Faculty of Business and Economics

1
Faculty of Business and Economics

• Research Master Programs and PhD Programs at FEB
• December 11, 2007
• Prof. dr. Erik Demeulemeester
• Vice-Dean for Research FEB

www.econ.kuleuven.be/phd
2
Research Master Programs and PhD Programs at FEB

• Registered PhD students 2007-2008
• Business Economics 94
• Economics 66
• PhD defences 2006-2007
• Business Economics 17
• Economics 7

3
Research Master Programs and PhD Programs at FEB

• Admission Requirements general principle
• Research Master or Doctum Colloquium with
  distinction
• In case of doctum colloquium distinction in the
  master studies

4
Research Master Programs and PhD Programs at FEB

• How to finance my PhD?
• Each year there are a number of vacancies
• researchers on a project
• PhD scholarships from K.U.Leuven
• PhD scholarships from FWO/CIM
• Possibility to be researcher without following
  the PhD program
• For more information contact
• Isabelle Benoit (CES ) Isabelle.Benoit_at_econ.kul
  euven.be
• Hilde Roos (KBI, MO, AFI) Hilde.Roos_at_econ.kuleuv
  en.be
• Dani Vandepoel (MSI) Dani.Vandepoel_at_econ.kuleuve
  n.be
• Doctoral School www.ghum.kuleuven.be/eng/doctoral
  .school/

5
Research Master Programs and PhD Programs at FEB

• Future perspectives
• ?Academic career in a university (as a professor)
  or in another scientific institute
• ?Career in a university college (hogeschool)
• ?Career in a government research institute
• Career in the private sector
• Consulting
• Banking

6
Research Master Programs and PhD Programs at FEB

• Why pursue a PhD?
• Self-development in a stimulating international
  environment (international conferences, research
  networks, international colleagues)
• A strong curiosity in the research domain
• Working independently
• Teamwork with self-selected team members
• Several stimulating career opportunities
• Competence profile attention for non-academical
  skills like management and communication

7
Research Master Programs and PhD Programs at FEB

• Why pursue a PhD at F.E.B., K.U.Leuven?
• Research is the first priority
• Dynamic group of faculty
• International research profile
• ?Internationally reviewed publications
• ?Active participation in international
  organisations and editorial boards
• ?Research funds (lead to good infrastructure)
• ?Elaborated international networks

8
Research Master Programs and PhD Programs at FEB

• Why pursue a PhD at F.E.B. , K.U.Leuven?
• Structured education
• Placement
• ?Universities in Belgium, Netherlands (Tilburg,
  Rotterdam, Twente, Amsterdam...), U.K. (London
  Business School, London School of Economics,
  University of Warwick), U.S. (Northwestern Univ.,
  Stern School of Business, New-York), Asia (Univ.
  of Science and Tech Hong Kong, Guanghua School of
  Management, Beijing, China)
• ?Private sector (financial institutes,
  consulting)
• ?European Commission, European Central Bank,
  International Monetary Fund

9
Research Master Programs and PhD Programs at FEB

• Practical Hints
• Contact the research center (prof, research
  assistant, post-doc)
• Get information on the research that is being
  conducted (publications, research reports, etc.)
• Keep track of vacant positions (July) AAP, BAP
  assistant, researchers etc.
• Visit a public defence (http//agenda.kuleuven.be)
  
• Participate in a seminar
• Be in time with your application form
  (application form see www.econ.kuleuven.be/phd)

10
Faculty of Business and Economics

• Master of Advanced Business Studies Doctoral
  Program in Business Economics
• Prof. dr. Siegfried Dewitte
• Program Director

www.econ.kuleuven.be/PHD
11
PhD Program in Business Economics

• Introduction
• Delving into a research domain in
  business/management
• Learning how to conduct scientific research at a
  high international level
• Degree Doctor in de Toegepaste Economische
  Wetenschappen (PhD) (Doctor in Business
  Economics)

