Students will acquire a thorough understanding and skills in research and commercialisation of knowledge, entrepreneurship and the development of business models.
The core of the programme is a two-part course on innovation in action. Students work together on an extensive project which involves developing a business model with a focus on commercial viability. The project could be inspired by an independent business opportunity or the work of business partners.
The programme is 120 ECTS and is organised as two years of full-time study.
The programme is made up of:
The programme is taught in 7-week blocks, which means there are two blocks per semester or four per year. This allows students to explore each topic in greater depth.
This programme is taught in Icelandic but most textbooks are in English.
After completing the programme, students will have the skills to develop innovative ideas in a range of contexts, by starting their own businesses, working in start-ups or scale-ups, or in development for larger companies.
Completing the programme allows you to apply for doctoral studies.
The requirements for admission are a BA, B.Ed or BS degree from university. As a general rule, applicants shall have completed their undergraduate studies with a first-class GPA (7.25 or above). Students are admitted to the programme based on their previous studies and work experience. Students who have not completed at least 36 ECTS in business administration or related field in their undergraduate studies shall, at the beginning of their studies, complete the preparatory course, VIÐ155M Introduction to Microeconomics and Corporate Finance, the course does not count towards degree. Of the 36 ECTS no less than 24 ECTS shall be in the following subjects or comparable: Finance, Introduction to Financial Accounting, Microeconomics, Methodology, Introduction to Human Resource Management, Introduction to Management, Introduction to Project Management, Computer Use and Spreadsheet, Business Law.
120 ECTS credits have to be completed for the qualification including a thesis of 30 ECTS.
Further information on supporting documents can be found here
Check below to see how the programme is structured.
This programme does not offer specialisations.
The aim of the course is to give students an insight into management of innovation, whether it is development of a new product, technology or services. The course will discuss the nature of innovation, how the environment can support innovation and how it can aid in the management of the innovation process. The course will study both applied application of innovation as well as academic research of innovation and its management.
This course provides an introduction at a master's level to the theory and practice of bussines. The aim is to prepare students for a variety of management tasks, both in the private and public sectors.
The course consists of five introductory modules:
Finance
Business law
Accounting
Macro economics
Micro economics
Organisation
The course is offered twice a year, in August and in January and students should complete the coure in the first year of their master studies. Students that start the programme in the autumn should sit the course in August, but can postpone doing so until January. Those beginning in January should preferably take the course in January, but may postpone doing so until August.
The course opens on the 1st of each month and closes on the 31st. All course material will be available on the course website on Canvas on the 1st.
The course cannot be used for credits in the master's programmes.
The aim of the course is to give students an overview of the theoretical foundations of innovation and entrepreneurship and prepare them for further studies, both academic and applied.
The course will cover the most prominent theories and unresolved questions within the field; students will review the latest academic articles and learn about tools to analyze major innovation trends.
The goal of the course is to give students insight into qualitative research methods, and their use in gatherin and analysing data on the individual and organizational level. Stuents will be trained in defining a research problems and presenting them in a research question. Students will further plann and execute data gethering and analysing, as well as presenting the findings in a written report. Students will learn about the strenghts and weaknesses of qualitative research so as to be able to chose the best method to study a given problem.
Select topics from the BS course Finance II, but more in depth. Topics include cost of capital, evaluation and selection of financing alternatives for the long term and the short term, alternatives for the dividend policy and capital structure, bond issues, stock issues, credit rating, mergers and acquisitions, and financial restructuring. Corporate finance is discussed from the viewpoint of both the Chief Financial Officer, who needs to master both the practical and theoretical aspects of the position, as well as that of investors and creditors, who need to assess the credit rating and going concern.
The course covers both the management of individual projects and the management of projects in an organization. Both theoretical and practical aspects will be covered. Students will gain a good understanding of the elements of project work and project management in business operations and the ability to manage individual projects. Students will learn the structure of the program, progress, and termination of projects. Students will also learn to use software and technology for project management. Students are introduced to projects in an international environment and Agile ideology. The student will be an emphasis on putting on project management in Icelandic business environment and use of information technology.
Please note, students must log in and purchase the book Project Management, The Managerial Process on the McGraw-Hill website. Further information can be found on the course's Canvas page.
The aim of the course is to introduce to students how research methods in marketing can be used to increase the success of organizations and to give them insight into how to work with challenging research questions. The course is also intended to prepare students for working on independent research assignments.
The course is based on working on projects, aiming to build students’ competence in conducting research. Students design a research study and write a research proposal, plan and execute data gathering, analyze the data, present the results in a research report, and finally, present the research and findings in a seminar. In addition to this, students get comprehensive training in various analytical methods commonly used in marketing research. Data will be analyzed using the SPSS (or PSPP) software. Students will also get training in critical assessment of the quality of research and methodology used in various research.
The goal of this course is to strengthen the statistics and methodology knowledge of the students to enable them to better understand research methods and research findings. State-of-the-art research will be reviewed and the statistics and methodology required to conduct this research will be discussed. Students will also conduct their own research project in preparation for analytical work in their professional life and their Master’s thesis.
This course provides an introduction at a master's level to the theory and practice of bussines. The aim is to prepare students for a variety of management tasks, both in the private and public sectors.
The course consists of five introductory modules:
Finance
Business law
Accounting
Macro economics
Micro economics
Organisation
The course is offered twice a year, in August and in January and students should complete the coure in the first year of their master studies. Students that start the programme in the autumn should sit the course in August, but can postpone doing so until January. Those beginning in January should preferably take the course in January, but may postpone doing so until August.
The course opens on the 1st of each month and closes on the 31st. All course material will be available on the course website on Canvas on the 1st.
The course cannot be used for credits in the master's programmes.
The course is taught in two parts, and the expectation is that students register for both parts. The course will cover the practical issues related to innovation and entrepreneurship. It covers the emergence of a business idea and the initial evaluation of the business opportunity, and the development and testing of a business model. This part of the course consists of lectures and case discussions that deal with various aspects of innovation and entrepreneurship: Analysis of business opportunities, evaluation of market size and unit contribution, the management of organizational units that are involved in innovation, financing, and other issues. Students will also tackle projects where they apply the methods taught in the class to isolated tasks in product and business development in both new and existing firms.
The course is a continuation of the course "Field Course in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I)". This part of the course consists of detailed development of the business model related to a particular business opportunity. This work takes place in groups, where cross-disciplinary collaboration, between individuals with a background in business and individuals with a background in a particular technical or professional field related to the relevant opportunity, is emphasized. Projects can originate in an independent business idea or in collaboration with companies that partner with the course. In both cases, the emphasis will be on product or service develepment, built on technical or professional expertise, where the business case of the opportunity and its verification is in the foreground.
The purpose of this course is to provide students with an in-depth understanding of corporate governance and how corporate governance influences corporate performance. More specifically students will learn to identify and analyze corporate governance problems, learn to assess how corporate governance shapes the behavior of the board and learn to analyze how the corporate governance structure of a particular company is likely to influence its performance. The following topics and concepts are covered: The course will introduce the students to corporate governance issues and teach them to analyze how different corporate governance mechanisms – like ownership and board structure, legal systems and incentives – contribute to the solution of agency problems and thereby influence corporate performance. Using this framework, the course will then study the impact of corporate governance on corporate performance depending on comany-specific factors. The course will enable students to undertake a corporate governance review of an individual company including an assessment of how ownership, board structure, managerial incentives and system characteristics influence company performance.
The course is taught in English.
The course covers ethical issues regarding business operations, executives’ connections with government, communication with government officials, and corporate social responsibility in general. A broad range of ethical concepts, codes of conduct, and business ethics will be discussed. Students will, furthermore, be introduced to different theories and analytical tools for use in handling ethical challenges in the business environment. Emphasis will be on case studies on ethical dilemmas in business operations. Guest lecturers will be sought from business and the community to share their practical experience and students will work on the solution of practical problems.
In this short version of the course students will cover at least one fifth of the course´s material. Further and detailed information will be given before teaching begins.
In this course, students will gain insight into one of the cornerstones of the Icelandic economy, fisheries and aquaculture. Emphasis is placed on innovation, sustainability, full utilization of marine products, and the opportunities presented by technological advancements, artificial intelligence, and the circular economy. Participants will also learn how Icelandic fisheries and aquaculture compete internationally, contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and utilize Icelandic ingenuity to create added value.
