. Recent graduates have enrolled in programmes including:

• Climate Studies at Wageningen University
• Sustainable Development at Maastricht University
• International Relations at University of Glasgow
• Global Health at Copenhagen University