The Master's

The Master of European Social Security is a specialised, highly research based programme, dealing with the area of social security in its broadest sense. The programme provides an in-depth study of social protection from a legal, economic sociological, administrative and philosophical perspective. As well as being multidisciplinary, the programme also contains a strong comparative element and a multinational element as it focuses on the provision of social protection rights across Europe. This gives its participants the opportunity to understand the many different approaches to social security that co-exist within our old continent. At the same time it provides them with a better understanding of their own national system. The programme also includes the careful study of the role of international bodies such as the European Union.

My profile

Students should have a good knowledge of his/her own social security system and its reality, they should be able to formulate research questions and to carry out corresponding research in the area of social security. They should have an open attitude towards other scientific disciplines and other national social security systems.

He/she may be acquainted with social security by study. Acquaintance with the own social security as a result of practical experience however, e.g. by working in a social security administration is considered to be an advantage. Some previous exposure to European social affairs and/or foreign social security systems is also welcomed.

The students should have good English language skills. There are no special arrangements made for improving this language while following the programme.

Assets

International Aspect

When following the Master of European Social Security you become part of an international network of experts in the field of social security. Students come from several European countries and beyond and have different academic backgrounds. The faculty staff is a group of renowned professors in various disciplines coming from other European universities.

Study programme

This one-year full time programme contains 4 compulsory courses, 2 elective courses (to be chosen out of 4 proposed elective courses) and a master thesis. It combines contact teaching with distance learning. Students study in Leuven for two short periods during the year and prepare the remainder of the courses at home.

The content of the courses focuses on the European and international level and has a high comparative character; the courses also cover various disciplines: economics, law, sociology, social policy, … and a master thesis has to be written from a comparative and multi-disciplinary perspective.

Students who follow the programme on a part time basis will participate during the first year in the 2 sessions in Leuven and have to succeed their compulsory courses, while they take their elective courses and write the master thesis during the second year.

Career prospects

Masters of European Social Security are professionally active in a social security related area (social or private insurance institutions, social administrations, social and economic policy-makers).

Application and Admissions

Detailed information on application procedures and admission requirements depends on your preceding qualifications, etc.

• You will find more information on application matters here.

European Social Security - Impressionen vom Masterstudium

Übersicht der Masterstudiengänge - KU Leuven

• Adapted Physical Activity
• Advanced Business Studies
• Advanced Medical Imaging
• Advanced Studies in Economics
• Advanced Studies in Linguistics
• Advanced Studies in Theology and Religion
• American Studies
• Archeology
• Artificial Intelligence
• Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Bioethics
• Bioinformatics
• Biology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Biomedical Sciences
• Business Economics
• Canon Law
• Chemical Technology
• Chemical Technology (Engineering Rheology)
• Chemistry
• Conservation of Monuments and Sites
• Criminology
• Cultural Studies
• Cultures and Development Studies (CADES)
• Earth Observation
• Economics
• Economics and Management of Network Industries
• Educational Studies
• EIT-KIC Energy
• Electrical Engineering
• Endodontics
• Energy
• Estudios Ibéricos e Iberoamericanos
• European Social Security
• European Studies:Transnational and Global Perspectives
• Financial and Actuarial Engineering
• Financial Economics
• Food Technology
• Forensic Odontology
• Geography
• Geology
• Human Settlements
• Information Management
• Junior programmes in European Culture and Society (PECS)
• Langue et Littérature françaises
• Law
• Laws (LLM)
• Laws in Energy and Environmental Law (MEEL)
• Laws in European and International Taxation (MEIT)
• Linguistics and Literature: English
• Literary Studies
• Master of European Politics and Policies (MEPP)
• Materials Engineering
• Mathematics
• Medieval and Renaissance Studies
• Molecular and Cellular Biophysics
• Molecular Biology
• Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
• Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (Erasmus Mundus)
• Nuclear Engineering
• Oral Health Research
• Orthodontics
• Paediatric Dentistry and Special Dental Care
• Periodontology
• Pharmaceutical Research
• Philosophy
• Philosophy (MPhil)
• Physics
• Quantitative Analysis in the Social Sciences
• Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy
• Restorative Dentistry
• Safety Engineering
• Social and Cultural Anthropology
• Social Policy Analysis (IMPALLA)
• Society, Law and Religion
• Space Studies
• Statistics
• Sustainable Territorial Development
• Theology and Religious Studies
• Theoretical Chemistry and Computational Modelling
• Tropical Natural Resources Management
• Urbanism and Strategic Planning
• Water Resources Engineering
• Western Literature