The Master in Business Engineering is a two-year management programme which is designed to strengthen the management skills of students who have already gained a first qualification in science (physics and chemistry) and technology (energy, telecommunications, mechanics, computer science) in addition to their studies in economics, management and quantitative methods. It is designed to provide them with the skills and knowledge which will enable them to fully understand the complex and varied issues that companies in the knowledge economy have to face. They also have the possibility of specialising in functional or cross-disciplinary areas of management.
-> Master in Business Engineering 120 
The Financial Times ranked the Louvain School of Management 1st in Belgium, and 22nd worldwide, for its Masters in Business Engineering programme in 2011.
Against this background, the Master in Business Engineering places special emphasis on the development of skills which will enable students to:
- model and formalise problems and management situations with a view to finding solutions and improvements (management science);
- in the industrial world, to make use of technological processes and be able to manage them;
- to understand the complexity of the issues facing innovative businesses and be able to manage them;
- make use of technology and innovation in ‘socially responsible’ management techniques.
In addition, the future graduate in management from the Louvain School of Management will have learned to:
- Act on reflection, aware of his/her responsibilities and putting ethical and humanist values at the heart of his/her perspectives.
- Gain a body of multidisciplinary knowledge in an active and integrated way (knowledge, methods, models, conceptual frameworks) necessary to act with expertise in the different fields of management.
- Analyse and solve multidisciplinary problems and situations of a practical and complex nature using a scientific and systemic approach.
- Define and pilot a project through to the end taking into account the objectives, resources and constraints relating to the situation.
- Become part of a team, collaborate and show enlightened leadership in the management of colleagues.
- Act as an intermediary between different points of view, methods of action, training, nationalities or cultures.
- Communicate and interact effectively, convincing his/her interlocutors.
- Display self-knowledge and independence, to be able to rapidly adjust to new contexts and develop in a positive way.
- Innovate, introduce and lead change.
The competency framework: A compass as a multipurpose tool. This competency framework sets common core competencies expected from all graduates of Masters in Management (120 credits) and Masters in Business Engineering (120 credits), beyond the specific disciplines of these two programmes, and the options and paths selected, by the student. It defines the exit profile of all LSM graduates. It outlines the objectives to be reached by the LSM graduates at the end of his studies, the educators objectives in determining the study programme, and indicates the student’s learning programme. More info: www.lsmcompetencyframework.be
The Louvain School of Management also provides students on the 120 hours Masters programmes four different areas of training which can be accessed after they have been selected :
- Community of European Management Schools (CEMS) Master in International Management (MIM) The Louvain School of Management is the sole partner in Belgium of this network which, for the last few years, has brought together the best European management schools and various partners from outside Europe. The LSM organises this programme which was ranked 3rd by the Financial Times in 2012. This elite programme is designed to train future leaders of multinational and global companies.
- Inter-faculty programme: Creation of Small and Medium Enterprises (CPME - Création des Petites et Moyennes Entreprises)
This programme brings together students from different faculties at UCL and provides them with the analytical tools to help them understand business processes, start or take on businesses of different kinds and to develop business projects within existing organisations.
- International Business programme (IB)
This programme is designed for students who wish to pursue an international career. Through an exchange of courses and a 6-month work placement abroad in a multinational company, it promotes an open-minded approach, intercultural awareness, adaptability and pro-activity, all of which are vital for work in an international context.
By gaining 60 credits from courses at UCL, 60 credits from one of the following partner universities :
and a dissertation worth 20 credits common to both institutions, students are awarded two degrees, one from the Catholic University of Louvain and the other from the partner university.
The 120 hour Master’s degree in Business Engineering includes the following four elements:
- Core subjects worth 30 credits, including the dissertation (20 credits), a course on corporate social responsibility (5 credits) as well as a seminar on topical issues in economics and management (5 credits).
- A professional focus worth 30 credits, with in-depth study of the distinctive disciplines of the engineer: quantitative methods, technology, information systems, innovation and project management. The professional focus also includes a work placement (10 credits) which may be linked to an issue dealt with in the dissertation.
- Two option courses worth 15 credits, each made up of three courses. These option courses enable students to specialise in one or two fields of management, either in a particular discipline or in a multidisciplinary field. Certain option courses are entirely or partly in English whilst others are only in French. The language of the course title indicates the language of instruction. Students may take any of the option courses which are available at the three campuses of the Louvain School of Management : Louvain-la-Neuve, Namur and Mons. In all, over 20 different option courses are available to students in business engineering at the Louvain School of Management.
- An international exchange worth 30 credits, during which students have the opportunity to take courses in one of the 120 universities who are partners of the Louvain School of Management. Students who do not wish to go abroad may instead take an option course worth 15 credits and 3 courses worth 5 credits each.
The first year of the Master’s degree is devoted exclusively to courses in the professional focus and the core subjects, in addition to the two option courses. In the second year, students may do their international exchange in the first semester as the second semester is devoted to the work placement and the dissertation.
In their first year programme (60 credits), students studying for the CEMS Master in International Management are required an option of three separate courses specific to the CEMS as well as a 10-week work placement in a foreign company. In the second year, one of the two semesters is spent at one of the schools which is a member of the CEMS. This year is devoted to activities and courses reserved for CEMS students and for other courses chosen by students at their host university (43 credits), for completing a Business Project as part of an international team (15 credits) and for an individual dissertation (20 credits). This programme totals 138 credits.
In their first year, students on the Creation of Small and Medium Enterprises (CPME) programme are required to take the two option courses on this programme and to complete a dissertation as part of an inter-faculty team.
Students selected for the International Business (IB) programme do their second year abroad, with an international exchange and a 6-month work placement in a multinational company.
Students on the double degree programme spend their first year studying at UCL (60 credits). The second year is spent in a partner university (60 credits) with a dissertation worth 20 credits common to both universities. This programme totals 140 credits.
Advanced Masters : Advanced Master in Financial Risk Management at the Facultés Universitaires St Louis.
Doctoral programmes : Doctorate in Management.
