Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

The Master’s degree program in Economics and Journalism is open for all applicants who hold a Bachelor’s degree in Economics or have completed an equivalent degree program. Admission requirements are determined by the Examination Regulations. 

To be eligible for admission, applicants must have earned at least 50 credit points (ECTS) in Economics and 10 ECTS in Statistics and Mathematics in their previous studies. In addition, the Bachelor’s degree must have been completed with a grade of 2.5 or better (after conversion to the German grading system). Applicants with a comparable qualification may also be admitted if the examination board recognises their degree as equivalent.

In addition, it is necessary for applicants to submit a journalistic sample article on a current economic policy topic. 

When evaluating the equivalence of previous degrees, special attention is given to demonstrated knowledge in Economics and Mathematics/Statistics. This knowledge should align with that typically acquired in a Bachelor's degree in Economics.

For admission to the Master's degree programme in Economics and Journalism, applicants must have earned at least 50 credit points (ECTS) in Economics and 10 in Statistics and Mathematics. In addition, the BA degree must have been completed with a grade of 2.5 or better. If the minimum requirement of ECTS is not met, applicants may enrol with a constraint of no more than 30 credit points. 

Applicants with a comparable qualification may also be admitted if the examination board recognizes their degree as equivalent. 

Applicants may be admitted on condition that they make up for up to 30 CP from the bachelor's degree. These must be completed by the time the master's thesis is registered.

If you have completed your Bachelor's degree in Germany, pelase refer to the application and enrollment information provided by TU Dortmund University. 

If you have completed your Bachelor's degree abroad, please refer to the information provided by the International Office. 

Precondition for all applicants

Before applying, all applicants must submit a journalistic sample article on an economic policy topic. We will communicate the annual topic on this website under the headline EP&J writing competition. The announcement will be made in good time before the application period begins. We strongly encourage early submissions as it takes time to process all articles.  

Authored in English language, the text should be no longer than 6000 characters and must adhere to journalistic standards in terms of writing and quality criteria. It should be fit for publication in a financial newspaper. Research, analytical originality and stylistic clarity are particularly important. Please note that we do not recommend the use of generative AI to write your article and that it is mandatory to include a signed affidavit with your submission.

Applicants must upload their sample articles alongside all other application documents. For more information on the application procedure, please refer to the International Office.  

Applicants are chosen based on their articles. They will be invited to take an interview with Prof. Müller and selected members of the examination board of the Institute of Journalism. The interview is a precondition for being able to enrol in the Master's degree program. 

Graduates of the Master’s degree program Economics and Journalism can pursue careers in economic policy journalism or in other areas of economics where communicating economic issues to a general audience plays a key role. The ability to present economic content in a clear, accessible manner and across various media platforms is increasingly important in many traditional fields of economics.

In addition to journalism itself, potential career paths include public relations and communications work for institutions and associations engaged in economic policy - such as government agencies, federal and state authorities, business associations and organisations, chambers of commerce and industry, economic research institutes, and the finance, banking, and insurance sectors.

Most of our students work alongside their studies. This is extremely useful for gaining professional experience and qualifying for a high-caliber internship or position. We deliberately keep Fridays free for this purpose, as well as selective other times.

Of course, your studies should take priority. But those who need or want to work a lot also have the option of extending their studies.

The curriculum stipulates that students should complete roughly 30 CP per semester. We provide study plans outlining the ideal distribution of courses. While most lectures and seminars can be chosen freely, in particular the economics modules in the “Elective Area Economics”, we recommend adhering to the structure and order of courses suggested in our study plans. The reason for this is that courses in the areas of economic policy journalism and journalism practice are usually offered in alternating semesters and build on each other. So if you miss one, you will have to wait a full year to be able to participate again, which can potentially delay the duration of your studies. 

We recommend to register for courses via the university portal LSF. You will also find a full course catalogue here and you can build an individual timetable by “reserving” courses. 

If you need help with your schedule or with LSF in general, please don't hesitate to contact us. 

You can find a template and style guidelines for your seminar papers and other written assignments in the documents section of our website. Please don't forget to an include a signed affidavit with each submission!

Short answer: Yes! 

Please register for all exams via the BOSS online portal. 

This includes courses where the final assessment consists of written submissions, such as seminar papers, reports, portfolios, etc., as well as courses assessed solely through oral participation. Please note: We can NOT grade you unless you are registered in BOSS. 

BOSS is short for “bologna online study service” and it is used for exam administration and coordination purposes. You need to formally register for examinations via BOSS and you can also download your current Transcript of Records (ToR) here.  

If you have general inquiries about examination matters, please refer to the Central Examinations Office.

At TU Dortmund University, the online tool ExaBase is used for the digital submission and assessment procedure of BA and MA theses.

Registration form

The registration for the Master’s thesis must be carried out through the Central Examinations Office. They check whether the requirements (as stipulated by the applicable examination regulations) are fulfilled and issues the registration form for the thesis to the students. Students can find more information about the requirements in the respective examination regulations and module handbooks.

Students will take the registration form to their respective supervisors. On the form, the thesis topic, the two examiners, and the official starting date of the thesis are entered and the form is submitted to Michelle Riebe in the secretariat. Once the completed form has been received by the Central Examinations Office, students can view the registration and the expected submission date in ExaBase.

Upon recording in ExaBase, students will receive an email containing the registration date, submission deadline, assigned examiners, the thesis title, and a link to the submission form. Accessing this link requires logging in with the university account.

Students have access to ExaBase and the submission form throughout the entire working process and will receive periodic reminder emails from the start of the thesis period regarding submission. Through the ExaBase submission link, students can also monitor the remaining time.

Important: After the submission process is complete, students no longer have access to the form and cannot make any changes.

Guidelines for submission

• The main document must be in PDF format to ensure long-term readability.
• The affidavit must be included in the main document; a scanned copy or photo of the declaration is also accepted.
• Additional attachments, such as statistical data or analyses, can also be uploaded. Each file must not exceed 1 GB, and different file formats are allowed.
• All uploaded versions remain in the temporary storage until they are either deleted by the student or the submission process is completed, after which no further changes are possible.
• To ensure accuracy, students must confirm the submission twice during the process. Upon completion, students will receive a receipt of submission via email and as a download option.

Tip: Start the upload process early to avoid last-minute stress, especially when uploading large files. Attachments can be uploaded at any time before the final submission.

Evaluation

After a student submits their thesis digitally, the formal submission requirements are first checked by the Student Services Office. The thesis is then forwarded to the respective examiners. After approval by Student Services, both the student and the assigned examiners receive an email notification. Once both examiners have graded the thesis, the Student Services Office reviews the grades and reports and enters the final grade in BOSS. In cases of significant grade discrepancies or a failed thesis, the responsible staff member may request a third assessment.

The thesis, all uploaded documents, and the submission process are archived through ExaBase.

The examination and aptitude test regulations provide the general framework for the course of study. The individual modules and examination formats are described in the module manuals. The study plans provide an overview of the structure of the program. All documents can be downloaded here.

The International Office at TU Dortmund University offers comprehensive information and services regarding international exchange and studying abroad. Incoming international students can find guidance on admission and language requirements aloang with detailed support for the application and enrollment processes. The office also provides consultation (for instance via Zoom) on pre-arrival matters such as visas and resicence permits, bank accounts or insurance. 

Broader topics including English-language degree programs, student counselling, funding opportunities and Campus life are discussed here.