International Food Business

Duration: 4 years
Education type: Bachelor programme
Field of interest: Business
Field of interest: Food

Introduction

The study programme

International Food Business is the programme for you if you are curious about the processes involved in food production. Would you like to help think up ideas on how to sustainably improve local and global food production? The Netherlands is the second largest exporter of food products in the world. This programme will prepare you for your part in shaping tomorrow’s food industry as a professional or business owner. As in any other business administration programme, you will learn how to set up a business and make it grow. You will also learn about food products and the ever-changing industry, how consumers make choices and how to produce and market innovative products. Your practical experience will come from actual business projects and internships. The best part is you will also study abroad, and you decide where.

Admission requirements

This is how you get admitted

Prior learning

Level of English

Applicants must also

Characteristics

Is this the programme for you?

You want a career in food

Food and food products really interest you and you are curious about the journey that food products make, from farm to fork. You also ask yourself lots of questions. For instance: How does a tomato become tomato ketchup? Or, where does our tea come from? And you also feel it is very important to provide people around the world with food products in a sustainable way.
Discover global entrepreneurship

You have a hands-on and enterprising mentality. Maybe you are even considering starting a business of your own. Or you prefer to work for an international food company. With so many possibilities, the food industry lies at your feet. In this programme there will be ample opportunity to explore what suits you best.
Learn to think beyond borders

You will learn to think beyond borders. You will be in an international class at a university of applied sciences with more than 25 years of experience in international education. Through the combination of lessons and experience from studying abroad, you will learn how to understand your clients and come up with creative solutions that make all the difference.
Feel at home in the international food marketplace

In the course of the programme, you will learn all there is to know about the production of innovative, reliable and safe food products and how to market these. You will feel at home in the international food marketplace and become a food industry expert who applies smart technology to provide transparency to clients and consumers.
Study abroad in or outside Europe

Seeing that this is an international programme, you will spend much time studying abroad at a partner university of your choice in Italy, France, Canada or the United States. So, if you love travelling and discovering new cultures and food, then this is the programme for you.
For life

The combination of your personal growth and development, knowledge, perspective and talent for innovation will positively impact the international food industry. Not only can you play your part in putting food on the table for future generations, you will also build networks and make friends for life.

Practical matters

What you need to know...

Application
Start date for this programme: 1 September

Application open as of: 1 October

Application deadline for non-EU applicants: 1 April

Application deadline for applicants from the EU: 1 May

You can apply through Studielink. Studielink is an online application tool in the Netherlands that allows your enrolment details to be automatically forwarded to Aeres University of Applied Sciences.

On this page, you will find more information about your application.
Fees and funding
Tuition fee for students from the EU 2024-2025: €2.530,-

Tuition fee for students from outside the EU 2024-2025: €9.434,-

Non-EU applicants can apply forThe NL Scholarship

When you're going to study abroad, it's good to know what to expect finanicially. Here you can find information about tuition fees and other (study) costs.
Other practical matters
Here you can find more information about:

Visa and permits

Insurance

Housing

Get to know Aeres UAS

A student’s perspective

International Food Business Aeres University of Applied Sciences

International campus Aeres University of Applied Sciences Dronten — Housing

Aeres University of Applied Sciences, Dronten, students, international studies — Study in Dronten

Programme content

This is what you will learn

Introductory Year

Like in any other business administration programme, Year 1 focuses on learning the basics of running a business, whether it is an innovative start-up with its own unique story or a leading international corporation. This involves being able to start a good (online) marketing communications strategy for a food product. Besides getting the hang of business operations, you will also get to know the ins and outs of the agricultural and food industries, as well as the entire food production chain. You will learn about trends and developments and what causes prices to rise in supermarkets. Not to worry if this feels overwhelming, as you will be assigned a personal coach who is more than happy to help you become the professional you want to be. In Year 1, you also get to choose in which country you want to study in Years 2 and 3: France, Italy, Canada or the United States.

