The Economics and Business research master's in Groningen is a tailor-made programme for ambitious students who want to pursue a career in research.
We are proud to announce that the programme has been named an ' excellent programme' in the latest Keuzegids Masters.
Are you interested in solving complex societal challenges, like climate change, public health, and poverty? Do you want to learn from the best researchers and interact with ambitious fellow students? Are you interested in a research career inside or outside academia? Are you highly motivated to initiate and perform innovative research? Then this is the programme for you.
In the research master's programme in Economics and Business, we offer talented and motivated students a tailor-made study programme. This programme gives you a solid foundation in economics and business, and you get the opportunity to specialize in the area that meets your personal interests.
The motto of the programme is “learning research by doing research”. The core courses give you thorough training in all aspects of academic research (30EC), including philosophy of science, research methodology, and academic writing. For the largest part, you can choose from a variety of dedicated research master's courses in economics and business that meet your interest (60EC). Courses are generally small-scale and offer close interaction with lecturers, enabling the development of important analytical skills. In addition, there are opportunities to participate in courses and workshops offered by other schools in Groningen, the Netherlands, and abroad. The master thesis (30 EC) allows you to further develop your research ideas under the supervision of experienced researchers.
To guide you in your course selection we provide support and have developed example programmes in a variety of specializations, for example, Leadership, Health management, Development economics, Energy economics, and Operations management.
Do you want to contribute to solving important societal challenges of today?
In the first year, all students take 15 EC research courses, 10 EC research methods courses and 35 elective courses.
| Semesters | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CoursesCourse Catalog > | 1a | 1b | 2a | 2b |
| Philosophy of Science and Research Meth. (5 EC) | ||||
| Electives ReMa (35 EC) | ||||
| Electives ReMa-Research Methods (10 EC) | ||||
| Learning and Practising Research (10 EC) | ||||
In the second year, students further specialize in their research field and take 25EC electives and a 5EC research course. In the last semester, students write a 30EC research master thesis.
| Semesters | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CoursesCourse Catalog > | 1a | 1b | 2a | 2b |
| Electives ReMa (25 EC) | ||||
| Academic Writing for ReMa (5 EC) | ||||
| Master's Thesis RM E&B (30 EC) | ||||
Study abroad is not offered unless students decide to take a summer school abroad.
| Specific requirements | More information |
|---|---|
| previous education |
Admission to the Research Master (RM) programme is selective, based on a thorough assessment of study results, personal competences and motivation. In principle, students with a BSc degree in Economics or Business are eligible for the RM programme. Furthermore, students with a Bachelor degree in a related field, like psychology or sociology, may be admitted to some profiles of the programme. The Admission Board of the RM (appointed by the Examination Board) decides on admission. The Admission Board consists of the Director of Graduate Studies and the directors of the research programmes. For a complete overview of all the documents you need to upload, please visit https://www.rug.nl/feb/apply-msc and the application checklist on https://www.rug.nl/feb/application-checklist. If you want to know more about the programme, please contact:
(For general information on the application procedure and requirements)
(coordinator Research Master) |
| grade average |
Excellent knowledge of the relevant fields and methods. In principle, students must have completed their Bachelor's or Master's degrees with an average grade of 8 (on a 10 point scale) and with a grade for their Bachelor research work (i.e. thesis) of at least 8. |
| Curriculum Vitae (CV) |
A strong motivation and talent for scientific research as exemplified by the motivation letter, course papers, thesis, and the activities listed in the curriculum vitae. |
| other admission requirements |
Application date with scholarship: January 1 Application date: May 1 Read more about scholarship opportunities for EU/EEA-students (http://www.rug.nl/research/gradschool-economics-and-business/master-programme/scholarships) Note: Late submissions may be processed, please first contact the coordinator. The information about entry requirements is an indication of your admissibility. Every application will be reviewed individually by the Admissions board so the admission decision may differ from the indication in this table. |
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration | Erasmus University Rotterdam | No additional requirements |
| Economics and Business Economics | Erasmus University Rotterdam | No additional requirements |
| Econometrics and Operations Research | Erasmus University Rotterdam | No additional requirements |
| International Business Administration | Erasmus University Rotterdam | No additional requirements |
| Fiscale Economie | Erasmus University Rotterdam | No additional requirements |
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| International Business | University of Groningen | No additional requirements |
| Sociology | University of Groningen | No additional requirements |
| Econometrics and Operations Research | University of Groningen | No additional requirements |
| Industrial Engineering and Management | University of Groningen | No additional requirements |
| Business Administration | University of Groningen | No additional requirements |
| Economics and Business Economics | University of Groningen | No additional requirements |
| Psychology (NL) | University of Groningen | No additional requirements |
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| International Business | Maastricht University | No additional requirements |
| Business Engineering | Maastricht University | No additional requirements |
| Economics and Business Economics | Maastricht University | No additional requirements |
| Fiscale Economie | Maastricht University | No additional requirements |
| Econometrics and Operations Research | Maastricht University | No additional requirements |
| Business Analytics | Maastricht University | No additional requirements |
| Global Studies | Maastricht University | No additional requirements |
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| Economics and Governance | Wageningen University | No additional requirements |
| Management and Consumer Studies | Wageningen University | No additional requirements |
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration | VU University Amsterdam | No additional requirements |
| Economics and Business Economics | VU University Amsterdam | No additional requirements |
