Academic Program Curriculum

Course of Study

The bachelor's degree programs in Business Studies and Economics have a standard duration of six semesters and conclude with the degree "Bachelor of Science" (B.Sc.). The range of subjects offered in Business Studies and Economics is identical in the first three semesters so that a change of the degree course is possible until the fourth semester.

Detailed course schedules can be viewed here:

Detailed information about studying can be found in the information brochure:  Infobroschüre Bachelor BWL_WiWi

 

The Bachelor of Business Studies is composed of seven areas:

  1. Field Course Business Studies: Accounting and Accounts, Marketing, Company Taxation, Production and Logistics and Theory of the Firm
  2. Field Course Economics: Microeconomics, Macroeconomics as well as Economic and Financial Policy
  3. Methods: Mathematics, Statistics and Project Management
  4. Major: International Entrepreneurship, Management and Marketing (IEM²), Finances, Accounting and Taxation (FiRSt), Logistics (advanced students only) or Behavioral Economics, Sports Economics (advanced students only)
  5. Compulsory-elective course: e.g. Introductory Econometrics, Operations Research
  6. Bachelor Thesis combined with a seminar
  7. General Studies

 

In the first half of the study program, the basics of business and economics are taught. In the second half of the study program, a specialization will be chosen. Subject-specific training is supplemented by the transfer of relevant methods. The subjects of General Studies are the acquisition of general competencies that serve career orientation and professional qualification. The degree programs are completed with a Bachelor thesis.

Major

From the fourth semester, the students decide on a major field of study. For students of business administration, the following specializations are currently offered:

The specialization "International Entrepreneurship, Management and Marketing" (IEM²) is divided into the subareas:

  • Fundamentals of International Corporate Governance,
  • Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurship and Start-Up Management,
  • International Management and
  • Marketing.

The integrative element of IEM² is to understand the growing need to think entrepreneurially at all management levels within institutions, to be consistently international in the face of advancing globalization, and to operate in a competitive, international market with a significant, unmistakable brand image. The focus of all teaching activities is the micro-economic perspective. Based on these considerations, certain courses convey selected basics of the major field of study.

The area of entrepreneurship deals with the creation of companies and focuses on the so-called "start-ups", i.e. innovative, growth-oriented start-ups. The material transfer starts with the first business ideas, continues in the development of new business models and focuses on start-up processes for scaling innovations in new organizations. The work within the specialization is implementation-oriented and should explicitly include the development of appropriate new business concepts in small teams in the context of the project study. In addition, start-up projects from existing companies are also considered (corporate entrepreneurship).

The area of marketing teaches basic knowledge of the concepts and methods of marketing in the sense of market-oriented corporate management. The focus is on strategic marketing, brand management, customer management, e-commerce and particular methods. The basics of international marketing and the psychological basis of buyer behavior are also conveyed.

This focus will delve into the business areas of finance, accounting and taxation of businesses and companies. From the point of view of a company, the purpose is the procurement and use of financial resources, the structuring of relations with the state as tax collector (treasury) and the control and monitoring of business activities both internally and externally through appropriate reporting. The company perspective is supplemented by the analysis of capital markets, which are influenced on the one hand by the enterprise activity, and on the other by retro actions.

At the beginning of the program (4th Semester) two courses in the field of accounting have to be taken. In module 2 of the major field of study, students have two options to choose from. Participants can either opt for finance or tax.

Compulsory-elective course (5th Semester): For compulsory-elective courses, major field of study FiRSt, the module Introductory Econometrics must be successfully completed by all participants.

Note: For the choice of the focus "FiRSt" the successful completion of the "ABWL I: Accounting and Accounts" is strongly recommended as basic knowledge of accounting is required.

In choosing the emphasis of logistics, a broad knowledge of the relationship between planning and design in procurement and production logistics as well as in the transport industry or in the areas of supply chain management and mesologistics is acquired. The participants learn to understand, point out and evaluate these relationships as well as to develop their own solution proposals for various logistics problems.

Compulsory-elective course (5th Semester): For compulsory-elective courses, the Operations Research module must be taken by all participants with the emphasis Logistics.

The main focus of the major Behavioral Economics is on economic decision-making processes in the interdependence with human behavior and decision patterns as well as content on the subject of personnel management and psychology. From this context, the emphasis of the first module will be on teaching the basic information.

In the course "Decision Theory" the students get to know normative as well as descriptive decision theories. The students should develop an understanding of central issues and the model-theoretical approaches associated with those central issues. In the course "Systemic Organizational Development" the students are introduced to the particular systemic perspective of organizational change. In the area of personnel management, questions on personnel marketing and employer branding, on specification analysis and on personnel planning and development will be addressed.

All in all, this specialization forms a good basis for a possible entry into the Master program "Business Psychology".

The students are prepared for further scientific education as well as non-university activities in the context of the sport-economic specialization. In addition to sports practice, teaching in this segment includes economic-sociological and psychological content that is considered in the context of buying behavior, market research and brand management. In addition, there will be an in-depth analysis of (innovative) business models and entrepreneurship in the fitness and health market. In this context, students learn the appropriate skills to analyze the market mechanisms of the growth sectors sports and health and to be able to develop their own business models. Another focus will be placed on the areas of project and event management, in which the theoretical conception, practical implementation and evaluation will be carried out independently within the framework of a (sport) event. Potential employers for the graduates are present, including health, sports or tourism companies, event and marketing agencies, unions and associations, media, sporting goods manufacturers, industrial companies and management consultancies.

Economics students focus on "The Evolution of Economics, Human Behavior and Economic Policy." The emphasis in "Economics, Human Behavior, and Economic Policy" within the Economics program provides students with a comprehensive perspective on innovation-driven economic change, human behavior in economic contexts and political action in a complex, evolving world. While some of the content covered can be found in the standard teaching programs of other economic disciplines, here the usual teaching area is expanded by considering the latest findings and methods from heterodox areas of economic science and other disciplines, to arrive at more realistic analysis of economic issues. Students can choose between the two tracks "Bioeconomics" and "Digital Economics".

Within the majors a clear research and practical relevance to current business or economic operations is made. The course specialization is comprised of a total of 45 ECTS and corresponds to a percentage of 25% of the Bachelor's degree.

Stud.IP

The University of Bremen uses the learning and course management system Stud.IP (Study Accompanying Internet Support of Classroom Teaching). The registration requires the username and password of the account given by the Center for Networks (ZfN) for e-mail and other network services. Students receive an activation code and an activation password with their enrollment documents. At the beginning of the semester you should register for your courses via Stud.IP. Here there are course materials and announcements from teachers. Students can also manage their timetable, use discussion forums, access the bulletin board, and much more.

Internship

Internships are generally recommended to students. An internship of at least five weeks may be recognized in the scope of general studies in the amount of 6 ECTS, provided it is completed at the earliest after the second semester. Within a given period, an internship report must be submitted. In the search for internships, the students are supported by the Career Center of the University of Bremen and the Office for Practice and International Affairs of the Faculty. Further information about the internship can be found in the section "Practical Experience".

Note: Internships that have been completed before the beginning of the course cannot be credited. Also, no completed commercial training is recognized.

Semester Abroad

A semester abroad is not required, however, it is recommended. A semester abroad can best be incorporated into the fourth or fifth semester due to the outline of the course of study. By choosing a major, there is a high degree of flexibility with regards to the recognition options available. This allows a semester abroad to be integrated into length of the study program.

You can find detailed information about studying abroad on the homepage of the faculty in the section International Affairs - Outgoings.