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Masters in General Management

Develop your leadership potential to steer the fast-moving world of business

#1

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Business School in Belgium

#5

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Career Opportunities Worldwide

TRIPLE

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Accredited Business School

If you’re a graduate who wants to gain vital and hands-on insights into how a company should be run, our Masters in General Management is perfect for you. You’ll live and learn the cutting-edge knowledge, skills and specialist principles that are in high demand today. And you’ll gain a blend of theoretical insight and practical business experience that will allow you to leap to the top of recruiters’ lists.

Detailed programme

Our Masters in General Management runs full-time from early September until the end of June - entailing 60 ECTS credits. Classes take place from 9am to 5.30pm and are a dynamic mix of working on real-life business cases, class interaction, company visits and group exercises.

Our active learning approach involves many assignments in small teams and thus requires mandatory attendance, 100% motivation, and the willingness to work hard.  

Through a diverse choice of electives and bootcamps, you can customise your curriculum to align with your personal and professional goals.

Explore our enhanced offering within the General Management Masters programme by delving into our specialized track in Business Analytics and AI. Elevate your expertise with our Masters in General Management, Business Analytics & AI track.
This specialisation track was crafted to empower you as a data-driven manager, positioning you as a sought-after professional ready to expedite your journey to the pinnacle of success. Embrace the future of management with our unique blend of General Management and cutting-edge Business Analytics and AI track.

Get a full overview of all courses here

At Vlerick, our unique approach blends action learning and personal development.

Action learning

From theory to practice:

  • Interactive classes
  • Pragmatic, multidisciplinary approach
  • Insightful business simulations
  • Real-life cases and challenges

Highlights of the programme include:

  • International study trip to Berlin: The theme is Impossible Futures – you’ll discover how to use societal changes to become future proof and create more effective organisations.
  • Company project: Over two months, you’ll apply everything you’ve learned to a real business challenge of your choice – either in a consultancy project or a global social project for an NGO.
  • IMEx business simulation: Work as a team to manage a fictitious company and compete against other teams on economic, social and environmental metrics – the triple bottom line.

Personal development

Leap from student to professional with:

  • Continuous feedback and coaching
  • Targeted skill development
  • Comprehensive career services
  • Multiple networking opportunities
  • Personal development portfolio

Highlights of the programme include:

  • My Vlerick Development Portfolio: Gain insight into your own strengths and weaknesses, and be challenged to reflect and take actions to improve.
  • Management Skills Seminar: During three days you will focus on leadership development and the management skills you need for the digital age.
  • Diversity and inclusion: Understand your own assumptions, biases and preconceived ideas about how the world works – or should work. Discover which behaviours are acceptable, open your mind – and begin to develop a broader world view.
  • Career Coaching: Stay aligned to the current global job market as you gain the skills, insights and instincts to make a difference and explore your true potential.

Exchange opportunity

Students can apply to complete their company project in the context of the European Human Resource Management programme (EHRM). Through EHRM, you gain international consultancy experience specifically in the field of European HRM while following classes on the topic at several locations across Europe.

Get a full overview of all courses here

Why this programme

  • Broaden your knowledge of all core areas of management – and tailor your curriculum as you select focus areas
  • Develop real, hands-on leadership skills through interactive classes, real-life business cases, business simulations and in-company projects
  • Put your skills into action in a two-month consultancy project in an industry of your choice
  • Witness first-hand how today’s trends are shaping the future of business on an immersive trip to vibrant Berlin
  • Lay the groundwork for a career in consultancy, business development or any managerial function
  • Give your career an extra boost by choosing to complete a Vlerick Certificate in Sales or in Strategy Consulting
  • Enhance your learning journey by taking the European HRM programme across Europe

Curious to find out what it means to study at Vlerick? Discover what it’s like to study in Belgium – as well as practical information on how to organise your stay.

Career benefits

94%

employed within three months after graduation

77%

employed before graduation

12

different industry sectors recruiting graduates

100+

recruitment partners

Here’s a snapshot of our MGM alumni success in the job market:

Visual Career Benefits Masters in General Management - EN

Take a look at the career prospects for our MGM graduates:

  • General management functions in multinational companies, SMEs, government or NGOs
  • Different types of consultancy, such as finance, communications & technology, health & public service
  • Business development and sales
  • Specific functional domains related to your background that also require management skills (e.g. law, IT, engineering)
  • Global companies via traineeships

Take a look at employers of MGM graduates:

GSK logo
Unilever logo
AB InBev logo
ExxonMobil logo
L'Oreal logo
Deloitte logo
Microsoft logo
Bain & Company logo

Define your career goals and align them with the jobs market with the help of:

  • Practical workshops
  • Career clubs and competitions
  • One-to-one coaching
  • Career and networking events

Take a look at our full career services offer

Who should attend

Are you:

  • A recent university graduate with limited or no work experience?
  • Committed to making an impact on the future of business?
  • Ready to steer your career towards a challenging but rewarding leadership position?

Then you’re a perfect fit for a Masters in General Management programme at Vlerick. We welcome an incredibly diverse group of students –  and you’ll soon discover that it’s not so much your background that counts at Vlerick but where you’re headed.

Our recent cohort of Masters in General Management programme looked like this:

50

cohort size

23

average age

Educational background

Visual Student Profile Masters in General Management - EN

Practical info

Start date: 2 September 2024
Duration: 10 months (from September until June)
Location: Ghent
Application deadline non-EU citizens: 30 April 2024

Fees and financing

The tuition fee for this Masters programme is €19,800.

