Uni-Tübingen

International Economics - Bachelor (mono)

Key data on study program

Faculty
Economics and Social Sciences Faculty

Academic Degree
Bachelor (mono)

Restricted admission
None

Regular duration of studies
6 semester

Is a combination subject required?
No

Application deadline 1st semester
Overview of application deadlines

Program start
Winter semester

Language of instruction
German, English

Costs
Tuition and other fees

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Requirements and application

The program is open admission. You can therefore enroll with your university entrance qualification (usually high school diploma) until September 30. You can find more information here.

The program can be started in the winter semester.

All programs at the University of Tübingen require applicants to have a high school leaving certificate, usually the German Abitur, or other equivalent higher education entrance qualification, e.g. the Deltaprüfung for applicants with vocational school certificates or a higher education entrance qualification for professionals. Applicants with qualifications from outside Germany must apply via the Office for the Advising and Admission of International Students.

The language of instruction and examination in the Bachelor's program in Economics and Business Administration is German. Courses and examinations can be held in English, about 40% of the Bachelor courses are in English. It is assumed that students have very good German language skills (about C1) as well as good English language skills (about B1). In particular, the relevant technical literature frequently is in English. You can get advice, especially on German language skills for international applicants, from the Admissions Office for International Students.

Für die im Studium zu wählende/n Sprache/n gelten folgende Voraussetzungen:

The following prerequisites apply to the language(s) to be chosen in the course of study:

  • No prerequisites (so-called zero languages) are required when choosing Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Turkish, Arabic, Hindi ⇒ Courses are credited for the study from beginner* level. Only one language is chosen here.
  • Prerequisites must usually be brought along for European languages (two languages are chosen). English: There are no beginner courses here, language training cannot be started at the beginner level. French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Czech: It is usually possible to use the first year of study for a propaedeutic course and to start the language training at the beginner level. Swedish, Danish, Norwegian: Language training can be started at the beginner level.

Here you will find an overview of any foreign language requirements.

It is a compact course of study, therefore no minor subject is possible. However, in the third year of study, non-economics subjects can be added. You can broaden your perspective and choose courses from one of the following fields: political science, computer science, mathematics, law, psychology or sociology. The Global Ethic Institute, with its wide range of courses that can be selected, also allows you to look beyond your own nose.

You can find more information here.

Program details

The B.Sc. in International Economics offers you a fully-fledged degree in economics with a distinct international orientation. You will acquire the specialist knowledge and methodological skills to understand markets, assess the role of state regulation, evaluate economic policy on a sound basis and classify unemployment and inflation.

The program consists of two parts. The main part is a full economic education on theories, concepts and the terminology of economics.Students can set their own priorities, in particular the focus on "International Economic Relations".

In addition, however, and this is what distinguishes the Tübingen programme from other degree programmes, we offer the possibility of interdisciplinary study. On the one hand, students can study foreign languages at linguistic institutes. Depending on the language, this philological study component requires considerable prior knowledge. In some cases, such as Chinese and Japanese, it is also possible to acquire new languages. On the other hand, the programme offers the opportunity to supplement the economic perspective with other scientific disciplines, such as political science or geography.

Find more information on the B.Sc. International Economics on the School's website.

The program is characterized by a wide range of options. At the beginning, you will learn the basics of economics as well as some business administration. From the third semester on, specialization takes place through the choice of economics modules. In the third year of study, the area of advanced undergraduate studies Elective Studies offers numerous elective options outside of Business and Economics, in addition to extensions in Economics. You can broaden your view and choose courses from one of the fields of political science, computer science, mathematics, law, psychology or sociology. Depending on the language you choose, it is also possible to choose history, geography, or regional studies of Japan/Korea/China. The Global Ethics Institute also allows students to think outside the box with its wide variety of elective courses.

Depending on the choice of the three areas of advanced undergraduate studies, the qualification goals that graduates are expected to achieve differ:

  • After attending the area of advanced undergraduate studies Economic History and Development Economics, graduates will be able to understand research approaches to analyze the economic history of the world. They are able to explain important theories of international development economics and economic history. In addition, graduates will be able to analyze economic history data.
  • Through modules in the Economic Policy concentration area, graduates will be able to explain the basic terms and economic concepts of taxation. They are able to analyze central
    problems with the help of microeconomic models. Furthermore, graduates are able to evaluate different economic policy measures concerning current challenges. They are able to reflect on and question the significance of economic theories and models for dealing with political challenges.
  • After completing the area of advanced undergraduate studies in Firms and Markets, graduates will be able to analyze the strategic behavior of companies in individual markets. For this purpose they can apply basic concepts of information economics, game theory and organizational economics and apply them to different problems, e.g. in the field of organization. They can
    develop solutions to organizational problems. On the basis of these analyses, they are able to to derive recommendations for companies or economic policy.
  • Through modules of the specialization area International Economics, graduates will be able to explain the challenges and opportunities of European integration and globalization. They are able
    to compare and explain economic growth and the economic development of national economies. They will be able to analyze international trade and commodity flows and assess the advantages and disadvantages of globalization for the economies involved.
  • By specializing in Data Science, graduates will be able to compare modern methods for analyzing economic data. They are able to determine which methods can be used under which conditions. They can use different programming languages and generate program code for statistical data analysis. Furthermore, they are able to independently analyze economic data using econometric methods in order to derive decision-making foundations for decisions in companies.
  • In the area of advanced undergraduate studies Elective Studies, graduates can either expand their knowledge of economics or transfer economic thinking and approaches to other disciplines such as politics, psychology or law by choosing modules in areas outside of economics.