Through project-based learning, students will work on realistic projects in collaboration with companies and institutions in the industry, addressing real-world challenges related to marketing, sustainability, technological advancement, and full utilization for increased value creation.
The course covers ethical issues regarding business operations, executives’ connections with government, communication with government officials, and corporate social responsibility in general. A broad range of ethical concepts, codes of conduct, and business ethics will be discussed. Students will, furthermore, be introduced to different theories and analytical tools for use in handling ethical challenges in the business environment. Emphasis will be on case studies on ethical dilemmas in business operations. Guest lecturers will be sought from business and the community to share their practical experience and students will work on the solution of practical problems.
In this short version of the course students will cover at least half of the course´s material. Further and detailed information will be given before teaching begins.
Students look at international trade between the West and Asia (China and Japan) from a macroeconomic point of view. Also use micro-perspective on companies doing business in Asia (China and Japan).
More specific description:
This course is intended as an introduction to business operations and macroeconomic issues with special reference to Asia i.e. Japan and China. The course uses both theoretical definitions as well as real-life examples. The course is divided into 3 main parts:
The objective of the internship program is to develop students’ skills and expand their network of professional relationships and contacts. The internship for graduate students is 7.5 ECTS which equals 200 hours within a company or an organization. Students complete work assignments under the guidance of specialists in public and private organizations. The tasks shall be relevant to the specialization of the student’s studies. Each student can only complete one internship position. Further stipulations regarding the internship are laid out in each particular internship contract and contract addendum.
Internships are advertised separately at the beginning of each semester. Further information can be found here.
Please send inquiries to vidskipti@hi.is
This course will cover the key areas of change management, such as the implementation of change, employee reactions, key barriers to change, and the positive and negative forces that affect the change process. The theories and concepts that change management is based on will be discussed in detail as well as the key approaches and methods for managing change. The role of the leader, manager, and the middle manager in managing change as well as crises will be discussed. Organizational culture will be discussed and why it is an important element of the change process.
The development of knowledge about effective leadership has progressed in recent decades, from viewing leaders as unique great men with innate abilities to viewing leadership as a process of communication and collaboration through which leaders develop their strategies and priorities.
A successful leader enhances his own ability to motivate, mobilize and support staff for good deeds and cooperation towards an important purpose. Increased knowledge about factors that create effective leadership underscores the importance of leaders keeping up-to-date with the latest knowledge about effective priorities and using it to support the well-being and success of employees and workplaces.
This course will discuss leadership theories and effective leadership. It will shed light on which elements of leadership enhance the success of organizations and its link to, for example, the well-being of staff, efficient operations, equal opportunities, ethics, sustainability and the development of growth. Special emphasis will be placed on the focus and methods of servant leadership and its relationship to success.
The aim of the course is for students to understand the main characteristics and competences of leaders, to know the main leadership theories that have emerged in recent decades with an emphasis on the philosophy of servant leadership. The goal is for students to have an insight into the results of research on the relationship between a leader's focus and success in terms of employees, workplace culture, operations and the external environment of organizations.
Students examine real examples of individual leadership and leadership within organizations, examine their own priorities when it comes to leadership, and examine the main challenges facing leaders in business operations and public service leadership.
In this course, the state of knowledge in the field is communicated, student participation is activated in a conversation about the topic and about analyzes of cases that shed light on the manifestation and success of leadership based on diverse focuses and leadership theories. Curriculum and projects focus on theoretical and practical knowledge about leaders and leadership, and students examine new research in the field.
The course covers ethical issues regarding business operations, executives’ connections with government, communication with government officials, and corporate social responsibility in general. A broad range of ethical concepts, codes of conduct, and business ethics will be discussed. Students will, furthermore, be introduced to different theories and analytical tools for use in handling ethical challenges in the business environment. Emphasis will be on case studies on ethical dilemmas in business operations. Guest lecturers will be sought from business and the community to share their practical experience and students will work on the solution of practical problems.
This course aims at improving the participants’ knowledge in the areas of knowledge management and knowledge assets. The course offers detailed coverage of theories and models relating to companies’ knowledge assets, knowledge enterprises and knowledge workers. The course deals with the shaping of processes and organisational development for the purpose of stimulating and registering new knowledge as well as how it is shared within organisational units and applied to improve company performance. Reference will be made to different types of organisational and knowledge cultures within organisational units and how knowledge strategies are formulated. Social media are discussed together with the mediation of knowledge. Finally, the impact of Artificial Intellegience on knowledge management will be discussed.
The digital environment is radically changing the possibilities of marketing communication and how business is conducted. Digital technology has opened countless possibilities in marketing, business implementation has undergone tremendous changes and significant innovation and business model development has taken place.
The course will cover the development and impact of digital technology on marketing measures and business practices, how digital technology can be used to support other ways of marketing and how it will shape future marketing policies within a global environment. Special emphasis is placed on new opportunities in direct marketing and to increase customer loyalty. Furthermore, the opportunities offered by digital technology to improve work processes as well as to increase efficiency and effectiveness in operations are discussed.
strategy, value chain impact, digital marketing, business relationship management, customer experience, service design and business transformation will be discussed.
Students will gain an understanding of the role and importance of digital marketing in various type of operations, such as private companies, public activities, and voluntary organizations. The course will furthermore cover contemporary issues such as security, website design, globalization, analysis of return on investment and changing consumer lifestyles.
Great emphasis is placed on active participation of students in the course. This is not a technical course, but the emphasis is on students gaining insight into choosing the most suitable digital technology and media to increase competitiveness.
The aim of the course is to underline the importance of scientific orientation in marketing and to give an overview of how theoretical and methodological knowledge can be applied to solve marketing problems. Main topics are: Antecedents and consequences of marketing orientation, competitive advantage and the development of market skills, understanding customers and managers, innovation and market intelligence, marketing communication.
The objective of this course is to familiarize students with the latest key theories in human resource management and that they gain understanding and proficiency in using key HRM theories. Theories of HRM are covered in detail and the goal is that students understand the importance of HRM as a field of study and as an important function within organizations. Key aspects of HRM will be covered and it is important that students familiarize themselves with the course concepts through lectures and discussion sessions where they will work on the solution of practical cases.
The objective of the internship program is to develop students’ skills and expand their network of professional relationships and contacts. The internship for graduate students is 7.5 ECTS. Students complete work assignments under the guidance of specialists in public and private organizations. The tasks shall be relevant to the specialization of the student’s studies.Each student can only complete one internship position.
Further stipulations regarding the internship are laid out in each particular internship contract and contract addendum.
Internships are advertised separately at the beginning of each semester. Further information can be found here.
Please send inquiries to vidskipti@hi.is
This course covers negotiation, with a focus on negotiating skills, behavior in negotiation, and the legal aspects of contracts. The objective of the course is to prepare students, through active practice, to be effective in identifying opportunities for creating value, solving conflicts, conducting negotiations, designing deals and implementing them. The course is based on lectures, practical assignments and simulations. Lectures introduce theories and concepts in the field of negotiation, as well as the structure and common terms of contracts. Simulations allow students to participate in realistic negotiations that address common issues that arise in real-life business negotiations.
The main objective of the course is to introduce to students the rage of developments that will affect organizations in the future and the role of sustainability in future of business. Furthermore, students will develop good overview regarding how these new developments are interconnected within organizations and across markets.
Rapid changing environment surrounding organization requires to look at the present developments, but even more importantly, the future of organizations. Therefore in this course the most contemporary management phenomenon already present in today’s business world are addressed. This course is unique in its focus on the future of organizations, within sustainability context, presenting holistic view of the organization and its context. The curriculum is built on most currect scientific findings, practical examples and assignments.
The aim is to:
This is an intensive course with the active participation of students. It is taught over 13 weeks. The course takes as its starting point the idea that although governments and nonprofits are crucial to modern society, businesses are largely responsible for creating the wealth upon which the well-being of society depends, while also being a part of the problems created. As they create that wealth, their actions affect society, which is composed of a wide variety of stakeholders, and the natural environment. In turn, society shapes the rules and expectations by which businesses must navigate their internal and external environments. These include the Sustainable Development Goals, i.e., Goals 1-5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 16, the Paris Agreement, the UN Global Compact, the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), the Global Reporting Initiative, and more. This interaction between corporations, society (in its broadest sense) and the natural environment is the concern of corporate social responsibility (CSR), but the issues need to be addressed from a strategic point of view.
