Masters in Business Analytics & AI

At Vlerick, our unique approach blends action learning and personal development.  

The Masters in Business Analytics & AI is open to graduates from any background — business, tech, or beyond.

Whether you’re:

• A business graduate eager to unlock the power of AI
• An engineering or IT graduate wanting to apply skills in a business context, or
• From a different field with no prior AI or business experience

This programme helps you turn curiosity into impact. What matters most is your drive, analytical mindset, and ambition to solve real-world challenges. Curious if this is the right fit for you? Find out here.

Developed in collaboration with top AI and business experts — including ML6 (Google’s machine learning partner), Imec, Johnson & Johnson, KBC, Allianz, and more — you’ll gain hands-on insights from the organisations shaping the future of analytics and AI.

Moreover, you can complete an international exchange during the programme at one of our partner business schools.

You can also opt for our optional Career Acceleration Track, where you can add an internship of up to 6 months, allowing you to gain relevant industry experience and stand out from competition.

Get a full overview of all different courses here

At Vlerick, our unique approach blends action learning and personal development.

Action learning

From theory to practice:

• Learn from faculty with extensive business experience, bringing real-world insights into highly interactive and pragmatic classes
• Engage in business simulations that sharpen your analytical and decision-making skills
• Tackle real-life cases and challenges shared by managers from diverse industries
• Participate in a full-scale hackathon to design and pitch innovative, data-driven solutions
• Gain insights during company visits, seeing firsthand how analytics and AI are applied in business

Blueprint of the programme

Essentials

Choose (at least) one of the following tracks depending on your previous study background:

• Data Science Essentials Track – Data Science Essentials Track: If you are new to programming. Learn Python programming and data science fundamentals, accelerated with genAI support.
• Business Essentials Track – Likewise, if you are new to the business. Acquire core business knowledge in finance, operations, etc. to contextualise analytics skills.

Data analytics & AI strategy

• Gain a strategic perspective on creating business value with data analytics & AI
• Collaborate with business executives to identify analytics & AI opportunities

Analytics & AI 

• Build a data platform with cloud technologies and visualise business insights with Business Intelligence tools
• Create business value with machine learning and optimisation algorithms
• Leverage discriminative and generative AI technologies to create image/audio recognition systems, self-driving prototypes, chatbots or AI agents

Business Management 

• Apply technical skills to real-life business challenges shared by managers from various domains
• Explore AI applications in finance, operations, marketing, and HR
• Build trustworthy and sustainable AI practices
  

Electives

• Personalise your journey through three electives covering a wide range of business topics in strategy, entrepreneurship, innovation, leadership, supply chain, sales, finance, and many more.
• Optional international exchange at one of Vlerick’s partner schools to broaden your global perspective

Hackathon

• Apply all your knowledge and skills adopted over the year in a hackathon style challenge, where you need to deliver and pitch an end-to-end solution

AI Study Tour

• Immerse yourself in a study trip to Amsterdam with company visits to Google, Bol.com, ABN AMRO, Celonis, Mindvalley, Plug & Play, Capgemini, and more

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Alongside hard skills, this programme develops the soft skills to become a professional capable of bridging the gap between technology and leadership.

Leap from student to professional through:

• My Vlerick Development Portfolio: Reflect on your strengths, address weaknesses, and take ownership of your growth path
• Management Skills Seminar: Three days dedicated to leadership and digital-age management skills
• Presentation & Communication Skills: Transform complex data into actionable insights and compelling stories
• Decision-Driven Analytics: Connect business decisions with the right AI tools
• Career Coaching: Align personal goals with global job market opportunities
• Networking Opportunities: Build meaningful connections with peers, alumni, and industry leaders
• Diversity and Inclusion: Understand assumptions, biases, and behaviours, fostering a broader world view

In-Company Projects

Apply your learning in a two-month consultancy or global social project for an NGO, focusing on challenges such as:

• Strategically mapping and evaluating AI opportunities for a Business
• Designing proof-of-concept AI solutions, such as image recognition tools or genAI chatbots
• Delivering actionable, data-driven insights in finance, marketing, operations, HR, etc.
• Assessing ethical and sustainable AI practices

The programme runs full-time from early September to the end of June, totalling 60 ECTS credits. Classes take place from 9am to 5:30pm and combine interactive lectures with hands-on business cases, company visits, hackathons, and in-company projects, giving you practical experience throughout the year.

Career Acceleration Track: By following our optional Career Acceleration Track, you can add an internship of up to six months, allowing you to gain relevant industry experience and stand out from the competition.

