Our Curriculum

The MEcon is designed as a full-time programme with a standard duration of three semesters. The study time can be extended up to eight semesters. In doing so, you will acquire a total of 90 ECTS credits. The study programme can be taken up exclusively in the fall semester.

Your core studies in MEcon consist of the compulsory area, the core electives area and the electives area. The compulsory area comprises a total of seven courses,  four in the core subjects of microeconomics and macroeconomics and three methods courses. The compulsory subjects give you a clear profile. In two semesters, you will gain a unique academic education in the core disciplines of economics. 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 required courses and each includes contact and independent study. The compulsory courses are offered once a year and are taught in English.

Note: This course offering corresponds to the current planning status. You can find the entire course offering and the course factsheets in the official Course Catalogue Online.

Building on the solid foundations of the compulsory subjects, you can further sharpen your study profile, deepen your individual interests and thus broaden your economic perspective within the scope of the core elective subjects.

At the University of St.Gallen, we offer you courses with an economic focus in the core electives and in the remaining core electives. In the elective area, you have the opportunity to attend courses with other subject areas.

Note: This course offering corresponds to the current planning status. You can find the entire course offering and the course factsheets in the official Course Catalogue Online.

The core electives area consists of the core courses and the other compulsory elective courses. At least 12 ECTS credits must be completed in the core courses. Here you can see the current range of core courses:

Note: This course offering corresponds to the current planning status. You can find the entire course offering and the course factsheets in the official Course Catalogue Online.

Do you want to give your studies a profile to communicate to future employers? In the MEcon you can voluntarily choose a specialisation which will be shown on the Master's degree transcript. The specialisation areas are geared towards different interests of the students and additionally sharpen the job market profile. A specialisation is possible in one of the following areas:

• Public Policy
• Global Economy
• Managerial Economics
• Financial Economics
• Digitization and Data Analytics

The Contextual studies complements your specialized studies and is compensated with 18 ECTS credits.

The Contextual studies is another strong factor of the programmes' curriculum. It integrates knowledge across disciplinary boundaries and strengthens the social and cultural competencies of our students in a special way. They will holistically "think outside the box" and take courses in focus areas as well as in the skills area. The contextual studies also teaches skills such as presentation and negotiation techniques or programming languages. The cross-cultural and cross-social science programme courses offered in the focus areas are extremely diverse and can be tailored to the MiQE/F degree programme. In the skills area, you will learn complementary competencies and practical skills for success in the corporate world.

You can find the entire course offering Contextual Studies and the course factsheets in the official Course Catalogue Online.

Many of our MEcon students are drawn to one of our partner universities around the world in their third semester. Abroad, you can also receive credit for courses and, most importantly, gain intercultural skills without having to pause your academic progress. In addition, you have the chance to complete a double degree at a partner university or a double degree in the particularly prestigious CEMS programme. Selected students can earn two Master's degrees in a short period of time with the double degree or the CEMS programme, giving them a further advantage in competing in the top circle of the global job market. After all, the CEMS is also world-class, having been ranked 9th in the global Financial Times rankings for years. You may find more information about the exchange possibilities here.

Der MEcon can be studied in German and English, with the compulsory courses only being offered in English. Our students are thus excellently prepared for a career in German and English-speaking companies and organisations worldwide.

Here you will find a compilation of the most important programme regulations.

Innovation and globalization create new opportunities, but also threaten jobs and earnings of others. Inequality gets larger. Ageing challenges pension and health systems. Climate change threatens the quality of life. Education and public infrastructure must catch up to support new technologies, and governments must rethink their role in the economy. What is required more than ever are public policies based on sound theory and empirical evidence.

Jobs: Typical jobs requiring a public policy expertize are in government institutions, OECD, industry organizations, labour unions or independent think tanks. Research institutes specialized in public sector economics, social security, or related fields are key employers (e.g. Institute of Fiscal Studies in London, KOF in Zürich, Ifo in Munich, ZEW in Mannheim, IZA Institute of Labor Economics in Bonn, etc.).

In order to graduate as a Master in Economics with a declared specialisation in Public Policy, you need to gain at least 16 ECTS from the courses listed below and write your Master's Thesis in the area of Public Policy.

You can find out how to structure your studies in the specialisation Public Policy here

Note: This course offering corresponds to the current planning status. You can find the entire course offering and the course factsheets in the official Course Catalogue Online.