Regardless of one’s viewpoint about the interaction of business and society, the continued co-existence of for-profit organizations is essential. This course seeks to explore the dimensions of that interaction from a multi-stakeholder perspective. That exploration is intended to be interactive, with the journey of exploration involving an analysis of CSR-related issues, simulation, and case studies.
The course is organized into six broad sections. In the first section, we will explore what corporate social responsibility (CSR) means and the driving forces of CSR. The second section focuses on the stakeholder perspective, and in the third section, we study the legal perspective. In the fourth section, we will explore the behavioral perspective, in the fifth section the strategic perspective and in the sixth section the focus will be on the sustainable perspective and sustainable value creation.
This course offers students the opportunity to recognize the need to develop inclusive work environments that operate on equity principles as well as value, support and engage all employees. Students learn to identify social justice/exclusion issues related to nondominated culture cohorts associated with race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and other aspects of diversity in organizations and apply their knowledge to analyzing and implementing inclusion initiatives in organizations. Students are engaged in the study of recent scholarly research in the field in order to develop their critical thinking on topics such as identity, diverse teams, (un)conscious bias, and equality of opportunity in organizations and how they relate to the value of diversity in organizations.
The course is taught in English
Performance management is a central part of every organisation and project. It helps to ensure our actions are aligned with our strategic priorities. This course will help students to connect the dots between strategic and operational levels in work settings, and how performance management philosophies and frameworks can be used by leaders and managers to ensure the achievement of our strategic objectives.
This course relies on case studies and in-class activities to take students as close as it is possible in a classroom setting to real-life scenarios where performance management can be used to support decision making towards achieving success.
This course follows a hybrid structure. Half of the course is delivered online—students are provided flexibility and can watch pre-recorded lecture videos at their convenience. However, no later than indicated in the teaching plan.
The rest of the course material will be delivered in workshops that will be held on-campus, and must be attended in-person by the enrolled students. These workshops account for up to 70% of the grade (course assessments).
The course is intended to provide students with the knowledge and skills to prepare and implement market expansion abroad and enable them to carry out professional marketing activities in foreign markets.
Through the course, students get a good insight into the opportunities and challenges inherent in the marketing activities of companies in international markets. Among other things, the influence of culture and various factors in the external environment will be discussed. Ways to obtain information about consumers and competitors in different markets will be covered. Students receive good training in analyzing different markets, determining a marketing strategy based on the analysis and designing tactics to implement the strategy.
Branding is one of the issues within marketing which has experienced the most growth. The academic field of branding is young and vibrant, but not all necessarily share view on what ways are the most successful ones to build a good brand. In the course, students will be taught the basics of branding and brand management as well as introduced to the newest literature in the field. Students will gain insights into the influence of brands on consumers’ daily life as well as on the operations of firms. Furthermore, students will be encouraged to apply critical thinking on the perspectives, approaches and tools that can be used in the development of brands, their maintenance and defence.
The course is based on the process of integrated marketing communications (IMC), focusing on analysis, goal setting, planning, and performance evaluation. The teaching methods encourage student participation. Lectures, discussions and work on projects. In addition to guest lecturers.
The aim of the course is through lectures, class discussions and teaching material to get the students to develop knowledge, skills and capabilities in strategy and strategic management. In addition to the reading material the course focuses on cases and examples from the business environment in Iceland. An emphasis is put on different theoretical perspectives in the course and different types of organisations. The approach to teaching is based on interactive participation, openess and inclusiveness. Empowerment of the student is the main goal – and for that to be realized it is necessary for all the participants to be fully committed to the course
The topic of the master's thesis must be chosen after consulting the thesis advisor(s), who must be full-time faculty at the School of Business.
The thesis must equal 30 credits and coursework shall equal 60 credits to fulfill the requirements for applying to the research study fund (Rannsóknanámssjóður). The thesis must be presented at a departmental seminar.The thesis must be submitted online no later than the specified dates before each graduation. Grades for a master's thesis are awarded by the thesis advisor(s) and an external examiner.
Please note! According to the rules of the University of Iceland, all MS theses must be open after they have been submitted to the University Library. If a student wishes for its MS thesis be closed for a certain period of time, after graduation, they need the approval of their supervisor and the dean of the department. Maximum closure is 5 years. It is preferable to apply for the authorization before writing the thesis.
Application for closing master's thesis.
The topic of the master's thesis must be chosen after consulting the thesis advisor(s), who must be full-time faculty at the School of Business.
The thesis must equal 30 credits and coursework shall equal 60 credits to fulfill the requirements for applying to the research study fund (Rannsóknanámssjóður). The thesis must be presented at a departmental seminar.The thesis must be submitted online no later than the specified dates before each graduation. Grades for a master's thesis are awarded by the thesis advisor(s) and an external examiner.
Please note! According to the rules of the University of Iceland, all MS theses must be open after they have been submitted to the University Library. If a student wishes for its MS thesis be closed for a certain period of time, after graduation, they need the approval of their supervisor and the dean of the department. Maximum closure is 5 years. It is preferable to apply for the authorization before writing the thesis.
Application for closing master's thesis.
The topic of the master's thesis must be chosen after consulting the thesis advisor(s), who must be full-time faculty at the School of Business.
The thesis must equal 30 credits and coursework shall equal 60 credits to fulfill the requirements for applying to the research study fund (Rannsóknanámssjóður). The thesis must be presented at a departmental seminar.The thesis must be submitted online no later than the specified dates before each graduation. Grades for a master's thesis are awarded by the thesis advisor(s) and an external examiner.
Please note! According to the rules of the University of Iceland, all MS theses must be open after they have been submitted to the University Library. If a student wishes for its MS thesis be closed for a certain period of time, after graduation, they need the approval of their supervisor and the dean of the department. Maximum closure is 5 years. It is preferable to apply for the authorization before writing the thesis.
Application for closing master's thesis.
The aim of the course is to give students an insight into management of innovation, whether it is development of a new product, technology or services. The course will discuss the nature of innovation, how the environment can support innovation and how it can aid in the management of the innovation process. The course will study both applied application of innovation as well as academic research of innovation and its management.
This course provides an introduction at a master's level to the theory and practice of bussines. The aim is to prepare students for a variety of management tasks, both in the private and public sectors.
The course consists of five introductory modules:
Finance
Business law
Accounting
Macro economics
Micro economics
Organisation
The course is offered twice a year, in August and in January and students should complete the coure in the first year of their master studies. Students that start the programme in the autumn should sit the course in August, but can postpone doing so until January. Those beginning in January should preferably take the course in January, but may postpone doing so until August.
The course opens on the 1st of each month and closes on the 31st. All course material will be available on the course website on Canvas on the 1st.
The course cannot be used for credits in the master's programmes.
The aim of the course is to give students an overview of the theoretical foundations of innovation and entrepreneurship and prepare them for further studies, both academic and applied.
The course will cover the most prominent theories and unresolved questions within the field; students will review the latest academic articles and learn about tools to analyze major innovation trends.
The goal of the course is to give students insight into qualitative research methods, and their use in gatherin and analysing data on the individual and organizational level. Stuents will be trained in defining a research problems and presenting them in a research question. Students will further plann and execute data gethering and analysing, as well as presenting the findings in a written report. Students will learn about the strenghts and weaknesses of qualitative research so as to be able to chose the best method to study a given problem.
Select topics from the BS course Finance II, but more in depth. Topics include cost of capital, evaluation and selection of financing alternatives for the long term and the short term, alternatives for the dividend policy and capital structure, bond issues, stock issues, credit rating, mergers and acquisitions, and financial restructuring. Corporate finance is discussed from the viewpoint of both the Chief Financial Officer, who needs to master both the practical and theoretical aspects of the position, as well as that of investors and creditors, who need to assess the credit rating and going concern.
