Signature Bachelor’s Degree program

Bachelor in Liberal Studies

This professionally-oriented Bachelor Degree program is for recent high school graduates and university transfer students with or without work experience.

Focus on management theory and practice with courses from the Business Core; add more shared electives; and bring it all together in a Final Project.

Modular design

Everyone’s professional career is different, and we have always believed that one’s academic career should be too. You can customize your program based on your previous studies, current interests, and future ambitions. Our flexible and American-inspired program structure allows you to choose your courses based on a set of standard program requirements. These requirements are different for each of our programs. The choice of courses and modules will be different for each of our students also, providing students with the opportunity of a personalized curriculum and make it a truly unique learning experience.

Our Signature Bachelor Degree programs come in two versions: a 180-credit version and an extended 240-credit version, ensuring compatibility with various regional educational models, which may favor either 180-credit or 240-credit programs. Students can choose the version that best aligns with their professional interests and career goals, as well as the educational model of choice.

First phase

In the first phase for a total of 120 credits, the equivalent of years 1 and 2, students complete foundational coursework.

This program with a flexible structure is available to all students at all campuses.

 

  • ACC1001 Principles of Accounting
  • ACC3001 Cost Accounting
  • ACC3002 Managerial Accounting
  • BUS2002 Entrepreneurship
  • CUL3001 Cross-Cultural Training
  • ECO2004 Macro Economics
  • ECO2005 Micro Economics
  • ECO3001 Managerial Economics
  • FIN1001 Principles of Finance
  • FIN3001 Managerial Finance
  • HUM2001 Human Resource Management
  • HUM3001 Leadership
  • HUM3002 Organizational Behavior
  • INF2001 Information Systems
  • MAN1001 Principles of Management
  • MAN2003 Managing Growth
  • MAN3001 Strategic Management
  • MAR1001 Principles of Marketing
  • MAR2002 Digital Marketing
  • MAR3001 Consumer Behavior
  • MAR3002 Marketing Communications
  • MAR3003 Marketing Management
  • OPE3001 Supply Chain Management
  • QUA1002 Principles of Business Calculus
  • as well as any course with the following course codes:
  • BUS xxxx
  • ECO xxxx
  • FIN xxxx
  • MAN xxxx
  • MAR xxxx

Electives can be any course scheduled that does not already count towards other program requirements. Electives are shared with students from other programs and concentrations.

Second phase

In the second phase for a total of 60 credits, the equivalent of year 3, students choose to complete either a Business Internship or a Bachelor Capstone as their Final Project. Students can also choose to complete both.

Option 1 with a flexible program structure and a Business Internship as your Final Project is available to all students at all campuses.

Electives can be any course scheduled that does not already count towards other program requirements. Electives are shared with students from other programs and concentrations.

The Business Internship provides you with a structured, credit-bearing opportunity to engage with real-world business environments. Through hands-on experience, you apply foundational knowledge, develop professional competencies, and gain insights into career pathways aligned with your academic focus.

Option 2 with a flexible program structure and a Bachelor Capstone as your Final Project is available to all students at all campuses.

Electives can be any course scheduled that does not already count towards other program requirements. Electives are shared with students from other programs and concentrations.

The Bachelor Capstone represents the culmination of your Bachelor program, challenging you to integrate and apply your learning to a complex, real-world problem. Working independently or in teams, you demonstrate critical thinking, research skills, and strategic insight in a final deliverable that reflects academic and professional readiness.

Option 3 with a fixed program structure and both a Business Internship and a Bachelor Capstone as a Final Project is available to all students at all campuses.

  • Contemporary Cases in Global Business – Accounting and Finance (5 EC)
  • Contemporary Cases in Global Business – Communication and Marketing (5 EC)
  • Contemporary Cases in Global Business – Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior (5 EC)
  • Contemporary Cases in Global Business – Information Systems and Operations Management (5 EC)

The Business Internship provides you with a structured, credit-bearing opportunity to engage with real-world business environments. Through hands-on experience, you apply foundational knowledge, develop professional competencies, and gain insights into career pathways aligned with your academic focus.

