Bachelor in Economics (VWL)
St. Gallen, Switzerland
BA
DURATION
3 years
LANGUAGES
English, German
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
CHF 3,129 / per semester *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* foreign nationals: CHF 3,129/semester | swiss nationals: CHF 1,229/semester
Key Summary
Why Major Economics
The study of economics (Major VWL) helps you to understand the global social and economic challenges: Globalisation, financial crisis, unemployment or old-age provision.
- you will learn to apply concepts and methods to a wide range of current issues.
- you will deal with macroeconomic contexts and acquire sound and comprehensive basic economic knowledge.
- you will learn to analyse and assess complex structures with the help of versatile methods.
The flexible study programme offers you the opportunity to set your own focal points according to your personal interests. We attach great importance to your personal development and with a major in economics you will acquire a broad range of knowledge and skills that you can optimally use as an economic generalist in demanding positions in practice. You will also be optimally prepared for further Master's studies. Small group sizes in the courses not only promote an active exchange among students but also enable direct contact with our lecturers.
Your profile
- Do you want to understand and investigate economic contexts?
- Are you looking for a programme that draws on the insights at the research frontier?
- Do you want to develop your own study profile and skill set?
- Do you want to study internationally?
- Do you want to use your knowledge to solve problems and understand economic processes?
- Would you like to broaden your horizon with a Master's degree programme?
The Major Economics follows the Assessment Year and requires a total of 120 ECTS credits. It is designed to be completed within the standard period of study time of 4 semesters. By choosing appropriate courses, you can primarily study in either English or German. However, at least 9 ECTS credits must be earned in the respective opposite language.
The curriculum of the Major Economics consists of three parts: Core Studies (80 ECTS credits), Contextual Studies (24 ECTS credits) and a Bachelor's thesis (16 ECTS credits). The specialised compulsory subjects offered within Core Studies impart subject-specific competencies and skills in economics, whilst Contextual Studies focus on the development of student's social and cultural competencies.
The order of semesters in which you can take compulsory courses is only a recommendation and you can change it according to your needs. Especially when planning an exchange study, it may make sense to complete the courses in a different order.
Compulsory Subjects
When studying for the Major in Economics you will have to take compulsory courses along with core elective and elective courses.
You will take compulsory courses for two semesters to give your studies a clear profile. You will receive subject- and topic-related training in economics and methodology, and gain basic knowledge of business administration. If you complete the compulsory courses in your third and fourth semesters, you are then free to organise the fifth and sixth semesters as you wish and can easily go on an exchange semester. In addition, you will gain valuable insights into current economic topics and learn how to deal with large amounts of data.
The following courses are compulsory and delivered either in class or through self-study. The compulsory courses are offered once a year and are taught in German and English. Exceptions to this are the following three compulsory courses, which are only offered in English:
- 3,230 Data Handling: Import, Cleaning and Visualisation
- 4,220 Data Analytics II: Empirische Wirtschaftsforschung
- 4,212 Macroeconomics III
Courses
- 3,135 Accounting, Controlling, Auditing
- 3,220 Mikroökonomik II
- 3,202 Microeconomics II
- 3,210 Makroökonomik II
- 3,212 Macroeconomics II
- 3,220 Data Analytics I: Statistik (BVWL)
- 3,222 Data Analytics I: Statistics (Economics)
- 3,230 Data Handling: Import, Cleaning and Visualisation
- 4,200 Mikroökononik III
- 4,202 Microeconomics III
- 4,212 Macroeconomics III
- 4,220 Data Analytics II: Empirical Research Methods
- 4,135 Accounting Controlling, Auditing
Core Electives
Building on the strong foundation built up by taking the compulsory courses, you can sharpen your profile even further by taking core elective courses. They allow you to pursue your individual interests in greater depth and broaden your perspective on the subject of economics. You earn 28 to 40 ECTS credits by taking Core Electives in Economics, Business Administration and Law. You must meet the following minimum requirements:
- core electives in economics: at least 18 ECTS credits from the range of courses offered by the School of Economics and Finance (SEPS).
- core electives in business studies: at least 4 ECTS credits from the School of Finance (SoF) and the School of Management (SoM)
- core electives in law: at least 6 ECTS credits from the School of Law (LS).
You are free to take further courses in these areas. Surplus core electives will be credited at the expense of the elective courses.
The current course offering on the Core Electives courses in Economics, Core Electives Business Administration and Core Electives Law can you found in the official Course Catalogue Online.
Contextual Studies
The Contextual Studies courses complement the core courses and are worth 24 ECTS credits.
Contextual Studies is another outstanding feature of the major's curriculum. Courses offered within Contextual Studies integrate knowledge across various disciplines and strengthen the social and cultural competencies of our students in an extraordinary way. You will learn to think 'outside the box' and take courses where you will develop practical skills required for a successful career in the corporate world, e.g. presentation and negotiation techniques or programming. The range of cross-cultural and cross-social science courses offered in the so-called focus areas within Contextual Studies are extremely diverse and can be tailored to the requirements of the Major Economics.
Bachelor's Thesis
The Bachelor's thesis (16 ECTS credits) is a research paper. You will engage in an in-depth exploration of a question from a topic area of your own choice. In the Bachelor's thesis, you will follow relevant scientific research designs and principles.