The course covers both the management of individual projects and the management of projects in an organization. Both theoretical and practical aspects will be covered. Students will gain a good understanding of the elements of project work and project management in business operations and the ability to manage individual projects. Students will learn the structure of the program, progress, and termination of projects. Students will also learn to use software and technology for project management. Students are introduced to projects in an international environment and Agile ideology. The student will be an emphasis on putting on project management in Icelandic business environment and use of information technology.
Please note, students must log in and purchase the book Project Management, The Managerial Process on the McGraw-Hill website. Further information can be found on the course's Canvas page.
The aim of the course is to introduce to students how research methods in marketing can be used to increase the success of organizations and to give them insight into how to work with challenging research questions. The course is also intended to prepare students for working on independent research assignments.
The course is based on working on projects, aiming to build students’ competence in conducting research. Students design a research study and write a research proposal, plan and execute data gathering, analyze the data, present the results in a research report, and finally, present the research and findings in a seminar. In addition to this, students get comprehensive training in various analytical methods commonly used in marketing research. Data will be analyzed using the SPSS (or PSPP) software. Students will also get training in critical assessment of the quality of research and methodology used in various research.
The goal of this course is to strengthen the statistics and methodology knowledge of the students to enable them to better understand research methods and research findings. State-of-the-art research will be reviewed and the statistics and methodology required to conduct this research will be discussed. Students will also conduct their own research project in preparation for analytical work in their professional life and their Master’s thesis.
This course provides an introduction at a master's level to the theory and practice of bussines. The aim is to prepare students for a variety of management tasks, both in the private and public sectors.
The course consists of five introductory modules:
Finance
Business law
Accounting
Macro economics
Micro economics
Organisation
The course is offered twice a year, in August and in January and students should complete the coure in the first year of their master studies. Students that start the programme in the autumn should sit the course in August, but can postpone doing so until January. Those beginning in January should preferably take the course in January, but may postpone doing so until August.
The course opens on the 1st of each month and closes on the 31st. All course material will be available on the course website on Canvas on the 1st.
The course cannot be used for credits in the master's programmes.
The course is taught in two parts, and the expectation is that students register for both parts. The course will cover the practical issues related to innovation and entrepreneurship. It covers the emergence of a business idea and the initial evaluation of the business opportunity, and the development and testing of a business model. This part of the course consists of lectures and case discussions that deal with various aspects of innovation and entrepreneurship: Analysis of business opportunities, evaluation of market size and unit contribution, the management of organizational units that are involved in innovation, financing, and other issues. Students will also tackle projects where they apply the methods taught in the class to isolated tasks in product and business development in both new and existing firms.
The course is a continuation of the course "Field Course in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I)". This part of the course consists of detailed development of the business model related to a particular business opportunity. This work takes place in groups, where cross-disciplinary collaboration, between individuals with a background in business and individuals with a background in a particular technical or professional field related to the relevant opportunity, is emphasized. Projects can originate in an independent business idea or in collaboration with companies that partner with the course. In both cases, the emphasis will be on product or service develepment, built on technical or professional expertise, where the business case of the opportunity and its verification is in the foreground.
The purpose of this course is to provide students with an in-depth understanding of corporate governance and how corporate governance influences corporate performance. More specifically students will learn to identify and analyze corporate governance problems, learn to assess how corporate governance shapes the behavior of the board and learn to analyze how the corporate governance structure of a particular company is likely to influence its performance. The following topics and concepts are covered: The course will introduce the students to corporate governance issues and teach them to analyze how different corporate governance mechanisms – like ownership and board structure, legal systems and incentives – contribute to the solution of agency problems and thereby influence corporate performance. Using this framework, the course will then study the impact of corporate governance on corporate performance depending on comany-specific factors. The course will enable students to undertake a corporate governance review of an individual company including an assessment of how ownership, board structure, managerial incentives and system characteristics influence company performance.
The course is taught in English.
The course covers ethical issues regarding business operations, executives’ connections with government, communication with government officials, and corporate social responsibility in general. A broad range of ethical concepts, codes of conduct, and business ethics will be discussed. Students will, furthermore, be introduced to different theories and analytical tools for use in handling ethical challenges in the business environment. Emphasis will be on case studies on ethical dilemmas in business operations. Guest lecturers will be sought from business and the community to share their practical experience and students will work on the solution of practical problems.
In this short version of the course students will cover at least one fifth of the course´s material. Further and detailed information will be given before teaching begins.
In this course, students will gain insight into one of the cornerstones of the Icelandic economy, fisheries and aquaculture. Emphasis is placed on innovation, sustainability, full utilization of marine products, and the opportunities presented by technological advancements, artificial intelligence, and the circular economy. Participants will also learn how Icelandic fisheries and aquaculture compete internationally, contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and utilize Icelandic ingenuity to create added value.
Through project-based learning, students will work on realistic projects in collaboration with companies and institutions in the industry, addressing real-world challenges related to marketing, sustainability, technological advancement, and full utilization for increased value creation.
The course covers ethical issues regarding business operations, executives’ connections with government, communication with government officials, and corporate social responsibility in general. A broad range of ethical concepts, codes of conduct, and business ethics will be discussed. Students will, furthermore, be introduced to different theories and analytical tools for use in handling ethical challenges in the business environment. Emphasis will be on case studies on ethical dilemmas in business operations. Guest lecturers will be sought from business and the community to share their practical experience and students will work on the solution of practical problems.
In this short version of the course students will cover at least half of the course´s material. Further and detailed information will be given before teaching begins.
Students look at international trade between the West and Asia (China and Japan) from a macroeconomic point of view. Also use micro-perspective on companies doing business in Asia (China and Japan).
More specific description:
This course is intended as an introduction to business operations and macroeconomic issues with special reference to Asia i.e. Japan and China. The course uses both theoretical definitions as well as real-life examples. The course is divided into 3 main parts:
The objective of the internship program is to develop students’ skills and expand their network of professional relationships and contacts. The internship for graduate students is 7.5 ECTS which equals 200 hours within a company or an organization. Students complete work assignments under the guidance of specialists in public and private organizations. The tasks shall be relevant to the specialization of the student’s studies. Each student can only complete one internship position. Further stipulations regarding the internship are laid out in each particular internship contract and contract addendum.
Internships are advertised separately at the beginning of each semester. Further information can be found here.
Please send inquiries to vidskipti@hi.is
This course will cover the key areas of change management, such as the implementation of change, employee reactions, key barriers to change, and the positive and negative forces that affect the change process. The theories and concepts that change management is based on will be discussed in detail as well as the key approaches and methods for managing change. The role of the leader, manager, and the middle manager in managing change as well as crises will be discussed. Organizational culture will be discussed and why it is an important element of the change process.
The development of knowledge about effective leadership has progressed in recent decades, from viewing leaders as unique great men with innate abilities to viewing leadership as a process of communication and collaboration through which leaders develop their strategies and priorities.
A successful leader enhances his own ability to motivate, mobilize and support staff for good deeds and cooperation towards an important purpose. Increased knowledge about factors that create effective leadership underscores the importance of leaders keeping up-to-date with the latest knowledge about effective priorities and using it to support the well-being and success of employees and workplaces.
This course will discuss leadership theories and effective leadership. It will shed light on which elements of leadership enhance the success of organizations and its link to, for example, the well-being of staff, efficient operations, equal opportunities, ethics, sustainability and the development of growth. Special emphasis will be placed on the focus and methods of servant leadership and its relationship to success.
The aim of the course is for students to understand the main characteristics and competences of leaders, to know the main leadership theories that have emerged in recent decades with an emphasis on the philosophy of servant leadership. The goal is for students to have an insight into the results of research on the relationship between a leader's focus and success in terms of employees, workplace culture, operations and the external environment of organizations.
Students examine real examples of individual leadership and leadership within organizations, examine their own priorities when it comes to leadership, and examine the main challenges facing leaders in business operations and public service leadership.
In this course, the state of knowledge in the field is communicated, student participation is activated in a conversation about the topic and about analyzes of cases that shed light on the manifestation and success of leadership based on diverse focuses and leadership theories. Curriculum and projects focus on theoretical and practical knowledge about leaders and leadership, and students examine new research in the field.
