Economics and Business Economics

You qualify for admission:

• If you hold an International/European Baccalaureate (including Maths Higher or Maths Standard/Methods and English);

• If you hold a secondary school or pre-university diploma from an EEA country that grants admission to a Business Studies programme at a university in your own country (including equivalents of the IB/EB Maths Higher or Maths Standard/Methods and a proof of English language skills);

• If you hold a secondary school or pre-university diploma from a non-EEA country, your diploma will be compared with the Dutch University Preparatory Certificate (VWO) and the IB/EB.

Students with deficiencies with regard to Maths and/or English may be asked to take a Maths entrance examination and/or a recognized English language ability test such as TOEFL or IELTS. You need a TOEFL score of at least 580 for the written version, 240 for the computer version, 92 for the internet version, a minimum IELTS score of 6.5, or Cambridge Certificate Advanced English A, B or C.

Application:

You can apply online, please go to www.rug.nl/howtoapply

The deadlines are:

• 1 December for applicants who wish to apply for a scholarship
• 1 May for non-EEA nationals (requiring a visa to enter the Netherlands)
• 1 June for all other students

Your first year of E&BE will provide you with the fundamentals of Economics and Business Economics, like microeconomics and macroeconomics, international marketing, financial accounting, international economics, finance and international business.

In the courses of international business and marketing you learn about enterprises that operate in the international market and their market strategies.

After your first year, you choose one of the two specializations: Economics or International Economics & Business. If you specialize in Economics, you will be trained to become a qualified Economist, with a broad theoretical background and the skills to apply that theory in practice.

If you choose International Economics & Business, you choose a career as an economist with a strongly international profile and a focus on the issues from international economics and business strategy. Although the International Economics & Business (IE&B) specialization is rooted in economics, it does not restrict itself to this. It makes extensive use of the teaching in the business section, and in fact shares a limited number of courses with its sister programme in International Business (IB).

Both in Economics and in International Economics and Business you will have the opportunity to spend a period of six months abroad, taking economics and business courses (mostly electives of your own choosing) at a foreign university. The Faculty of Economics and Business has excellent international contacts. Cooperation takes place with partner institutions throughout Europe, as well as in countries outside Europe. The programme is rounded off by writing a bachelor thesis.

A Bachelor of Science in Economics and Business Economics gives you access to a number of Master's degree programmes at the Faculty of Economics and Business. Economics, International Economics and Business, Business Administration and International Business and Management are all avaliable to a graduate.

With an international master, you will qualify for positions in multinational firms, governmental institutions or international organizations, or as an analyst with a research institute or university.

With a degree in Economics, you are highly versatile because you were taught to look at the world in a logical, analytical and economic way. Possible job areas are the banking world, where you would research the impact of proposals in the monetary field and advise on the desirability of particular measures as well as the government sector where many economists are also employed in an advisory and/or policy role and managerial positions. When you apply for the Research Master you can choose a career in academia and carry out doctoral research at a university.

Once you have been awarded your PhD, you can continue working at the university as a researcher and lecturer. The teacher training in Economics and Business Studies offers job opportunities not only as a teacher, but in any combination of education and economics, for example as a designer, instructor, coach, presenter or researcher.

Bachelor of Science in Economics and Business Economics

Tuition fees for 2010-2011:

For EU/EEA citizens 2010/2011: approx. € 1,620 

For Non EU/EEA citizens 2010/2011: approx. € 6,800

Study at the University of Groningen: a highly reputed European university!

Founded in 1614 the University of Groningen is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands and enjoys an international reputation as one of the leading research universities in Europe. It is a university with a modern, student-oriented vision on education and a wide range of high-quality degree programmes that covers the Bachelor, Master and PhD levels. Utilizing its heritage to generate innovation the University of Groningen combines research and knowledge with an interdisciplinary approach.

The dominant principle at the university is permanent and systematic quality improvement, both in education and research and the school's degrees have all been accredited by the Dutch Government as well as being internationally acknowledged.

All students are offered balanced educational packages in diverse subject areas and the university also provide space for the personal ambitions and qualities of students. As a student at the University of Goningen you can make use of the top class computer facilities, high-speed access to e-mail and internet as well as an online student support system.

The University of Groningens have libraries that contains more than three million titles, over 15,000 periodicals and an online electronic library as well as a Language Centre that offers courses in many languages at various levels. The school's very own sports centre is open 7 days a week, offering a large selection of both indoor and outdoor activities and the student societies are there for students to socialise and meet likeminded people. For creative minds there is the cultural centre's theatre, exhibitions and various courses providing high quality entertainment and training options.

Facts & Figures of the University of Groningen:

• 26,700 students (October 1, 2009)
• 6,000 first year students (October 1, 2009)
• 4,691 fte staff
• 364 fte professors
• 1,500 PhD students
• 60 Bachelor's programmes, 115 Master's programmes
• 75 English-taught Master's programmes, of which 10 Double Degree programmes
• 8 English-taught Bachelor's programmes
• 16 Research Masters
• 9 faculties, 9 Graduate Schools
• Turnover: 550 million