Master of Science in Business Administration (Taxation)

The focus of Business Administration is on how a business is organised, and on how it does business. You gain insight into the structure of a business, its internal dynamics and its external relationships with stakeholders, and you learn to understand those stakeholders better. This will enable you to make successful business decisions. The Master’s programme offers you an understanding of one of the domains that traditionally constitute an important challenge for businesses. We prepare you for managerial positions in one of the functional management domains (e.g. HRM, taxation, finance). You learn how customers think, what the importance is of a fiscal environment, how to set up an efficient HR policy, how to use IT to monitor profitability, what points to consider when financing new activities, or how to make strategic goals more feasible by means of an optimal business structure.

The Taxation main subject introduces you to a wide-ranging stock of taxation issues that are relevant to the entrepreneur. We cover most aspects of the tax system: personal income tax, corporate tax, VAT, international taxation, as well as regional and local taxes. You become acquainted with the regulatory framework in which the administration operates when establishing and collecting taxes. You learn to reflect about the impact of taxation on a business in a strategic and sustainable manner, including the optimisation of corporate tax, income tax and fiscal planning of the entrepreneur’s asset management. You possess the methodological skills to analyse taxation issues in an academic and critical manner. In so doing, you acquire the competencies necessary to become a fiscal advisor who knows how to reconcile a company perspective and expertise on taxation.

We offer a choice of five main subjects: Taxation, Finance and Risk Management, Management and IT, HRM and Organisational Management, and Commercial Management. Each of these main subjects encompasses a work placement in the second term, as well as the course unit ‘Strategic Management’, including a business game.

In addition to the (domain) Master’s programme described above, you can also choose a Master’s Programme in Teaching (in Dutch: Educatieve Master). Find out more at www.ugent.be/educatievemaster (in Dutch).

The Master of Science in Business Administration opens doors to executive positions in corporate life, where management is key. You acquire a broad range of competencies, allowing you find your way in the many challenges a modern business has to face. You will find yourself holding a responsible position, in which you will experience personal fulfilment. Other options are the government, public institutions or non-profit organisations. Finally, there is the option of becoming a self-employed accountant, tax advisor or management consultant.

Taxation graduates are eligible for jobs at an accounting firm as an accountant-taxation consultant. However, your job opportunities include more than taxation and bookkeeping alone. Our graduates often are a company’s closest advisor and confidential counsellor. Their interventions determine the management of private assets as well as the follow-up in a company.