Specialisations
In your first year, you will take the same courses as all other Economics and Business Economics students, ranging from Finance to Accounting to International Economic Relations. This gives you a solid footing from which to choose one of four specialisations for your second and third years. In these specialisation years, you will take core courses relating to your specialisation, as well as electives of your own choosing. You might also spend a semester studying abroad or choose to do an internship as well.
You can choose one of four specialisations, these start in your second year of the programme:
Emerging Markets
What’s it all about?
Most of the world’s economic growth is taking place in emerging economies, including the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) as well as other countries in Asia, Latin America, Africa and Eastern Europe. In this specialisation, you will develop a profound understanding of their economic development and business opportunities associated with their growth. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, you will connect this knowledge with countries’ socio-economic, historical and political context and learn how emerging economies integrate and interact with the global economic community. While the growth of emerging economies creates new markets and business opportunities, they also become pivotal for tackling global challenges. In the Emerging Markets specialisation you will acquire critical knowledge and skills that are needed for making responsible management and policy decisions in these rapidly changing and sometimes fragile economies.
What you’ll actually do:
- work on real-world cases within a culturally diverse and small scale student community, with close contact to academic staff
- develop strong analytical skills and use them to understand and solve complex business and economics problems in emerging and developing economies
- have first-hand working experience with people from other cultures during a curricular internship in an emerging economy
- develop a deep understanding of the way culture and politics shape the business environment in rapidly developing countries
- design your own curriculum by choosing the focus of your studies
Read more about your future and career prospects
Matching procedure
This specialisation starts in your second year of the programme. Current 1st year students can find more information about the matching procedure via SBE's Student Intranet.
The Emerging Markets specialisation is also offered in the bachelor's programme International Business.
You’ll like this specialisation if you…
- want to study economics including the perspectives of rapidly developing countries
- like to interact with people from different cultures and backgrounds and be part of a small-scale student community
- have strong analytical skills and enjoy working in fast-paced environments with a high workload
- want to expand the range of potential future career paths by acquiring a profound understanding of the complex relationships between culture, politics and business.
Emerging Markets specialisation at Maastricht University
Economics
What’s it all about?
The specialisation in Economics combines sociology and psychology with economics, aiming to produce professionals who are flexible, adaptable and internationally oriented. You also look at creative ways to approach real issues as diverse as:
- How does individual consumer behaviour impact the economy?
- How do government policies and economic developments affect individual consumer behaviour?
- How can governments promote wage equality?
- How should the ageing population affect how countries budget?
- How does the global financial crisis effect consumer behaviour?
You’ll like this specialisation if you …
are interested in analysing political and social problems in depth
see the economic implications of current events
want to apply socio-economic theory to political and economic problems
like to examine economic problems from many different angles
want to understand the role of international organisations in economics
What you’ll actually do:
- gain insight into the mechanisms behind global markets and the role of the state in the economy
- apply knowledge from a fascinating cross-section of disciplines
- develop strong analytical abilities – a major plus for your career! – by helping staff conduct high-profile research
- master the practical tools and skills to analyse economic policy, growth, etc.
- pursue your own educational and career goals by choosing your own problems to study, elective courses and study abroad destination
Economics and Management of Information
What’s it all about?
No other bachelor’s programme in the Netherlands combines information technology (IT) with business and economics like the Economics and Management of Information specialisation. And nothing could be more timely, given that IT and new media are crucial for doing business in today’s global economy. You’ll look at questions like:
How can companies use IT to stay ahead of the competition?
How do governments stimulate innovation?
And what effect does all this have on us as individuals?
You’ll like this specialisation if you …
are fascinated by economics and new technologies
see opportunities in technological change and innovation
are interested in the effect of market regulations on the information society
want to examine the legal, social and ethical aspects of IT
are looking for an interdisciplinary economics study
What you’ll actually do:
- learn how to apply the latest technologies to business and how to predict their economic consequences
- address real-life case studies for companies like Google and Microsoft, involving issues such as illegal music downloads
- gain insights into the economic, social and environmental impact of IT
- learn to organise information to enhance its value for businesses
- gain practical knowledge in economics, business and management as well as IT
International Business Economics
What’s it all about?
The specialisation gives you a solid foundation in the two key pillars of modern commerce: economics and business.
You compare economic models with real-life cases of running a business, to find out what’s really going on behind the scenes of the business world.
Economics is all about the use of resources in local, national and international markets:
- Why do economies work the way they do?
- How do they respond to different policies and events, such as austerity measures or the Russian involvement in Ukraine?
Business, meanwhile, brings the focus down to the level of the company:
How do individual businesses respond to policies and events?
How can their responses be improved?
You’ll like this if you …
like to experience other cultures and speak foreign languages
have strong analytical qualities
are interested in investigating the underlying causes of economic events
want to get to the bottom of complex business problems
What you’ll actually do:
develop knowledge in economics, strategy, finance and accounting
build your skills in quantitative analysis and economic modelling
apply your new knowledge and skills to practical problems in business and economics
learn to communicate confidently and successfully with your peers and the wider world
gain a top business and economic education that employers have confidence in
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