Formation of professional competency of master of finance students in Belgium

The article dwells upon organizational aspects related to the Master's Degree training and the effective formation of professional competency in the Master of Finance programs in higher educational institutions of Belgium. The Master of Finance programs of the University of Liège, the University of Leuven, the University of Ghent, etc. were analyzed. The disciplines (compulsory and optional) that students study, the required number of ECTS credits, the planned learning outcomes and the terms of study were characterized. The compulsory disciplines contribute to the formation of theoretical knowledge and practical skills for professional activities in the field of public and corporate finance, budgeting, investment, actuarial calculations and banking. In the optional disciplines, the specificity of the financial activity is taken into account, and the knowledge of highly specialized areas of financial activity is formed. The article also summarizes the application procedure and enrollment conditions for the Master of Finance programs and gives the differences in the programs that have the practical focus and the scientific orientation. The formed competencies of Masters of Finance should ensure constant solvency and sustainable development of entrepreneurial structures, manufacturing enterprises, and the financial, economic and tax system of the country as a whole. The results of the system analysis, implemented by the author and presented in this article, can be of interest for education managers, professors and researchers. It is substantiated that a number of positive aspects of the organization of professional training of Masters of Finance in Belgian universities can be replicated in domestic higher schools.