Business Administration

• Duration of studies: 4 years
• Awarded Degree: Professional Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration
• Qualification: Business Administrator

Mission of the study programme

To prepare highly qualified specialists, innovative thinkers, competitive specialists and business leaders, who are able to solve modern business problems in the conditions of dynamically developing competitive global market, have entrepreneurial thinking, are capable of establishing and managing their own businesses in various industries while being socially responsible. The mission is fulfilled through intellectual and practical interdisciplinary approach to training.

Aim of the study programme

To prepare students to take leading positions and build careers in the sphere of business, public and-commercial organisations, to establish their own businesses.

Objectives of the study programme

• To provide competitive professional higher education (5th level professional qualification, 6th level EKI) in the field of tourism business administration and to prepare tourism specialists with a high potential for productivity both on the Latvian and global labour markets;
• To promote high quality of education and traineeship in the sphere of business administration through the formation and strengthening of analytical and leadership skills, as well as problem-solving skills;
• To give students comprehensive knowledge, practical skills and understanding of the laws of modern economic development, of the role of innovation in entrepreneurial activity, the processes which take place in various branches of the national economy, in state and public management, and of other processes of business activity;
• To develop students’ skills of scientific research, analytical thinking, innovative thinking and creativity, communication skills, which will let the graduates become creative personalities and successfully enter the Latvian and global labour markets;
• To promote the development of education and research work in the field of business management while strengthening the competitiveness of Latvian higher education internationally;
• To prepare students to take leading positions and build careers in the sphere of business, public and-commercial organisations, to establish their own businesses, and to further studies at Master’s degree programme.

ISMA graduate who has mastered Professional Bachelor’s degree study programme “Business Administration” is able to:

• Analyse and assess the international and domestic economic environment, and the tendencies of tourism market development, competitive situation and possible actions of competitors;
• Understand the logic of entrepreneurial activity, to apply various methods of the evaluation of its efficiency and the analysis of an organisation’s business environment, to model business process schemes, to develop business plans, to understand the legal background of entrepreneurial activity;
• Evaluate the factors of external and internal environment and their impact on entrepreneurial activity, to identify the opportunities of tourism business development locally and internationally;
• Formulate the mission and vision of an enterprise, to work out its development strategy and to define strategic, tactical and operational goals;
• Analyse and assess the indicators of the economic activity of an enterprise, to plan its operations, to adjust and improve plans in the dynamic economic environment in compliance with the set objectives and market situation;
• Manage a multicultural team, communicating with the employees of the enterprise on the achievement of goals and problem solving;
• Organise rational and coordinated work of the structural divisions of the enterprise, motivate employees, supervise the performance of duties by subordinate staff;
• Manage and monitor the spheres of functioning of an enterprise: marketing, organisation of services, personnel, finance and information systems management, logistics, etc.;
• Analyse and assess the operations of an enterprise and the achieved results, to follow the progress of goals, to ensure the achievement of these goals, to make decisions and changes aimed at the optimisation of operational and strategic activities;
• Identify commercial and financial risks, analyse them and implement measures to prevent the negative impact of risks;
• Represent the enterprise in transactions with other enterprises, organisations and institutions, including public and state institutions;
• Ensure the compliance of the enterprise operations with the requirements of the normative acts of international legislation and the legislation of the Republic of Latvia.

Each student has an opportunity of paid traineeship in European companies, as well as to study during 1 or 2 semesters in foreign partner-universities of ISMA in the framework of student mobility programmes. ISMA also offers traineeship placement at tourism and hospitality enterprises in Latvia. Many ISMA students start professional career while studying.

ISMA gives students an opportunity to develop and implement their business ideas in Business Incubator, with the benefits and support provided to the participants.