Economics - Bachelor (B.Sc.)

Overview

The faculty of Business Administration and Economics at the Heinrich Heine University (HHU) is one of the youngest and smallest university faculties in Germany in terms of the number of students and teaching staff. It has close ties to professional practice and maintains intensive contact with its foreign partner universities. The course is also accredited by the AQAS agency.

What’s special about the Bachelor's degree in Economics at the HHU?

Your study programme – countless options guaranteed
Our study programme comprises three core components: beside a general component that introduces the key aspects of economics, the programme also includes many electives and project work to enable you to flexibly adapt your studies to your interests. It is possible to set different emphases during your studies, for example. The study programme covers both business administration topics such as finance and corporate management as well as economic topics such as competition economics and European economic policy.

Semester abroad and language courses
In order to take the increasingly international orientation of the economy into account, selected elective modules are also taught in English. HHU moreover offers a range of language courses – for everyone from beginners to business professionals. And for all those interested in spending one (or even several) semesters abroad, there are numerous exchange programmes with partner universities all around the globe.

Young team, great research
In the past, there were only a few experts for competition economics at German universities. This changed with founding of the Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE). HHU has successfully brought a team of renowned young competition researchers to Düsseldorf. A private donation allowed six new professorships to be established. With the Oeconomicum, we have a fantastic new building with state-of-the-art infrastructure. We have also set up an economics experimental laboratory in which we conduct fascinating experiments to determine whether people actually behave as economic theory predicts in everyday economic situations.

Begin developing your professional network during your studies

We regularly collaborate with your potential future employers: with associations, authorities, research institutes, newspapers and multinational corporations, but also with regional start-ups. Especially in our specialist field of competition economics, almost all leading institutions are located within two hours of Düsseldorf: beside the Federal Cartel Office and the Federal Network Agency in Bonn, there’s the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition in Brussels that monitors competition and punishes violations. Then there’s the Monopolies Commission, which is the most important advisory body to the German federal government on competition issues. Countless multinational corporations active in the energy, telecommunications and finance sectors are also based in the Rhine and Ruhr regions. There are retail groups and consulting firms, too, along with the ministries and public institutions of the state capital. Studying in Düsseldorf therefore opens up fantastic opportunities for your subsequent career and already mediates valuable contacts in Germany and abroad during your studies.

Course content

The Heinrich Heine University offers a bachelor’s degree in economics with a standard study period of six semesters during which you can choose between two specialisations: competition and regulation or international financial markets. Culminating in a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree, these study programmes impart the specialist knowledge and key skills in economics needed for a successful transition to professional life or to pursue a master’s study programme. Working in close cooperation with your professors, you’ll learn the basic economics models and methods, work independently within projects and discuss major and minor aspects of economics with your professors. Our courses involve more than just lectures: we wish to discuss with you and to debate key economics questions – in the spirit of a teaching and learning community.

Teaching language
German, individual events in English.

Time abroad and international contacts
No compulsory time abroad, you find collaborating universities here.
In addition to our faculty’s bilateral cooperations, we are also in contact with diverse international researchers whom we collaborate with on joint research projects for example.

Internships
No compulsory internships.

Programme structure

You must take elective modules in various areas during the bachelor’s study programme. A brief overview is available below – for a complete and up-to-date list, see the module handbook. See here for a sample course plan.

Economics

• E.g. market and state, money and currency, international economic relations, European competition policy, competition theory and policy, game theory and experimental economic research, institutional economics, media economics, consumer policy, labour market and social policy, health economics, etc.

Business Administration

• E.g. marketing, management, organisation and human resources, banking and insurance management, start-up management and financing, etc.

Other

• E.g. modern Japan, economic history, tax law, data analysis, etc.

In order to take the increasingly international orientation of the economy into account, selected lectures are also held in English along with a comprehensive range of other business languages. The faculty moreover runs exchange programmes with its extensive international network of partner universities.

Study aims/Career prospects

Culminating in a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree, this study programme imparts the specialist knowledge and key skills in economics needed for a successful transition to professional life or to pursue a master’s study programme.