Introduction

The Bachelor of Science in Business Engineering is a joint English-taught programme organised by the Faculty of Economics and Business of KU Leuven and the Faculty of Economics, Social and Political Sciences and Communication of the UCLouvain Saint-Louis Bruxelles. Both institutions are situated in the heart of the city, near Brussels Central Station. Students will attend courses and take exams at both institutions and obtain a joint degree.

In the Business Engineering programme, you will focus on managing and optimising business processes. You will become acquainted with business economics as well as the different functional domains in companies (e.g. accountancy, financial management, marketing, production and logistics, human resources management). You will learn how a company operates on a daily basis and how its processes are organised. Designing business processes is often at the core of the business engineer’s activities, e.g. in companies looking to launch a new production process, optimise it or make their service process run more efficiently. In doing so, you will pay attention to human behaviour and the social phenomena that determine the way we think and act. As you need to know how the economic world surrounding the organization works, you will learn about important economic concepts and methods through economic analysis. Topics dealing with law and tax regulations are also a crucial part of the programme, seeing they can have a major impact on business.

In addition to advancing your managerial skills, you will also sharpen your analytical skills. You will master the necessary mathematical and statistical techniques to analyse business problems and work out optimal solutions (e.g. staff planning, organisation of a production process, sales predictions for the next quarter, measuring the impact of an advertising campaign). Considering information is more important than ever, you will also acquire a solid background in ICT skills and information management. As a business engineer, you need to know how companies can manage and analyse information. After an introduction to natural and applied sciences, you will understand critical technological processes and are able to assess the impact of innovation on companies, their environment and sustainability.

The combination of business economics, quantitative methods and technology offers you the opportunity to develop a unique multi-disciplinary approach towards business, which makes the Business Engineering programme extremely relevant in today’s world. Moreover, the integration of all these disciplines is a priority in many companies, both in production environments and in the service sector (e.g. consultancy or ICT). After all, many solutions to complex business problems require input from a variety of disciplines.

The Business Engineering programme has also a strong international focus. Students can participate in exchange programmes with numerous partners both within and outside Europe.

Mathematics and Statistics: crucial building blocks

Today’s business engineers often use mathematical and statistical models to describe reality in a logical way. The language of mathematics and statistics is a powerful tool to describe and explore those models. By learning this language you develop your skills in recognizing structures, systematic problem-solving, and checking the plausibility of the obtained result. You will also refine and apply your knowledge of mathematics and statistics in various courses, including linear optimisation, operations research, econometrics, accounting, finance, sciences and technologies.

Description of the mathematical topics you are expected to have covered before entering the Bachelor of Business Engineering programme, can be found here : Mathematical topics.

We offer a range of opportunities to help you assess and develop your mathematical skills, before you start your bachelor's degree. We have developed an online test that you can take before applying, and which will give you customized feedback and advice on how to bridge possible minor knowledge gaps.

• You can assess your mathematical skills with the following free test by filling in this online form. You can take the free test several times. Free online mathematics test

Bring your mathematics skills up to the required level

Does the online mathematics test reveal any shortcomings in your prerequisite knowledge? The workload in the first year of our Bachelor’s programme is very high, making it difficult or almost impossible to catch up on the fly if you have important gaps in your mathematics prerequisites.

Therefore we invite you to start preparing now, by joining our online preparation track using the innovative learning platform SOWISO. It will provide you with explanations, examples and endless randomized practice exercises with personal feedback on all answer attempts. Each topic offers an initial test so you can assess what you already master.

Additionally, just before the beginning of the academic year, we offer a four-day refresher course on our Brussels campus.

At the start of their bachelor’s studies, all students take an initial mathematics assessment test. It is similar in content and style to the free online mathematics test. The test is compulsory and is to be taken on campus; based on this test you will receive feedback on how well you are prepared for the mathematics in the Bachelor of Business Engineering. A score of at least 60% will give you a bonus point for the first semester’s mathematics course. A very low score (below 40%) indicates that you may not be ready to start the Bachelor of Business Engineering.

• Practical information preparatory track & refresher course

Two institutions, one programme, one degree

The Faculty of Economics and Business of KU Leuven and the Faculty of Economics, Social and Political Sciences and Communication of the Université Saint-Louis – Bruxelles jointly organise the English-language Bachelor programme in Business Engineering.

