There are “structurally” too few enrolments for the study programmes of Fiscal Economics, said scientific director of the educational institute Mark Vluggen during the latest faculty council meeting. “This means that the bachelor’s programme costs about 100.000 euro more each year than it yields; for the master’s, it is 40.000 euro.” In addition, accreditation organisations (EQUIS and NVAO), during various visits they made, urged us to reduce SBE’s broad portfolio of study programmes, says Vluggen.
The plan is now that the next academic year will be the last year in which students can start Fiscal Economics. These bachelor’s students will be given four years to complete the programme and an extra year in which they can only do exams, Vluggen explains. “That is compulsory by law.” The same applies to master’s students. They will be given two years to take classes and an extra exam year.
FIRST understands the faculty’s arguments and therefore supports the decision to discontinue the study programmes, but has a number of concerns. If the last master’s students start next year, then only the present third-year students can do a follow-up study at UM, they write in a letter to the programme committee and the faculty board. What will the present first- and second-years students do? When they started their studies, they assumed that they would also be able to do their master’s study at UM. In addition, there are a number of third-year students who have already planned a work placement. Should they cancel this if they aren’t able to do the master’s in Maastricht? FIRST therefore wants the last master’s students to start in 2025, so that all present bachelor’s students can also do their master’s in Maastricht.
Vluggen understands the students’ wishes, but because UM is legally bound to offer the study programme for another two years, this would mean that the master’s programme would have to be offered until 2028. That is including the loss of 40.000 per year. Vluggen’s advice is “to switch to the master’s of International Business with the specialisation Accounting or to the master’s of Fiscal Law at UM. Alternatively, there are master’s of Fiscal Economics in Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Tilburg.” UM has contacted the latter university to see if an automatic continuation is possible, but this has not been set in stone yet, Vluggen emphasises.
The faculty council also appreciates FIRST’s wishes. Nevertheless, their advice is to discontinue the study programmes according to the present plan.