Your interests lie in social issues, politics, and business? If you believe that everyone can make a difference, then the Bachelor's degree in Social Economics is the degree for you!
Would environmental activist Greta Thunberg get the same worldwide attention if she were 60 years old? How can Austrian companies compete successfully and beat cheaper competition from China? Enroll in the Bachelor's degree program in Social Economics and you will find the answers to these questions and more. The program is a unique combination of welfare and social policy, business, law, and sociology.
You will acquire social, cultural and interdisciplinary problem-solving skills and create new paths for business, government, and society.
Key Facts
Degree
Bachelor of Science (BSc)
Duration
6 Semesters
ECTS
180 Credits
Language
German (Level C1)
Location
Linz
Program
Full-Time
Why This Degree is Particularly Attractive
- The JKU Bachelor's degree program in Social Economics is unique in Austria as our program is the only one that offers a combination of social policy, business, law, and sociology. Graduates have many options when pursuing a professional career after graduation. Graduates are sought-after for positions in management at Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs).
- The program is international, providing students with information about political and social systems from around the world
- The program supports a 'learning by doing' philosophy! Working on projects as part of a team gives you hands-on project management experience and hones your social skills.
- You have your freedom! During your studies, we encourage you to pursue your preferred areas of study. We give you space to choose the classes you want in areas you are interested in. Studies in Social Economics starts with what you want to do!
Areas of Specialization
The Bachelor's degree program in Social Economics consists of a combination of the following areas:
- Welfare and social policy: You will learn more about various institutions and systems around the world created to support the way people live and work together, recognize their challenges, and learn how help to find and develop solutions to meet various challenges.
- Business: We will teach you about the basics of business administration (cost accounting, bookkeeping), economics (market economy and state), statistics, human resource management, company organization, e-business management, and communication systems.
- Law: You will learn base-knowledge law and statistics, labour law and social law.
- Sociology: You learn to observe and classify human behaviour. This includes analyzing social structures, conducting empirical social research, learning about sociological theory, gender studies, and the history of sociology and social philosophy.
What You Will Learn in the Program
How does our world tick and what can we do better? The Bachelor's degree program in Social Economics gives you an opportunity to find answers - in areas of political science, social policy research, business, and sociology. As a student, you will develop the following skills and capabilities:
- You will understand complex social, political and business contexts. You will learn to analyze these contexts and apply them efficiently to address real-world tasks.
- You will acquire solid expertise pertaining to institutions and policy fields, especially the social security system. This will enable you to better understand socio-political structures.
- You will learn how to work effectively as part of a team and develop your project management skills to serve as strong basis and embark on your future career.
- Learn from the bottom up how to work academically and scientifically.
Interesting Fact
Would €150 a month be enough to live on in Austria? How does the public transportation network in Linz expand? Exciting experiments and real-world, socio-political research projects await you during your studies!
Career Prospects
You don't have to commit from the start when you being the Social Economics program. Be inspired by your interests and shape your career the way you want to after your studies. You have many possibilities!
- Assistance and management positions: The program qualifies you for a variety of (management) tasks at institutions and companies in Austria or abroad as well as social economic companies (NPOs or NGOs, such as child and youth welfare, senior homes, city administration)
- Administration or management positions: Human resource and organizational management, controlling and accounting, data collection
- Project assistance/management: Responsibilities in cross-system project management
- Training: Design, organize, and implement educational, informational and communication activities, such as at adult education centers (independent or, for example, at BFI, WIFI etc.)
- Advising and consulting: In social fields, for those seeking help or people in need, such as at associations or institutions including the Employment Service (AMS), the Chamber of Labour, the Chamber of Commerce, Caritas, promente, Volkshilfe, etc.
