The course portfolio provides a large selection of courses and is structured around three different tracks: Management Control, Technology & Operations Management and Sustainability Management. The major consists of three core courses; Two introductory courses in Business Analysis and Performance Management and one methodology course. On top of this, students are advised to choose three elective courses from one of the tracks, but specialisation within a track is not compulsory and students may also choose a combination of courses across tracks. Within a track, the time schedules for courses and exams (as far as possible) do not overlap.  Finally, the courses in the Sustainability Management track are particularly suitable for combining with one of the two other tracks.

1. Management Control

Management control is about the gathering and use of information to aid and coordinate organisational behaviour and decisions.  This includes how to organise and plan activities, evaluate performance, implement strategies and manage risks. The design and use of dynamic control systems and control packages is an important topic. There are several courses on decision making, including thorough analyses of for example “make or buy”, pricing, product mix, customer portfolio, and investment alternatives.

2. Technology & Operations Management

Operations management deals with the design and control of the business processes that best enable a firm to produce and deliver the goods and services specified by the business strategy. This task includes selecting activities and resources and combining them to meet customer requirements as efficiently as possible. Key elements are managing inputs and outputs, flow units, and information structure. With the large availability of data and development of information technologies, operations management is currently at the core of many organisations that attempt to convert digital resources into a more efficient matching of supply with demand.

The courses in this track offer the opportunity to learn about conceptual contents in operations management, as well as analytical methods and computational tools to support decision making within organisations.

3. Sustainability Management

Firms operate in a complex world, where investors, governments and other stakeholders demand and expect firms to adopt new strategies to secure sustainable and ethical business practice. Therefore, companies are increasingly evaluated based on their performance along non-financial performance dimensions such as social and environmental sustainability performance and compliance with regulatory requirements.

The increasingly important function of sustainability management comprises identifying, measuring and managing non-financial performance dimensions as well as integrating such concerns into the design and innovation of business models. Sustainability management also requires compliance with an increasing spectre of international rules and regulations for the protection of markets and society (e.g. corruption, tax compliance, competition law).

The Business Analysis and Performance Management major consists of:

• 45 ECTS courses
• 30 ECTS for a master's thesis

Students are recommended to take courses during the first three semesters and work on the master's thesis in the last semester. The general structure of the coursework is as follows:

Course Requirements

1. Two core courses:

   • BUS400 Management Control
   • BUS401 Strategic Profitability Analysis and Pricing

2. One empirical methods course:

   • BUS444 Econometrics for Business Research
   • ECN402 Econometric Techniques
   • STR402A Methodology for Master Thesis

3. Three more elective courses within the BUS major

The core courses in the major provide a foundation for the elective courses. You are encouraged to take the core courses and the course in empirical methods during the first two semesters to have flexibility in your choice of electives. The topic of the master's thesis should be within the scope of Business Analysis and Performance Management. We recommend that students choose some of the elective courses from the same track. However, this is not a requirement. Within a track, the time schedules for courses and exams (as far as possible) do not overlap. The sustainable management track has a smaller portfolio of courses but can be combined with courses from the two other tracks.

Courses in Business Analysis and Performance Management (BUS) Major

Select courses equivalent to 45 ECTS according to the plan below for a major in Business Analysis and Performance Management. Together with your master's thesis (30 ECTS), this constitutes your major.

15 Credits

• BUS400E Management Control (7.5 ECTS)
• BUS400N Management Control (N) (7.5 ECTS)
• BUS401E Strategic Profitability Analysis (7.5 ECTS)
• BUS401N Strategic Profitability Analysis (7.5 ECTS)

Minimum One

• BUS444E Econometrics for Business Research (7.5 ECTS)
• BUS444N Econometrics for Business Research (7.5 ECTS)
• ECN402 Econometrics (7.5 ECTS)
• STR402A Methodology for Master Thesis (7.5 ECTS)

Electives in Management Control

• ACC401E Financial Accounting I (7.5 ECTS)
• ACC401N Financial Accounting I (N) (7.5 ECTS)
• ACC420E Strategic Financial Statement Analysis (7.5 ECTS)
• ACC420N Financial Statement Analysis (7.5 ECTS)
• ACC421X Valuation (7.5 ECTS)
• BUS422E Capital Budgeting (7.5 ECTS)
• BUS422N Capital Budgeting (7.5 ECTS)
• BUS428 Organizational Economics (7.5 ECTS)
• BUS429 Pricing Analytics and Revenue Management (7.5 ECTS)
• BUS438 Strategic Organization and Competition (N) (7.5 ECTS)
• BUS451 Dynamic Management Control (7.5 ECTS)
• BUS456 Behavioral Business Strategy (7.5 ECTS)
• BUS470 Retail Analytics (7.5 ECTS)
• BUS472 Management Control in the Digital Age (7.5 ECTS)
• BUS475 Competition Strategy (N) (7.5 ECTS)

