In the introductory phase, you will acquire the academic foundations for your further studies. You will become familiar with key concepts, ways of thinking and analytical tools in economics, and explore economic decision-making processes, scarcity, markets, macroeconomic relationships and the development of economic ideas. This area includes, amongst other things, the following modules: Economics in Action, Economic Analysis, History of Economic Thought, as well as Microeconomics I and Macroeconomics I. The Microeconomics I and Macroeconomics I modules serve as the introductory modules for the bachelor's programme. Particularly at the outset, theory and application are closely intertwined: you practise structuring economic questions, developing arguments in a clear and logical manner, and critically analysing economic developments.

Today, answers to economic questions are increasingly based on data. That is why the programme teaches quantitative skills right from the start. Through courses in Mathematics for Economics, Statistics, Data Science 1 and 2, and Econometrics, you will acquire the methodological foundations needed to understand economic models, analyse data appropriately, and critically evaluate empirical results. You will learn how robust conclusions about economic relationships can be drawn from data and where the limitations of such analyses lie. This knowledge is important for many subsequent specialisations, for example in international economics, development economics, behavioural economics, public finance or applied statistics. At the same time, it enhances your employability, as quantitative analytical skills are in particularly high demand in companies, research institutions, government departments, associations and international organisations.

The interdisciplinary foundations broaden your economic perspective to include related disciplines and practical perspectives. The module on Corporate Finance is compulsory. In addition, you will choose three further modules from a range that includes, amongst other things, the fundamentals of business administration, law for economics, sustainability-oriented business administration, digitalisation, artificial intelligence and Business English. This allows you to set your priorities early on and combine your economics studies with skills that are important for economic decision-making in business, public administration and society. Those aiming for a Master’s degree in economics can make particular use of Business English to develop the necessary language skills. Our bachelor's programme thus supports both academic breadth and the development of an initial individual profile.

The economics specialisation complements your professional training and systematically brings together key areas of economics. You will take seven compulsory modules: Microeconomics II, Macroeconomics II, Economic Policy, Public Finance, International Economic Relations, Growth and Development, and Development Economics. This enables you to analyse microeconomic and macroeconomic decisions in greater depth, to contextualise economic policy measures, and to understand international and development policy interrelationships. The specialisation also lays the foundation for your future specialisation. You will see how different sub-fields of economics are interconnected and how theoretical models, institutional frameworks and empirical evidence interact.

In the Economics specialisation, you tailor your studies to your interests and career goals. You choose modules with a focus on economics or quantitative methods, and must complete at least one seminar. The seminars enable you to engage actively with current research questions, academic texts, data and presentations. Admission to the seminars requires completion of the ‘Economics in Action’ module; in turn, successful completion of a seminar is a prerequisite for the Bachelor’s thesis. Depending on your choice of modules, you can, upon application, have a specialisation indicated on your degree certificate. Possible specialisations include Applied Statistics and Econometrics, Development Economics, Economics of Globalisation, and Institutional and Behavioural Economics. A specialisation requires 24 credits from relevant modules.

The elective module section gives you additional scope to tailor your own study profile. You can choose modules from various fields within economics, such as business administration, economics, business informatics, business education, quantitative methods or other economics-related subjects. Furthermore, under certain conditions, language courses and related subject areas such as economic and social history, computer science and mathematics, business psychology, sociology and political science, agricultural and forestry economics, economic geography or economically relevant areas of law may be included. In order to gain initial professional experience or to get to know possible relevant professional fields, you can also have a voluntary internship to credited under certain conditions. This allows you to broaden your academic horizons, develop career-relevant skills, or gain targeted experience for a future Master’s programme, a period abroad, or your career entry.

Your Bachelor’s thesis marks the completion of your degree and allows you to apply the skills you have acquired during your studies to an independent academic research question. You will explore an economics-related topic within a specified timeframe, develop a coherent line of argument, and, depending on the research question, utilise theoretical models, empirical methods, literature reviews or real-world data. To register, you must have earned 90 credits from the curriculum and successfully completed a seminar in your chosen area of economic specialisation. The Bachelor’s thesis offers you the opportunity to refine your academic profile and choose a topic that aligns with your interests, a subsequent Master’s programme or potential career paths. It demonstrates that you can analyse economic problems independently and develop academically sound answers.

• Recommended study plans (Charts)


• Mailing list for economics students (information on courses; job advertisements of economics Chairs etc.)


• Studying abroad