The Master's Programme in International Marketing Management (MIMM) at LUT Business School has earned a five-year renewal for its highly regarded EFMD accreditation. The European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) is an international quality assessment organisation for academic business education.
"Applying for accreditation is a labour-intensive project for the team but also motivating and constructive," says Professor Olli Kuivalainen, academic director of the Master's Programme in International Marketing Management.
Accreditation steers how lecturers plan and deliver their teaching and how they assess student assignments. The Master's Programme in International Marketing Management has carefully defined programme contents and outcomes, which are continuously updated to meet the needs of the corporate world.
"Since our previous accreditation, the programme’s core foundations and intended learning outcomes have remained the same. The key pillars are still marketing management in an international business environment and value creation for customers, complemented by a strong focus on digital marketing and analytics,” Kuivalainen outlines.
According to Kuivalainen, feedback from the previous accreditation focused particularly on the development of alumni activities and programme marketing. In response, the school organised annual alumni gatherings in Helsinki. In addition to networking, these events highlighted new and emerging marketing trends, thereby supporting lifelong learning.
A third objective was to increase research funding. As a result, the MIMM programme strengthened its research-based instruction by integrating the programme’s own research into the curriculum.
“We have received constructive feedback from both the business community and students, and we actively monitor global developments in marketing and international business,” Kuivalainen adds.
International marketing studies have been part of the business school’s curriculum since the school’s establishment 35 years ago.
"Consequently, teachers in the programme have extensive experience and a strong, research-driven take on teaching. I've been happy to observe that our applicants recognise the value of our accreditation."
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Recognition for long-standing quality management
Hanna Salojärvi, head of the degree programme at LUT Business School, explains that the five-year accreditation is an important recognition for the programme's consistent quality management work.
"This evaluation highlights internationalisation, responsibility, and corporate collaboration in our programme. Accreditation offers insights into our school's management practices and our programme's education management processes. In this round, the programme was praised for the teaching staff’s commitment, integrating sustainability into daily operations, and a well-established culture of continuous improvement," she relates.
According to Salojärvi, the accreditations have made LUT Business School better known in international business school networks.
”We do not see accreditation as a goal in itself but as a means to support continuous improvement, strengthen international recognition, and enhance societal impact,” Salojärvi says.
"The world around us is constantly changing, and education should be developed to ensure our graduates are sought after by employers now and in the future. At the same time, a strong focus on teaching quality helps us stand out, especially in international student recruitment."
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