For the 1st year coordinator c.f. ECON21

The principal objective is to offer the students a second cycle of university studies in Economics, designed so as to maximise their preparion for their career in economics by offering a diploma with a wide range of flexibility in terms of programme choice.

This "maîtrise" programme enables the student to :

(i) comple his studies by means of a certain number of courses chosen from outside the list of ECON courses, possibly concentrated around a particular subject, in the context of a specific training project.

(ii) participate in an apprenticeship in a professional centre, on which the thesis can be based.

(iii) dedicate the whole of his second year to a study year abroad in a foreign university.

The first year of the "maîtrise" programme coincides with the first year in Economic Sciences (ECON 21) . As a consequence, the access conditions relating to the "licence" programme equally apply to the "maîtrise". In particular, the "maîtrise" is accessible to all students holding a Belgian "candidature" diploma in Economic Sciences and Management. The students will choose between the "licence" programme in two years and the "maîtrise" in three years, after having passed the first year of the "licence" programme.There are no access condition in terms of diploma.

The regular conditions and admission procedures are detailed on the web page "Access to studies":
http://www.ucl.ac.be/etudes/libres/acces.html

The first year programme evolves on four levels, without any options.

-basic studies in microeconomics, macroeconomics and econometrics,

- two courses in specific domains,

- an English course

- two theme-based workshops

The subjects of these courses are spread over the two quadrimesters.

These studies include the supervised reading of a given work (or part of one) or articles, which are not covered in the strict sense of the word during the lectures but rather "commented on" here. Study of these texts is therefore complementary to the lectures. The 15 hours of exercises scheduled for these studies, help with the assimilation and discussion of those texts. This time, therefore, does not constitute "review" but rather hours of group work. A personal succinct report is required and part of the final marks is especially reserved for the evaluation of these complementary readings.

These workshops confront the students with specific questions or topics, with the aim of helping them to read, summarise, analyse, present and write. These workshops therefore constitute the preparation for the thesis.

Those students who wish to anticipate lightening their second year programme have the possibility of adding one of the two reflexive courses offered in the second year to their first year programme.

Students who so wish, may spend this study year in one of the foreign universities with whom the Department organises exchanges, especially in the context of the Erasmus-Socrates exchange. The selection tests take place during the courses of the 2nd quadrimester of the 1st year. Information can be obtained via Mrs Lavry.

The second year of the "maîtrise" studies includes :

- two courses,

- one "historical" oriented course,

- one "reflective" oriented course,

- six options,

- a seminar

- a preparation seminar for the thesis.

Right from the beginning of the second year, the student must submit a training project mestablished in accordance with a tutor-member of the Department. This training project may include a certain number of non-ECON subjects, on condition these do not surpass 6 course subjects. (180 hours) spread over the second last two years. These courses may possibly be concentrated in a 'neighbouring' discipline, especially in Management, Law, Sociology, Rural Economy, Development, Statistical Analysis, operational research or Computer Studies. In the case of subjects disciplines covering numerous domains, such as management or Law, the project must then be concentrated on a special theme, e.g.: marketing or Economic Law.

If the programme proposed necessitates the intervention of several courses from the same department, it needs to be approved by the department concerned in order to guarantee the assurance of the coherence of the programme and the capacity of the student to successfully accomplish the courses proposed.

These studies each comprise 30 hours of lectures as well as 15 hours of practical exercises, designed to cover the complementary readings.

The student will choose a "historical" orientated course from among the following subjects :

The student will choose a "reflective" orientated course from among the following subjects :

The student will choose six options . In addition to the 2nd cycle courses listed below, the student may choose other subjects in the context of his training project .

and one additional course from among the following, taught on other programmes,

Students also have the possibility to register on a 3rd cycle study programme course. His tutor will guide him in his choice of programme.

Students registered for the ECON 22 exam, may include one of the courses on Religious Sciences in their programme, unless they have already followed such a course in their prior studies.

The student will choose a seminar in one of the following subjects :

The preparation seminar for the thesis, groups together all of the students of the second "maîtrise" year, just before the end of the course (beginning of May). The aim is to help the students to present and discuss their thesis projects, on the basis of a mark awarded for the presentation. The latter must indicate that the student is in sufficient control of his project on the levels of the work plan, bibliography and any necessary data. The seminar is equivalent to a 30 hour course.

The third "maîtrise" year comprises :

- 8 options,

- a seminar,

- a thesis,

or

- 6 options,

- an apprenticeship,

- a seminar,

- a thesis.

The student will choose six options . In addition to the 2nd cycle courses listed below, the student may choose other subjects in the context of his training course project .

The student has the possibility of introducing some 3rd cycle courses into his programme, for a maximum of two courses (over the last two years). His tutor will guide him in his choice of programme.

Students who opt to participate in an apprenticeship only need to follow 6 courses (possibly including a seminar), with the apprenticeship period counting for the equivalent of 2 courses. The length of this period corresponds to 8 weeks full time and may be associated with a thesis.

This apprenticeship period may be carried out in the context of a company or administration, possibly in the context of the Service of Economic Analysis of the IRES, under the responsibility of a training supervisor (" maître de stage") and in relation with a lecturer from the Department, possibly the tutor. This apprenticeship is evaluated on the basis of a written report and the opinion of the "maître de stage".

N.B.: Summer apprenticeships are not taken into consideration, here, as company and administration activities slow down during this period and these periods also risk seeming more like summer jobs.

The student will choose a seminar in one of the following subjects :

The courses generally conclude in oral exams and the final mark takes into account the quality of any special pieces of work done by the student. The thesis will be presented orally and defended before a jury. The evaluation of the apprenticeship takes into account the opinion of the "maître de stage" and the apprenticeship organisers.