BRUSSELS t

Master of Science
in Business
Administration
Majors:
• International Business Management
• Business Information Management
• International Relations

Faculty of Economics and Business

Campus Brussels

KU Leuven. Inspiring the outstanding.

DISCOVER KU LEUVEN

Situated in Belgium, in the heart of Western Europe, KU Leuven has been a centre of
learning for nearly six centuries. Today, it is Belgium's largest and highest-ranked
university and, founded in 1425, one of the oldest and most renowned universities in
Europe. As a leading European research university and co-founder of the League of
European Research Universities (LERU), KU Leuven offers a wide variety of international
master’s programmes, all supported by high-quality, innovative, interdisciplinary research.

Study Economics and Business at KU Leuven,

Campus Brussels
The Faculty of Economics and Business, Campus Brussels has a clear motto:
“Not Business as Usual”. This encapsulates our unique educational profile well.
At our campus in Brussels, we stimulate entrepreneurship in a programme with a
clear business-oriented focus. Choosing the MBA is choosing a programme with
a strong reputation in the corporate world.

TRULY INTERNATIONAL
Our MBA will challenge you to meet and work closely with students from other
cultures and nationalities. The diversity of our programme is impressive:
approximately 60 nationalities are represented in the MBA programme.

BUSINESS-ORIENTED
We invite international managers and government officials to share their experiences
with students at guest lectures held throughout the year. You will acquire valuable
managerial skills through company projects and the master’s thesis. Emphasis is
placed on decision-making, teamwork, dealing with other cultures, time management
and communication skills.

IN THE HEART OF EUROPE

Learn business where business is done! Brussels is the economic heart of Europe.
As a business hub, Brussels has a central position in Europe and it hosts the EU and
the NATO, as well as a diverse range of international trade and finance organisations.
Brussels is where hundreds of multinational corporations have their head offices and
where many important political and economic decisions are made. Your campus is
in the middle of this decision-making centre: a head start for launching your career.
Master of Science in Business Administration (MBA)
The Master of Science in Business Administration (MBA) is a one-year Master’s
programme taught in English. It has an international focus and is designed to provide
you with academic knowledge as well as hands-on expertise, enabling you to be
successful in international management positions.

INTERDISCIPLINARY
Our MBA’s interdisciplinary approach prepares you to address and solve business
problems by drawing on insights and experiences from multiple disciplines and
perspectives - often as a member of a team. In this way, the MBA emulates the real
business world and leverages input from a multitude of cultural backgrounds and
worldviews.

Profile
• You are eager to launch a career in international business;
• You wish to further develop your entrepreneurial spirit, possibly with a view to
setting up your own business;
• You hold an academic BSc degree or MSc degree in business administration,
economics, management or a related field and you would like to specialise;
• You believe that a business-oriented, hands-on, critical, and problem-oriented
approach to business education is something for you.

Career outlook
The International Business Management major prepares graduates for management
positions in finance, administration and commerce. Employment opportunities are
numerous and diverse. Many graduates choose to pursue a career in the financial
sector or in management consultancy firms.
The Business Information Management major prepares graduates for management
positions in ICT. The demand for driven managers with ICT expertise continues to
grow. Our graduates go on to positions as business consultants, business process
engineers, project leaders, system analysts, functional analysts, information analysts,
system designers/administrators, network and data administrators.
The International Relations major prepares graduates for management positions in
international organisations, NGOs, government, multinational enterprises and local
organisations with a global perspective. Graduates have keen insight into international
economic and political realities and are thus also well-positioned for careers in
banking and international business.
Not Business as Usual
ENTREPRENEURIAL LEARNING

Our MBA graduates have a firm grounding in economics and business -

with a true entrepreneurial twist. Here in Brussels, we believe in ‘entrepreneurial learning’.
You will handle real-world challenges and will visit companies frequently. Many of our
graduates go on to start their own companies.

BUSINESS SEMINARS

Our campus organises regular business seminars to keep you abreast of the latest
developments in the field. The seminars, held several times a year, are given by prominent
business leaders. Guest lecturers from past years include Jos Delbeke (Director-General
for Climate Action, European Commission), Norm Johnston (Global Digital Leader, Mindshare
Worldwide) and Sophie Dutordoir (CEO, Energy Benelux & Germany, Electrabel/GDF Suez).

Programme
The programme consists of a total of 60 ECTS - a 30-ECTS core programme and a 30-ECTS
major selected by you according to your personal interests and career goals. The three majors
are International Business Management, Business Information Management and Inter-
national Relations.

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 60 ECTS

COURSE ECTS
STRATEGY & BUSINESS SCIENCE 3
• Advanced Corporate Finance/Corporate Social Responsibility/
Decision Making/Economic Law: Capita Selecta/Advanced
Internal and External Control 3
ECONOMICS AND INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS 3
• Advanced Micro-economics/Culture and Economies/Economics
of Innovation/Economics of Social Security and Social Insurance/
Environmental Economics/Public Economics 3
RESEARCH AND METHODS 21
• Master’s thesis research proposal 3
• Master’s thesis 15
• Quantitative Methods 3
HUMAN BEHAVIOUR, LAW AND SOCIETY 3
• Economics and Ethics 3
MAJOR 30

For detailed descriptions of this programme’s courses and for the course
timetable, please consult www.kuleuven.be/ma/mba
Three majors
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

The International Business Management (IBM) major is a comprehensive programme that

provides you with an overview of the many different aspects of management of organisations
and companies. Are you planning on launching an international business career? Are you
eager to work for a company or an organisation that operates on an international scale?
Then the IBM major may be for you.

