Education

As an economist you will observe the various players (individuals, companies, domestic and foreign governments) and their interactions within the global economy. You will be able to interpret the general economic situation in a wider social and legal context. The programme offers students with a Bachelor's degree a theoretical framework, allowing them to provide well-grounded answers to socio-economic questions.

The Master of Science in Economics is an initial Master's programme. You can follow this programme on a full-time or part-time basis.

Profile

The objectives and final attainment levels of a Bachelor degree in Economics or Business guide the selection process for this Master's programme.

With respect to general competences, applicants should have developed the following skills and competencies:
- an ability to analyse, synthesise and interpret
- a well developed memory
- an ability to observe
- communication skills (oral,and written)
- a working knowledge of English

With respect to attitudes, applicants should possess:
- a positive scientific attitude
- inquisitiveness
- a critical attitude
- a creative attitude
- punctuality
- an outstanding work ethic
- willingness to cooperate
- an ethical awareness
- an interest in the dynamics of economy and society

More specifically, students should have a solid academic background in economics or business, including the most important domains in economics or business/management (such as macro and microeconomics), math and statistics. Students should also be familiar with more general themes necessary for understanding the evolutions in the business world and be able to relate these evolutions to the broader societal, juridical, political and social context.

For specific admission requirements, click on the desired programme in the 'Choose your courses of study' section.

Objectives

The Master of Economics programme aims to transfer an economic-science based structured reasoning about individual, interpersonal and social phenomena, so that the student is able to autonomously formulate an answer to questions or developments that the society/sector/company is facing.
The training aims knowledge, to provide understanding, skills and attitudes required to achieve recognition, structuring and solve complex economic issues in their contextual environment. In addition, the training aims the ability and skills to communicate and to report economic analysis and solutions and to test the results in an explicit ethical value framework.

Exit qualifications of the programme:
The student masters the general framework of economic analysis, the conceptual and methodological principles of economic science and can therefore recognize economic problems.
The student can - by means of economic research methods and techniques - carry out, independently and in teams as well - a complete analysis of economic problems. This includes: formulating the problem, selecting of information, master mathematical and econometric methods, setting up a research-based strategy, reporting and presentation of the research and the results, including the possible policy recommendations.

After graduation

As a graduate of this Master's programme, you will have a very informed perspective on society as a whole. Moreover, you will be equipped to address a variety of social problems in an economically and socially sound way. Thanks to the expertise and flexibility you will have acquired, you will be qualified for employment in a variety of fields. The following career options are well suited to the skills developed in this programme:

- Policy development in sectors in which decision making is highly dependent on the external economic context: government research centres, professional associations, large enterprises and international organisations
- Problem solution and implementation in managerial positions involving external communication, i.e. government departments, public institutions, international organisations, financial services, companies and social organisations
- Critical reflection on and transfer of knowledge in education and basic scientific research
- External communication, journalism and public relations in companies and social organisations

Information sessions

KU Leuven organises a Verderstudeerbeurs each spring. In addition, faculties also organise information sessions for many of their bridging and graduate programmes.

All information sessions for (future) Master's students

(Inter)national

One of the faculty's most important assets is its vast national and international network. We maintain strong links with the business and financial community by organising regular workshops with industry leaders and the European Commission, situated only 30 minutes from our campus. Many of our alumni work at European institutions, and many of the department's staff members act as advisers to various European bodies and international companies. The student association, Ekonomika, is equally active via its Business-to-University lecture programme. Our Alumni network offers excellent communication channels and networking opportunities with leading figures in industry and politics.

We have a wide international student exchange network as well. Not only do we participate extensively in the (intra-EU) Erasmus programme (with 65 partners), we also have numerous agreements with leading universities outside the EU, e.g. the Wharton School of Business (University of Pennsylvania), the University of Chicago, Cornell University, the University of Illinois and Rochester University in the United States, the University of British Columbia, Queen's University, the University of Toronto and the Université de Montréal in Canada, the Indian Institutes of Management Calcutta and Bangalore in India, the Chinese University and the City University of Hong Kong, Beida, Tsinghua and Fudan in China, Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, National Taiwan University, Seoul National University in South Korea, Queensland University of Technology Brisbane and the University of Sydney in Australia, Stellenbosch in South Africa, Insper in Brazil, Esan in Peru, the University of Monterrey in Mexico and the Singapore Management University.

Spotlight

Our mission in the Master's programmes is to develop participants' critical, conceptual, problem-solving and decision-making skills. A Master's degree from KU Leuven's Faculty of Business and Economics equips students with fundamental and conceptual knowledge and with analytical tools to cope effectively with the problems of the current and constantly changing business and economic environment. Adopting a research-based approach, the school focuses on the disciplines that underlie business operations and economic decisions. This enables its graduates to acquire the necessary skills and tools for coping with current and future challenges.

A variety of teaching methods (lectures, case discussions, exercises, computer-assisted problem-solving and individual research) is used to enhance students' educational experience. Students are expected to participate actively. The faculty evaluates classroom work, written assignments and examinations on a regular basis. The workload is demanding, as to be expected in a high-quality graduate school. Be forewarned: our management courses are known to be more analytical than those at other business schools. Our students receive rigorous training in economics. The faculty's international credentials and academic reputation guarantee the quality of the programme.

Contact

Faculty of Economics and Business
tel. + 32 16 32 66 12
fax + 32 16 32 66 20

Students can ask questions through the webform on: www.econ.kuleuven.be/onderwijshelpdesk/

General
Study Advice Service
Naamsestraat 80 box 5415
3000 LEUVEN, Belgium
To contact us please complete the contact form on our website

Useful links

Visit website of the faculty.

Download this brochure

Download this Master's brochure.