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General Structure of the Master`s Program

The master's program in Economics lasts two academic years (four semesters), and always starts in the fall semester (September). The language of administration and instruction is English. Upon successful completion of the program, you are awarded a Master of Science (M.Sc.).

Introductory Phase

After a two-week orientation phase, you can choose to take courses in the Economics module or attend the Economic Research Preparatory Courses, which are required to apply for the Economic Research track at the end of the first semester.

Economics:

· E600 Mathematics (optional)

· E601 Advanced Microeconomics

· E602 Advanced Macroeconomics

· E603 Advanced Econometrics

Economic Research Preparatory Courses (at doctoral level):

· E700 Mathematics for Economists

· E701 Advanced Microeconomics

· E702 Advanced Macroeconomics

· E703 Advanced Econometrics

Specialization Phase

After the introductory phase you can choose from three study tracks: Economics, Competition and Regulation Economics (CaRE), or Economic Research. The Economics track gives you the opportunity to build their unique profile from a wide range of elective courses, including courses from other departments such as Business Mathematics, Political Science or Sociology. You can also attend courses from the Department of Economics at Heidelberg University. In the CaRE track electives are complemented by tailor-made courses in the fields of competition policy and regulation economics. Furthermore, there are a number of opportunities for internships, field trips, and other forms of collaboration with our partners. The study track Economic Research allows a small number of outstanding students to enter into a fast-track program for acquiring a doctorate.

Fields of Study

Economics

The Economics track gives students the opportunity to build their unique profile from a wide range of elective courses, including courses from other departments such as Business Mathematics, Political Science or Sociology. Students can also attend courses from the Department of Economics at Heidelberg University.

Competition and Regulation Economics

The CaRE track prepares students for a professional career where specialized knowledge in the field of competition and regulation economics is desirable. Furthermore, there are a number of opportunities for internships, field trips, and other forms of collaboration with our partners.

Economic Resesarch

The study track Economic Research allows a small number of outstanding students to enter into a fast-track program for acquiring a doctorate at the Graduate School of Economics and Social Sciences (GESS). It prepares students for writing a doctoral dissertation and provides the foundations for a successful academic career.

Research Phase

The master’s thesis may be registered in the fourth semester at the earliest. Candidates must have completed at least one (block)seminar and have obtained at least 45 ECTS credits during the specialization phase. The choice of a supervisor and topic is within the responsibility of the candidate. The regular period of completion is four months.

Internship and Exchange Opportunities

There are excellent opportunities for students of the master's program in Mannheim to gain experiences in different environments:

Students of the Economics track can choose to participate in the ENTER Program, a double degree exchange program with Europe’s leading economics departments. The University of Mannheim collaborates with the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Stockholms Universitet, and the Université de Toulouse I. The university also has a large number of excellent Erasmus and overseas partnerships.

As part of the Competition and Regulation Economics track, we facilitate internships and collaborations with our cooperation partners. Several partners give students the option of writing their master’s thesis within the company. Cooperation agreements already exist with the CRA, CompassLexecon, Competition & Consumer Commission of Singapore, Deutsche Bahn, German Monopolies Commission, Oxera, Nera, NetzeBW, and the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW).

The Economic Research track does not directly include any exchange opportunities. Instead, students of this track have the opportunity to go abroad during their subsequent doctoral studies at the Center for Doctoral Studies in Economics (CDSE). The CDSE is included in the European Network for Training in Economic Research (ENTER), a collaboration between the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, the Université Libre de Bruxelles, University College London, the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, the University of Mannheim, the University of Stockholm & Stockholm School of Economics, Tilburg University, and the Université de Toulouse 1.

Access to exchange programs is competitive and limited. The programs are subject to the ongoing approval by our partner universities and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Additionally, students can apply for a variety of other exchange opportunities (e.g. the ERASMUS+ program) at one of the University of Mannheim's partner universities.