Why this programme?
Economics looks at broader problems that relate to individuals, governments, and national as well as international economies. It’s a science that examines how markets work, how businesses and consumers behave, and how legislative and regulatory changes impact businesses and consumers. Business Economics covers economic problems within companies and how to solve them. You’ll develop the skills to examine economic issues from all angles and to come up with appropriate solutions.
In the Economics and Business Economics programme, you’ll analyse business problems using tools from both economics and business:
- Economics: quantitative skills, economic modelling, information management, knowledge management, network economics
- Business: strategy, finance, accounting, banking, managerial economics
Your first year
All students will follow the same courses in the first year. These cover a broad range of business and economics topics such as finance, accounting, international economic relations, micro and macroeconomics, organisation and marketing as well as skills such as presentation, communication and quantitative skills. This will allow you to make a well-informed decision about which specialisation you’re interested in pursuing in your second and third years.
What you’ll actually do:
- Learn by doing in small, intercultural teams
- Address the sorts of problems you’ll face in your career, in a study setting designed to resemble a real working environment
- Develop your knowledge of marketing, economics, finance and management
- Enhance your practical skills in mathematics, statistics and computer science
- Learn how to apply the insights you gain to run businesses more effectively
You’ll like this study if you…
- like discussing politics and current affairs
- enjoy analysing problems in business and economics
- like working on practical problems in an international team
Problem Based Learning
Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is an innovative, student-centred instructional method widely used at Maastricht University. You will work in small tutorial groups of 12 to 15 students, and collaboratively seek practical solutions to real-world problems. Instructors act as facilitators, giving help as it’s needed. This allows you to build independence and develop research skills. As opposed to lectures – which are still the primary teaching method at most universities – PBL is dynamic, requiring active participation in a variety of tasks such as:
- deciding how to approach a given problem
- setting learning goals
- organising tasks to achieve those goals
- sharing your findings with one another
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With PBL, you’ll develop the practical skills you need in the workplace by taking skills trainings tailored to your courses.
Skill trainings you might take include:
- quantitative methods
- managing takeovers
- interview skills and techniques
- customer relations management
- country risk analysis
Maastricht University students on Problem-Based Learning
The International Classroom
As the world becomes increasingly globalised, those doing business must be able to work with people from many different cultural backgrounds. Students and staff come from all over Europe and the rest of the world, and Maastricht itself is at an international crossroads between the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. An additional 450 exchange students from 39 different countries come to study at our faculty every year. Such diversity creates a strong international atmosphere.
We Are Global
Study abroad
In the Economics and Business Economics programme, you’ll be required to study abroad for at least half a year. This gives you the opportunity to expand your knowledge of other cultures and practices. The School has an extensive network of more than 130 partner universities around the world, in countries including Australia, Singapore, South Africa, the United States, and throughout Europe. The semester abroad at a partner university is a compulsory part of the curriculum. Depending on your study programme, you go on exchange either in the first or in the second semester of your third year of your bachelor’s.
On a yearly base, up to 750 SBE students spend part of their studies abroad within an exchange programme, and about 740 exchange students visit SBE.
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Internships
Within this bachelor’s programme, there are two internship possibilities: a curricular and an extracurricular internship. The curricular internship involves replacing part of the programme (4 ECTS) with an internship. The internship should be between 6 and 14 weeks full-time. Most students opt for an internship during the summer break, either in the second or third year. The extracurricular internship is an addition to your bachelor’s programme and does not replace any part of your programme curriculum. The internship should be between 8 and 26 weeks full-time.
To assist you in finding an internship, SBE maintains a database with internship opportunities for each programme. The SBE Internship Office is also on hand for guidance and counselling.
Skills training
You’ll develop the practical skills you need in the workplace by taking skills training tailored to your courses. These include training on research methods, using software for statistical analysis and presenting your findings.
MaRBLe excellence programme
Through the Maastricht Research Based Learning programme, MaRBLe for short, we offer talented third-year bachelor’s students the opportunity to conduct their own research project. You will be guided by experienced academic staff who will help you further develop your critical thinking and research skills. This will help prepare you for a career in scientific research or research positions in business.
Reinforce your mathematics skills
At Maastricht University, we want to offer all the support we can to help you succeed. Students who discontinue economics programmes often cite difficulties with the level of mathematics required for the coursework. To prevent this, we offer an online preparatory course during the summer that helps to reinforce your math skills. Although the course is not obligatory, we recommend that you take it before starting the programme. The assessment test will help you determine your skill level before registering for the course.
The online preparatory course is a supplement to your education and cannot be used to meet the mathematics requirements for admission to this programme.
More about the online mathematics preparatory course
Foundation Programme
International applicants who do not meet the admission requirements:
Foundation Programme
If you are an international applicant, and you do not meet the admission requirements, then you may be eligible for the Foundation Programme. The Foundation Programme will provide you with intensive training in academic skills, courses relevant to your chosen bachelor's programme, and English language skills (depending on your level).
After successfully completing the Foundation Programme, you will qualify for admission to this bachelor’s programme. Additionally, the Foundation Programme offers support outside of the classroom and organises events that will help you make new friends and adjust to life in the Netherlands and at Maastricht University.
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