The course covers ethical issues regarding business operations, executives’ connections with government, communication with government officials, and corporate social responsibility in general. A broad range of ethical concepts, codes of conduct, and business ethics will be discussed. Students will, furthermore, be introduced to different theories and analytical tools for use in handling ethical challenges in the business environment. Emphasis will be on case studies on ethical dilemmas in business operations. Guest lecturers will be sought from business and the community to share their practical experience and students will work on the solution of practical problems.
This course aims at improving the participants’ knowledge in the areas of knowledge management and knowledge assets. The course offers detailed coverage of theories and models relating to companies’ knowledge assets, knowledge enterprises and knowledge workers. The course deals with the shaping of processes and organisational development for the purpose of stimulating and registering new knowledge as well as how it is shared within organisational units and applied to improve company performance. Reference will be made to different types of organisational and knowledge cultures within organisational units and how knowledge strategies are formulated. Social media are discussed together with the mediation of knowledge. Finally, the impact of Artificial Intellegience on knowledge management will be discussed.
The digital environment is radically changing the possibilities of marketing communication and how business is conducted. Digital technology has opened countless possibilities in marketing, business implementation has undergone tremendous changes and significant innovation and business model development has taken place.
The course will cover the development and impact of digital technology on marketing measures and business practices, how digital technology can be used to support other ways of marketing and how it will shape future marketing policies within a global environment. Special emphasis is placed on new opportunities in direct marketing and to increase customer loyalty. Furthermore, the opportunities offered by digital technology to improve work processes as well as to increase efficiency and effectiveness in operations are discussed.
strategy, value chain impact, digital marketing, business relationship management, customer experience, service design and business transformation will be discussed.
Students will gain an understanding of the role and importance of digital marketing in various type of operations, such as private companies, public activities, and voluntary organizations. The course will furthermore cover contemporary issues such as security, website design, globalization, analysis of return on investment and changing consumer lifestyles.
Great emphasis is placed on active participation of students in the course. This is not a technical course, but the emphasis is on students gaining insight into choosing the most suitable digital technology and media to increase competitiveness.
The aim of the course is to underline the importance of scientific orientation in marketing and to give an overview of how theoretical and methodological knowledge can be applied to solve marketing problems. Main topics are: Antecedents and consequences of marketing orientation, competitive advantage and the development of market skills, understanding customers and managers, innovation and market intelligence, marketing communication.
The objective of this course is to familiarize students with the latest key theories in human resource management and that they gain understanding and proficiency in using key HRM theories. Theories of HRM are covered in detail and the goal is that students understand the importance of HRM as a field of study and as an important function within organizations. Key aspects of HRM will be covered and it is important that students familiarize themselves with the course concepts through lectures and discussion sessions where they will work on the solution of practical cases.
The objective of the internship program is to develop students’ skills and expand their network of professional relationships and contacts. The internship for graduate students is 7.5 ECTS. Students complete work assignments under the guidance of specialists in public and private organizations. The tasks shall be relevant to the specialization of the student’s studies.Each student can only complete one internship position.
Further stipulations regarding the internship are laid out in each particular internship contract and contract addendum.
Internships are advertised separately at the beginning of each semester. Further information can be found here.
Please send inquiries to vidskipti@hi.is
This course covers negotiation, with a focus on negotiating skills, behavior in negotiation, and the legal aspects of contracts. The objective of the course is to prepare students, through active practice, to be effective in identifying opportunities for creating value, solving conflicts, conducting negotiations, designing deals and implementing them. The course is based on lectures, practical assignments and simulations. Lectures introduce theories and concepts in the field of negotiation, as well as the structure and common terms of contracts. Simulations allow students to participate in realistic negotiations that address common issues that arise in real-life business negotiations.
The main objective of the course is to introduce to students the rage of developments that will affect organizations in the future and the role of sustainability in future of business. Furthermore, students will develop good overview regarding how these new developments are interconnected within organizations and across markets.
Rapid changing environment surrounding organization requires to look at the present developments, but even more importantly, the future of organizations. Therefore in this course the most contemporary management phenomenon already present in today’s business world are addressed. This course is unique in its focus on the future of organizations, within sustainability context, presenting holistic view of the organization and its context. The curriculum is built on most currect scientific findings, practical examples and assignments.
The aim is to:
This is an intensive course with the active participation of students. It is taught over 13 weeks. The course takes as its starting point the idea that although governments and nonprofits are crucial to modern society, businesses are largely responsible for creating the wealth upon which the well-being of society depends, while also being a part of the problems created. As they create that wealth, their actions affect society, which is composed of a wide variety of stakeholders, and the natural environment. In turn, society shapes the rules and expectations by which businesses must navigate their internal and external environments. These include the Sustainable Development Goals, i.e., Goals 1-5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 16, the Paris Agreement, the UN Global Compact, the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), the Global Reporting Initiative, and more. This interaction between corporations, society (in its broadest sense) and the natural environment is the concern of corporate social responsibility (CSR), but the issues need to be addressed from a strategic point of view.
Regardless of one’s viewpoint about the interaction of business and society, the continued co-existence of for-profit organizations is essential. This course seeks to explore the dimensions of that interaction from a multi-stakeholder perspective. That exploration is intended to be interactive, with the journey of exploration involving an analysis of CSR-related issues, simulation, and case studies.
The course is organized into six broad sections. In the first section, we will explore what corporate social responsibility (CSR) means and the driving forces of CSR. The second section focuses on the stakeholder perspective, and in the third section, we study the legal perspective. In the fourth section, we will explore the behavioral perspective, in the fifth section the strategic perspective and in the sixth section the focus will be on the sustainable perspective and sustainable value creation.
This course offers students the opportunity to recognize the need to develop inclusive work environments that operate on equity principles as well as value, support and engage all employees. Students learn to identify social justice/exclusion issues related to nondominated culture cohorts associated with race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and other aspects of diversity in organizations and apply their knowledge to analyzing and implementing inclusion initiatives in organizations. Students are engaged in the study of recent scholarly research in the field in order to develop their critical thinking on topics such as identity, diverse teams, (un)conscious bias, and equality of opportunity in organizations and how they relate to the value of diversity in organizations.
The course is taught in English
Performance management is a central part of every organisation and project. It helps to ensure our actions are aligned with our strategic priorities. This course will help students to connect the dots between strategic and operational levels in work settings, and how performance management philosophies and frameworks can be used by leaders and managers to ensure the achievement of our strategic objectives.
This course relies on case studies and in-class activities to take students as close as it is possible in a classroom setting to real-life scenarios where performance management can be used to support decision making towards achieving success.
This course follows a hybrid structure. Half of the course is delivered online—students are provided flexibility and can watch pre-recorded lecture videos at their convenience. However, no later than indicated in the teaching plan.
The rest of the course material will be delivered in workshops that will be held on-campus, and must be attended in-person by the enrolled students. These workshops account for up to 70% of the grade (course assessments).
The course is intended to provide students with the knowledge and skills to prepare and implement market expansion abroad and enable them to carry out professional marketing activities in foreign markets.
Through the course, students get a good insight into the opportunities and challenges inherent in the marketing activities of companies in international markets. Among other things, the influence of culture and various factors in the external environment will be discussed. Ways to obtain information about consumers and competitors in different markets will be covered. Students receive good training in analyzing different markets, determining a marketing strategy based on the analysis and designing tactics to implement the strategy.
Branding is one of the issues within marketing which has experienced the most growth. The academic field of branding is young and vibrant, but not all necessarily share view on what ways are the most successful ones to build a good brand. In the course, students will be taught the basics of branding and brand management as well as introduced to the newest literature in the field. Students will gain insights into the influence of brands on consumers’ daily life as well as on the operations of firms. Furthermore, students will be encouraged to apply critical thinking on the perspectives, approaches and tools that can be used in the development of brands, their maintenance and defence.
The course is based on the process of integrated marketing communications (IMC), focusing on analysis, goal setting, planning, and performance evaluation. The teaching methods encourage student participation. Lectures, discussions and work on projects. In addition to guest lecturers.
The aim of the course is through lectures, class discussions and teaching material to get the students to develop knowledge, skills and capabilities in strategy and strategic management. In addition to the reading material the course focuses on cases and examples from the business environment in Iceland. An emphasis is put on different theoretical perspectives in the course and different types of organisations. The approach to teaching is based on interactive participation, openess and inclusiveness. Empowerment of the student is the main goal – and for that to be realized it is necessary for all the participants to be fully committed to the course
The topic of the master's thesis must be chosen after consulting the thesis advisor(s), who must be full-time faculty at the School of Business.
