Applied Economic Sciences: Economic Policy

Entry requirements for the Master of Economic Policy

Entry requirements for the Master of Economic Policy

Diploma requirements

Students who have not obtained a diploma in Belgium, the Netherlands or Luxembourg should submit an application for screening through Mobility Online. Applications open in November of the academic year preceding enrollment.

Direct admission

As of academic year 2023-2024, the following academic degrees, obtained in Belgium or the Netherlands (NL), will give direct access to the Master:

  • Bachelor in de toegepaste economische wetenschappen: bedrijfskunde
  • Bachelor in Business Economics
  • Bachelor in de toegepaste economische wetenschappen: economisch beleid
  • Bachelor in de toegepaste economische wetenschappen
  • Bachelor in de economische wetenschappen
  • Bachelor handelsingenieur
  • Bachelor of Business Engineering
  • Bachelor handelsingenieur in de beleidsinformatica
  • Bachelor in de sociaal-economische wetenschappen
  • Bachelor of Social-Economic Sciences
  • Master in de handelswetenschappen*
  • Master of Business Administration*
  • Bachelor in economie en bedrijfseconomie (NL)
  • Bachelor of Economics and Business Economics (NL)
  • Bachelier en Sciences Economiques (LUX)

* Please note that a Flemish Bachelor in de handelswetenschappen (Bachelor of Business Administration) or HBO degree does not provide access to the Master in Applied Economic Sciences: Economic Policy. Students with a Bachelor of Business Administration need to apply via the website and take up one or more courses of the preparatory programma.


Access after admission procedure

As a minimum eligibility requirement, applicants must hold an academic bachelor’s degree from a recognized university. The diploma must correspond to at least 180 ECTS of bachelor courses (three years of full-time studies) at university level. Applicants in their final bachelor year are also encouraged to apply. The offer of admission then is conditional upon completion of the undergraduate degree before enrollment in the master.

Academic bachelor's degree in Economics, Economic Policy or equivalent

When starting the master's programme, students should have a thorough knowledge and understanding of intermediate macro- and microeconomics, research methodology, mathematics, econometrics and business economics. The board of admissions will screen all applications for the above-mentioned competencies. In some cases, a selection of courses from the preparatory programme  may be required to fill limited expertise gaps. The necessity and content of the preparatory programme will be determined case per case by the board of admissions, depending on the obtained credits in the prior degree(s). A preparatory programme of up to 12 ECTS can be combined with the full master's programme, enabling students to graduate in one year.

Other diplomas

Students who have obtained or will obtain an academic bachelor's or master’s degree in a discipline different from Economics will have to follow a preparatory programme  of max. 60 ECTS. Students may receive some exemptions in the preparatory programme based on the obtained credits in their prior study programme(s). All possible exemptions will be assessed case per case by the board of admissions upon admission approval. Depending on the load of the preparatory programme, students may be allowed to combine the preparatory programme with certain courses of the master and complete the master programme in 1,5 or two years. 

Language proficiency

The programme is in English. If your degree was not issued by a recognized educational institution in Belgium, the Netherlands or Luxembourg, you will have to provide evidence of your level of English. Such proof should be sought in advance of the application window. Recognized language certificates and proficiency levels are the following:

  • ​TOEFL iBT (Test Of English as a Foreign Language) score of 80 or higher.
  • ​Academic IELTS (International English Language Testing System) 6.5 or higher, with a minimum of 6.0 for each part.
  • ​ITACE (Interuniversity Test of Academic English for Students) with minimum level B2.
  • ​B2 First certificate Cambridge Assessment English
  • A prior full English-language diploma in the UK, Ireland, US, Canada, Australia or New Zealand.

In case of doubt, the board of admissions may wish to verify your command of English, for example, through an (online) interview. These tests or conditions may differ from those formulated on the university's central page. If you apply for this master's programme, you need to follow the language requirements as described here.

GMAT or GRE

Unless exempted, applicants should include a GMAT, GMAT Focus Edition or GRE test result in their application:

  • GMAT overall score of 600 or higher and  a minimum score of 49 on the quantitative part (from February 1, 2024 it will no longer be possible to take the GMAT test);
  • ​GMAT Focus Edition overall score of 565 or higher and minimum score of 82 on quantitative reasoning;
  • GRE with a minimum score of 160 on quantitative reasoning and a minimum score of 152 on verbal reasoning.

Students are exempted from submitting a GMAT (Focus Edition)/GRE test result if they have obtained their economics degree at one of the following institutions:

How to apply and enrol