Get a full overview of all different courses here

EXCHANGE OPPORTUNITIES

Students from the Masters in Business Analytics & AI can apply for an international exchange that typically takes place between January and March. Our exchange partner business schools are Nova School of Business and Economics (Lisbon, Portugal) and ESMT Berlin (Berlin, Germany). Vlerick offers a partial refund of the accommodation cost to allow as many students as possible to apply.

• Broad General Management Knowledge: Gain deep insights across strategy, finance, marketing, and operations—and see how AI and analytics drive decisions in every function.
• Bridging AI and Business: Learn to apply cutting-edge AI technologies to solve real-world business challenges, boosting your value as a problem solver.
• Business Impact Over Theory: Focus on actionable solutions. Hands-on projects, simulations, and real-life case studies prepare you to make an impact from day one.
• Generative AI: Tackle IT and machine learning challenges and quickly create AI solutions that deliver tangible business results.
• Leadership Development: Build confidence in decision-making, communication, and collaboration through interactive classes, business simulations, and in-company projects.
• Hackathon Experience: Test your skills in a high-energy, team-based environment, solving real business problems alongside diverse peers.
• AI Study Trip to Amsterdam: Visit AI-driven companies like Google, ABN AMRO, and Capgemini, and attend networking events, workshops, and lectures to see AI in action.
• Learn from Industry Experts: Benefit from guidance by leading AI and business partners, including ML6, Imec, Telenet, Johnson & Johnson, and more.
• In-Company Consultancy Project: Apply your skills to a real business challenge during a two-month consultancy or global social project in industries of your choice.
• International Exposure: Expand your global perspective with exchanges at Nova School of Business and Economics (Lisbon) or earn a double degree with Darla Moore School of Business (USA).
  
  Curious to find out what it means to study at Vlerick? Discover what it’s like to study in Belgium – as well as practical information on how to organise your stay.
  
  Want to know what our Masters students are up to? Check out the Masters stories page.

Here’s a snapshot of our MAI alumni success in the job market:

 
Take a look at some examples of career paths pursued by our Masters in Business Analytics & AI graduates:

• Digital/Data/AI Solutions Consultant: Advise businesses on leveraging technology, data, and AI for better decision-making. Assess needs, design strategies, and implement solutions.
• Business Analyst, Data Strategist & Data Translator: Bridge the gap between business stakeholders and technical team by identifying business needs and design solutions that meet the business objectives.
• Management Traineeship or Graduate Programme: Launch yourself into leadership by rotating, learning and leading across company departments. Through this type of full-time paid position, you’ll gain practical experience, tailored training and mentoring from day one.
• Functional Data Analyst: A data savvy role in one of the functional areas of an organisation, such as demand planner, digital marketer, CRM specialist, people analyst, financial modeller, etc. 

 
Here are some examples of companies where our Masters in Business Analytics & AI graduates work:

 
Define your career goals and align them with the jobs market with the help of: 

• Case interview and assessment centre training 
• Career clubs and competitions 
• One-to-one coaching 
• Career and networking events 

Take a look at our full career services offer 

Are you:

• A recent graduate with strong savviness for analytics?
• Looking to gain practical AI skills to empower businesses?
• Driven to shape and lead change in the future of business?

Then you’re a perfect fit for the Masters in Business Analytics and AI at Vlerick. A background in the analytics field is not mandatory. You’ll join an incredibly diverse group of students who all share a passion for technology – and an analytical mindset.

Our recent cohort of Masters in Business Analytics & AI programme looked like this:

All our courses will be taught in a relatively small group that allows for personalised coaching and feedback where needed. In addition, You’ll join an incredibly diverse group of students who all share a passion for technology – and an analytical mindset.

Educational background

Across all Masters, we currently welcome over 35 nationalities:

Start date: 1 September 2026 
Duration: 10 months (from September until June)
Location: Leuven (discover our Vlerick Leuven campus)
Application deadline non-EU citizens: 30 April 2026

The tuition fee for the Masters in Business Analytics & AI is €20,950.

This includes:

• Company visits
• Amsterdam AI-trip (accommodation, local travel, and company visits)
• Travel between the school’s different campuses for mandatory programme events
• One year of full online access to the Financial Times and The New York Times

The fee does not include the cost of travelling abroad for the study trip, visa costs, living expenses or costs related to any optional modules abroad that you take as part of your programme.

Financing your Masters

Joining a Vlerick programme can be a significant financial investment. But there are many financing options available to help towards your tuition fees – and we’re here to help you explore what types of support you might be eligible for. We process applications for our Masters programmes on a rolling basis as of October, for the September intake. If you want to be considered for one of our full scholarships, make sure to submit your scholarship application together with your programme application before February.

