Student FAQ

When a student starts his/her studies at HEC Liège, they will have to make a choice between a bachelor in Economics and Management and a bachelor in Business Engineering.

Many courses are identical in the two streams. However, Business Engineering offers

more quantitative methods
a strong emphasis on analytical reasoning
IT holds an important place
the fundamentals of science and the interactions between industrial science/ technique/ innovation: these translate into science courses (chemistry, physics, etc.), particularly in the first year or two of the program
a significant technological element.

At Bachelor level, there is a joint study program. Economics and Management are two very complementary disciplines, which use the same tools, which have a range of careers in common and which both contribute to the development of a company and of society in general. For both disciplines, students need to have a desire to understand how business, the market and the global economy work.

However, there are some specific points which differentiate them:

In Management, studies focus on regulatory, societal and human aspects. A manager is more concerned with the key functions of a company, such as business finance, human resources management, marketing, the law and entrepreneurship, etc.
In Economics, the accent is on “macro” aspects, that is to say the way economics function, nationally and internationally, in a world context, and on the understanding of global mechanisms determined by individuals, businesses and governments, on analysis, as well as the public aspects. An economist will focus on public administration, private organizations (bank economists) and public institutions (office of planning, BNB).

HEC Liège has set up a “Success Factory” to offer them support throughout their university career. It provides a variety of activities:

Induction and orientation sessions in August (preparatory courses)
- math, languages, science
- preparation for higher studies and work method
Guidance service for studies at the University of Liege
Self-training methods
Exercises forming an integral part of the courses (theory + exercises)
Availability: customized meetings with qualified assistants
Remedial work
Patronage system
Assessment every two months organized on different set subjects in order to spot potential dropouts
Exam debriefing sessions
LOL@ virtual campus for learning that brings together all the teaching resources the student needs along his academic path

There are no formal requirements but a good level of education previously is an advantage.

For the Bachelor in Economics and Management, the minimum advised by the Mathematics professors at HEC is 4 hours of Math a week. However, motivation and consistent work are two elements which are as important as previous courses.

Numerous Economics and Management students who have followed a Math 4 course succeed without any particular problem.

Undoubtedly, students who received 6 or 8 hours of Math tuition are in a position to devote more time to other courses. Just as those who took Math 4 will perhaps be more proficient in languages or economics.

Our requirements for Math are relatively high (more than for Psychology or Sociology, but less than for the Bachelor in Mathematics or Applied Sciences).

Moreover, it’s important to state that during the first year at HEC, you will be required to review the entire subject matter (apart from Geometry) seen over your 6 years of high school education, which will allow some students to refresh their knowledge.

Within a company, a Business Engineer will be equally involved in management and technology. He/she will act as an interface between these two poles. Thus, studying sciences is an essential asset. It encourages an openness of mind, and sharpens critical and analytical skills. It gives Business Engineers the necessary tools to liaise with the technological pole of the business in particular.

There are no formal requirements. It is not therefore necessary to have followed a pure science option at high school to choose the Business Engineering course. You need an open mind and a liking for science.

At HEC, there is a wide range of possibilities for studying/working abroad:

An Erasmus stay of one semester (or even one year in certain cases) in one of the School’s 156 first-rate partner universities across the world
The opportunity of doing a business internship abroad
Field Trips under the framework of the HEC – AWEX (Walloon Export Agency) partnership, called “Young Business Actors”: short trips, visits to businesses and organizations, getting a feel for the export trade
The possibility of obtaining a double-degree (in English, in German, in Italian/English, in French/English, or in Dutch/English), by spending a semester in a foreign university, set up and organized by the School
A French-German Bachelor degree with the possibility of a double-degree with a German university (6 months at the University of Hohenheim)
Summer courses: some of our partner universities organize summer programs (from 2 to 6 weeks): lessons, business visits and social activities.

It should also be pointed out that internationalization@home is continuous: 70 different nationalities are represented at HEC; at the Master degree level, 35% of students come from abroad, teaching is all in English and a wide range of international experts contribute to these courses.

HEC Liège places great importance on the development of soft skills. It has set up the first educational structure of its kind in francophone Belgium, which is quite original: the Skills Portfolio.

The HEC Liege Skills Portfolio offers students a wide variety of transdisciplinary workshops to enable them to

develop soft skills (human and relational qualities such as being able to communicate and negotiate, to assume leadership etc.)
construct a vocational project
acquire operational skills.

Jobs, in business, in organizations, in all sectors of activity, both in Belgium and abroad. 93% of our graduates find a job in the year following their studies!

In general, HEC graduates can access all kinds of jobs linked to the economy and to management

Large and small businesses
Privately or publicly owned
All business areas (marketing, financial management, personnel management, logistics, quality management, the production-management interface for Business Engineers, etc.)

Many new graduates also set up their own businesses.

In addition, students who have followed joint degree programs (Law/Management, Industrial and Business Engineering) have access to different areas of the Law (in particular the Bar) and to jobs in technology.

The Career Development Service supports students throughout their studies:

in stages 1 and 2, this is mainly individual support, on request, to (re-)direct studies
in stage 3, this involves reflection and support in the student’s choice of a Master’s degree and specialization
during the Master’s degree program, the Service takes an increasingly active role.

In order to meet students’ needs related to

their personal project
finding out about professions
drafting a CV and an accompanying letter
preparation for a job interview
looking for an internship or a job

The ‘Career Development’ Service offers

individual coaching
group workshops
meetings with companies
on-campus recruitment
career evenings.

A student team, the Campus Recruitment (FR) team, works alongside the Service, organizing meetings between companies and students to promote recruitment of future graduates.

The total cost of a university year depends on each person’s situation (lodging, transport etc.). However, there are fixed costs that can be estimated as follows:

Regular registration fees (AY 2019-2020)

For students from the European Union:

1st and 2nd cycles (bachelor’s and master’s degree courses)

Full rate : 835 €
Reduced rate : 374 €
Grant rate : 0 €

For students from outside the EU, see ULiege website

The following are in addition to the registration fees (approximate amounts):

For the Bachelor’s degree:

purchase of syllabi and course materials. At HEC Liege, students run a university bookstore which provides students with necessary course material and stationery at reduced cost. The cost is around € 180 for the courses of Bachelor’s degree unit1, around € 100 for unit2 and around € 50 for unit3.
contribution to the costs of a compulsory seminar: € 25
transport between the City Center site and Sart Tilman site: monthly season ticket by bus: € 15

For the Master’s degree: Compulsory expenses

purchase of syllabi and course materials. At HEC Liege, students run a university bookstore which provides students with necessary course material and stationery at reduced cost. The cost is around € 50 per year.
purchase of online business cases (compulsory): around € 50
in-house training in a company is compulsory for all students. Depending on where this takes place, students should plan 10 weeks transport costs between their lodgings and the company.
Erasmus stay advised for all students. For the cost of this study abroad, students should take into account:

travel costs (in general, the further away, the more it costs);;
lodgings (a large part of the budget goes on lodgings - flat, university residence, hostel?);
the cost of living in the country in question (or in the city – in general, the capital is more expensive);
the circumstances (for example, students who pass the 1st session successfully and reserve their flight in June, or those who have to buy their ticket in September);
...

For the Master’s degree: Optional expenses

purchase of business cases for various courses: € 60;
participation in seminars lasting several days as part of certain courses: € 40;
transport costs for visits to companies: € 30;
purchase of reference material: between € 50 and € 100 depending on the courses