Economics (MSE)

The MSE is a two-year programme split into four teaching semesters. For graduation, students are required to earn a total of 120 ECTS. The first (winter) semester comprises a total of six compulsory courses, covering the basic fields of economics. In the second and third semesters, students choose electives from a very broad range of subjects. By choosing appropriate electives, students can complete different fields of specialisation. On the list are Labour Economics, Macroeconomics and Finance, Public Economics, Energy Markets, and Health Economics. In the fourth semester, students write their Master’s theses under close supervision of one of the lecturers in the department. Electives are grouped to form five fields of specialisation: Labour Economics: Students explore the area of labour economics from different perspectives. They study theoretical models, delve into current empirical work on labour market issues, and learn how to apply empirical research tools to examine labour market policies. Macroeconomics and Finance: This field of specialisation contains macroeconomics, applied econometrics and finance. Included courses cover topics such as monetary policy, international economics, or banking, and methods such as time series econometrics or macro modelling. The field prepares for jobs at central banks and commercial banks, international organisations, and academic research. Public Economics: This field of specialisation is focused on the analysis of tax systems and government expenditures, public finance and public policy as well as regional, urban and development economics. Students apply microeconomic theory together with modern methods of data analysis to evaluate a variety of policies. Energy Markets: This field of specialisation considers relevant aspects of energy markets, such as market design, energy transformation towards a low-carbon system and climate policies. These issues will be addressed not only from a theoretical perspective but also using empirical methods, such as computational, econometric, and behavioural/experimental approaches. Health Economics: Students who specialise in this field study the supply and demand for medical services from a microeconomic perspective. Students explore a variety of markets in the health sector to learn how to optimally design a health care system.