Become a master in management in one year
the main advantages of this programme:
Introduction of the programme
International focus
The courses are selected with a multicultural and multidisciplinary audience in mind. This implies that all courses have a broader international focus, meaning the programme prepares you for management positions in varied and complex international environments.
Each year, students of more than 50 different nationalities are interested in joining this master programme. Combined with the different study backgrounds, this creates a multicultural and multidisciplinary vibe.
Ewa Mlynarczyk, Class of 2019-2020
Throughout the programme I met students from all over the world. Studying in a multi-cultural environment was an aspect of the programme that I enjoyed very much.
"I highly recommend the programme to all prospective students who wish to gain the knowledge and understanding of the managerial environment. I have completed Master’s in Management along with the Preparatory Programme Master of Science in Management in one year graduating in 2020. Completing these two courses gave me both basic and in-depth knowledge of business and managerial environments. Studying finance, economy, accounting, supply chain management along with marketing, corporate strategy and human resource management provided me with practical knowledge and built my confidence of a manager already working in the field. It also inspired me to further expand my horizons and grow in the business environment."
Ewa Mlynarczyk, Web Content Manager.
Lin Jiang, Class of 2019-2020
As an international student who is also working full time in the IT field, I was looking for an additional master programme to strengthen my knowledge in the field of business and management.
"I would like to recommend this programme because first, the curriculum consists of courses covering all the aspects of management such as marketing, supply chain, IT, strategy, etc, and you can choose thesis topics from any of those fields; second, all the classes are offered in English and are held during the non-working hours, this enables international students to combine both work and study; third, the programme is quite flexible, you can choose to spread the courses in multiple years according to your availability. I am sure after following this challenging programme, it will boost your career opportunities and expand your networks."
Lin Jiang works as product owner for Agile.
Study at the Solvay Business School, VUB
The programme is organized by the Faculty of Social Sciences & Solvay Business School, a part of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Every year, about 120 new students enrol in the master in management.
The Solvay Business School has its roots in the founding of the Business Engineer programme by Ernest Solvay in 1903. A long tradition of integrating business education with technology was born then and still continues in all of its programmes.
Highly skilled professionals with an excellent command of various languages and a good understanding of multiple cultures are needed in national and international public institutions and in multinational companies. As the capital of Europe, Brussels is the perfect setting in which to prepare yourself for such a job.
Programme overview
This programme is entirely organised in evening classes: on weekday evenings between 6pm and 10pm, and occasionally on a Saturday before noon. All students start with the preparatory programme in the first semester.
Preparatory programme
All new students start with the preparatory programme in the first semester. All students have to complete this programme to be able to graduate as a master in management.
It is designed to teach you the very basics of accounting, finance, management, hrm, research methods, etc. Courses are entirely organized in the first weeks of the first semester. For this reason, there is no second semester intake. Although it is technically possible to combine the preparatory and the Master's programme in one academic year, most students, especially working students and/or students with parental responsibilities, choose to spread the programme over two or more academic years. Unless you can study full-time, we strongly recommend spreading the programme. You can consult possible spreading scenarios here.
When you complete the prep programme, you receive a prepraratory programme certificate containing an overview of the completed courses.
| Preparatory course | ECTS | Semester |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction to accounting and finance | 3 | 1st |
| Introduction to Management and HRM | 3 | 1st |
| Introduction to Informatics and Supply Chain Management | 3 | 1st |
| Introduction to Marketing and Market Research | 3 | 1st |
| Economics for Business | 3 | 1st |
| Statistics for Business | 6 | 1st |
| Research Methods for Business (holders of a master degree are exempted from this course) | 6 | 1st |
Master programme
The master programme offers a wide view of the field of business and economics. There is a strong focus on developing analytical skills through a variety of courses providing interactive exercises and group works, such as business games.