- Research: Conduct application-oriented, networked research in the areas such as social affairs, business, environmental topics, politics, education or cultural areas
Program Structure
The Bachelor's degree program in Social Economics is constructed as follows:
Studies Introduction and Orientation Phase (StEOP)
New students will be required to complete the StEOP requirements at the beginning of the Bachelor's degree program in Social Economics. The required StEOP courses are outlined in the curriculum. You must pass the required StEOP courses or you will be limited when trying to register for additional courses.
Register for the Program Online
Admission Requirements
In order to enroll in a Bachelor's degree in Social Economics, you must fulfill the following admission requirements:
- General higher education entrance qualifications (such as an Austrian “Matura” diploma)
- If the program language does not correspond to your first language, you will be required to provide proof of language proficiency for German Level C1.
Please note:
- You can get academic credit for certain subjects taken at school (such as accounting and/or cost accounting, for example). Click here for detailed information.
Still Have Questions?
Then contact us!
Department
Admissions Office
Building
Room
1st Floor, Room 113A/B
Phone
+43 732 2468 2010
Register to Enroll to begin your studies in SS 2020.
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Degree ProgramStill Have Questions?
Do you need help registering or do you have questions about the program? Contact the JKU's Office of Student Information and Academic Advising (SIBS)!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the differences between the degree programs in Social Economics,
Sociology, and Business & Economics?
Social Economics is an interdisciplinary degree program, meaning the curriculum includes studies in societal and social policy, sociology and business. You learn how to look at social problems from different academic perspectives as well as play a key role in developing solutions at the interface of politics, society, and business.
The Sociology degree program focuses in-depth and from a sociological perspective on the theoretical and empirical analysis of social problems.
The Economics degree program covers a variety of topics, including economics and the environment, emissions trading, trade wars, health systems, an ageing society, etc. You become more familiar with "the big picture" in business and the daily interactions with people and companies. There are three main areas at JKU: Economics, Economics & Business, and Economics & Psychology.
Can I complete the program on a part-time basis?
In general, yes. However, courses requiring on-site attendance take place throughout the day (such as compact courses, seminars) so you must have a certain amount of flexibility in your schedule.
Can I complete courses online, via distance learning for example?
A few individual courses are offered online via MuSSS (the Multi-Media Studies Services SOWI program), such as cost management. However, the majority of required courses take place on campus.
What are the stipulations for Social Economics regarding requirements for the
Introductory and Orientation Phase (StEOP)?
The so-called StEOP requirements are comprised of certain courses, such as KS Grundbegriffe und Grundzüge der Politik; KS Grundzüge der Sozialpolitik, which must successfully pass at the beginning of the program. The StEOP requirements have been designed to provide you with an overview of the curriculum. We recommend that you take all StEOP courses during the first semester of your studies.
How good does my English have to be?
There are no formal requirements for proficiency in English however, if you take the elective "Social Security", you have to complete an English-language course titled "Comparative Social Policy". You should also be able to understand articles and textbooks written in English. During the semester, you can improve your English through independent studies.
What are the specialization options in the program?
Social Economics consists of studies in the areas of societal and social policy, sociology, and business. During the course of your studies, you will be focusing on all three areas. Societal and Social Policy gives you an opportunity to choose between specializing in Social Security and Social Philosophy. For business, you can choose a focus on business administration, economics or e-business. In Sociology, you can choose between two basic courses in Special Sociology or Special Sociology with a specialization.
Is there a final examination for the Bachelor's degree program in Social Economics?
No. You fulfill all of the requirements for the Bachelor's degree in Social Economics after you have successfully completed all of the mandatory and elective modules, the Bachelor's thesis, and the autonomous coursework. You can write your Bachelor's thesis as part of a class in the fields of societal and social policy, sociology and business.
At the Gespol Institute you will write your Bachelor's thesis as part of a compact course, such as Politische Ideen der Gegenwart, Ausgewählte Aspekte der vergeschlechtlichten Sozialpolitik, etc.
We recommend your Bachelor's thesis be approximately 40 pages (all inclusive). For additional information, see the Gespol Institute's Moodle page regarding Academic Papers.
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