In terms of study method and study environment, the IBM major is tailored to students
seeking a business-oriented, hands-on, critical, and problem-oriented approach to education.
Students are challenged to study and work in a multicultural team.

COURSE ECTS
STRATEGY AND BUSINESS SCIENCE 30
• Business Process and Operations 3
• Tax and Corporate Policy 3
• Family Businesses 3
• International Management 3
• Current Topics in International Marketing 3
• Strategic Management: Organisational Learning and Development 3
• Strategic Management: Execution and Control 3
• Strategic Decision Making 3
• Stakeholders and Governance 3
• Entrepreneurship and Policy 3

BUSINESS INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

Students considering the Business Information Management (BIM) major have a strong
interest in the general operation of industrial processes and the related information
technology they require. Business information managers lead IT projects and supervise
new IT systems. In the world of ICT, three things matter most: the right information shared
in the right place with the right people. Students in the BIM major have an eye for both
the overall picture and specific details. They have strong social skills, and excel at building
bridges between users, managers and technical ICT experts. These are precisely the skills
developed in this major.

Students in the BIM are interested and, ideally, well-versed in technology, computers and
networks. However, the focus is not on hardware or technical aspects, but on developing
and evaluating information systems. There is a high demand in the industry for competent
people who are willing and able to think creatively and logically about information systems.
You will be trained to find solutions quickly and to explain them clearly to users.
 COURSE ECTS
STRATEGY AND BUSINESS SCIENCE 30
• Systems Development & Economics 6
• ICT Strategy & Architecture 6
• Business Intelligence Methods 3
• ERP & Business Process Modelling 3
• ICT Governance and Operational Management 6
• Design of a Business Information System (project) 6

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

The International Relations (IR) major is embedded in the context of global economics
and business life. It takes a practical-analytical approach to the study of multinationals
and is embedded in a sound theoretical framework. It covers international management
and marketing techniques as well as international socio-economic analysis and monetary
economics. Students in the IR major particularly develop insight into the role of governments
in international relations and business.

The IR major is built on three international pillars: an economic pillar (what is the economic
environment in which an international firm operates?); a business pillar (how does an
international firm operate in this environment?); and a political/legal pillar (which political
and legal aspects does an international firm have to take into account?).

COURSE ECTS
STRATEGY AND BUSINESS SCIENCE 3
• International Management 3
ECONOMICS AND INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS 22
• International Trade Policy 3
• International Monetary Policy 3
• Applied European Policy 5
• Exchange Risk Management 3
• International Business and Strategy 5
• Socio-economic Geography 3
HUMAN BEHAVIOUR, LAW AND SOCIETY 5
• Capita selecta of International and European Law 5
Admission requirements
Direct access:
Bachelor of Science in Commercial Sciences, Bachelor of Science in Business
Administration, Master of Science in Business Economics, Master of Science in
Economics, Bachelor of Science in Commercial Engineering

After a bridge programme:

All professional bachelor's degrees from the field of study of Commercial Sciences
and Management, professional bachelor's degree in education: secondary education
(with mathematics and economics as optional subjects)

After a preparatory programme:

Bachelor of Science in Business Economics, Bachelor of Science in Economics, Bachelor
of Science in Business Economics: Business Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Business
Economics: Information Systems Engineering

For students with a non Belgian degree the faculty will take a motivated decision on
the equivalence of the foreign degree with one of the above-mentioned qualifications.

Your application
We welcome applications from holders of an academic Bachelor of Science or Master
of Science degree in business administration, economics or management deemed to be
equivalent to a related Flemish degree. All applicants must submit proof of proficiency in English.

TUITION FEE

The annual tuition fee is +/- 890 EUR for European nationals. The fees for non-EEA students
have not yet been confirmed, please check our website as of December 1st 2015.

Please consult the website for the most up-to-date information about applying
to the programme. www.kuleuven.be/application

Studying abroad
Studying abroad opens your eyes to new people, languages, cultures and ways of doing
business. That’s why we encourage our students to do a portion of their studies abroad.
We have exchange agreements with 90 universities worldwide, including universities in
Norway, Italy, France, Poland, Turkey and Great Britain. For students looking to go further
afield, we also offer opportunities in Brazil, Mexico, South Africa and South Korea.
 KU LEUVEN
Oude Markt 13 box 5005
3000 LEUVEN, Belgium
onderwijscommunicatie@kuleuven.be
www.kuleuven.be

Learn more

DAYS
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OPEN
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www.kuleuven.be/internationalprogrammes
www.kuleuven.be/admissions
www.kuleuven.be/tuitionfees

Publications
www.kuleuven.be/internationalbrochures

Faculty of Economics and Business

Campus Brussels
Warmoesberg 26
1000 BRUSSELS
tel. + 32 2 210 12 11

Mr. Maarten Hulselmans

Programme Coordinator MBA
tel. + 32 2 210 16 34
maarten.hulselmans@kuleuven.be

www.facebook.com/FEBBrussels v.u.: Isabelle Van Geet, Oude Markt 13, 3000 Leuven

This brochure provides the most complete and accurate information available
concerning this master’s programme offered at KU Leuven. However, amendments
to the composition of this programme may be approved at any time. The study
load of many master’s programmes may increase from 60 to 120 ECTS in the
future. Consequently, KU Leuven is in no way legally bound by the information
provided in this brochure. The most recent information on all our academic
programmes can be consulted at www.kuleuven.be/internationalprogrammes

Last updated: October 2014