Economics / Volkswirtschaftslehre

A Master in Economics gives you the tools to better understand how markets and more generally societies function. Economics analyzes social problems by modelling and measuring the behavior of humans or human organizations such as firms. Economics can address questions as diverse as: Why has poverty decreased in the world? How can we achieve sustainable growth? How should we allocate children to schools? Why are house prices much higher in some cities than others? How much discrimination is there in society? etc.

The Department of Economics at UZH is worldwide famous and has consistently ranked among the top ones in Europe and the best of the German-speaking world. Studying economics at UZH means studying with professors who are pushing the frontiers of knowledge. Following the motto «Pioneering Economics», the Department wants to contribute to finding answers to the five most pressing challenges humanity is facing today. How we, as a society, deal with the challenges will have a decisive impact on how the world develops in the coming decades.

Economics is a very broad field, and its statistical tools are highly demanded. As a result, graduates in Economics are very successful in the job market and hold a variety of positions. In the private sector, graduates in Economics can work in the finance or insurance industry as economists, as data analysts (notably in the tech sector), as consultants, market researchers or journalists. Economists can also work in the government sector, in central banks, in international organizations and think-tanks. And of course, for those of you who want to continue your studies beyond the Master’s, economists can also pursue an academic career.

Additional Minor Master's programs that can be studied at the Department of Economics:

Behavioral Economics
Economic Policy

Master's degree program in Economics overview (PDF, 203 KB)