Master of Science in International Economics and Management

Overview

If you want to understand how firms and whole economies compete and interact in global markets—while also engaging with different cultures and economic systems—this Master's programme gives you a highly international study environment and training. Core courses are delivered in English, and you can choose whether to round out your curriculum exclusively with English-taught modules or to include German-taught courses as well. More than one third of the student body comes from outside Germany, and a student forum organises social events and guest talks to promote cross-cultural exchange.

Curriculum and international opportunities

The programme equips you with the theoretical and methodological tools to analyse how global markets function, how they affect organisations, and how companies can position themselves successfully. Study plans are flexible: you can establish a personalised focus in economics or management so the degree matches your career goals. Numerous partner universities and institutional cooperations enable semester exchanges, double degree options, summer schools and short-term international programmes to deepen language skills and gain practical intercultural experience.

Career prospects

Graduates are prepared for leadership- and strategy-oriented roles in internationally operating companies, organisations and research institutions. Typical professional paths include managerial positions in multinationals, management consulting, data analysis, roles in international organisations or NGOs, jobs in financial institutions or central banks, and research-oriented careers. For full programme details, course structure and up-to-date information, please consult the programme website: https://www.uni-paderborn.de/en/studyoffer/course_of_study/international-economics-and-management-master

Admission & application (concise)

• See the programme webpage above for precise admission criteria, application deadlines and required documents.
• For individual questions about application or eligibility, contact the programme’s admissions or student advisory office (details on the website).

This master’s programme runs over four semesters and requires a total of 120 ECTS. The usual intake is in the winter semester, but a summer start is also possible. Study load is organised so that you normally complete three 10‑ECTS modules each semester (1 ECTS ≈ 30 hours of workload), giving flexibility to combine courses across semesters while maintaining steady progress.

The curriculum combines a compact set of compulsory methodological modules with broad elective options that let you shape a specialised profile. Four compulsory modules (5 ECTS each) build core methodological skills — including mathematics and empirical/econometric techniques — while compulsory elective areas provide focused depth: Economics (10 ECTS), Management (10 ECTS), and Sustainability (10 ECTS). A major component is the 30‑ECTS “Study Tracks” block, where you specialise in one of three tracks: “Data Science in Economics”, “Market Mechanisms” or “Sustainable Economics”. You also take a 10‑ECTS General Elective drawn from the faculty’s business and economics offerings.

Practical and research experience is integrated into the programme: a 10‑ECTS “Individual Study and Research” option can be used for an internship or a research module, and the master’s thesis (part of the 120 ECTS) lets you apply your learning to a scientific problem in business administration, management or economics. Learning outcomes include advanced quantitative and empirical skills, the ability to conduct independent research, applied problem‑solving in economic and managerial contexts, and the capacity to build a coherent, career‑oriented specialization through elective choices.

Requirements / programme structure (concise)

• Total credits required: 120 ECTS across four semesters
• Typical module load: three 10‑ECTS modules per semester (≈30 ECTS/semester)
• Compulsory methodological modules: 4 × 5 ECTS (mathematics, empirical/econometric methods, etc.)
• Compulsory elective areas: Economics 10 ECTS; Management 10 ECTS; Sustainability 10 ECTS
• Study Tracks (specialisation): 30 ECTS — choose one track: “Data Science in Economics”, “Market Mechanisms”, or “Sustainable Economics”
• General Elective Module: 10 ECTS (courses from business administration and economics)
• Individual Study and Research: 10 ECTS (internship or research module option)
• Master’s thesis: included within the 120 ECTS total (see the programme’s study plan for exact allocation)

Note: The published study plan gives an example credit distribution and can be consulted for detailed module lists and sequencing.

Graduates are prepared for strategically oriented management roles in internationally operating companies, consulting firms and multinational corporations, as well as positions in international organisations, NGOs, financial institutions and central banks. The programme’s quantitative and data-focused options (e.g. Data Science in Economics) also qualify graduates for data analyst and policy-analyst roles.

Those interested in research can pursue research-oriented careers or continue to doctoral studies; the flexible study tracks and the Master’s thesis allow tailoring towards corporate, policy or academic career paths.