The thesis must equal 30 credits and coursework shall equal 60 credits to fulfill the requirements for applying to the research study fund (Rannsóknanámssjóður). The thesis must be presented at a departmental seminar.The thesis must be submitted online no later than the specified dates before each graduation. Grades for a master's thesis are awarded by the thesis advisor(s) and an external examiner.
Please note! According to the rules of the University of Iceland, all MS theses must be open after they have been submitted to the University Library. If a student wishes for its MS thesis be closed for a certain period of time, after graduation, they need the approval of their supervisor and the dean of the department. Maximum closure is 5 years. It is preferable to apply for the authorization before writing the thesis.
Application for closing master's thesis.
The topic of the master's thesis must be chosen after consulting the thesis advisor(s), who must be full-time faculty at the School of Business.
The thesis must equal 30 credits and coursework shall equal 60 credits to fulfill the requirements for applying to the research study fund (Rannsóknanámssjóður). The thesis must be presented at a departmental seminar.The thesis must be submitted online no later than the specified dates before each graduation. Grades for a master's thesis are awarded by the thesis advisor(s) and an external examiner.
Please note! According to the rules of the University of Iceland, all MS theses must be open after they have been submitted to the University Library. If a student wishes for its MS thesis be closed for a certain period of time, after graduation, they need the approval of their supervisor and the dean of the department. Maximum closure is 5 years. It is preferable to apply for the authorization before writing the thesis.
Application for closing master's thesis.
The topic of the master's thesis must be chosen after consulting the thesis advisor(s), who must be full-time faculty at the School of Business.
The thesis must equal 30 credits and coursework shall equal 60 credits to fulfill the requirements for applying to the research study fund (Rannsóknanámssjóður). The thesis must be presented at a departmental seminar.The thesis must be submitted online no later than the specified dates before each graduation. Grades for a master's thesis are awarded by the thesis advisor(s) and an external examiner.
Please note! According to the rules of the University of Iceland, all MS theses must be open after they have been submitted to the University Library. If a student wishes for its MS thesis be closed for a certain period of time, after graduation, they need the approval of their supervisor and the dean of the department. Maximum closure is 5 years. It is preferable to apply for the authorization before writing the thesis.
Application for closing master's thesis.
The aim of the course is to give students an insight into management of innovation, whether it is development of a new product, technology or services. The course will discuss the nature of innovation, how the environment can support innovation and how it can aid in the management of the innovation process. The course will study both applied application of innovation as well as academic research of innovation and its management.
This course provides an introduction at a master's level to the theory and practice of bussines. The aim is to prepare students for a variety of management tasks, both in the private and public sectors.
The course consists of five introductory modules:
Finance
Business law
Accounting
Macro economics
Micro economics
Organisation
The course is offered twice a year, in August and in January and students should complete the coure in the first year of their master studies. Students that start the programme in the autumn should sit the course in August, but can postpone doing so until January. Those beginning in January should preferably take the course in January, but may postpone doing so until August.
The course opens on the 1st of each month and closes on the 31st. All course material will be available on the course website on Canvas on the 1st.
The course cannot be used for credits in the master's programmes.
The aim of the course is to give students an overview of the theoretical foundations of innovation and entrepreneurship and prepare them for further studies, both academic and applied.
The course will cover the most prominent theories and unresolved questions within the field; students will review the latest academic articles and learn about tools to analyze major innovation trends.
The goal of the course is to give students insight into qualitative research methods, and their use in gatherin and analysing data on the individual and organizational level. Stuents will be trained in defining a research problems and presenting them in a research question. Students will further plann and execute data gethering and analysing, as well as presenting the findings in a written report. Students will learn about the strenghts and weaknesses of qualitative research so as to be able to chose the best method to study a given problem.
Select topics from the BS course Finance II, but more in depth. Topics include cost of capital, evaluation and selection of financing alternatives for the long term and the short term, alternatives for the dividend policy and capital structure, bond issues, stock issues, credit rating, mergers and acquisitions, and financial restructuring. Corporate finance is discussed from the viewpoint of both the Chief Financial Officer, who needs to master both the practical and theoretical aspects of the position, as well as that of investors and creditors, who need to assess the credit rating and going concern.
The course covers both the management of individual projects and the management of projects in an organization. Both theoretical and practical aspects will be covered. Students will gain a good understanding of the elements of project work and project management in business operations and the ability to manage individual projects. Students will learn the structure of the program, progress, and termination of projects. Students will also learn to use software and technology for project management. Students are introduced to projects in an international environment and Agile ideology. The student will be an emphasis on putting on project management in Icelandic business environment and use of information technology.
Please note, students must log in and purchase the book Project Management, The Managerial Process on the McGraw-Hill website. Further information can be found on the course's Canvas page.
The aim of the course is to introduce to students how research methods in marketing can be used to increase the success of organizations and to give them insight into how to work with challenging research questions. The course is also intended to prepare students for working on independent research assignments.
The course is based on working on projects, aiming to build students’ competence in conducting research. Students design a research study and write a research proposal, plan and execute data gathering, analyze the data, present the results in a research report, and finally, present the research and findings in a seminar. In addition to this, students get comprehensive training in various analytical methods commonly used in marketing research. Data will be analyzed using the SPSS (or PSPP) software. Students will also get training in critical assessment of the quality of research and methodology used in various research.
The goal of this course is to strengthen the statistics and methodology knowledge of the students to enable them to better understand research methods and research findings. State-of-the-art research will be reviewed and the statistics and methodology required to conduct this research will be discussed. Students will also conduct their own research project in preparation for analytical work in their professional life and their Master’s thesis.
This course provides an introduction at a master's level to the theory and practice of bussines. The aim is to prepare students for a variety of management tasks, both in the private and public sectors.
The course consists of five introductory modules:
Finance
Business law
Accounting
Macro economics
Micro economics
Organisation
The course is offered twice a year, in August and in January and students should complete the coure in the first year of their master studies. Students that start the programme in the autumn should sit the course in August, but can postpone doing so until January. Those beginning in January should preferably take the course in January, but may postpone doing so until August.
The course opens on the 1st of each month and closes on the 31st. All course material will be available on the course website on Canvas on the 1st.
The course cannot be used for credits in the master's programmes.
The course is taught in two parts, and the expectation is that students register for both parts. The course will cover the practical issues related to innovation and entrepreneurship. It covers the emergence of a business idea and the initial evaluation of the business opportunity, and the development and testing of a business model. This part of the course consists of lectures and case discussions that deal with various aspects of innovation and entrepreneurship: Analysis of business opportunities, evaluation of market size and unit contribution, the management of organizational units that are involved in innovation, financing, and other issues. Students will also tackle projects where they apply the methods taught in the class to isolated tasks in product and business development in both new and existing firms.
The course is a continuation of the course "Field Course in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I)". This part of the course consists of detailed development of the business model related to a particular business opportunity. This work takes place in groups, where cross-disciplinary collaboration, between individuals with a background in business and individuals with a background in a particular technical or professional field related to the relevant opportunity, is emphasized. Projects can originate in an independent business idea or in collaboration with companies that partner with the course. In both cases, the emphasis will be on product or service develepment, built on technical or professional expertise, where the business case of the opportunity and its verification is in the foreground.
The purpose of this course is to provide students with an in-depth understanding of corporate governance and how corporate governance influences corporate performance. More specifically students will learn to identify and analyze corporate governance problems, learn to assess how corporate governance shapes the behavior of the board and learn to analyze how the corporate governance structure of a particular company is likely to influence its performance. The following topics and concepts are covered: The course will introduce the students to corporate governance issues and teach them to analyze how different corporate governance mechanisms – like ownership and board structure, legal systems and incentives – contribute to the solution of agency problems and thereby influence corporate performance. Using this framework, the course will then study the impact of corporate governance on corporate performance depending on comany-specific factors. The course will enable students to undertake a corporate governance review of an individual company including an assessment of how ownership, board structure, managerial incentives and system characteristics influence company performance.
The course is taught in English.
