Master of Science in Economics

The Economics programme studies the functioning of the global economy. You will discuss all economic actors and their interactions: families, businesses, financial institutions, government and society. You’ll learn how these actors make economics choices (consume, production, labor, investments, import, export …), what the consequences are for society and how problems in this matter can be solved best.

The topics that you will discuss are socially relevant: economic growth, welfare, income generation, income distribution, money, inflation, monetary policy, employment and unemployment, government efficiency, social security, taxation and government debt, international economic relations, globalisation, problems of developing countries, environmental pollution, poverty ... The programme focuses on the macroeconomic analysis, unlike the programme Business Economics which mainly studies the functional domains of businesses. The Economics programme analyses the behavior and interactions between consumers, businesses, financial institutions and the government, in an international context.

Opbouw

The master’s programme has, in addition to a common part with general courses, four majors that allow you to tailor your curriculum, according to your own interests. You can choose three courses from one major and an elective course from a broad range of courses. The common part deepens your knowledge of microeconomics, macroeconomics and econometrics in three advanced courses: Decision theory, Business cycles, innovation and growth, and Time series analysis.

The major Globalisation includes a series of courses where the international aspects are central (both economic, financial, institutional, and political and environmental aspects). It concerns Institutional economics, Modern trade theory, Environmental and energy policy, Economics of development, and International banking. This major aims at students interested in the international economic field.

The major Financial institutions and markets aims at students who aspire a job in the financial sector. The following courses are covered: Economics of banking, Economics of financial markets, International banking, and Investment analysis.

The major Economic Policy offers several policy-oriented courses: Public economics, Fiscal policy, and Environmental and energy policy. This major aims at students who aspire a job in the economic policy field, in the very broad sense of the word (not only government, but also social partners, central banking, international organisations, financial institutions …).

The major Research focuses in particular to those students who want to continue later in the scientific economic research: at a university (doctorate), in various research services or other research institutions. The courses are oriented in advanced micro- and macro-economics and advanced econometrics: Equilibrum and dynamics, Game theory and asymmetric information, and Non-linear methods.

Finally, the master’s dissertation is a very important element. Via that dissertation you can show that you are able to apply the acquired knowledge to a problem independently.

Arbeidsmarkt

Graduates from the Economics programme can be found in macro-economic organisations where there’s a need for experts with social-financial-international-economic insights. In the financial sector (banks, insurance companies and central banks), we find economists back into research services, management, credit analysis, economic analysis, asset management, etc. In addition, many Economics graduates can be found in governmental organisations, international institutions, social partners (trade unions and employers’ associations), education and research. In governmental organisations they hold numerous functions that involve the preparation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of many aspects of the economic and socio-economic policy. Some concrete jobs: procurement analyst, chief economist of a bank, economic analyst at the National Bank, policy advisor of the Flemish Government, investment specialist and environmental economist at a NGO.