BA Global Economics and Management

The Bachelor program in Global Economics and Management at Constructor University provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the complex and interrelated economic and political forces that shape our globalized world. Through a unique combination of traditional business and economics studies, political science, sociology, and management, students gain a transdisciplinary perspective on the challenges faced by today's firms and economies, with a focus on sustainable development and responsible leadership.

As a result of the program's excellence and its successful integration of various academic disciplines, the program has been consistently highly ranked in recent university rankings conducted by the Center for Higher Education (CHE). This demonstrates the program's ability to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and perspectives necessary for success in today's fast-paced and ever-changing global economic environment.

The undergraduate program at Constructor University is a three-year, 180-credit-point program designed to prepare students for a wide range of career paths.

The “4C Model” is the program's backbone, with disciplinary content grouped into three themes according to study years: CHOICE-CORE-CAREER. Additionally, the “CONSTRUCTOR Track”, an integral part of the program, runs parallel throughout the program. It provides students with multidisciplinary content and essential skills such as argumentation, data visualization, societal engagement, and communication.

The curriculum allows students to tailor their education to their goals and to explore different fields of study, with the flexibility to change their major within the first year. Moreover, the programs include a mandatory internship and a study-abroad opportunity in the fifth semester to provide students with hands-on experience and a global perspective.

Year 1

The first year of study in the Global Economics and Management (GEM) program is designed to provide students with a broad foundation in the relevant disciplines. In this year, students will have the opportunity to select introductory modules totaling 45 credit points (CP) from a variety of study programs. Of these, 30 CP must be from the student's intended major.

Students can still change their major at the beginning of the second year of studies if they have taken the corresponding modules of their desired major in the first year.

GEM students take the following discipline-specific CHOICE Modules in their first year of study:

• CHOICE Module: Microeconomics (7.5 CP)
• CHOICE Module: Macroeconomics (7.5 CP)
• CHOICE Module: Introduction to International Business (7.5 CP)
• CHOICE Module: Introduction to Finance and Accounting (7.5 CP)

These lecture-tutorial combinations give the students a general overview of the basic concepts and theories in economics and business. The associated tutorials allow students to reinforce the material covered in the lectures through discussions, case studies, and exercises.

Year 2

During the second year of study, students will have the opportunity to further deepen their understanding of their chosen major through 45 credit points (CP) of discipline-specific CORE modules. These modules will build upon the foundational knowledge gained in the first year and aim to provide students with a more in-depth and current understanding of key theories, principles, and methods in their major.

The GEM program requires students to take 30 CP of the following CORE modules:

• CORE: Development Economics (7.5 CP)
• CORE: Environmental and Resource Economics (7.5 CP)
• CORE: Comparing Economic Systems (7.5 CP)
• CORE: International Economics (7.5 CP)
• CORE: Marketing (7.5 CP)
• CORE: Organization and Human Resource Management (7.5 CP)

These modules will be delivered through a combination of seminars and tutorials, allowing students to learn through lecture inputs, paper discussions, and interactive group work. As students progress through the program, exams will become increasingly focused on essays and presentations.

In addition to the required 30 CP, students can choose an additional 15 CP in CORE modules, allowing them to pursue their interests or even a minor in another field of study.

Year 3

During their third year, students focus on preparing for their post-graduation career by exploring their options and gaining professional experience through a mandatory summer internship.

The fifth semester offers a unique opportunity for students to study abroad and broaden their cultural and academic horizons. In the final semester, students hone their research skills by working on an extended Bachelor's thesis project.

In addition, GEM students take 15 CP worth of major-specific and related specialization modules to deepen their knowledge in areas of their choice. These modules allow students to consolidate their knowledge and stay up-to-date with the latest research in their field.

GEM students choose 15 CP of the following Specialization Modules:

• Specialization: Advanced Econometrics (5 CP)
• Specialization: Managing Public and Nonprofit Organizations (5 CP)
• Specialization: Information Economics (5 CP)
• Specialization: Lean Management (5 CP)
• Specialization: Managerial Accounting (5 CP)
• Specialization: Contemporary Topics in Marketing (5 CP)

At Constructor University, students are given a unique opportunity to boost their employability through a mandatory two-month internship worth 15 credits. This opportunity usually takes place during the summer between the second and third year of study, providing students with the chance to gain practical experience in a professional setting. Through this internship, students can apply the knowledge and understanding they have gained from their major to real-world contexts, evaluate the significance of their major in the employment sector and society, reflect on their role in employment and society, and make informed career decisions. For students interested in starting their own company, an alternative to the full-time internship is offered as a start-up option, which allows them to focus on developing their business plan.

