Do you look at a mountain of data and see an ocean of opportunity? Can you look at innovation from both a technical and commercial point of view? And can you see yourself using data and new technologies to create smart service innovations? Then you should consider getting a master’s in Business Intelligence and Smart Services. You’ll study service design, business intelligence, and business analytics, directly applying the knowledge you gain to a real-life company project. When you graduate, you'll have a wide variety of career options available to you. You could work, for instance, as a service designer, business intelligence consultant, or big data architect. The types of organizations you could end up working in are equally varied, as companies, governments, and research organizations are all looking for people like you.
*Preknowledge: familiarity with statistics and regression analysis; programming skills are not a prerequisite but may come in useful
Fast facts
1-year, full-time master’s, taught in English
Starts in September
Each week, on average: 8 hrs classes, 12 hrs group work, 20 hrs independent study
Learn to combine new technology with business intelligence and smart service design
Smart Services Project: work on a company project and create an actual, data- and technology-based smart service
Access to and involvement in the Brightlands Smart Services Campus in Heerlen, where researchers and organizations such as APG, KPN, BNY Mellon, Accenture, and Rabobank meet
"This masters taught me a broad panel of data and service design knowledge - useful in a variety of industries. It made me realize how diversified data jobs can be and to what business cases they can be applied."
Name: Régis Gemoets
Company: Business and Decision (Belgium)
Position: Data Engineer
Why this program?
The big data revolution is having an enormous impact on society as a whole, as well as on organizations and individuals. The data explosion is a tremendous source of new opportunities for companies. It enables them to make better, more customer-oriented, more targeted, and more cost-efficient decisions. Business intelligence specialists have therefore become an essential asset to any company and any public institution.
In addition, companies have started to develop so-called smart services: product and service innovations that directly capitalize on data and technology, offering added value to customers. New business models centered on the development of smart services are being introduced to meet the growing demand. As a master’s student in Business Intelligence and Smart Services, you’ll learn how to analyze big data, make business decisions in data-rich environments, and design data-driven smart services.
Amazing education opportunities
Premium honors program
Premium gives you that extra edge by offering real-world experience during your studies. As part of a team of students, you’ll build the experience and skills employers are looking for. Work on a real-world assignment for a company, NGO, or educational institution. Create a personal development plan. Participate in intensive individual coaching, masterclasses, and workshops.
Internships
Internships give you practical experience that enhances your studies and increases your employability. Many graduates often end up working at the organization where they intern. SBE encourages master’s students to do an extracurricular, 8-26 week internship. The SBE Internship Office has an extensive database of internship opportunities and is on hand for guidance and counseling.
Combine thesis & internship
Rather than face a trade-off between finishing their studies and doing an internship, SBE students have the option of combining the two. During the Thesis-Internship Programme (TIP), your thesis will be written on a topic relevant to a company or organization during a part-time internship. This gives your thesis focus and applicability and gives you practical work experience.
Courses & curriculum 2022 - 2023
The MSc BISS program consists of 4 mandatory courses, 2 elective courses, a smart service skills training, a smart service project, and a master's thesis.
EBC4219 Service Design
EBC4220 Business Analytics
EBS4039 Smart Service Skills
EBC4254 Business Intelligence Systems
EBC4255 Machine Learning for Smart Services
EBS4040 Writing a Master's Thesis (BISS)
EBC4256 Smart Service Management and/or EBC4223 Analysing Unstructured Data
Master's Thesis or Thesis Internship Programme
EBP4005 Smart Service Project
EBC4222 Descriptive and Predictive Analytics and/or EBC4225 Data Visualisation
Rankings & recognition
Financial Times lauded SBE in best practice examples of sustainability, ethics, and social purpose in teaching and education methods
UM is the sixth-best Young University in the world
Triple Crown accreditation - School of Business and Economics
Your future
Career perspectives
Big data is a rapidly growing field, and your career perspectives look equally promising. You’ll be able to find work at large companies, governmental agencies, policymaking institutes, and research institutes.
You’ll also be able to pursue many different positions, including:
service designer
service engineer
smart service consultant
service manager
service delivery manager
business intelligence consultant
big data analyst
big data architect
Your experience with formulating and analyzing data-driven research questions will also be valuable if you choose to pursue a Ph.D.