Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Economics University of Passau

The main teaching language is German; individual courses, particularly language courses, are taught in Chinese, Czech, English, French, German (as a foreign language), Indonesian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, or Thai.

There is hardly an organisation in the world that does not need staff with solid training in business and/or economics. This degree programme combines three major areas: in business administration you will explore the theories and methods for making entrepreneurial decisions (e.g. relating to management, marketing, taxation and finance). The economics area deals with the functioning of markets, international trade and economic policy. In addition, information systems and statistics are relevant areas of study. This degree programme offers a wide variety of courses to allow students to put together their individual profiles to suit their career goals. Business Analytics and International and Sustainable Business are the two most recent additions to the specialisations that we offer.

Numerous contacts with businesses and the involvement of teachers who are professionals in their respective fields ensure that students studying in this degree programme will have ample opportunities to gain practical exposure. Furthermore, the university's Language Centre will offer you the chance to learn subject-specific foreign languages, e.g. to prepare you for a possible semester abroad. The degree programme thus opens up numerous prospects for you in Germany and internationally.

The School of Business, Economics and Information Systems offers three Master's programmes that build on this Bachelor's programme.

Features

• Digital Technology and Entrepreneurship certificate programme for particularly outstanding students
• A comprehensive range of entrepreneurship/start-up training courses
• Accompanying subject-specific language programme for business and economics students
• Practical relevance through numerous industry contacts
• If you wish to continue your studies after graduating, this degree enables you to pursue a related Master's programme at the University of Passau or elsewhere.
• Excellent international rankings of the School of Business, Economics and Information Systems (THE 2023 Subject Ranking)

The application round starts in early April. As the application deadlines can change on short notice, we ask that you check our application pages closer to the time for the specific dates (and what documents you need to submit).

The degree programme is divided into three major areas:

Business/economic methods

In this area, you will acquire fundamental quantitative and empirical methodological knowledge for the study of economics and business.

Principles of business and economics

In this area, you will acquire basic knowledge in the essential areas of business administration and economics (e.g. accounting, finance, microeconomics and macroeconomics) and in the relevant areas of law. At this stage, you can gain an initial orientation regarding whether you would prefer to focus your studies on business administration or economics.

Specialisation in economics or business

In this area, you can comprehensively deepen your knowledge in your personal areas of interest and set a very individual focus. You can choose one or two specialisations in central business functions, economics, information systems or other innovative, interdisciplinary specialisations:

• Accounting, Finance and Taxation
• Economics
• Information Systems
• Management, Innovation, Marketing
• Business Analytics
• International and Sustainable Business

You will additionally take part in a business/economics seminar and write a Bachelor’s dissertation as part of your degree programme. Moreover, you will have the opportunity to study transferable skills courses and learn a second foreign business language.

There is no formal internship requirement for this degree programme. Nevertheless, we recommend that you go to the effort of completing one or more voluntary internships as you study towards your degree. These internship(s) will not be arranged for you; rather, you are responsible for searching for the internship, negotiating the outline (i.e. the job description) and making all necessary arrangements. However, the university can help you with information and hands-on advice. For more details, please see the following websites:

• Future: Careers and Competencies Section
• iStudi Coach

No tuition fees

The semester contribution fee is around 120 EUR per semester. This covers the student services association and bus pass fees. At the time of writing (January 2026), the University of Passau does not charge tuition fees.

You should budget a minimum of 992 EUR per month for your living expenses. If you need a visa to come to Germany, this is the amount you must have available to you (e.g. paid into a blocked account) for each month. Nevertheless, your actual cost of living will vary depending on your lifestyle, and so you should treat this figure as an absolute minimum.

A recognised university entrance qualification (e.g. German "Abitur" or a foreign equivalent)

You will need German language skills at level B2 CEFR or higher to study this degree programme, as that is the main language of instruction for this programme. Therefore, you will have to provide a recognised German language certificate such as DSH-1 or TestDaF 3×4 with your application, unless German was the language of instruction for your secondary school education (e.g. you passed the "Abitur" at a German international school).

The application round starts in early April. As the application deadlines can change on short notice, we ask that you check our application pages closer to the time for the specific dates (and what documents you need to submit).

The International Office awards a small number of scholarships to international degree-seeking students who have been enrolled in a Bachelor's programme for at least two semesters or in a Master's programme for at least one semester. You may also apply for a Deutschlandstipendium scholarship, which is open to students of all nationalities. This scholarship has a stipend of 300 EUR per month and runs for one year. You may reapply in subsequent years. Finally, there is a one-off emergency hardship grant available to international students in exceptional cases of unexpected financial difficulties.

For international students, a dedicated career adviser is on hand: the "iStudi Coach" will help you with all your questions about finding work or placements in Germany.

Please note that students from non-EU countries must apply for a work permit at the national job centre if they work more than 240 half-days per year. Students from EU member countries do not require a work permit.

The International Office has set up an accommodation service, which assists international students in finding accommodation.

Rooms in the halls of residence cost between 270 EUR and 550 EUR per month and are fully furnished. Kitchen and bathroom facilities are usually shared, although some rooms have en-suite bathroom facilities. However, please note that the demand for the rooms in the student halls is very high, and there is no guarantee that you will be able to rent one.

Luckily, there is a large number of flats and flatshares available on the open housing market. On average, you should expect to pay somewhere in the vicinity of 350 EUR to 550 EUR a month for these. Landlords usually require a two-month or three-month deposit when you move in, which will be returned to you at the end of the rental period, provided you leave your accommodation in good condition.

• Further details on housing in Passau
• Accommodation service for international students

The university provides advice on job hunting, jobs, and career-entry positions at German and international companies, here and abroad. These include personal interviews, advice, and training courses on how to apply as well as intercultural and soft skills training.

International students have access to a dedicated career adviser – the "iStudi Coach" – who helps them find internships and apply for student jobs and career-entry positions at German companies. The iStudi Coach also coaches international students on German labour market practices, how to write applications, and so on.

Related links:

• Future: Careers and Competencies Section
• iStudi Coach