The course covers ethical issues regarding business operations, executives’ connections with government, communication with government officials, and corporate social responsibility in general. A broad range of ethical concepts, codes of conduct, and business ethics will be discussed. Students will, furthermore, be introduced to different theories and analytical tools for use in handling ethical challenges in the business environment. Emphasis will be on case studies on ethical dilemmas in business operations. Guest lecturers will be sought from business and the community to share their practical experience and students will work on the solution of practical problems.
In this short version of the course students will cover at least one fifth of the course´s material. Further and detailed information will be given before teaching begins.
In this course, students will gain insight into one of the cornerstones of the Icelandic economy, fisheries and aquaculture. Emphasis is placed on innovation, sustainability, full utilization of marine products, and the opportunities presented by technological advancements, artificial intelligence, and the circular economy. Participants will also learn how Icelandic fisheries and aquaculture compete internationally, contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and utilize Icelandic ingenuity to create added value.
Through project-based learning, students will work on realistic projects in collaboration with companies and institutions in the industry, addressing real-world challenges related to marketing, sustainability, technological advancement, and full utilization for increased value creation.
The course covers ethical issues regarding business operations, executives’ connections with government, communication with government officials, and corporate social responsibility in general. A broad range of ethical concepts, codes of conduct, and business ethics will be discussed. Students will, furthermore, be introduced to different theories and analytical tools for use in handling ethical challenges in the business environment. Emphasis will be on case studies on ethical dilemmas in business operations. Guest lecturers will be sought from business and the community to share their practical experience and students will work on the solution of practical problems.
In this short version of the course students will cover at least half of the course´s material. Further and detailed information will be given before teaching begins.
Students look at international trade between the West and Asia (China and Japan) from a macroeconomic point of view. Also use micro-perspective on companies doing business in Asia (China and Japan).
More specific description:
This course is intended as an introduction to business operations and macroeconomic issues with special reference to Asia i.e. Japan and China. The course uses both theoretical definitions as well as real-life examples. The course is divided into 3 main parts:
The objective of the internship program is to develop students’ skills and expand their network of professional relationships and contacts. The internship for graduate students is 7.5 ECTS which equals 200 hours within a company or an organization. Students complete work assignments under the guidance of specialists in public and private organizations. The tasks shall be relevant to the specialization of the student’s studies. Each student can only complete one internship position. Further stipulations regarding the internship are laid out in each particular internship contract and contract addendum.
Internships are advertised separately at the beginning of each semester. Further information can be found here.
Please send inquiries to vidskipti@hi.is
This course will cover the key areas of change management, such as the implementation of change, employee reactions, key barriers to change, and the positive and negative forces that affect the change process. The theories and concepts that change management is based on will be discussed in detail as well as the key approaches and methods for managing change. The role of the leader, manager, and the middle manager in managing change as well as crises will be discussed. Organizational culture will be discussed and why it is an important element of the change process.
The development of knowledge about effective leadership has progressed in recent decades, from viewing leaders as unique great men with innate abilities to viewing leadership as a process of communication and collaboration through which leaders develop their strategies and priorities.
A successful leader enhances his own ability to motivate, mobilize and support staff for good deeds and cooperation towards an important purpose. Increased knowledge about factors that create effective leadership underscores the importance of leaders keeping up-to-date with the latest knowledge about effective priorities and using it to support the well-being and success of employees and workplaces.
This course will discuss leadership theories and effective leadership. It will shed light on which elements of leadership enhance the success of organizations and its link to, for example, the well-being of staff, efficient operations, equal opportunities, ethics, sustainability and the development of growth. Special emphasis will be placed on the focus and methods of servant leadership and its relationship to success.
The aim of the course is for students to understand the main characteristics and competences of leaders, to know the main leadership theories that have emerged in recent decades with an emphasis on the philosophy of servant leadership. The goal is for students to have an insight into the results of research on the relationship between a leader's focus and success in terms of employees, workplace culture, operations and the external environment of organizations.
Students examine real examples of individual leadership and leadership within organizations, examine their own priorities when it comes to leadership, and examine the main challenges facing leaders in business operations and public service leadership.
In this course, the state of knowledge in the field is communicated, student participation is activated in a conversation about the topic and about analyzes of cases that shed light on the manifestation and success of leadership based on diverse focuses and leadership theories. Curriculum and projects focus on theoretical and practical knowledge about leaders and leadership, and students examine new research in the field.
The course covers ethical issues regarding business operations, executives’ connections with government, communication with government officials, and corporate social responsibility in general. A broad range of ethical concepts, codes of conduct, and business ethics will be discussed. Students will, furthermore, be introduced to different theories and analytical tools for use in handling ethical challenges in the business environment. Emphasis will be on case studies on ethical dilemmas in business operations. Guest lecturers will be sought from business and the community to share their practical experience and students will work on the solution of practical problems.
This course aims at improving the participants’ knowledge in the areas of knowledge management and knowledge assets. The course offers detailed coverage of theories and models relating to companies’ knowledge assets, knowledge enterprises and knowledge workers. The course deals with the shaping of processes and organisational development for the purpose of stimulating and registering new knowledge as well as how it is shared within organisational units and applied to improve company performance. Reference will be made to different types of organisational and knowledge cultures within organisational units and how knowledge strategies are formulated. Social media are discussed together with the mediation of knowledge. Finally, the impact of Artificial Intellegience on knowledge management will be discussed.
The digital environment is radically changing the possibilities of marketing communication and how business is conducted. Digital technology has opened countless possibilities in marketing, business implementation has undergone tremendous changes and significant innovation and business model development has taken place.
The course will cover the development and impact of digital technology on marketing measures and business practices, how digital technology can be used to support other ways of marketing and how it will shape future marketing policies within a global environment. Special emphasis is placed on new opportunities in direct marketing and to increase customer loyalty. Furthermore, the opportunities offered by digital technology to improve work processes as well as to increase efficiency and effectiveness in operations are discussed.
strategy, value chain impact, digital marketing, business relationship management, customer experience, service design and business transformation will be discussed.
Students will gain an understanding of the role and importance of digital marketing in various type of operations, such as private companies, public activities, and voluntary organizations. The course will furthermore cover contemporary issues such as security, website design, globalization, analysis of return on investment and changing consumer lifestyles.
Great emphasis is placed on active participation of students in the course. This is not a technical course, but the emphasis is on students gaining insight into choosing the most suitable digital technology and media to increase competitiveness.
The aim of the course is to underline the importance of scientific orientation in marketing and to give an overview of how theoretical and methodological knowledge can be applied to solve marketing problems. Main topics are: Antecedents and consequences of marketing orientation, competitive advantage and the development of market skills, understanding customers and managers, innovation and market intelligence, marketing communication.
The objective of this course is to familiarize students with the latest key theories in human resource management and that they gain understanding and proficiency in using key HRM theories. Theories of HRM are covered in detail and the goal is that students understand the importance of HRM as a field of study and as an important function within organizations. Key aspects of HRM will be covered and it is important that students familiarize themselves with the course concepts through lectures and discussion sessions where they will work on the solution of practical cases.
The objective of the internship program is to develop students’ skills and expand their network of professional relationships and contacts. The internship for graduate students is 7.5 ECTS. Students complete work assignments under the guidance of specialists in public and private organizations. The tasks shall be relevant to the specialization of the student’s studies.Each student can only complete one internship position.
Further stipulations regarding the internship are laid out in each particular internship contract and contract addendum.
Internships are advertised separately at the beginning of each semester. Further information can be found here.
Please send inquiries to vidskipti@hi.is
This course covers negotiation, with a focus on negotiating skills, behavior in negotiation, and the legal aspects of contracts. The objective of the course is to prepare students, through active practice, to be effective in identifying opportunities for creating value, solving conflicts, conducting negotiations, designing deals and implementing them. The course is based on lectures, practical assignments and simulations. Lectures introduce theories and concepts in the field of negotiation, as well as the structure and common terms of contracts. Simulations allow students to participate in realistic negotiations that address common issues that arise in real-life business negotiations.
The main objective of the course is to introduce to students the rage of developments that will affect organizations in the future and the role of sustainability in future of business. Furthermore, students will develop good overview regarding how these new developments are interconnected within organizations and across markets.
