Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University


Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University is the international business school of the Erasmus University Rotterdam located in Rotterdam, Netherlands. RSM offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes taught mostly in English, including MBA, executive education, and PhD programmes.
Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University is ranked among the best business schools in Europe, while ranked in the top 30 in the world for Business and Management Studies according to the QS ranking. RSM is also a member of the Partnership in International Management network, and hosts a diverse international student body. In 2013, RSM became part of the Alliance of European and Chinese Business Schools, which is under the patronage of the European Federation of Management Development.

History

Erasmus University

The roots of RSM stretch back to the founding of Erasmus University as the Dutch School of Higher Commercial Education in 1913. Originally a business-oriented institution, the Dutch School of Higher Commercial Education was a private initiative established with the support of the Rotterdam business community.
In 1966 Erasmus University, commissioned an investigation into the feasibility of founding a Graduate School of Management dedicated to the subject of business administration. The result, inaugurated in 1969, was the ‘Interfaculteit Bedrijfskunde/Graduate School of Management’, a joint initiative of the schools of economics, law and social sciences of Erasmus University, and the schools of civil, mechanical and maritime engineering and general sciences at the Delft University of Technology.

Graduate School of Management

Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University first opened its doors in 1970 in the suburb of Kralingen, Rotterdam. The first 30 students began classes in the two-year ‘post-kandidaats’ programme. The school became the first in the Netherlands to offer the degree “Doctorandus in de Bedrijfskunde” post-kandidaats, for students with a university qualification in a non-business discipline.
In 1972 the school moved to new premises in Delft and was once again remodelled, this time as the Interuniversities Institute for Business Administration. It had only one division, the ‘Interuniversitaire Interfaculteit Bedrijfskunde/Graduate School of Management Delft’. In November that year the first 29 students graduated with the new academic degree ‘Doctorandus in de Bedrijfskunde’, and the Alumni Association VIB, the ‘Vereniging van afgestudeerden van de Interfaculteit Bedrijfskunde’ was formally established.

Internationalisation

In 1975 the curriculum was revised and, from 1977 onwards, the focus turned towards the internationalisation of the school. The first exchange programme was established in 1980 with the French Institut Supérieur des Affaires, visited by IIB-students Hans van der Laan and Rino Schreuder. The second exchange programme was established with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1986. The number of English-language modules with an international focus expanded. In 1984 the four-year ‘doctorandus’ programme was launched. The first European CEMS master's degree was conferred in 1991, a result of RSM's membership in the renowned CEMS network.
In 1986 the Graduate School of Management Delft moved back to the premises of Erasmus University, and was renamed the Faculty of Business Administration. The doctoral programme was established in the same year. In 1993 the ERASM research school was founded, bringing together researchers from the Faculty of Business Administration and the School of Economics. It is known today as the Erasmus Research Institute of Management.
In 2003 the BSc International Business Administration programme was established, an English-language bachelor programme which aims to provide a truly international learning experience with a large proportion of students from outside the Netherlands.

Foundation for Business Administration (Stichting Bedrijfskunde)

In 1966 a consensus on the lack of suitable training and higher educational facilities for managers in the Netherlands spurred Dutch-based multinationals including Royal Dutch Shell, Unilever and Philips to establish the Foundation for Business Administration, which was attached to the Netherlands University of Economics at Rotterdam. This started out as an institute for postgraduate management education, and later became Rotterdam School of Management.
The founders of RSM each donated two million guilders and included:
In 1985 Rotterdam School of Management launched its International Full-time MBA programme, initially offered in both Dutch and English.
In 1986 the ‘post-kandidaats’ IMSEC exchange programme was absorbed into the MBA, and a new IMScEC ‘doctorandus’ programme was launched.
In 2003 RSM joined four schools located in three continents to create the "Global Executive OneMBA".
In 2004 Rotterdam School of Management merged with Erasmus University's Faculty of Business Administration and the Erasmus Research Institute of Management to become Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University.
In 2006 the MSc General Management programme was established, a new master's degree for non-business graduates, now called the MScBA Master in Management.
In 2011 the school appointed as dean, who was re-appointed for a second term in 2015.
In 2015 RSM opened an office in Chengdu, China. The RSM China office offers services to prospective students, partners, and alumni as well as maintains relationships with research universities and business schools.
In 2019 the school appointed as dean.

