The degree consists of:

The diverse and demanding BSc programme offered by the School of Business prepares students for the various challenges that await them after their studies, whether they want to become active in the business community or pursue further studies.
The program is only available in Icelandic.

Courses avaliable for exchange students.

The BSc degree is for 180 ECTS and is offered both as a full-time and a part-time programme.

core courses for 144 ECTS,
electives for 24 ECTS and a
final assignment for 12 ECTS.

During their first two years, students get a solid foundation in the key areas of business. At the end of their first and second years, students also work on comprehensive practical projects, a factor which gives RU's business studies a certain uniqueness. Student's final assignment is a BSc project where an emphasis is placed on testing and training professional skills and independent methods of working.

In the third year, instructors look to increase and deepen students' theoretical insight into the subjects of business studies. Furthermore, an emphasis is placed on students seeing their subjects in an international light and adopting professional work methods. Students are given a choice of numerous courses in various specialty areas within business studies, for example, finance, management, economics, marketing, operations management, international business, and languages. Those who wish can choose to focus on a specific direction, and if those students fulfill requirements concerning number of credits in that area, they can graduate with an emphasis on that area of expertise. To better prepare students for working in an international environment, many of the third-year courses are taught in English.

Business administrators who graduate from RU are highly sought after in the business community for the reason that they have received training in independent work methods, and because they possess valuable experience from working on practical projects in cooperation with companies. Surveys indicate that students who finish business studies at RU get a a good return on their investment when they enter the employment market.

Instructors in the BSc programme are accomplished specialists who have acquired graduate and doctoral degrees at highly regarded international universities, and who also possess vast practical experience from working in business and industry. Our aim is for the BSc programme to be characterised by high-quality teaching, diverse teaching methods, diverse ways of assessing courses, closeness between faculty and students, and strong ties to industry. In 2010, almost 70 guest lecturers from industry took part in courses in the BSc programme.

Full-Time Programme

Most students who arrive at RU directly following their matriculation examination pursue full-time studies.

In the full-time programme, it is assumed that students will complete the BSc degree in three years or over the course of 6 semesters (teaching is not conducted in the summer). Students generally take 5 courses (30 ECTS) per semester which constitutes full-time studies. An emphasis is placed on problem-solving classes, diverse assessment methods, and on utilising the advantages of group and project work. Teaching is generally conducted from 8:30-16:30 on weekdays. In students' third year, teaching is occasionally carried out in sessions on weekends.

Overview of full-time programme

Part-Time Programme

People who wish to continue their careers and also pursue studies in business administration can apply for admission to the part-time programme.

A BSc degree pursued in the part-time programme can be completed over the course of 10 semesters or three and a half years. Three semesters are taught each year (fall, spring, and summer) and 3 courses (18 ECTS) are generally taught per semester with students attending classes for three days each week. Teaching is conducted from 16:35-19:00 or 20:00 from Monday to Thursday. Occasionally, teaching is carried out in sessions on Saturdays. Following six semesters of studies, students in the part-time programme can transfer over to the full-time programme to finish their last year of studies. In this way, they have a wider range of electives to choose from as the supply of electives in the part-time programme is limited.

Those who want to begin the part-time programme without committing to three or more years of study can pursue a Diploma at the School. The Diploma consists of 90 ECTS taken over a period of 5 semesters or 2 years with one summer semester. The credits acquired in the Diploma programme fully count in the BSc programme should students choose to continue their studies and acquire a BSc degree.