This includes:

  • Textbooks
  • Company visits
  • Berlin “Impossible Futures” Trip (incl. accommodation)
  • Travel between the school’s different campuses for mandatory programme events
  • One year of full online access to the Financial Times and The New York Times

The fee does not include the cost of travelling abroad during the Berlin trip, visa costs, living expenses or costs related to any optional modules abroad that you take as part of your programme.

Financing your Masters

Joining a Vlerick programme can be a significant financial investment. But there are many financing options available to help towards your tuition fees – and we’re here to help you explore what types of support you might be eligible for. We process applications for our Masters programmes on a rolling basis as of October, for the September intake. If you want to be considered for one of our full scholarships, make sure to submit your scholarship application together with your programme application before February.

Scholarships

  • Equal Opportunity Scholarship: We value social diversity and we encourage individual commitment. For this partial scholarship, of up to 50%, you need to either represent diversity (e.g., belong to a minority group or an underprivileged community) or actively promote diversity and inclusion, by engaging in long-term initiatives that have a clear social impact. We thank alumnus Jan Toye for sponsoring a full scholarship in this category. Applicants who fit the criteria will be automatically considered for this full scholarship.
  • Financial Need Scholarship: This scholarship can be combined with other scholarships. To apply, you will need a realistic financial plan and proof of financial need (e.g. through previous scholarships or grants). The scholarship allocation and amount are decided on a case-by-case basis. We thank MGM1990 alumni, and MGM1992 alumni for each sponsoring a full scholarship and 3d Investors for sponsoring three full scholarships in this category. Applicants who fit the criteria will automatically be considered for this full scholarship.

If you're planning to apply for a scholarship, make sure you apply early and submit your scholarship applications alongside your application file. Please check the application form for full conditions.

Loans

You could also consider getting a loan to cover your programme fees.

  • Regular loans: A loan from your bank could cover your tuition fees – get in touch with them for more information.
  • Prodigy Finance loans: Our partner, Prodigy Finance, offers loans to international students at the world’s top business schools. These loans could cover your living expenses and 100% of your tuition fees, minus any scholarship you may be awarded. Learn more

Paying in instalments

You can choose to pay your tuition fees in three separate instalments in November, February and April.

If you want to pay by instalments, you need to sign a contract and pay an admin fee of €250.

Admissions

There are four steps to applying for a Masters programme at Vlerick: 

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1. Check your eligibility 

What you need: 

  • Candidates studying in Belgium need a Masters degree from a recognised institution  
  • Candidates from outside Belgium can apply with a Masters degree or a 3 to 4-year Bachelor degree from a recognised institution (there may be additional requirements too)

Our Masters programmes are designed for young graduates, with an average age of 23 and little-to-no professional experience. If you have questions about your eligibility, please contact our admissions team

2. Submit your application 

We process applications on a rolling basis from October, for the following September intake. If you need a visa to study in Belgium, we expect your application by 30 April at the latest for the following September intake.

Complete your personal details and upload all necessary documents to our application tool. If you don’t need a visa to study in Belgium, you have until June to apply. However, we advise early application as we allocate places on a first come, first served basis. 

3. Take your admissions test 

There are two elements in your admissions test:  

  1. Vlerick Online Test  – we accept our own in-house analytical test, numerical reasoning (and abstract reasoning if applicable), GMAT/GMAT Focus (minimum 600/minimum 565) or GRE (157 verbal and 158 quantitative). 
  2. Motivational interview – Using a standard set of questions, we assess the match between you, Vlerick and our programme. This interview takes place online and lasts about 20 minutes.

Want to prepare for your admissions test? – discover our tips and tricks.   

4. Register for the programme 

We’ll let you know within a week of your interview whether you’ve been admitted. You can request feedback on your application, whatever the outcome. Once you’ve been admitted, you can go ahead and register.

Discover what it’s like to study in Belgium – as well as practical information on how to organise your stay.

Success stories

Bhoomika Arora

"Vlerick’s Masters in General Management caught my attention because of its short duration, reasonable tuition and clear communication with staff. I learned a lot of useful things, made great contacts and refuelled my confidence to keep going after my dreams."

Pieter-Jan Snoeck

"Vlerick really wants to make the content as action-oriented as possible, while still preserving an academic standard. Including real business cases and assignments in the programme and having the opportunity to work on an In-Company Project, instead of a purely theoretical masters dissertation are clear examples of this. Vlerick also has a strong network of alumni which can really catalyse your career."

Faculty

Barney Jordaan

Barney Jordaan

Professor of Negotiation

Barney Jordaan is an expert in negotiation and conflict leadership – and helps organisations build effective negotiation strategies.

Mathieu Luypaert

Mathieu Luypaert

Professor of Corporate Finance

Mathieu Luypaert explains how insights into financial figures and decisions can lead to value creation.

Robin Kleer

Robin Kleer

Professor of Innovation Management

Robin Kleer explores connections between innovation, market structure and business models.

Ann Vereecke

Ann Vereecke

Professor of Operations Management

Ann Vereecke advises on the supply chain that best fits your strategy and products.

Get in touch!

Mounia Bouhlal

Mounia Bouhlal

Masters Admissions & Recruitment Officer