The quality of this master's programme has been positively assessed by the Accreditation Organisation of The Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO). This means that upon successful completion of the programme students will receive a legally accredited master's degree in Business Economics and the title Master of Science (MSc).
The MSc Business Economics is a one-year programme. The curriculum consists of 60 European Credits. The academic year has two semesters and each semester has two quarters. The MSc Business Economics consists of three tracks:
- Finance
- Organisation Economics
- Real Estate Finance
The Finance track concentrates upon the workings of financial markets, the financial and economic management of organisations and the use of financial tools by companies and investors. The programme is built around a series of specialist modules. You can choose from such subjects as Commercial Banking, Corporate Finance, Investment Theory, Managing Bond Portfolio Risks, Financial Markets and International Finance. You also take a graduation seminar. The Master’s degree programme ends with the writing of a thesis.
The Organisational Economics track looks at the economic performance of organisations in broad terms. Subjects covered include staff motivation, how decision-making powers are allocated, investment decisions, corporate governance and how companies function in various types of markets. The basis for this programme is the module Economics of Organisation and Management. Within this variant, you choose one of four specialisations: Industrial Organisation, Microeconomics, Management Accounting or Corporate Finance. The Master’s degree programme ends with the writing of a thesis, which you can also prepare during a work placement with an employer.
The Real Estate Finance track is part of the MSc Business Economics.The Real Estate Finance track consists of three large core courses in real estate finance and economics, two small elective courses in finance, and a thesis in real estate finance. Optional courses can be chosen from a range on offer, according to the interest of the student.
A small class size and emphasis on teamwork helps students learn from each other as well as from coursework. Alongside traditional classes, there is a rich diversity in training modules: workshops, cases, debates, papers, assignments, guest speakers from industry, field trips, etc. High academic standards are maintained and students will be introduced to the state of the art in the respective real estate areas. Because students are being prepared for a professional career, the course material offered has a high degree of practical relevance.
The Finance track opens up a range of career opportunities. Every organisation needs university-trained experts in finance and economics. You could become an all-round financial analyst, an investment adviser at a merchant bank or perhaps eventually the financial director of a whole company.
The master's focus on Real Estate Finance and investment is ideal for those students seeking a career in the real estate industry and related finance (asset manager, securitization specialist, stock analyst, appraiser, consultant, acquisition analyst, project manager, credit analyst, international property broker). In their future career, graduates will find themselves at an advantage because in this programme they will learn how to analyse both the quantitative and the qualitative characteristics of commercial property assets managed within a dynamic business environment.
The Organisational Economics variant prepares you for any management or research position requiring knowledge and understanding of economic thinking in respect of organisations or strategy. As a manager, for example, or as an organisational adviser, a management trainer, a policy worker, a remuneration consultant or a strategic planner.