The CONSTRUCTOR Track is another important feature of Constructor University’s educational model. The Constructor Track runs orthogonal to the disciplinary CHOICE, CORE, and CAREER modules across all study years and is an integral part of all undergraduate study programs. It provides an intellectual tool kit for lifelong learning and encourages the use of diverse methodologies to approach cross-disciplinary problems. The CONSTRUCTOR track contains Methods, New Skills and German Language and Humanities modules.

Methods

Methods and skills such as mathematics, statistics, programming, data handling, presentation skills, academic writing, and scientific and experimental skills are offered to all students as part of the Methods area in their curriculum. The modules that are specifically assigned to each study programs equip students with transferable academic skills. They convey and practice specific methods that are indispensable for each students’ chosen study program. Students are required to take 20 CP in the Methods area. The size of all Methods modules is 5 CP.

To pursue GEM as a major, the following Methods modules (20 CP) need to be taken as mandatory modules:

• Methods Module: Applied Calculus (m, 5 CP)
• Methods Module: Applied Statistics with R (m, 5 CP)
• Methods Module: Qualitative Research Methods (m, 5 CP)
• Methods Module: Econometrics (m, 5 CP)

New Skills Modules

This part of the curriculum constitutes an intellectual and conceptual tool kit that cultivates the capacity for a particular set of intellectual dispositions including curiosity, imagination, critical thought, and transferability. It nurtures a range of individual and societal capacities, such as self-reflection, argumentation and communication. Finally, it introduces students to the normative aspects of inquiry and research, including the norms governing sourcing, sharing, withholding materials and research results as well as others governing the responsibilities of expertise as well as the professional point of view. Students in this study program are required to take the following modules in their second and third year:

• New Skills Module: Logic (m, 2.5 CP)
• New Skills Module: Causation and Correlation (m, 2.5 CP)
• New Skills Module: Argumentation, Data Visualization and Communication (m, 5 CP)

Furthermore, they must choose either

• New Skills Module: Linear Model/Matrices (me, 5 CP) or
• New Skills Module: Complex Problem Solving (me, 5 CP)

as well one of the following modules:

• New Skills Module: Agency, Leadership and Accountability (me, 5 CP) or
• New Skills Module: Community Impact Project (me, 5 CP).

German Language and Humanities Modules



German language abilities foster students’ intercultural awareness and enhance their employability in their host country. They are also beneficial for securing mandatory internships (between the 2nd and 3rd year) in German companies and academic institutions. Constructor University supports its students in acquiring basic as well as advanced German skills in the first year of the Constructor Track. Non-native speakers of German are encouraged to take 2 German modules (2.5 CP each), but are not obliged to do so. Native speakers and other students not taking advantage of this offering take alternative modules in Humanities in each of the first two semesters.

Solid labor-market qualification

With its combination of economics and management, students acquire solid labor-market qualifications for junior management positions with responsibilities in function-specific tasks and projects within areas of employment such as business development, sales and marketing, human resource management, organizational development, strategy and technology consulting, as well as for analyst positions in these fields or in specific industries. 

Well-prepared for top global career paths 

In the last years, our graduates obtained internships and positions in a variety of institutions, including the World Bank, MIT, or the Harvard Kennedy School, and at companies such as Daimler, Deloitte, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche Börse, Ernst & Young, Henkel, KPMG, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PwC, Uber, Vodafone, Volkswagen, or Zalando, as well as in various startups. A degree in GEM will also equip students with transferable skills that will allow them to move into other areas of employment in a variety of employers such as national and multi-national companies, governmental agencies, NGOs, international organizations, think tanks, special interest groups, or research institutions.

All applicants must show an adequate command of the English language to enroll at Constructor University. An applicant’s English language ability (non-native speakers) may be demonstrated through language proficiency test scores.

You will qualify for an English proficiency waiver if you:

are a native English speaker OR

have been instructed exclusively in English for a minimum of 6 years OR

have scored 600 or higher on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section OR

have scored 9 or higher on the ACT Writing section

English Language proficiency tests accepted by Constructor University and the minimum scores/grades:

• TOEFL (Paper-based): Minimum Score: 575

• TOEFL (Internet-based): Minimum Score: 90

• MELAB (Michigan Test): Minimum Score: 80

• IELTS (British Council): Minimum Score: 6.5

• GCSE (British General Certificate of Secondary Education): Minimum Score: A or B

• Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE): Minimum Score: A, B, C and C1 pass

• Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE): Minimum Score: A, B, C

• Cambridge First Certificate in English (FCE – extended): Minimum Score: A

• International Baccalaureate English A Lit / Lang & Lit: Minimum Score: 6, 7

• SAT Evidence-Based Reading & Writing: Minimum Score: 600

• ACT Writing: Minimum Score: 9

• Duolingo English Test: Minimum Score: 110

• Pearson PTE Academic: Minimum Score: 58