Academics

Admissions

The admission procedure varies for bachelor and master programmes. Bachelor programme in International Business Administration at RSM was the most popular and among the most competitive programmes in the Netherlands, receiving 2,605 foreign student and 767 Dutch student applications for the 550 available places in 2018. The admission to the programme are mostly based on previous academic performance as well as CV and motivation.
For the master admission candidates are selected based on sufficient background in bachelor studies as well as academic performance, GMAT results and English proficiency.

Rankings

According to the Financial Times, QS and Forbes; RSM is ranked as follows:
20152016201720182019
FT European Business School Ranking13th10th9th9th
FT Global MBA45th42nd31st37th55th
FT MBA for Women---50th
FT Executive MBA 60th54th54th51st59th
FT Executive MBA 24th29th
FT Master in Management5th5th11th8th6th
FT Executive Education - Open72nd58th59th65th
FT Executive Education - Customized65th66th63rd60th
QS World University Rankings: Global MBA25th27th
QS Master in management13th13th
Forbes International MBAs14th
QS Master in Marketing Management 16th

Programmes

Bachelor programmes

Through RSM's customised programmes, employees can access the latest in business and management thinking while engaging with some of the world's most influential thought leaders. These programmes are designed for each client by a team of expert consultants, and can be delivered in-house.

Open programmes

Led by internationally recognised academic and business experts, RSM's current portfolio of open programmes includes:
RSM's study association STAR is Europe's largest student ruled study association, with more that 6,500 members. STAR's committees include Consultancy Castle, RSM STAR Case Club, Erasmus Recruitment Days, Management Week, and others. Additionally, there are numerous student clubs at RSM. The focus is on specific business areas as well as event organization.

International partner schools

RSM students can take part in study exchanges with other leading business schools around the world.
Partner schools include :
Notable alumni of Rotterdam School of Management are awarded each year in the Distinguished Alumni Awards.
NameNotabilityClass
Boudewijn BeerkensCFO, SHV HoldingsFull-time MBA 1991
Else BoutkanFounder, Something ElsePart-time MBA 2002
Asthildur Margret OtharsdottirChairman of the board, MarelFull-time MBA 1996
Maria van der HeijdenFounder of Women on Wings, owner of ComVeranderPart-time MSc Bedrijfskunde 2000
Hans SmitsCEO, Port of Rotterdam Authority, now President of the Board of Trustees, Erasmus University RotterdamPost-kandidaats Opleiding Bedrijfskunde 1973-1975
Saskia StuivelingPresident, Netherlands Court of AuditPost-kandidaats Opleiding Bedrijfskunde 1970–1972
Alexander RibbinkPartner, Prime Technology Ventures, formerly Executive Board Member and Chief Operating Officer of TomTomFull-time MBA 1990
Bart BechtFormer CEO, Reckitt BenckiserPost-kandidaats Opleiding Bedrijfskunde 1977–1980
Sukhbir JasujaCEO, ITpreneursFull-time MBA 1998
Johan H. Andresen Jr.CEO, Ferd NorwayFull-time MBA 1993
Meiny PrinsCEO, Priva BVPart-time Bedrijfskunde 2000
Hans van IerlandCo-founder and CEO, Holland Private EquityFull-time MBA 1990
Diederik Laman TripFormer CEO, ING NetherlandsDoctorandus Post-kandidaats 1970
Feike SijbesmaCEO, Royal DSMPost-kandidaats Opleiding Bedrijfskunde 1987
Joost Notenboom and Michiel RoodenburgCycle for WaterMScBA 2009 and BScBA 2009 & MScBA 2010
Robert-Jan van OgtropThe Circle EconomyDoctoraal Post-kandidaats Bedrijfskunde 1980
Jente de Vries and Lisanne van ZwolFounders, KromkommerBoth MScBA 2012