Innovative firms go global and grow large. Consumers import what foreigners do better. Investment and jobs flow from declining to growing sectors, in which productivity is high and perspectives for jobs and wages are better. Specialization and trade help to become rich by focusing on what a country can do best. However, trade and innovation can also lead to inequality. How can we share the gains from trade widely? 

Jobs: Ambitious students aim for a job with reputable international organizations such as IMF, World Bank and WTO which source new talent from many good universities and require strong skills in theory and evidence based policy analysis. Economic research institutes (KOF, Ifo, DIW, ZEW etc.) are also on the agenda. Many alumni go to private sector firms and domestic policy institutions, who value their analytical and quantitative skills.

In order to graduate as a Master in Economics with a declared specialisation in Global Economy, you need to gain at least 16 ECTS from the courses listed below and write your Master's Thesis in the area of Global Economy.

You can find out how to structure your studies in the specialisation Global Economy here

Note: This course offering corresponds to the current planning status. You can find the entire course offering and the course factsheets in the official Course Catalogue Online.

Managers and entrepreneurs can make a real difference if their incentives are right. Boards must design executive compensation and provide oversight and control. Personnel economics informs successful hiring and human resources development. Corporate finance analyses the best use of capital within and across firms. To stay ahead of rivals, firms need not only R&D but also clever strategic decision-making informed by game theory.

Jobs: Many MEcon alumni accept challenging jobs in consulting and in various management positions. Leading consulting firms are highly interested in well-trained economists who combine strong quantitative skills with good intuition and clever strategic thinking. A specialization in managerial economics also prepares for jobs offered by policy institutions such as competition authorities, industry organizations, government agen-cies dealing with innovation, digitization and other business related programs.

In order to graduate as a Master in Economics with a declared specialisation in Managerial Economics, you need to gain at least 16 ECTS from the courses listed below and write your Master's Thesis in the area of Managerial Economics.

You can find out how to structure your studies in the specialisation Managerial Economics here

Note: This course offering corresponds to the current planning status. You can find the entire course offering and the course factsheets in the official Course Catalogue Online.

Households borrow to buy homes and choose portfolios to achieve the preferred trade-off between risk and return in savings. Firms need to raise equity and to draw on a credit to finance investment. Governments issue public debt. Insurance and pension funds diversify risks and invest to finance retirement income. When there is a financial crisis, the economy is in real trouble. Banking and capital market regulation must reduce individual and macroeco-nomic risk, thereby creating stability. 

Jobs: MEcon alumni often pick up jobs in banking and wealth management companies. Some join the insurance industry and others accept job offers by central banks such as the SNB or the ECB in Frankfurt. Analyst positions in big banks as well as treasury positions in large multinational firms are another opportunity. Finally, international organizations such as the IMF or from government and regulatory institutions (FINMA, BIS in Basel, the European ESM etc.) also offers jobs for graduates with a sound training in economics and finance.

In order to graduate as a Master in Economics with a declared specialisation in Financial Economics, you need to gain at least 16 ECTS from the courses listed below and write your Master's Thesis in the area of Financial Economics.

You can find out how to structure your studies in the specialisation Financial Economics here

Note: This course offering corresponds to the current planning status. You can find the entire course offering and the course factsheets in the official Course Catalogue Online.

Digitization and the abundance of data transform the world. Firms reinvent their business models, global trade shifts into the internet, and governments find new ways to interact with citizens. How can machine learning and econometrics make data more useful? How can firms and governments find individualized solutions? How does digital trade change competition? The data driven future requires new skills. MEcon students are in the lead. 

Jobs requiring extensive digital and data skills are on offer in all areas of the economy including private sector firms, consulting firms, financial industry, government institutions, research institutes and academics. The skilled analysis of large data sets and the digital transformation offer hot research topics for a PhD study as well.

In order to graduate as a Master in Economics with a declared specialisation in Digitization and Data Analytics, you need to gain at least 16 ECTS from the courses listed belwo and write your Master's Thesis in the of Digitization and Data Analytics.

You can find out how to structure your studies in the specialisation Digitization and Data Analytics here

Note: This course offering corresponds to the current planning status. You can find the entire course offering and the course factsheets in the official Course Catalogue Online.