The curriculum consists of 7 courses and the master thesis:
| Master course | ECTS | Semester |
|---|---|---|
| Financial and Managerial Accounting | 6 | 1st |
| Informatics for Management | 6 | 1st |
| Business and Corporate Strategy | 6 | 1st |
| Human Resource Management | 6 | 2nd |
| Strategic Marketing | 6 | 2nd |
| Supply Chain Management | 6 | 2nd |
| Corporate Finance and Investment Analysis | 6 | 2nd |
| Master Thesis Management or Master Thesis Pre-doctoral Track | 18 | 1st & 2nd |
More time for the master thesis
The master thesis is the final chapter of your master study (18 ECTS). You link with a topic and supervisor in the first weeks of the first semester. The programme will offer you the time, space and guidance needed to work on your master thesis. We schedule the second semester exams right after the spring break, which leaves the last few weeks of the academic year free of lectures. This should give you ample time to finalize your master thesis.
Programme calendar
First semester
You start mid-September with a preparatory programme (6 or 7 courses to complete). After several weeks, 3 master courses are organized alongside the preparatory courses. The first semester ends in December, followed by exams in January.
Second semester
starting halfway February - 4 master courses are scheduled in 8 weeks of class, followed by the spring break. Exams (2nd sem courses) are organized in the 2 weeks after the spring break. In the weeks after these exams you can finalize your master thesis (deadline is around the end of May).
Resit exams
organized in August and September. This second chance exam is included in your enrollment and we expect you to attend this exam if you've failed a first exam session (no failed result is transferred to second session).
Marcos Plaza Garcia, class of 2019-2020
The lectures take place during the evening, making it compatible with a full-time job (even if it is very challenging)
"As an engineer you take decisions that may have a big impact on the business and the company. In order to find the right combination between technical and business side, I was looking to expand my knowledge in business while continuing my career. The Master in Management touches upon the main business pillars of a company: Strategy, Marketing, Human Resources, IT, Supply Chain or Finance, always from a managerial perspective, which makes it especially attractive, allowing us to view different ways of approaching decisions. The programme is thought for working and international students, so the practical examples focus on different industries and cultures, from the past to actual businesses, giving added value and promoting out of the box thinking."
Marcos works as an Engineer at Toyota Motor Europe.
Learning outcomes
Learning outcomes describe the intended knowledge and understanding, skills and attitudes that you must master after completing your studies. Do you want to know more about the specific learning outcomes of this programme? Click here for more information.
Admission requirements and application procedure
We've listed both academic and language requirements. Further below you find information regarding the application procedure.
Academic requirements
Acceptance to this programme is based on a screening process of your application file.
This preparatory and master programme is designed for students with (at least) an academic bachelor degree with only little to no prior study background in the field of business economics and/or management. If there is not too much overlap between what you studied before and what we offer in our Master programme, then you might be found eligible for it. Due to the popularity of this programme and the limited capacity on campus, we make a strong selection based on your overall study results, motivation and overall application file.
No acceptance
Candidates with an academic degree in the following study fields have no admission into this programme (overqualified):
- Business (Administration)
- Commerce
- Management
- Business Economics
If you already have an academic degree in business economics and/or management, check out our Master of Science in International Business.
Upload an official statement on the medium of instruction of your previous study, if this was in the English language
Language requirements
Good English language skills are an important prerequisite for successfully completing the master. There are three ways to prove your proficiency:
Option A: send us one of the following language certificates proving your CEFR B2 level:
- TOEFL (only the internet-based test is accepted): minimum level: 79
- IELTS: minimum level academic module 6.5
- Cambridge English: Grade scale level 170 or above (= equivalent to the CEFR B2)
- ITACE: minimum grade B2
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are aware that students may face difficulties to take a test in person. Please note that we also accept the TOEFL IBT Special Home Edition and the IELTS Indicator. These are variants of the classic TOEFL and IELTS tests that you may take at home.
Please note that language test results cannot be older than 5 years at the moment of application.
