Business and Economics University of Bern

Overview

The Business and Economics master's degree program at the University of Bern covers the interrelated subjects of Business Administration and Economics. Students learn how to apply formal economic modeling and empirical analysis to obtain insights into the functioning of companies and markets, covering a comprehensive range of topics including accounting, finance, innovation, marketing, personnel management, pricing, and organization. The program is offered jointly by the departments of Business Administration and Economics. It is a mono program (90 ECTS) and can be completed in a standard study period of three semesters. As a result, it is not possible to take on a minor subject. Students may choose a particular focus area or opt for a broader selection of courses, the only requirement being that a minimum of 30 ECTS are obtained in each of the two departments. Business Administration courses offer students an in-depth understanding of the functioning of modern enterprises. Students can choose from a rich array of topics such as accounting and controlling, corporate strategy, financing and capital structure, marketing, and organization, to name just a few. All the courses place an emphasis on empirical methods and/or analytic reasoning based on economic theory.

On the one hand, Economics courses provide students with formal methods (e.g. Game Theory, Mechanism Design, Econometrics, Big Data), and on the other, they teach students how to use them to achieve a well-founded understanding of companies’ internal organization (Organizational Economics), their behavior within specific industries (Microeconomics, Industrial Organization) and their interaction with financial markets (Macroeconomics, Monetary Economics).

Career

The “Master of Science in Business and Economics” responds to the growing demand for specialists who work at the intersection of Business Administration and Economics. Pairing these subjects with analytical methodologies provides students with a competitive edge in a labor market calling for ever-greater numbers of business economists.