Master of Science in Management and Economics Ulm University

Ready to take the next step in a digital and globalised economy? The MSc Management and Economics at Ulm University builds on your Bachelor's studies to deepen your expertise in Business Management & Law, Economics, and Digitalisation & Data Science. Tailor your degree by choosing a specialisation profile in Economics, Finance, or Insurance, or sharpen your analytical edge through the Advanced Quantitative Methods Track. Interdisciplinary elective modules broaden your perspective, while small class sizes and direct contact with professors ensure you are known, not just enrolled. Our compact campus offers short distances and a dynamic academic community. Strong international partnerships open the door to a semester abroad. All of this unfolds in Ulm, ranked Germany's most liveable city by Handelsblatt. Join us and design the career you envision.

Programme Structure

The MSc Management and Economics at Ulm University is built around flexibility. Rather than prescribing a fixed list of compulsory courses, the programme defines three core areas — Business Management & Law, Economics, and Digitalisation & Data Science — and specifies only the minimum ECTS credits to be earned in each. You choose the modules that best match your interests and career goals, optionally deepening your expertise through one or more profiles (Insurance, Finance, Economics) or the Advanced Quantitative Methods Track (AQMT).

A typical four-semester path looks like this:

Semesters 1–2: You build foundations across the three core areas and begin shaping your profile through advanced electives. Most students combine lectures from several areas during their first semester.

Semesters 2–3: You deepen your chosen profile(s), take at least one research seminar, and broaden your perspective through interdisciplinary electives offered across the university. Students aiming for the AQMT certificate complete their 30 ECTS in advanced quantitative modules during this phase.

Semester 4: You focus on your Master's thesis, an independent research project of six months, typically connected to one of our research groups or an industry partner.

Course Formats

Teaching combines several complementary formats. Lectures, often paired with accompanying exercise classes, deliver the theoretical and methodological foundations of each subject. Research seminars give you the opportunity to engage with current literature, write an academic term paper, and present your results to peers and faculty. Project courses and applied lab-style modules let you work hands-on with real data, software tools, and case studies, often in small teams. Supervision is close throughout: small class sizes and direct contact with professors are a hallmark of our campus university.

For concrete planning, we provide three sample curricula — one profile, two profiles, or two profiles combined with the AQMT — along with a four-semester overview of all scheduled courses.

• Bachelor's degree in management and economics or another programme with largely equivalent contents obtained at a German or foreign higher education institution, or a qualification which is recognised as equivalent at the level of at least three years of study
• or, if you have not yet completed your degree: study achievements and examination results with a minimum of 140 credit points

An eligible study programme in management and economics or another study programme with largely equivalent content means a Bachelor's degree with examination results as follows:

• At least 15 credit points in mathematics/statistics
• At least 36 credit points in business administration and economics, with a minimum of 12 credit points in business administration and 12 credit points in economics
• German language skills at C1 level CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) or English language skills at C1 level CEFR; a GRE score or GMAT score is also required by the application deadline 

The semester contribution is 182 EUR per semester. For further details, visit the Office of the Registrar website: https://www.uni-ulm.de/en/study/organisation/tuition-fees/.

The cost of living in Ulm is estimated to be around 945 EUR to 1,000 EUR per month. For more information on the costs students in Ulm can expect, see the following website: https://www.uni-ulm.de/en/io/degree-phd/welcome/finances/living-expenses/.

Student assistant jobs are regularly offered by institutes in all faculties as well as in the central administration. Student assistants help with the preparation and execution of tutorials, work on research projects, or help with administrative tasks. Furthermore, several companies with strong ties to the university are located on campus (e.g. Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Continental, BMW Car IT, Sartorius, and more) and offer the possibility of student jobs.

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Students who perform well academically and/or participate in community service are eligible to apply for scholarships such as the "Deutschlandstipendium".

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The Career Service at Ulm University serves as a valuable resource for students, offering assistance in career exploration, skill development, and a successful transition from academia to the professional world.

The Graduate & Professional Training Centre Ulm ("ProTrainU") focuses on supporting doctoral students and other young researchers in their careers and professional development.

The Entrepreneurs' Campus at Ulm University offers opportunities for creative academics who want to develop their ideas into products or business models.

The "Studierendenwerk Ulm" offers rooms and apartments in numerous student residences. Please visit the Studierendenwerk Ulm website for more information as well as helpful advice on how to find rooms and apartments on the private market in Ulm and the region.

Founded in 1967, Ulm University is dedicated to world-class teaching and research in medicine and STEM. Its 10,000 students are distributed among the faculties of medicine, engineering, computer science and psychology, mathematics and economics as well as natural sciences.

According to a Times Higher Education ranking based on research and teaching excellence, Ulm University is ranked 14th worldwide among all universities founded in the "Golden Age of Higher Education", an era between 1945 and 1967 that is characterised by rapid university expansion. Ulm University is also a founding member of YERUN, a network of highly ranked young European research universities.

Ulm University's subject range concentrates on the STEM fields (natural sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The latest research findings are swiftly incorporated into the curriculum, ensuring cutting-edge subjects and content. Ulm University attaches great importance to the ongoing refinement of its high standards in teaching, which are defined and anchored in its teaching mission statement. 

As a young research university, Ulm University is oriented towards the global challenges of the future. Strategic and interdisciplinary research themes are contributing to improvements in the areas of green energy, quantum technologies, data science as well as human health and well-being. Great success in the acquisition of third-party funding and numerous larger projects, such as collaborative research centres and a Cluster of Excellence, are all testimonies to the university's research strength.

Ulm University is the centre of and driving force behind the "Science City Ulm", an innovative teaching, research and science hub. There are numerous start-ups, development centres of renowned companies such as Siemens, Nokia, Mercedes-Benz Group AG, BMW and Continental, as well as clinics and non-university research institutions that are well-connected with the university. As a result of close collaborations with these partners, students benefit from access to contract lecturers from the industry as well as invaluable opportunities for research projects, internships and final theses. 

For more information on Ulm University, see https://www.uni-ulm.de/en/.

Ulm is one of the most innovative, dynamic, fast-growing and liveable cities in Germany. It is located in the heart of southern Germany near Stuttgart, Munich, the Alps and Switzerland.

With a population of more than 120,000 people, Ulm has an ideal size for living, studying and working. The city offers a mix of medieval and modern architecture and a great variety of cultural, sports and leisure activities.

A healthy mix of medium-sized businesses and global players, high-tech and trade, and innovation and tradition makes Ulm and the greater Ulm area one of Germany's economically most dynamic regions.

A truly outstanding landmark is the "Muenster", Ulm's cathedral. The Muenster has the world's second tallest church steeple, which measures 161.5 metres (530 ft).

Ulm is also the birthplace of Albert Einstein (1879 to 1955), the world's most famous scientist. 

Are you interested in learning more? Check out this video featuring the highlights of Ulm.