Electives in Sustainability Management

• ACC413 Sustainability & ESG Reporting (7.5 ECTS)
• BUS442 Competition - Law and Economics (N) (7.5 ECTS)
• BUS443 Fraud Detection (not offered) (7.5 ECTS)
• BUS446 Sustainable Business Models (7.5 ECTS)
• BUS452 Corruption - Incentives, Disclosure and Liability (7.5 ECTS)
• BUS465 Detecting Corporate Crime (7.5 ECTS)
• BUS469 Corporate Liability and Sustainable Markets (7.5 ECTS)
• ETI450 Corporate Social Responsibility (7.5 ECTS)

Electives in Technology and Operations Management

• BAN401 Applied Programming and Data Analysis for Business (7.5 ECTS)
• BAN402 Decision Modelling in Business (7.5 ECTS)
• BAN403 Simulation of Business Processes (7.5 ECTS)
• BAN430 Forecasting (7.5 ECTS)
• BUS403 Supply Chain Management (7.5 ECTS)
• BUS432 Operation Management (7.5 ECTS)
• BUS466 Commercial Real Estate: Investment and Management (N) (7.5 ECTS)
• BUS467 Management of the Procurement Function (7.5 ECTS)
• BUS473 Platform-based Business Models (7.5 ECTS)
• BUS474 Innovation and Intellectual Property (7.5 ECTS)

Master's Thesis

• BUSTHE Independent work/thesis (30 ECTS)

Upon successful completion of the major, the candidates:

Knowledge

• K1: Have an extensive, updated knowledge of relevant theories for business analysis and performance management.
• K2: Have solid competence in empirical methods for business analysis and performance management.

Skills

• S1: Are able to work independently on advanced issues in business analysis and performance management.
• S2: Are able to use relevant theories, methods, and tools to analyze decisions that have the goal of increasing value creation in organizations.
• S3: Are able to update skills on their own throughout their career.

General Competence

• G1: Have the ability to communicate business analysis and performance management issues with both specialists and a wider audience.
• G2: Have the ability to reflect on and take into account ethical aspects, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility when making decisions in an organization.

You are required to take at least 7.5 ECTS in Ethics, Responsibility, and Sustainability (ERS). You can choose any course from NHH’s list of ERS courses. You can choose whether to fulfill the ERS requirement within your major, or as part of your minor, or as one of your elective courses. BUS446, BUS465, and ETI450 are included in the BUS major

See all ERS courses

As an NHH student you have excellent opportunities to gain valuable international experience during your studies through semester exchange, the Double Degree program, CEMS, Engage.EU, Intern Abroad, and summer courses.

With the Strategy and Management profile, many of our students work abroad and are internationally recruited.

Read more about international opportunities

By taking BUS, you will be well prepared for a wide range of jobs. In roles such as:

• Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
• Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)
• Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Your competence will be highly appreciated in ensuring high-quality business analysis and performance evaluations. Your skills will be crucial in jobs where you prepare and make strategic decisions, such as pricing or investments. Therefore, your competence is highly useful if you plan to work in:

• Consulting
• Investment companies
• Smaller start-ups
• Larger organizations

Read more about career possibilities for NHH students

The following courses in the BUS major are particularly relevant in relation to sustainability:

• ACC413 Sustainability & ESG Reporting
• BUS446 Sustainable Business Models
• BUS452 Corruption, Compliance, and Sustainable Issues
• BUS465 Detecting Corporate Crime
• ETI450 Corporate Social Responsibility

Remember that the ethics course can also be one of your elective courses.

MINOR IN BUSINESS ANALYSIS AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT  

CORE COURSES - MINIMUM ONE COURSE

BUS400E Management Control

BUS400N Management Control (N)

BUS401EStrategic Profitability Analysis

BUS401N Strategic Profitability Analysis  

ELECTIVES IN MANAGEMENT CONTROL

BUS422E Capital Budgeting

BUS422N Capital Budgeting

BUS428 Organizational Economics

BUS429 Pricing Analytics and Revenue Management

BUS438 Strategic Organization and Competition (N)

BUS451 Dynamic Management Control

BUS456 Behavioral Business Strategy

BUS470 Retail Analytics

BUS472 Management Control in the Digital Age  

ELECTIVES IN SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT

ACC413 Sustainability & ESG Reporting

BUS442 Competition - Law and Economics (N)

BUS446 Sustainable Business Models

BUS452 Corruption - Incentives, Disclosure and Liability

BUS465 Detecting Corporate Crime

BUS469 Corporate Liability and Sustainable Markets  

ELECTIVES IN TECH. AND OPERATIONS MANAG.

BUS403 Supply Chain Management

BUS432 Operation Management

BUS466 Commercial Real Estate: Investment and Management (N)

BUS467 Management of the Procurement Function

BUS473 Platform-based Business Models

BUS474 Innovation and Intellectual Property