The Bachelor Capstone represents the culmination of your Bachelor program, challenging you to integrate and apply your learning to a complex, real-world problem. Working independently or in teams, you demonstrate critical thinking, research skills, and strategic insight in a final deliverable that reflects academic and professional readiness.

Extended 240-credit version

In the optional phase for a total of 60 credits, the equivalent of year 4, students complete additional shared electives in order to complete the 240-credit version of the program. The requirements of this extended program can be completed throughout the 4 years and do not necessarily need to be completed only at the end.

The 240-credit version with a flexible structure is available to all students at all campuses.

Electives can be any course scheduled that does not already count towards other program requirements. Electives are shared with students from other programs and concentrations.

Intended learning outcomes at program level
  • Students will navigate international contexts and cross-cultural environments, write persuasively, and demonstrate critical skills needed to solve problems and make informed decisions.
  • Students will recognize their own growth as individuals and global citizens, and reflect on their own thinking and behavior as well as that of others involved.
  • Students will identify organizational challenges and develop basic leadership skills in a variety of contexts.
  • Students will choose and apply appropriate applied research methodologies and tools to engage in sustainable, responsible, and ethical problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Students will describe key concepts and theories across various disciplines within the liberal arts.
  • Students will apply interdisciplinary approaches to analyze cultural, social, and historical contexts.

This curriculum is valid for all students starting in October 2025 or later. While all efforts have been made to ensure that the program requirements and course overviews are complete and accurate at the time of publication, we reserve the right to make changes to the curriculum without prior notice, subject to ongoing internal validation. Some of the courses are subject to availability.

Program options

We provide flexibility because everyone’s preferences are different. Our curated academic options allow you to further customize your program and turn your experience into a truly personalized one. The following options result in slightly different program and/or other requirements and will differ for each student depending on the chosen combinations of options.

Expand your horizons with our Global Bachelor option, offering international perspectives and opportunities for global leadership.

Maximize your career perspectives with our additional optional Dual Bachelor combinations, integrating two programs for a comprehensive educational experience.

Global Bachelor

Global Bachelor

Students can opt for a truly global educational experience by studying at our campuses in Europe and Japan, as well as with one of our academic partners in the USA. The program requirements typically remain the same in this case. The academic calendar of our academic partner will however influence the study planning. The total study workload remains at a minimum of 180 (or 240) credits. but may end up slightly higher depending on the course selection offered by our academic partner. Connect with us to learn more about this option and how it influences your study planning.

Start or continue at our campuses in Europe or Japan, and finish with one of our academic partners in the USA:

  • University of California at Berkeley
  • University of California at Irvine

Europe

Start or continue at our campuses in Europe.

Japan

Start or continue at our campus in Tokyo, Japan.

USA

Finish with our academic partner in the USA.

Dual Bachelor

Students have the option to complete a Dual Bachelor Degree program, in which case advanced program requirements apply. This option let’s students effectively combine two programs and results in a combination of program requirements. The total study workload changes to 240 credits. The difference with the 240-credit version is that in case of the 240-credit Bachelor Degree program, the qualification mentions 240 credits, whereas the two qualifications in case of a Dual Bachelor mention 180 credits only. Connect with us to learn more about this option and how it influences your program requirements.

Explore the combinations below.

Combine business and management studies with a Bachelor in International Relations to further develop global insights and build cultural competence for an impactful professional career in multinational corporations and international organizations.

Support options

We want our students to optimally be prepared for, progress in and succeed after the program. This is why we introduced the following support options. They do not change the program or other requirements of the program, and are available upon request.

During the program, you can register for distance learning per course.

During the program, you can register for private tutoring per hour or per course.

Accreditation and ranking

Upon successful completion of the program, students receive an international private Bachelor in Liberal Studies (BLS) degree awarded by United Institute (Switzerland). The degree is awarded based on the recommendation of our faculty members and Examination Committee (where applicable).