Europe (France and Italy)

This is what Years 2 and 3 will look like if you choose to study in Europe, i.e. in France and Italy:

Year 2 – the Netherlands and France

Year 2 kicks off in the Netherlands. The subjects in this first semester are food products trade and logistics, marketing research and planning. In the second semester, you will embark on a food journey in two countries that have made a name for themselves in the culinary world. The first is France, where, at the University of Angers, you will work on the concept development, production methods, quality and management of regional food products. An important part is learning how soil and climate influence the quality and taste of food.
Year 3 – Italy and the Netherlands

In the first semester of Year 3, your journey takes you to Italy. There, the staff of the Università Cattolica, del Sacro Cuore will do their best to satisfy your hunger for knowledge of various production technologies, authenticity, food law and certification. Not only can you enjoy some particularly delicious food, you will also gain the experience you need to contribute to the improvement of global food systems. Back in the Netherlands, in the second semester, you will gain hands-on experience by running your own student business, with professional assistance of course. At the same time, you will do an internship at a company in a country of your choice, where you focus on management (HRM, leadership, finance, marketing), food preservation, pricing, politics and research methods.

Canada

Are you thinking of studying in Canada? This is what you can expect in your second and third year:

Year 2 – the Netherlands and Europe

Year 2 centres around two major assessments. The first assessment involves learning how to develop and market an innovative product and in the second one you will carry out research on a subject of your choice. To add more depth to your studies, you will have lessons in branding, marketing management, entrepreneurship and food product development. You will also learn first-hand about the impact of the European Union on the Netherlands and the food industry. That is why we will pay a visit to the European Parliament in Brussels, where you can talk to the Dutch representatives. On the practical side, there will also be visits to several companies and the opportunity to get plenty of experience in an internship in Europe.
Year 3 - Canada

Come Year 3 and you will finally go and study in Canada. At the Dalhousie University, you will find out what it is like living and studying somewhere else for a whole year. It will be an experience that you can build on in the future. This year’s subjects are, among other things, leadership and human resource management, business planning, finance and quality management. And to develop your entrepreneurial skills, you will start and run your own business. This year is rounded off with an internship in North America. In short, a year you will never forget.

United States of America

If you choose to study in the United States of America (USA), your second and third years will look like this:

Year 2 – United States of America

Prepare yourself for a year of new challenges, opportunities and unforgettable experiences in the United States of America (USA). At the University of Wisconsin in River Falls you will learn what it means to be what the people there call a falcon. An individual who lives, studies and works by certain principles, together with other students and the staff. The subjects in the first semester are nutritional science, product development and dairy and meat processing. Besides studying, you will conduct taste tests and learn about production technology. This will provide you with a deeper insight into food quality and characteristics, and how to reduce waste in the food production chain. And the best part is, you will put this into practice during a 3-month internship in the USA.
Year 3 – the Netherlands and Europe

Year 3 will find you returning to the Netherlands much the wiser and more experienced. In this year, the programme continues with subjects such as research, marketing, business operations, entrepreneurship, human resource management and logistics. Another important subject is the impact of the European Union on the Netherlands and the food industry. What better way to learn about this on a visit to the European Parliament in Brussels. There you will have the opportunity to talk to representatives from the Netherlands. To deepen your understanding of the food industry, you will visit several companies and learn about subjects that are trending in the food industry. To round off this year, you will do a 10-week internship in Europe.

Graduation

Doesn’t time fly when you are having fun? Before you know it, you will be in Year 4, choosing your minor programmes that enable you to either specialize or broaden your studies. It is all up to you. You will complete your studies with a graduation internship and a graduation thesis. Or are you up for something completely different? In that case, participate in Green Starters. This is a great opportunity to start your own business with the help of experienced business coaches from Aeres and the industry.

Qualification

Your options after graduation

Career opportunities
People need to eat every day. So, the food industry is looking for people like you. International Food Business graduates whose full-time studies not only broaden their scope of application, but also provide them with a vast array of job opportunities. With 98,8 % the employment rate among graduates from Aeres University of Applied Sciences is very high and promising! These are some of the career opportunities laid on your table once you successfully complete the programme:

Logistics or sustainability consultant in the supply chain

Entrepreneur and owner of a start-up

Process manager

Talent manager in the food industry

Export and trade specialist

International sales manager

Procurement specialist

International market researcher

Food safety and quality expert
Further studies
If you do not feel like starting your career in food business just yet, you can further your studies with us. We provide two English 1-year master’s programmes:

Agribusiness Development

Food Systems Innovation