Academic Excellence Scholarships

Academic Merit Scholarship

• Purpose: Reward students with an excellent academic track record
• Requirements:
  • Belgian degrees: Study results equal to great or greatest distinction at Bachelor’s level.
  • Non-Belgian degrees: Study results within the top 20% of the class at Bachelor’s level.
  • Outstanding GMAT/GMAT Focus (> 700/> 655) or GRE (> 164 quantitative and > 163 verbal) scores (for specialized programs only).
• Scholarship: Up to 50% of the tuition fee.
  

Diversity & Equality Scholarships

Women in Analytics

• Purpose: Encourage women to enter fields in which they are underrepresented.
• Requirements: Outstanding academic record, leadership potential, and passion for specific fields.
• Scholarship: Up to 50% of the tuition fee.

Equal Opportunity Scholarship: 

• Purpose: Encourage social diversity and individual commitment.
• Requirements: Represent diversity (e.g., minority group, underprivileged community) or actively promote diversity and inclusion by engaging in long-term initiatives that have a clear social impact.
• Scholarship: Up to 50% of the tuition fee, with a chance to receive one full scholarship sponsored by alumnus Jan Toye. Applicants who fit the criteria will be automatically considered for this full scholarship.

European Talent Scholarship: 

• Purpose: This scholarship specifically aims to promote educational mobility within Europe and to strengthen cultural diversity among our student population.
• Requirements: For students with citizenship in an EEA country (outside of Belgium) or in Switzerland
• Scholarship: Amount and allocation decided on a case-by-case basis.

Need-based Scholarship

Financial need scholarship: 

• Purpose: Support students with financial need.
• Requirements:
  • A realistic financial plan.
  • Proof of financial need (e.g. previous scholarships or grants).
  • This scholarship can be combined with any other scholarships
• Scholarship: Amount and allocation decided on a case-by-case basis. Full scholarships sponsored by MGM1973 alumni, and 3d Investors. Applicants who fit the criteria will be automatically considered for this full scholarship.

 If you're planning to apply for a scholarship, make sure you apply early and submit your scholarship applications alongside your application file. Please check the application form for full conditions.

Loans

You could also consider getting a loan to cover your programme fees.

• Regular loans: A loan from your bank could cover your tuition fees – get in touch with them for more information.
• Prodigy Finance loans: Our partner Prodigy Finance offer loans to international students at the world’s top business schools. These loans could cover your living expenses and 100% of your tuition fees, minus any scholarship you may be awarded. Learn more
• Boost your Vlerick journey with Lendorse: Lendorse offers German students at Vlerick Business School between €3,000 and €20,000 to cover tuition and/or living costs. In return, you commit to repaying a fixed share of your future income. Learn more
• Lendwise loans: Lendwise provides loans to international students at the world’s top business schools. Lendwise loans cover your living expenses and up to 100% of your tuition fees minus your course deposit (which must be paid by you), less any scholarship you may be awarded. Click here to learn more.

Paying in instalments

You can choose to pay your tuition fees in four separate instalments in October, November, January and March.

If you want to pay by instalments, you need to sign a contract and pay an admin fee of €250. 

There are four steps to applying for a Masters programme at Vlerick: 

1. Check your eligibility 

What you need: 

• Candidates studying in Belgium need a Masters degree from a recognised institution  
• Candidates from outside Belgium can apply with a Masters degree or a 3 to 4-year Bachelor degree from a recognised institution (there may be additional requirements too)

Our Masters programmes are designed for young graduates, with an average age of 23 and little-to-no professional experience. If you have questions about your eligibility, please contact our admissions team. 

2. Submit your application 

We process applications on a rolling basis from October for the 2026-27 September intake. If you need a visa to study in Belgium, we expect your application by 30 April at the latest for the following September intake.

Complete your personal details and upload all necessary documents to our application tool. If you don’t need a visa to study in Belgium, you have until June to apply. However, we advise early application as we allocate places on a first come, first served basis. 

3. Take your admissions test 

There are two elements in your admissions test:  

1. Online Test  – We accept our own in-house analytical test (i.e. numerical reasoning and abstract reasoning test), GMAT (minimum 555) or GRE (157 verbal and 158 quantitative). 
2. Interview – Faculty will look at your motivation, fit and knowledge of business analytics and artificial intelligence. Show us clear goals, curiosity for management, and awareness of business news. This interview also takes place online and lasts about 30 minutes.

Want to prepare for your admissions test? – discover our tips and tricks.   

4. Register for the programme 

We’ll let you know within a week of your interview whether you’ve been admitted. You can request feedback on your application, whatever the outcome. Once you’ve been admitted, you can go ahead and register.

Discover what it’s like to study in Belgium – as well as practical information on how to organise your stay.