The subject of economics is the systematic description and analysis of microeconomic and macroeconomic relationships. A central focus is on the study of markets and the actors that shape these markets, such as producers and consumers. Questions of resource distribution are examined with regard to efficiency and inequality. Economics also examines the role of the state as well as alternative control and coordination mechanisms of economic activity.

Knowledge of mathematics, statistics and econometrics is of great importance in order to gain well-founded insights. Today, economics deals intensively with the most pressing challenges of our time, including climate change, financial crises, the fight against poverty, gender inequality and discrimination.

The Bachelor's degree in Economics places particular emphasis on learning scientific principles, methods and specialist knowledge. It offers students not only broad basic knowledge, but also a research-oriented education that optimally prepares them for entry into professional practice.

The School of Business & Economics views its studies and teaching as innovative and future-oriented: its reciprocal networking with companies, institutions and associations in the capital and the Berlin-Brandenburg region also promotes Berlin's inter/national position in the academic and research landscape. Internationalism is taught and practiced through the establishment of professorships in economics at the John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies, the Institute for Latin American Studies and the Institute for East European Studies. The Institute of Economics is located in an environment with a high density of federal and state authorities, which enables close contact with politics, especially in economic and financial policy issues. Against this background, the Institute focuses on public economics in the broader sense, i.e. the interaction between the state on the one hand and companies, households and citizens on the other.

The Bachelor's degree in Economics offers an ideal combination of basic methodological knowledge and flexible specialization options. A particular advantage is that students do not have to choose between specialization and general knowledge right at the beginning of their studies. After completing the basic “compulsory modules”, students can choose their own specializations, for example in microeconomic market analysis or financial research into government action.

The School has an International Office which, in addition to the services offered by the university-wide Student Mobility Office, provides support in planning and preparing to study abroad and in finding suitable international universities. A comprehensive range of support and services includes recruitment, orientation and introductory measures, study advice and alumni networks. The study phases and transitions from school to university and from university to work are actively managed. Offers are developed with the diversity of students in mind and are made possible by the mentoring program, tutors and numerous faculty and staff members.

The Bachelor's degree course in Economics comprises a basic, an in-depth and a specialization phase as well as the General Vocational Preparation (ABV) study area. After the foundation phase, students deepen and differentiate their knowledge of a selected field of study through the independent academic preparation of their Bachelor's thesis. In the compulsory study area of General Vocational Preparation (ABV), students can choose from a wide range of courses, set individual priorities and supplement one’s own skills profile with qualifications relevant to the job market and personality. The study area includes a compulsory work placement as well as the following areas of competence: Foreign Languages, Information and Media Competence, Gender and Diversity Competence, Organization and Management, Communication Skills, Sustainable Development, Research Orientation and Media Practice. The study area ABV is regulated by central study and examination regulations.

The following nine modules must be completed in the foundation phase: Introduction to Economics; Fundamentals of Microeconomics; Fundamentals of Macroeconomics; State and Allocation; Mathematics for Economists; Introduction to Statistics; Inferential Statistics; Introduction to Business Administration; Investment and Financing.

Afterwards, in the in-depth and specialization phase, a total of 14 modules of 6 ECTS each must be completed in the six in-depth and specialization areas.

Please note: You must consult the official documents (Zugangssatzung; Studien- und Prüfungsordnung) to receive comprehensive information about the program. It is also essential to know that most Bachelor-level courses are taught in German – they demand a very good grasp of the German language, in order for students to succeed.

Bachelor's graduates have academic knowledge and practical skills that qualify them both for a career as well as for further study programs. The Bachelor's degree program in Economics at Freie Universität Berlin imparts comprehensive knowledge and skills that are in demand in various professional fields. These include planning, analytical and advisory activities in national and international organizations, in economic policy, and in public administrations with a statistical focus. There are also job opportunities in companies and financial institutions such as large industrial companies, personnel consulting firms, and in the money and credit industry. Additionally, graduates may work in research and teaching institutions, training and further education institutions as well as in associations, chambers, trade unions and the media. Last but not least, the degree course also opens up opportunities in the field of data analysis, where experts in the evaluation and interpretation of large amounts of data are in demand. The option of choosing a specialization during the course of study allows students to specialize in a particular direction depending on their professional interests.

A Master's degree and possibly a Ph.D.-Program are generally required for managerial positions or independent work in research and teaching.
Consecutive Master's programs: M.Sc. Economics; M.Sc. Public Economics; M.Sc. Statistik

• N. Gregory Mankiew, Mark P. Taylor, Marco Herrmann, Diana Püplichhuysen, Christian Müller: Grundzüge der Volkswirtschaftslehre, 8. Auflage
• https://www.core-econ.org/the-economy/de/