BSc Econometrics and Operations Research

Program 

• The first year of the program consists of ten courses taught in four units of lectures. Five of the courses provide a solid mathematical and statistical basis, the other five courses focus on subjects in economics and business. The Improving Society Lab will run alongside year one. These series of lectures will allow you to immerse yourself in the real-life applications of Econometrics and Operations Research, and practice this yourself.
• From the second year on, the program switches to a semester system. In addition to the mathematical and statistical courses, there is room for a number of courses that provide an orientation to various quantitative fields within Econometrics and operations research such as Introduction Asset Pricing and Stochastic Operations Research Models. You will develop communication and information skills and continue with the Improving Society Lab alongside the main curriculum.
• In the third year, you can specialize in the field of your interest by choosing courses from a range of electives that follow the three main fields of econometrics. You can go on an international exchange for six months, but you also have the option to take part in 'Career perspectives EOR', to get a better idea of job opportunities after graduation. And finally, in the last year of your Bachelor’s program, you will write your Bachelor’s thesis.

Typical courses are:

• Introduction Analysis and Probability Theory
  Develop your key algebraic skills (such as solving equalities, differentiation and calculation of integrals), master elementary proof techniques (such as the principle of induction, proof by contradiction, proof using logic reasoning), refresh your knowledge on the mathematical model of probability, and much more.
• Linear Optimization
  Linear optimization is one of the fundamental computational tools in Operations Research, and is used for example for airline scheduling, production planning, and in many other industrial settings.
• Quantitative Finance

  This course focuses on financial and risk management challenges: identifying risks and balancing them against costs and expected return on investment.

More on the program and courses

Study Econometrics and Operations Research in Tilburg

• This program is perfect for students who thrive on solving real-life problems by using mathematics and statistics and by logical and analytical thinking.
• Tilburg University holds excellent international rankings in the fields of economics and econometrics (QS ranking: #50 in the world, ARWU Economics subject ranking:#30).
• Researchers and professors in this program are leaders in their field: they have strong expertise in quantitative finance, operations research, quantitative logistics, mathematical economics, and econometric methods.
• The 'Improving Society Lab', which runs alongside your program in years 1 and 2, gives you the unique opportunity to see practical applications of Econometrics from the start.
• This is your ticket to one of our Master’s programs with excellent career perspectives: the majority of our students progresses to a Master’s degree, and many of them find a job in their field, even before graduation.

Our students about their program in Econometrics and Operations Research (video - 1:54 min)

What to expect when coming to Tilburg

• Why Tilburg University?
• Student life in Tilburg
• International student support
• Study in Holland

Beyond your Bachelor: Extracurricular Activities

• Join one of our student organizations. A great way to meet like-minded students and make friends.
• Challenge yourself by participating in one of the programs of excellence.
• Broaden your horizon by studying a semester abroad - an experience of a lifetime.

View all extracurricular activities

Pursue a Master's degree

Most of our students continue towards a Master's degree after completing their Bachelor's degree. For example:

Check out all applicable Master's programs

Career prospects

A great strength of the Econometrics and Operations Research program is that all graduates are able to find jobs shortly after or even before graduating from their Master’s program. Our graduates have pursued successful careers as analysts, advisors or managers in logistics, technology, at multinationals, banks and insurance companies, in consultancy, and also at research institutes and in science. Many graduates end up as data analysts or data scientists; a career path for which specialists are very much in demand, and this demand is only increasing.

 More on your career prospects

Admission requirements

• You are eligible for Econometrics and Operations Research, if you hold a secondary school diploma which is equivalent to the Dutch VWO diploma. Most European Secondary school diplomas which give access to university in your own country are equivalent, such as the IB, EB, Abitur or Swiss Maturité, but there are many others. You can find out whether your non-Dutch diploma meets our admission requirements on our page about foreign diplomas.
• You must have sufficient knowledge of mathematics, equal to the Dutch VWO mathematics A or B level, or IB Standard Level maths.  More detailed information about the required level of mathematics is mentioned on our mathematics requirements page.
• Finally, you need to prove your English language proficiency. Tilburg University accepts Academic IELTS (6.0 overall, minimum of 5.5 on individual parts), TOEFL (minimum score of 80 internet based), and Cambridge English test results: C1 advanced (formerly CAE) or C2 proficiency (formerly CPE). For both C1 and C2, we accept a score of A, B or C.

Are you applying with a Dutch educational background? Check your eligibility in the application procedure for Dutch students.

Deadlines

The application deadline for the program was May 1, 2019. Applications from non-EU students will no longer be accepted for the September 2019 intake, since the procedure to acquire a visa takes several months. You can submit your application for the September 2020 intake as of October 1.

The deadline for EU/EEA students is extended to July 1, 2019.

Go to application and admission

Tuition fees for international students

Information about tuition fees

Monthly cost of living

Living in Tilburg is relatively inexpensive compared to other student cities in the Netherlands, such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam or Utrecht. An indication for your monthly cost of living (including rent, food and drink, books, and insurance), of course depending on your lifestyle:

Related Bachelor's programs

• If you are interested in the big picture, and studying that through mathematical models, but with slightly less mathematics than in econometrics, then Economics could be interesting for you. 
• If you are interested in business, finance or management, and want a program with much less mathematics than in econometrics, have a look at International Business Administration.
• Data Science if you enjoy mathematics, but are more interested in big data than applying mathematics to business and economics, Data Science could be your program.