Finance Schools and Programs in Belgium

Finance Studies in Belgium

Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School in GentBelgium is often referred to as the heart of Europe and it is the centre of global networking and cooperation thus providing its students with an enriched academic experience. The country is made up of three main regions that are structured under the federal government. These regions include the German community, the Dutch side (Flemish community), and the French side (Wallonia-Brussels). The environment is multicultural thus offering people a lesson in determination, openness, and tolerance. Belgium has experienced quite an influx of international students enrolling at the local universities which offer a lot of courses including finance.

If you want to pursue your finance degree abroad, Belgium is a country that you could consider and here is why. The country has universities that are well known globally. It also has good opportunities for global networking that is quite beneficial for students. Outside the academic life, there are other reasons for you to study in Belgium such as the amazing Belgian waffles, the country’s specialties and cuisines, the high quality of life, and the beautiful countryside.

The article below discusses the study of finance in the country. It also highlights some of the universities that offer the course at the different academic levels and the job opportunities for finance graduates. 

Finance as a study

Finance as a study can be understood as the field that deals with the management of money. It also deals with monetary resources and everything linked to it such as credit, liabilities, investment, assets, banking, and so on. Finance has three main categories: public, corporate, and personal finance. It is important to note that finance is a very intricate course and it needs the ability and solid knowledge in areas such as economics, statistics, mathematics, and at times computer programming.

Public finance often deals with the state finances or the divisions in a state for instances provinces, municipalities or counties, as well as the central banking structure which has a lot of influence on the international economy. Corporate finance focuses on increasing the profit or the worth of a private institution by balancing profitability and risk in the management of investments.

Finance study in Belgium

Universities in Belgium offer finance courses in all the three academic levels; undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD. The finance degrees educate learners on how to manage funds, and also the different levels of obtaining and apportioning resources that are needed for capital investments. These degrees are taught with the aim of discovering how to make use of all the assets so as to optimize the financial resources toward the aims of a person or an institution. The finance programs also enable students to have a better understanding of the stock market and its trends. The programs provide students with knowledge that they can use to make a prediction of the market and capitalize on it by making use of the diverse trading methods.

Students are also able to gain insight into business procedures and acquire the ability to utilize mathematical aptitude and take the objectives, options and resources of the client or institution into consideration, and at the same time come up with suggestions for financial growth.

The courses are not only taught by local lectures but also by global guest speakers who teach a majority of the courses.
All the finance courses offered by the different universities in Belgium are recognized globally. The universities also offer options that allow students to shift between fields of study or incorporate training courses in their programs. Internships are usually organized by the universities where students get to interact with potential employers and have a tangible experience of how the sector operates. A number of companies where students can get internship include L'Oréal, Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Solvay, and EY just to mention a few.

Dutch and French are the main languages used to teach in the universities across the country. There are also other universities that offer global programmes that are taught in English. Taking courses taught in English makes it easier for a student to transfer the knowledge they acquire to other nations. Taking English-taught courses also enables students to have more worldwide employment opportunities.

As mentioned earlier, all universities in the country offer finance courses at the different academic levels. These are, however, some of the top universities you could consider: Université libre de Bruxelles, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Ghent University, University of Liège, University of Antwerp, ICHEC Brussels Management School, and Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School among others.

Employment opportunities for finance graduates

There are a number of graduate jobs available for finance graduates. Graduate jobs can be understood as the full-time entry level jobs for people who have finished a degree from the university. These jobs have a normal work week made up of 30-45 hours and they are accompanied by an equivalent salary and a number of possible benefits. These jobs create one of the most popular types of employment in the country today and can be found in enterprises of all sizes, shapes and in all sectors, even finance.

Jobs in the finance sector are divided between two different, but highly inter-linked functions which are financial and accounting posts. The financial positions refer to the management of an institution’s financial operations while accounting positions focus on the collection and recording of financial operations of an institution for the benefit of both external and internal share holders.

Some of the job opportunities a finance graduate could consider are being an account administrator, asset manager, credit analyst, financial advisor, financial planner, business analyst, investment/commercial banker, real estate or insurance broker, economist, financial manager, ledger accountant, financial controller, or an auditor among others.

Take this opportunity to study finance in Belgium today and get to experience what the country has to offer as you build your career. Remember to also enjoy the country’s diverse culture from its food to the beautiful scenery. Study and have fun at the same time!