All of our study programs deal with the central crises of our time as well as with the various approaches to a sustainability-oriented transformation of society. The Bachelor program “Economics – Sustainability – Transformation” specifically conveys a broad, interdisciplinary and foundational understanding of the socio-ecological challenges of the present and the impact of economic processes they encompass. Moreover, the program enables students to utilize innovative economic thinking and to assume sustainability-oriented responsibility in transformation processes.
The focus of this three-year Bachelor program is on economic thinking and action. Based on the conviction that the world is not structured according to academic disciplines, but has its own complex dynamics, we help students to analyze crises in an objective, critical, economically informed, philosophically reflected and interdisciplinary manner while they begin to develop action-oriented solutions. Our courses aim to integrate students’ own experiences, motivations, questions and ideas in dialogue with those of our practice partners.
At its core, this study course seeks to encourage the creation of meaning in a sustainability-oriented, science-based and responsible manner.
The Bachelor program “Economics – Sustainability – Transformation” is only offered in the German language.
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Study Course Profile
Instead of starting with abstract specialist knowledge, the course of study consistently addresses problems and challenges of social transformation and the experiences of students. The first semester is dedicated to sharpening an understanding of the economic rationales that the multiple crises of the present offer, as well as analyzing its effects, opportunities and risks. Our students gain a greater capacity for expression as well as critical as well as multi-layered understanding.
In the second semester, we lay important scientific and methodological foundations for a reflected, critical and science-based analysis of contemporary problems. The focus here is on the pluralistic foundations of economic theories.
In the third semester economic ways of thinking are taught as historically and socially situated reactions to crises that have shaped the economy and society in a performative manner. In addition, a comparative understanding of the plurality of economic theories is taught.
In the fourth semester, our students acquire a broad understanding of various concepts of sustainability and responsibility. In addition, they develop a transdisciplinary understanding of central economic fields of action and their political, ethical and ecological framework. Finally students are guided to transfer this knowledge to economic topics of social transformation.
The entire third year of study emphasizes processing and synthesizing acquired knowledge, understanding practical contexts and dealing with one’s own questions. Discourse and dialogue with fellow students, external practice partners and experts is central to developing exemplary solutions for the design of sustainability-oriented social transformation processes and the recognition as well as realization of the dimensions of responsibility inherent in these processes.
We integrate philosophical reflection, including not only social philosophy and ethics, but also epistemology and phenomenology into our examination of processes of social transformation. In this way, questions of responsibility, ethical self-reflection and value orientation are not just a decorative appendage of this program, but an integral part of its contemporary analysis and action orientation.
In the course module Studia humanitatis we provide our students with a space in which they can develop as independent thinkers and reflective personalities, e.g. with regard to questions of meaning and community spirit as well as responsibility and creativity.