We are institutionally accredited by the UK-based and EQAR-registered British Accreditation Council (BAC). This institutional accreditation supports all our local campuses, study programs, dependent schools and awarding units.

We were awarded a 5-star rating for business and management studies as part of our overall 4-star rating in 2024 by QS.

UIBS was ranked in the Global Top 200 and the European Top 60 in the 2019 QS MBA ranking, as a Tier One program in the 2020 CEO Magazine Global MBA ranking, 41st in the 2019 CEO Magazine Global Executive MBA ranking, and 4th in the 2020 CEO Magazine Global Online MBA ranking.

In addition to the traditional paper-based award and school-branded cover, our academic and professional qualifications are also blockchain-verifiable on the Ethereum blockchain. This cutting-edge technology lets us add a whole new dimension to qualification verification. One major benefit of such secure documents is the instant verification by employers during the recruitment process.

More information

We organize 8 starting dates per year. Our academic calendar is based on a quarter system with four 10-week quarters per year that consist of two 5-week terms each. We refer to these quarters as Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer, and to these terms simply as A and B. Our program’s flexible structure and modular design allows you to optimally plan your studies and choose from among multiple starting dates in October, November, January, February, April, May, July, and August.

You can complete a Bachelor program in a full-time format within 3 academic years. Alternatively, you can complete the program in a part-time format within up to 6 academic years, depending on our course planning and your course selection. Completing half of the typical workload of a full-time format will equal twice the typical duration. The more flexible you are with your professional or other activities, the more courses you may be able to join in order to complete the program faster.

We schedule most courses on weekdays throughout the day, typically in blocks of 3 hours between 8.30 and 18.30, but there may be several evening courses between 19.00 and 22.00, weekend courses on Saturdays, and/or seminar courses with visiting faculty in two or more consecutive days. Some courses may be scheduled in a hybrid format, partially on-campus and partially virtual, or in a fully virtual format. When students combine on-campus and virtual courses, we refer to that as a blended program.

  • a high school diploma for a solid foundation (Students without one may qualify for our Undergraduate Foundation program.)
  • fluency in English for effective communication and interaction

We work with a rolling admissions process and do not set specific deadlines to apply because of our multiple starting dates. Applications are welcomed and reviewed on a rolling basis. We do advise students to apply early and formally accept their application so that everyone can plan ahead. We also advise students to allow sufficient time from the moment of their formal acceptance to plan their stay abroad (where applicable). Refer to the Admission Information section for more details.

Our LinkedIn page highlights where our alumni work and the roles they hold with one of our professionally-oriented qualifications. Graduates pursue a variety of positions in small, medium, large and multinational companies across numerous industries.

Connect with us

We believe in personal attention from the start. Our team members are available to answer your questions and support you with your application. Everything starts with the first step.

Student interviews

Upcoming events

  • LIVE Info Session

    March 11 @ 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm

  • LIVE Info Session

    April 15 @ 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Our Undergraduate-level programs

Achieve academic mastery with a 180-credit or 240-credit Bachelor’s Degree program, paving the way for professional leadership opportunities and applied research.

Advance with a 120-credit Undergraduate Diploma program and progress towards a comprehensive Degree program. We also refer to this program as a Mini Bachelor.

Start with a 60-credit Undergraduate Certificate program and seamlessly transition to a Diploma or Degree program. We also refer to this program as a Micro Bachelor.

Personalize your studies with our optional Bachelor’s-level concentrations, catering to your interests and ensuring industry-readiness.

Expand your horizons with our Global Bachelor’s option, offering international perspectives and opportunities for global leadership.

Start of advance your career quicker with our university-validated top-up Bachelor’s, focusing on broader skills and knowledge for immediate application.

Maximize your career perspectives with our optional Dual Bachelor’s combinations, integrating two programs for a comprehensive educational experience.