12
PhD program in Business Economics

• Research Groups
• MSI business economics, strategy and innovation
• AFI Accountancy-Finance-Insurance
• Accountancy
• Finance
• Insurance
• International finance
• KBI Decision Sciences and Information Management
• Informatics (LIRIS)
• Operations research and business statistics
  (ORSTAT)
• Production and logistics (PL)
• MO Marketing and Organisation
• Marketing
• Organisation studies

13
PhD Program in Business Economics

• Doctoral Program
• Standard pre-tracks (direct admission)
• Master of Advanced Business Studies (MABS) degree
  (with distinction)
• Commercial engineering Research Track (with
  distinction)
• Without standard pre-track
• Doctum colloquium
• Doctoral courses (selection of the MABS) during
  first year
• No official degree
• Requirements Distinction in former studies
• Advice high grades for quantitatively oriented
  courses required

14
PhD Program in Business Economics

• Admission to the doctoral studies
• Standard track 1 automatic
• MABS, with distinction
• Independent of background
• Standard track 2 automatic
• Commercial engineering, business research major,
  with distinction
• Alternative track
• Distinction (or degree from other university
  considered equivalent)
• Student participates in Doctum Colloquium
• Selected courses from the MABS
• If distinction after first year student
  continues.

15
Master of Advanced Business Studies

• MABS
• The programme focuses on the use of business
  research methodology. The programme stresses the
  combination of theory and applications where
  these applications are drawn from real business
  problems in various disciplines of management.
• Core Courses (students choose three core courses)
  (18 sp)
• Applied Game Theory and Economics of Information
• Combinatorial Optimization and Local Search
  Techniques
• Advanced Econometrics
• Advanced Time Series Analysis
• Advanced Regression Modelling
• Optimization Special Topics
• Multivariate Statistics

16
Master of Advanced Business Studies

• Electives (students choose three elective
  courses) (18 sp)
• Advanced Applied Econometrics
• Fundamentals of Equilibrium Asset Pricing
• Limited Dependent Variables
• Simulation Theory and Applications
• The Empirics of Financial Markets
• Multi-Agent Systems
• Survey Methodology
• Experimental Design
• In addition, courses can be taken from the Master
  of Advanced Studies in Economics and from other
  universities. Courses should be on a doctoral
  level.

17
Master of Advanced Business Studies

• Research Component (24 sp)
• Master Project (18 sp)
• The master project consists of writing a research
  paper, in the field of interest of student, using
  advanced research methodologies, under the
  guidance of a supervisor. The work should show
  that the student masters the recent
  methodological tools of Business Economics and
  can apply them independently.
• The topic of the master project is within one of
  the following fields Marketing, Organization
  studies, Operations Management, Operations
  Research and Business Statistics, Management
  Informatics, Finance, Accountancy, Actuarial
  Science or Managerial Economics, Strategy
  Innovation
• Selected Research Topics (6 sp)
• The student reads a selection of scientific
  papers, and attends the seminars related to the
  topic of the master project.

18
PhD program in Business Economics

• Doctoral Studies
• Duration at least 3 years (normally 4 years)
• 1st and 2nd year
• (Doctum Colloquium)
• (Comprehensive exam)
• Participation in seminars of the group
• Research proposal (commission)
• First research report

19
PhD program in Business Economics

• Doctoral Studies
• 3rd and 4th year
• Doctoral seminars progress of the research
• International publication and conference
  participation
• Preliminary defense
• Public defense

20
PhD program in Business Economics

• Practical Hints
• Contact the research center (prof, research
  assistant, post-doc)
• Get information on the research that is being
  conducted (publications, research reports, et..)
• Keep track of vacant positions

21
Faculty of Business and Economics

• Master of Advanced Studies in Economics
  Doctoral Program in Economics
• Prof. dr. Erik Schokkaert
• Program Director

www.econ.kuleuven.be/PHD
22
PhD program in Economics

• Specific features Economics
• ?Degree PhD in Economics (Doctor in de
  Economische Wetenschappen)
• ?On average about 60 doctoral students, about 10
  PhDs a year
• ?Career perspectives for PhDs very similar
  between economics and business economics, but
  research topics of course very different

