Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Economics (BWL/VWL)

There are many ways of describing the subject matter of Business Administration and Economics with its two branches of business administration and economics:

Business Administration and Economics, for example, can be understood as a discipline that deals with the fundamental problem of the scarcity of given resources. It examines the decisions made by private households, companies and politicians regarding the use of these scarce resources to achieve set goals.

Business administration deals in particular with the perspective of individuals and examines their interaction in companies and on markets. The study of business administration covers central commercial functions in companies, in particular procurement, production, sales, investment and financing, accounting, controlling and taxes as well as information management.

Economics deals with macroeconomic issues. It looks at the various interactions between all actors involved in the economic process. This also includes the role of politics, which intervenes to ensure that economic processes lead to results that are desirable for society as a whole.

With the Bachelor's degree course, you will acquire a university degree that qualifies you for a profession. In principle, you can start your career straight after completing your Bachelor's degree.

You have a wide range of options: after graduation, you can work in all business-related fields in national and international companies and public institutions. Depending on your chosen specialization and interests, you could work in the following areas, for example:

• Supporting the management in a company
• Management consultancy
• Auditing and tax consultancy
• Finance and accounting
• controlling
• marketing
• Project management
• Economic and market analyses
• strategic planning
• founding a start-up.

Your place of work will also depend on the area. This means that you will certainly not work exclusively at a desk. Meetings with colleagues, business partners and customers are definitely part of the job.

Of course, you can also complete a Master's degree before entering the professional world.

You can choose from the following Master's degree programs:

•  M.Sc. Business Administration (BWL)
•  M.Sc. Economics (VWL)
•  M.Sc. Vocational Teacher Education with Specialist Graduates

Basically, the course is structured so that you can graduate after six semesters. The study plan shows you an exemplary structure of the course:

In order to get a good introduction and a detailed overview of the necessary basics in the areas of business administration and economics, you will study subjects such as decision-making and planning, accounting, Information Systems, civil and corporate law and economic and financial policy in the first three semesters.

Would you like to find out more about the individual subjects? Then take a look at our  module catalog. Here you will find a detailed description of the course content for all the subjects offered at our school and find out what to expect during your studies, which exams you will take and which electives you can specialize in later on.

From the fourth semester onwards, you can then choose the subjects according to your own interests and goals and, if necessary, decide on a specific focus - business administration or economics - and/or choose one of our exciting specializations:

• Sustainability, Behavior and Environmental Policy

Solutions for social change towards a sustainable economy, importance of the behavior of consumers, investors, entrepreneurs

• Management

Corporate strategies, market analyses, marketing strategies, customer behavior, cooperation in (IT) projects, personnel selection, qualification and management

• Information Systems

Design of information systems in companies, big data analytics, IT-based development of new business models

• Money and financial markets

Functioning from a business and economic perspective, commercial and central banks, financial market stability

• Accounting, finance and taxes

Annual financial statements, investment planning and financing, controlling, national and international tax planning, group accounting

• Quantitative business administration

Use of simulation-based and statistical-econometric methods to answer business management questions

If you would like to find out more about the individual specializations and the respective career prospects, please refer to the  Bachelor of Business Administration specializations.

Would you like to find out more about the Bachelor's degree program in School of Business Administration and Economics? Then you will find further information on the  study pages.

You also have the option of spending a semester abroad in your third year. We are happy to support you! The school and the university maintain a large number of partnerships in Europe and overseas. You can find more information about a semester abroad under  Study abroad.

An internship of at least three months or a working student activity of at least six months can be credited as part of the Bachelor's degree course.

Furthermore, practical contacts and research projects by lecturers offer students numerous opportunities for a practice-oriented seminar paper or thesis. Contacts with potential employers can be established at an early stage. There are also collaborations with economic research institutes and partnerships with international universities.

If you would like to study economics, you should first and foremost have an interest in business and/or economic issues. An understanding of mathematics and knowledge of English are of course also important.

In fact, no matter which specialization or focus you choose, many of the subjects in Business Administration and Economics have a mathematical component. But don't worry, in order to prepare you as well as possible, we offer you a preparatory course in mathematics at the beginning of your studies. Here you will not only get to know your first fellow students, but also review the school mathematics topics relevant to your studies. You can find more information about the preliminary mathematics course under  Preliminary courses for first semester students.

As some of our courses are held in English, you must also have some knowledge of English. If your Abitur certificate certifies English at level B2 or above, it is sufficient to upload your Abitur certificate as proof.  Language tests and language courses can also be accepted as proof. If you are unsure whether your English certificate is sufficient, you can still apply. If we need further documents from you, we will let you know.

Of course, you also need a university entrance qualification (Abitur or Fachhochschulreife).
Under certain circumstances, a vocational qualification is also sufficient (such as a master craftsman's certificate or at least two years of vocational training and experience). You can find out what you need to consider in individual cases under  Studying without an Abitur.

A pre-study internship in a relevant field is not required.

The Bachelor's degree course in Business Administration and Economics is admission-free: this means that if you meet the formal access requirements, you will also be offered a place to study with us!

You can apply and enrol for the Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Economics (BWL/VWL) completely digitally in just a few steps.

Enrollment in the first semester is only possible for the winter semester. The  application portal usually opens in mid-May.

Are you looking to change subject/university? Then you can start your studies with us for both the winter and summer semester, provided you meet certain requirements. You can find more information on this under  Enrolment (matriculation) - Higher semester.