„A great starting point of your career"

Prof Müller, you’re starting a new English-language master’s program. What’s behind this project?

Business media are becoming more and more international. With geopolitical and geoeconomic tensions on the rise, knowledgeable in-depth reporting is of the essence. It’s becoming a business necessity. That’s why I’m confident that our students will find terrific jobs afterwards.

There are so many economics-related programs out there. Why study journalism?

It’s a great starting point of many career paths. We’ve been running a similar program in German for more than a decade. These days, our graduates are working at top-tier business media and public-service broadcasters, but also at think-tanks, in politics or academia. By internationalizing the program these opportunities are now becoming available to students from everywhere.

Many media outlets are not doing great business-wise. Why pick journalism as a profession?

Because pursuing the truth is an important and fulfilling occupation. Because in an era of polarization, fake news, and propaganda reliable information is vital, indeed a business necessity. And because there are successful media business models out there that provide interesting job opportunities. Besides, competences in economic policy communication, as well as practical writing skills, are quite helpful even if you work in other fields later on.

Why come to Dortmund?

Dortmund is one of the most underrated cities in Europe, known best for its soccer club, BVB. But there’s a lot more to it. We are located in the Ruhr region which is one of Europe’s great agglomerations, sitting at the heart of Western Europe. Brussels, Paris, Cologne, or Frankurt are as close as a few-hours train ride. London or Palma de Mallorca can be reached via Dortmund’s low-fare airport. Costs of living are reasonable. There’s no tuition fee. Let’s not forget, the universities in Dortmund and Bochum, that collaborate in our master’s program, are home to a formidable cluster of economic research and teaching, while our Institute of Journalism is the largest journalism education institution in the German-speaking countries, with more than 50 years of experience. So, Dortmund is a great place to live and study – as well as a basecamp for exploring the continent.