Rapid changing environment surrounding organization requires to look at the present developments, but even more importantly, the future of organizations. Therefore in this course the most contemporary management phenomenon already present in today’s business world are addressed. This course is unique in its focus on the future of organizations, within sustainability context, presenting holistic view of the organization and its context. The curriculum is built on most currect scientific findings, practical examples and assignments.
The aim is to:
This is an intensive course with the active participation of students. It is taught over 13 weeks. The course takes as its starting point the idea that although governments and nonprofits are crucial to modern society, businesses are largely responsible for creating the wealth upon which the well-being of society depends, while also being a part of the problems created. As they create that wealth, their actions affect society, which is composed of a wide variety of stakeholders, and the natural environment. In turn, society shapes the rules and expectations by which businesses must navigate their internal and external environments. These include the Sustainable Development Goals, i.e., Goals 1-5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 16, the Paris Agreement, the UN Global Compact, the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), the Global Reporting Initiative, and more. This interaction between corporations, society (in its broadest sense) and the natural environment is the concern of corporate social responsibility (CSR), but the issues need to be addressed from a strategic point of view.
Regardless of one’s viewpoint about the interaction of business and society, the continued co-existence of for-profit organizations is essential. This course seeks to explore the dimensions of that interaction from a multi-stakeholder perspective. That exploration is intended to be interactive, with the journey of exploration involving an analysis of CSR-related issues, simulation, and case studies.
The course is organized into six broad sections. In the first section, we will explore what corporate social responsibility (CSR) means and the driving forces of CSR. The second section focuses on the stakeholder perspective, and in the third section, we study the legal perspective. In the fourth section, we will explore the behavioral perspective, in the fifth section the strategic perspective and in the sixth section the focus will be on the sustainable perspective and sustainable value creation.
This course offers students the opportunity to recognize the need to develop inclusive work environments that operate on equity principles as well as value, support and engage all employees. Students learn to identify social justice/exclusion issues related to nondominated culture cohorts associated with race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and other aspects of diversity in organizations and apply their knowledge to analyzing and implementing inclusion initiatives in organizations. Students are engaged in the study of recent scholarly research in the field in order to develop their critical thinking on topics such as identity, diverse teams, (un)conscious bias, and equality of opportunity in organizations and how they relate to the value of diversity in organizations.
The course is taught in English
Performance management is a central part of every organisation and project. It helps to ensure our actions are aligned with our strategic priorities. This course will help students to connect the dots between strategic and operational levels in work settings, and how performance management philosophies and frameworks can be used by leaders and managers to ensure the achievement of our strategic objectives.
This course relies on case studies and in-class activities to take students as close as it is possible in a classroom setting to real-life scenarios where performance management can be used to support decision making towards achieving success.
This course follows a hybrid structure. Half of the course is delivered online—students are provided flexibility and can watch pre-recorded lecture videos at their convenience. However, no later than indicated in the teaching plan.
The rest of the course material will be delivered in workshops that will be held on-campus, and must be attended in-person by the enrolled students. These workshops account for up to 70% of the grade (course assessments).
The course is intended to provide students with the knowledge and skills to prepare and implement market expansion abroad and enable them to carry out professional marketing activities in foreign markets.
Through the course, students get a good insight into the opportunities and challenges inherent in the marketing activities of companies in international markets. Among other things, the influence of culture and various factors in the external environment will be discussed. Ways to obtain information about consumers and competitors in different markets will be covered. Students receive good training in analyzing different markets, determining a marketing strategy based on the analysis and designing tactics to implement the strategy.
Branding is one of the issues within marketing which has experienced the most growth. The academic field of branding is young and vibrant, but not all necessarily share view on what ways are the most successful ones to build a good brand. In the course, students will be taught the basics of branding and brand management as well as introduced to the newest literature in the field. Students will gain insights into the influence of brands on consumers’ daily life as well as on the operations of firms. Furthermore, students will be encouraged to apply critical thinking on the perspectives, approaches and tools that can be used in the development of brands, their maintenance and defence.
The course is based on the process of integrated marketing communications (IMC), focusing on analysis, goal setting, planning, and performance evaluation. The teaching methods encourage student participation. Lectures, discussions and work on projects. In addition to guest lecturers.
The aim of the course is through lectures, class discussions and teaching material to get the students to develop knowledge, skills and capabilities in strategy and strategic management. In addition to the reading material the course focuses on cases and examples from the business environment in Iceland. An emphasis is put on different theoretical perspectives in the course and different types of organisations. The approach to teaching is based on interactive participation, openess and inclusiveness. Empowerment of the student is the main goal – and for that to be realized it is necessary for all the participants to be fully committed to the course
The topic of the master's thesis must be chosen after consulting the thesis advisor(s), who must be full-time faculty at the School of Business.
The thesis must equal 30 credits and coursework shall equal 60 credits to fulfill the requirements for applying to the research study fund (Rannsóknanámssjóður). The thesis must be presented at a departmental seminar.The thesis must be submitted online no later than the specified dates before each graduation. Grades for a master's thesis are awarded by the thesis advisor(s) and an external examiner.
Please note! According to the rules of the University of Iceland, all MS theses must be open after they have been submitted to the University Library. If a student wishes for its MS thesis be closed for a certain period of time, after graduation, they need the approval of their supervisor and the dean of the department. Maximum closure is 5 years. It is preferable to apply for the authorization before writing the thesis.
Application for closing master's thesis.
The topic of the master's thesis must be chosen after consulting the thesis advisor(s), who must be full-time faculty at the School of Business.
The thesis must equal 30 credits and coursework shall equal 60 credits to fulfill the requirements for applying to the research study fund (Rannsóknanámssjóður). The thesis must be presented at a departmental seminar.The thesis must be submitted online no later than the specified dates before each graduation. Grades for a master's thesis are awarded by the thesis advisor(s) and an external examiner.
Please note! According to the rules of the University of Iceland, all MS theses must be open after they have been submitted to the University Library. If a student wishes for its MS thesis be closed for a certain period of time, after graduation, they need the approval of their supervisor and the dean of the department. Maximum closure is 5 years. It is preferable to apply for the authorization before writing the thesis.
Application for closing master's thesis.
The topic of the master's thesis must be chosen after consulting the thesis advisor(s), who must be full-time faculty at the School of Business.
The thesis must equal 30 credits and coursework shall equal 60 credits to fulfill the requirements for applying to the research study fund (Rannsóknanámssjóður). The thesis must be presented at a departmental seminar.The thesis must be submitted online no later than the specified dates before each graduation. Grades for a master's thesis are awarded by the thesis advisor(s) and an external examiner.
Please note! According to the rules of the University of Iceland, all MS theses must be open after they have been submitted to the University Library. If a student wishes for its MS thesis be closed for a certain period of time, after graduation, they need the approval of their supervisor and the dean of the department. Maximum closure is 5 years. It is preferable to apply for the authorization before writing the thesis.
Application for closing master's thesis.
The timetable shown below is for the current academic year and is FOR REFERENCE ONLY.
Changes may occur for the autumn semester in August and September and for the spring semester in December and January. You will find your final timetable in Ugla when the studies start. Note! This timetable is not suitable for planning your work schedule if you are a part-time employee.
The University of Iceland collaborates with over 400 universities worldwide. This provides a unique opportunity to pursue part of your studies at an international university thus gaining added experience and fresh insight into your field of study.
Students generally have the opportunity to join an exchange programme, internship, or summer courses. However, exchanges are always subject to faculty approval.
Students have the opportunity to have courses evaluated as part of their studies at the University of Iceland, so their stay does not have to affect the duration of their studies.
An education in this area can open up opportunities in:
This list is not exhaustive
MAESTRO is the organisation for Master's students at the University of Iceland Faculty of Business Administration and Faculty of Economics.
The role and purpose of MAESTRO is to advocate for members' interests and make their time at UI more enjoyable and productive. MAESTRO provides students with useful information, maintains a good working relationship with the University and faculties, as well as encouraging students to socialise together and build connections.
What interests you?
Follow the path
If you still have questions, feel free to contact us.
The School office offers support to students and lecturers, providing guidance, counselling, and assistance with various matters.
You are welcome to drop by at the office in Gimli or you can book an online meeting in Teams with the staff.