Option B: having successfully completed secondary or higher education with English as language of instruction:
- submit official proof of the language of instruction of your previous study;
Option C: having successfully completed Belgian secondary education
- submit official proof that you completed a study in the Belgian educational system
Application procedure
The best way to find out if you can start in this programme next academic year, is to submit your online application file.
Required documents
You have to prepare and upload the following official documents through the online application procedure:
- Digital copy of your Identity (ID-card or passport)
- Profile picture
- Official diploma of higher education (bachelor and/or master)
- Official transcript of records (both an original language version and a version that is officially translated into English)
- Motivational letter
- Proof of language proficiency (you find the options on this web page)
Frequently asked questions on this master programme
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No, you just apply for the master programme. All students who are accepted to join the master in management have to combine the enrollment with the preparatory programme by default (and as stated on your letter of acceptance).
We ask you to prepare the following documents digitally, so you can upload them during the online application process:
- Passport copy
- Profile picture (ends up on your student card and profile)
- Official undergraduate/bachelor and graduate/master degree(s) (if applicable)
- Official transcript of records of all degrees
- Proof of English language proficiency
- Motivational letter (1 or 2 pages)
No, unfortunately we do not accept students holding a professional (bachelor) degree. We offer a bridging course in Dutch for students holding such a degree (the so called "schakelprogramma voor de master in de bedrijfskunde"). Note that you can only take this bridging programme if you meet the Dutch language requirements (B2-level), after which you can opt to switch to the English-taught master in management.
This will be explained in the first week of classes by the master thesis coordinator (we use an online information system to connect master students with topics/supervisors).
Topics are offered by professors (supervisors) connected to three different education and research departments within Solvay Business School: business technology and operations, applied economics and business, management, accounting and finance.
You can opt to spread your programme by not registering for all courses in the same academic year. We advise you to discuss your specific situation with the study path counselor. Students with a student visa have limited spreading options due to student visa conditions and have to take at least 54 ECTS-credits in their first year. More information here.
There are no electives in this programme. All courses must be completed in order to graduate.
However, it is possible to take extracurricular courses (not credited), such as language courses at ACTO or CVO Semper. If you complete a language course, you receive a language certificate that proves your level of proficiency.
Do you have the impression that we offer a course that you already completed in a previous academic study programme? Is there a lot of content overlap? In this case you have the option to request an exemption following the faculty exemption procedure described on this website: https://student.vub.be/en/es#exemptions
No, there is no limited number of seats for new students. However, we do employ a strict selection procedure throughout the screening process due to the popularity of this programme (unfortunately, we are unable to accomodate all applicants).
No, the programme consists only of mandatory courses, which means there is no room for electives or internship options.
The answer depends both on the number of courses you register for and on the semester. If you go for the full-time offer in combination with the preparatory courses, you should take into account that you have classes every evening of the week, and in the first semester occasionally on a Saturday morning.
Timetables for the upcoming academic year are still in progress, we expect them to be available a week prior to the start of next academic year.
Yes. We understand that you're still in doubt about your study choice for next year, but already eager to find out if you are eligible to join this (or any other) master programme at VUB. You can apply for more than one programme at once using your personal account. Take into account that we do ask you to pay the application fee for every request (so per programme).
Yes you can. If you have good study results and got bit by the research bug, you can look for a research topic and a supervisor. You find more on the conditions to start a PhD at VUB on this website.
We expect you to have basic statistical and mathematical skills such as calculating the mean, standard deviation, the median, etc. In the preparatory courses 'quantitative methods for business' and 'research methods for business' we expand your statistical knowledge in order to prepare you for the master.
New students have the option to take an additional preparatory workshop in the first semester on quantitative methods (basic maths).
The master in management prepares you to enter the job market competitively.
The programme offers career prospects in marketing, finance, accounting, human resources, strategy, IT and logistics. In short there are prospects in all functional areas of every private or public company.
A general management position is also within reach. In addition, the master in management will also prepare you to start your own business as an entrepreneur. Are you already working? Then strengthen your position and create growth opportunities within your field with this degree.
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