23
PhD Program in Economics

• Research Groups
• ?Econometrics
• ?Public Economics
• ?Development Economics
• ?Economic History
• ?International Economics
• ?Energy, Transport and Environment
• ?Monetary and Information Economics

24
PhD program in Economics

• Doctoral Program MASE as the first step
• ?Requirements Master of Advanced Studies in
  Economics with distinction
• ?FEB-graduates are admitted to the MASE-program
  (for TEW-students good results for
  quantitatively oriented courses required)
• ?Possibility of doctum colloquium
• ?Degrees definitely needed to get a position as
  researcher
• ?(probably not the best option for TEW and HIR
  students)

25
PhD program in Economics

• To start a PhD in Economics
• Master of Advanced Studies in Economics
• Official Master degree (K.U.Leuven diploma)
• If distinction the student is admitted without
  further conditions to the PhD program
• ??? ideal situation!!
• Student starts with the PhD program
• Follows the MASE program as a Doctum Colloquium
• No official K.U.Leuven diploma (certificate from
  the Faculty)
• If distinction student can continue the PhD
  program
• Advanced Master degree from outside K.U.Leuven
• Student starts with the PhD program and follows a
  Doctum Colloquium, consisting of a number of
  courses from the MASE program (program to be
  confirmed by the Faculty Board)
• No official K.U.Leuven diploma (certificate from
  the Faculty)
• If distinction student can continue the PhD
  program

26
Master of Advanced Studies in Economics

• MASE
• All students follow three core courses. In
  addition they have to write a research paper.
  They complete their programme by choosing five
  electives from an extensive list of advanced
  courses. Students are free to set up their own
  programme, but coherent packages are suggested
  for those who are interested in
• Macroeconomic and Monetary Policy
• International Economic Problems
• Transition and Development
• Environment and Transportation
• Taxation, Redistribution and Social Policy
• Regulation and Competition Policy
• Core courses
• Advanced Macroeconomics
• Advanced Microeconomics
• Applied Econometrics
• Master project

27
Master of Advanced Studies in Economics

• Electives
• Advanced Monetary Economics
• Advanced International Trade Economics
• Advanced Development Economics
• Welfare Economics
• Game Theory
• Fixed Income Securities
• Advanced International Monetary Economics
• The Empirics of Financial Markets
• Advanced Labour Economics
• Advanced Environmental and Transportation
  Economics
• Welfare, Inequality and Poverty
• Advanced Industrial Economics
• Environmental and Transportation Economics
• Corporate Finance
• Fundamental of Equilibrium Asset Pricing
• In addition, elective courses can be taken from
  the Master of Advanced Business Studies and from
  the Research Master Program at the Université
  Catholique de Louvain (U.C.L.) in
  Louvain-La-Neuve

28
PhD program in Economics

• Research paper is important
• ?Usually the first step in the direction of a PhD
• ?Close contact with your (potential) supervisor

29
PhD program in Economics

• Second Step doctoral program
• ? Minimally three years of study
• ? Flexible structure students collect points
  by
• ?Attending research seminars and doctoral courses
• ?Writing research papers
• ?Presenting their work at workshops and (national
  and international) conferences
• ? Research is organized within the framework of
  research groups and is (of course) supervised by
  the supervisor (promotor)

30
PhD program in Economics

• Doctoral Program
• ?Collaboration with UCLouvain and ULBruxelles in
  the context of the doctoral school
• ? joint doctoral courses
• ? opportunity to participate in joint doctoral
  workshop

31
PhD program in Economics

• Writing a PhD
• Doctoral proposal (year 1)
• Ad hoc-committee supervisor at least two other
  members of the Economics Department
• Later enlarged with (minimally two) external
  members
• Predefence
• Public Defence

32
PhD program in Economics

• Practical Hints
• Are you attracted by the content of the
  MASE-courses?
• When you are in the program, choose the topic of
  your research paper very carefully
• Consult regularly the open positions of project
  researcher