| International Business Administration | VU University Amsterdam | No additional requirements |
| Econometrics and Operations Research | VU University Amsterdam | No additional requirements |
| Business Analytics | VU University Amsterdam | No additional requirements |
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration | Nyenrode New Business School | No additional requirements |
| Accountancy | Nyenrode New Business School | No additional requirements |
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| Economics and Business Economics | Utrecht University | No additional requirements |
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| International Business Administration | University of Twente | No additional requirements |
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| International Business Administration | Tilburg University | No additional requirements |
| Economics | Tilburg University | No additional requirements |
| Fiscale Economie | Tilburg University | No additional requirements |
| Econometrics and Operations Research | Tilburg University | No additional requirements |
| Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation | Tilburg University | No additional requirements |
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| Fiscale Economie | University of Amsterdam | No additional requirements |
| Business Analytics | University of Amsterdam | No additional requirements |
| Business Administration | University of Amsterdam | No additional requirements |
| Actuarial Science | University of Amsterdam | No additional requirements |
| Economics and Business Economics | University of Amsterdam | No additional requirements |
| Econometrics and Data Science | University of Amsterdam | No additional requirements |
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| Public Administration Science | Leiden University |
No additional requirements More information:For profile Economics, Public Administration and Management. |
| Computer Science | Leiden University |
No additional requirements More information:For profile Informatica & Economie. |
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration | Radboud University Nijmegen | No additional requirements |
| Economics and Business Economics | Radboud University Nijmegen | No additional requirements |
Follow these steps to apply to the Research Master.
| Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch students | 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
| EU/EEA students | 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
| non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
| Specific requirements | More information |
|---|---|
| previous education |
Admission to the Research Master (RM) programme is selective, based on a thorough assessment of study results, personal competences and motivation. In principle, students with a BSc degree in Economics or Business are eligible for the RM programme. Furthermore, students with a Bachelor degree in a related field, like psychology or sociology, may be admitted to some profiles of the programme. The Admission Board of the RM (appointed by the Examination Board) decides on admission. The Admission Board consists of the Director of Graduate Studies and the directors of the research programmes. For a complete overview of all the documents you need to upload, please visit https://www.rug.nl/feb/apply-msc and the application checklist on https://www.rug.nl/feb/application-checklist. If you want to know more about the programme, please contact:
(for general information on the application procedure and requirements)
(coordinator Research Master) |
| certified competences |
All applicants with a non-Dutch diploma need to upload a GMAT or GRE test score as part of their application package. The GMAT or GRE score will be considered in the selection procedure. Be aware that GMAT and GRE scores are only valid for five years. |
| grade average |
Excellent knowledge of the relevant fields and methods as exemplified by BSc or MSc grades. In principle, students must have completed their Bachelor's or Master's degrees with an average grade of 8 (on a 10-point scale) and with a grade for their Bachelor research work of at least 8. |
| Curriculum Vitae (CV) |
A strong motivation and talent for scientific research as exemplified by the motivation letter, course papers, thesis, and the activities listed in the curriculum vitae. |
| language test |
IELTS Academic overall score 6.5 (Speaking 6, Writing 6.5); TOEFL internet-based overall score 90 (Speaking 20, Writing 24); Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency (overall score 176, Speaking 169, Writing 176). SOM's TOEFL code is 9077. |
| other admission requirements |
Application date with scholarship: January 1 Application date: May 1 Read more about scholarship opportunities for EU/EEA-students (http://www.rug.nl/research/gradschool-economics-and-business/master-programme/scholarships) Note: Late submissions may be processed, please first contact the coordinator |
Follow these steps to apply to the Research Master.
| Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch students | 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
| EU/EEA students | 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
| non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
As a graduate of the Research Master in Economics and Business, you are ideally placed to become a PhD student or to obtain a research position in a public or private organization like banks, consultancy firms, and ministries. So far, graduates from this programme have obtained PhD positions at, amongst others, the Universities of Antwerp (Belgium), Bocconi (Milan, Italy), Rotterdam, Sydney (Australia), and of course Groningen. Outside of Academia, our students have found positions at large multinationals, consultancies and auditing, policy institutes, and financial institutions such as European/Dutch Central Bank, SEO Economic Analysis, Randstad Groep Nederland, Accenture, PwC etc.
As a graduate, your degree will be highly valued in the labour market. The Faculty of Economics and Business is internationally accredited and belongs to the 1% of business schools around the world accredited by both EQUIS and AACSB.
The Faculty of Economics and Business offers a range of facilities to help you prepare for the job market through, for example, a future job talk, a job assessment workshop, and a mock job interview.
The study programme has a strong focus on scientific and academic skills. Before students can contribute to a field of study, they will need to know a great deal about that field and have sufficient knowledge about research methods and techniques. Students will, therefore, be provided with in-depth knowledge about a certain field of economics and business on the one hand, and will be trained in a wide range of research methods on the other.
The specialized courses offered throughout the Research Master reflect the state-of-the-art research performed by experienced scholars in their respective fields. Moreover, Research Master's students are individually supervised in their area of interest by renowned researchers. Read more about our seven research programmes within FEBRI- the research institute of FEB.
