What you can expect in the Education for Business and Economics degree program

Education for Business and Economics combines business, economic, and educational science content. This subject focuses on how commercial content is taught and learned. In this context, business education deals primarily with education at vocational schools, but also with continuing education, for example within companies.

In the field of educational science you will deal with teaching and learning from the perspective of educational psychology. You will learn about the unique aspects of teaching commercial content from a subject didactic perspective, how to design in-company training or vocational school teaching, and how to research these processes.

On the other hand, the economic part provides you with sound knowledge of business administration and economics. The focus is on controlling, marketing, purchasing, and sales within companies and on macroeconomic relationships beyond companies. The program also covers relevant content from business information systems and law.

In the first three semesters, you will gain broad basic knowledge in the areas of business administration, economics, education, and law. In addition, you will study the mathematical and statistical methods that you need to analyze and solve problems in business education.

Equipped with this knowledge, you will enhance your professional profile from the 4th semester onwards by choosing one of the following two elective areas.

In the elective area for a business profile, the focus is on the field of human resource management. This is about the employees in companies and thus about a central business resource. Identifying and attracting suitable new employees is only one aspect of this elective – strategic personnel and organizational development is another. Labor law and ethics also play a role.

In the elective area for a school profile, you prepare for teaching at vocational schools and lay the foundation for the subsequent Master's program, which is a prerequisite for working as a teacher. For this, you need to acquire knowledge in a second subject. At this point, it is important to note that you will only be able to teach the subject in question later on if you also take it in your Master's program. Some subjects are offered in cooperation with the University of Stuttgart. You can find detailed information in the curriculum. You are not interested in human resource management, but you still want to work in business later on? This career path is also possible with the choice of the school profile. Here, the specializations of accounting or information systems are particularly suitable.

You can choose from the following specializations:

• Accounting
• Information Systems
• History and Political Science
• Catholic Theology
• Protestant Theology
• German
• English
• Sports
• Mathematics
  
  

Two internships are also scheduled during the advanced phase of the program. Regardless of which profile you choose, you will complete both a school-based and a company-based internship.

Between the 5th and 6th semesters, you will complete a 4-week school internship at a commercial vocational school. The goal of the internship is to apply the professional and didactic skills that you have acquired in the basic phase of your studies. During this internship, you will observe experienced teachers and also conduct your first, self-planned lessons. Seminars are held in the 5th and 6th semesters to prepare for and follow up on the internship.

In addition, you are to complete a minimum of 9 weeks of practical training in a company. The aim is to learn about business activities in practice and to give you a better idea as to what interesting jobs there might be for you in the business world. You are flexible in the implementation of the company internship. You can integrate it individually into your study plan. The only important thing is that you complete it before you start your Bachelor’s thesis.
At the end of your studies you will write a Bachelor’s thesis for which you will receive 12 credits. With the Bachelor’s thesis you show that you can apply the business education, economic, and methodological skills from your studies to a concrete scientific problem.

You want to know more?

Detailed information about the course and structure of the degree program can be found here:

• Curriculum
• Study structure
• Module catalog
• Study Compass: Info about organizing your studies

You are still not quite sure whether the study program Education for Business and Economics suits you? In addition to the formal admission criteria, (I) university entrance qualification, and (II) study orientation test, there are some interests and knowledge that you should bring with you in order to be happy with this degree program.

The graphic gives you a first impression of which school subjects are included in the study content. School subjects are not 1:1 equivalent to the content of the degree program, but this gives you a general idea of what types of material you will study.

In addition, there are some requirements that you can use as a guide:

• You should have an interest in economic contexts and psychological phenomena.
• You should be open-minded towards scientific theories and their application in school and company practice.
• It is very important that you enjoy working with learners.
• You need to be willing to take on educational responsibilities.
• A healthy dose of creativity is important for designing teaching-learning processes.
• English language skills are also required.
• Good mathematical skills: You can also acquire these skills during your studies with the help of various support services (e.g. math pre-course). After all, you shouldn’t fail your studies just because of math!
• We expect you to take the initiative and be able to organize your time.
  
  

You can complete a degree in business education at several universities. What are the reasons why you should choose the Bachelor’s of Education for Business and Economics at the University of Hohenheim?

• The degree program opens up various career opportunities for you: in business, especially in human resource management, or in education, primarily in the area of teaching at vocational schools.

• The content prepares you for current conditions in the working world and ensures that you will have excellent job prospects in the future. Both teachers and experts in human resource management are needed to meet the demand for teachers and to find and train suitable staff in times of shortage.

• The broad undergraduate program provides you with a comprehensive understanding of business and economics and gives you time to explore your interests. You don't have to decide from the beginning whether you want to go into business or teaching.

• Optimal balance between theory and practice. Two specialized internships give you deep insights into the everyday work of companies and schools and prepare you for your career entry in a hands-on way.

• We maintain close contacts with companies, organizations, and schools, and our location in the Stuttgart economic region offers many opportunities to gain practical experience. Thanks to the cooperation with the University of Stuttgart, you can choose from a wide range of second subjects if your goal is to become a teacher.

• Flexible study design to fit any life situation: this way you can easily plan for semesters abroad, family, and other factors. You can follow through with your degree with integrated internships and the opportunity to study abroad for a semester. Or you may take some time off in between to gain more practical experience or to travel.