Studying abroad: about 2/3 of the students spend 1 semester in one of over 40 countries; numerous international students.

Here you can find further information that might convince you to study in Tübingen.

Rankings:

Here you can find current information on rankings.

Cooperation agreements:

Numerous non-subject specializations can be selected in the third year of study. Students take courses at adjacent institutes.

Within the study program, students can spend one or two semesters abroad at one of Tübingen's numerous partner universities. Many students take advantage of this offer and then count the achievements from their studies abroad towards their studies in Tübingen. Within the Erasmus+ program alone, 38 partner universities within Europe are available to students of the School. In addition, stays in other parts of the world are possible due to partnerships with universities.

Graduates of the double-degree option with Université Aix-Marseille spend one academic year (5th/6th semester) at the partner university and thus acquire special interdisciplinary competencies. At the same time, they acquire the B.Sc. in International Economics degree from the partner university. For this option, a separate application is required during the first year of study.

Detailed information about the opportunities for students of the School of Business and Economics.

Optional time abroad
You may choose to spend some time abroad as part of any study program. You should start planning it 12 to 18 months before your departure. 
Here you will find general information and advice on studying abroad. In addition, some departments have their own subject-specific services providing information on studying abroad.

The studies in our school are research-oriented. At the same time, practical relevance plays a central role in our research and teaching. To this end, people from the field are regularly involved, giving event-related lectures or offering entire courses.

The School regularly organizes networking events, career fairs, workshops, case studies with companies, fireside evenings (e.g. alumni storytelling), practice mentoring, regular student / alumni get-togethers, application portfolio check & career preparation (e.g. assessment center training), excursions, business games, soft skill training, workshops for personal development, service learning through participation in initiatives & lecture series on topics not covered by the curriculum. Collaboration with companies, the Alumni & Support Association, student initiatives & Global Ethic Institute (certificate possible).

PC-Pool with always up-to-date, high-quality computers designed to handle complex econometric calculations with large data sets; flexible access to cloud-based computing capacities and to the cluster for high-performance computing; extensive offer of databases for empirical research; extensive offer of statistical software with numerous training courses (R, Stata, Python, Matlab, MaxQDA, Atlas. ti); permanently installed beamers in lecture halls throughout, partly also multimedia equipment & whiteboard; free WLAN access on campus; ILIAS platform.

The module handbook describes the goals and structure of a degree program. In the module handbook you will find details of the type of modules offered and their respective
workloads as well as the classes, requirements and assessment. An ideal course plan is set out in the module handbook to help you plan your studies. The module handbook and the exam regulations help you to understand the framework and conditions of your program, and enable you to choose the right modules/ classes.

The module manual can be downloaded under this link. It consists of one part for the B.Sc. programs and one part for the M.Sc. programs.

The exam regulations contain the legally binding regulations for a degree program. They set out, for instance, which modules must be taken and which assessment must be completed in order to successfully complete the degree program. The exam regulations also regulate how often exams may be repeated, which deadlines apply to assessment, and how the final grade is calculated. The exam regulations and the module handbook help you to understand the framework and conditions of your program, and enable you to choose the right modules/ classes.

The examination regulations can be downloaded from this link. It consists of a general and a special part.

Help with choosing a study program

© Anna Saile

The thorough & quantitatively oriented program of the B.Sc. International Economics, especially regarding the practical application of statistical evaluations via programming languages, is a good preparation for Master's degree programs which is valued in applications. At the same time, the parts for language & electives allow to pursue a broader horizon of interests, structure your studies flexibly while gaining interdisciplinary & intercultural experience.

Anna Saile, graduate B.Sc. International Economics

After your studies

The career prospects are broad and excellent. Occupational fields are Business and Economics and Economic Policy Institutions, Industrial and Service Companies, Medium-Sized Businesses, Banks, Public Institutions, and Consulting Firms. The path to self-employment is also open to graduates.

Graduates of our school have very good career prospects. In addition to the excellent reputation of a degree program in Tübingen, graduates of economics and business administration also benefit from the increased practical relevance of the School of Business and Economics, the short period of study, and the international orientation.

In addition, graduates receive the Diploma Supplement, a document that explains the courses attended and successfully completed in an internationally understandable way.

Companies and institutions appreciate the sound and transparent education in Business and Economics in Tübingen.

Advice and internships
The University’s Career Service assists with careers orientation and getting started in your profession. Jobs and internships can be found in the Praxisportal.

With this bachelor program, we also want to identify and support the interest and talent of particularly ambitious students. For this purpose, we offer research-oriented master's programs in the field of economics, which can also lead to doctoral studies. The School of Business and Economics offers advanced Master's programs in Economics and Business Administration.

Some of these programs pursue the goal of training for subsequent doctoral or PhD programs, either at our own department or at other universities in Germany or abroad.

A good result in this bachelor program is a very good prerequisite for admission to the master programs of our school as well as to the economics master programs of other universities. More information about our master programs can be found here.

You can find information about pursuing your PhD here.

 All degree programs