Nichols College Graduate and Professional Studies (GPS) students are in Maastricht, the Netherlands, for six weeks, enrolled in three classes at The Maastricht School of Management (MSM). They will also visit the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, and The Hague, in the Netherlands, where the United Nations International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court are located.
This unique study abroad opportunity with MSM targets “4+1” students from Nichols and recent undergraduate business students accepted to a Nichols graduate degree program. The MSM/Nichols program has been designed for recent graduates who do not have much work experience, who may not have had an opportunity to study abroad during their undergraduate career, and who would like international cultural exposure.
At the completion of the program, students would earn a graduate degree from Nichols (either a Master of Business Administration, a Master of Science in Accounting, or a Master of Science in Counterterrorism Studies), as well as a Master in Management (MM) from MSM, which would be a $20,000 value at no additional cost. In essence, it could be called a “4+1 = 3” program. Four years plus one year equals three degrees: a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from Nichols, and a Master in Management from MSM.
The Nichols/MSM program was established in September 2017, with the pilot cohort visiting the Netherlands that October.
“The partnership between Nichols College and MSM provides our recently graduated undergraduate alumni a competitive advantage in the job market,” said GPS Executive Director Kerry Calnan. “For six weeks, our students are immersed in a global culture as their new classmates represent over 20 countries from around the world. At Nichols, we believe there is no better way to learn cultural awareness than through immersion and application.”
MSM is an innovative, research-driven and development-focused business school. Established in 1952, it has 57 full-time faculty and staff, and has partnerships with schools in Azerbaijan, China, Egypt, and Germany.
“This option to our 4+1 students augments Nichols student’s competitive edge, being able to fluently discuss global business practices as well as building their international network,” said Calnan. “We don’t know of any ‘+1’ programs that offer two master’s degrees in a one-year time frame, and that include a six-week residential international experience.”