KULeuven
Founded in 1425, KULeuven has been an acclaimed centre for learning and teaching for almost six centuries. Today, it is Belgium's highest-ranked university as well as one of the oldest and most renowned universities in Europe.
As a leading European research university and co-founder of the League of European Research Universities (LERU), KU Leuven has a wide variety of programmes in English on offer, supported by high-quality interdisciplinary research. Boasting an outstanding central location in the heart of Europe, KU Leuven provides students with a truly international experience, high-quality education, world-class research and cutting-edge innovation.

Site Saint-Louis - Bruxelles
Established in 1858, Université Saint-Louis - Bruxelles specialises in human and social sciences. In 2007, the Institute for European Studies was created within USL-B. It has since gained an excellent reputation for multilingual education. Conveniently located in the capital's centre, it is just a five-minute walk away from KU Leuven Brussels campus.

Your profile

• Gaining insight into the roles various business domains play in organisations and into the economic world surrounding organisations.
• Mastering the necessary mathematical and statistical techniques to analyse and solve business problems.
• Acquiring a solid background in ICT and information management.
• Developing a business perspective on science and engineering.
• Having an analytical and abstract thinking ability. A thorough training in mathematics is a necessity.

Your future job

After obtaining your Bachelor's degree in Business Engineering, you can continue your studies in this field by completing the Master’s degree programme in Business Engineering, you are however also prepared for any Master’s degree in Economics and Business with a strong quantitative focus.

A degree in Business Engineering opens many doors in a wide range of sectors. Generally speaking, business engineers take up managerial functions in various business domains, including, but not limited to, marketing and finance. They usually start their careers taking on expert positions within companies (e.g. banking and insurance, ICT, telecom, logistics), in research or in consulting services, and move up to executive functions.

Clearly, with a degree in Business Engineering, you are fit to join management in any department of a company or organisation. Moreover, a business engineer’s unique profile is very much appreciated by companies in both Belgium and abroad. Thanks to language courses and many opportunities to train partly at a foreign partner institution, you will be prepared to embark on an international career.
 

An ideal way to kick start your career!

We actively encourage you to invest in practical experiences as a valuable addition to your educational programme.

Advantages:

• Gain relevant experience in an interesting environment
• Explore the labour market and work life
• Put theory from your programme into practice
• Gain and develop new skills

During your studies you can take part in both intra-curricular and extra-curricular internships. The perfect way to gain insights into your future career and to add relevant working experience to your cv. It is in many cases the first step to your first full time job. Intra-curricular internships are part of your programme and can be accredited.

Career Corner

Career Corner is the online career development platform of the Faculty of Economics and Business. The place to look for internship and/or job opportunities to help you find your future employer and activities that can boost your career development.

The participation in certain career development activities, but also practical experiences like internships, can be certified by our Faculty via Career Corner Portfolio. These certificates are a real added value for your cv and future interviews with employers. Via your Portfolio on Career Corner you can have the activities certified and signed by the Dean.

Facts & figures

• 3 months upon graduation, 81% of our graduates have found a job.
• 84% of our graduates immediately hold a contract of indeterminate duration.
• 92% of our graduates experience that enough descipline-specific and/or general professional skills are taught for their current career.

Employment record Faculty of Economics and Business graduates 2019-2020. Results Alumni Survey Faculty of Economics and Business December 21 - January 22.

Your programme

The Bachelor of Business Engineering programme is a multi-disciplinary programme, consisting of courses within the domains of:

• Management of Business Domains
• Design of Business Processes
• Mathematical and Statistical Techniques - Research Skills
• Natural and Applied Sciences
• Economic Analysis and International Orientation

The combination of these domains makes the Business Engineering programme very relevant in today’s world. The unique combination of business economics, quantitative methods and technology will offer you the opportunity to cultivate a much sought after multi-disciplinary approach towards business.

EEA nationals and Non-EEA nationals who reside in Belgium under a valid residence permit can follow less than 60 ECTS per academic year and accordingly spread their studies in several years. This possibility needs to be discussed with a study career consultant. Note that there are no part-time, evening or weekend courses organized for this category of students. Non-EEA nationals who reside in Belgium under a student visa can consult this website.