If you’re already studying Health Economics and would like to find out more about specific details of your master programme, you’ll find what you’re looking for on the Master in Health Economics Programme Structure pages.
In addition to economics and management issues in healthcare, the M.Sc. in Health Economics covers social policy aspects and relevant medical questions with regard to patient safety, medical ethics and biostatistics. Students also have the opportunity to take a more indepth look at specific areas of business management, such as corporate and HR developement, supply chain management and market research.
In a nutshell
Standard period of study: 4 semesters, full-time
Scope: 120 ECTS
Start: Fall term
Degree title: Master of Science (M.Sc.)
Language: German and English; Double Master's Programme: English
Fees: Only social fee (approx. 280€ per semester including ticket for public transport, see here for more information)
Application Deadline: 15 June 2021 (please note the differing deadlines for the Double Master's Programme)
Key Issues
Discover the key national and international players in healthcare
Analyse illnesses that play a significant role in health economics and assess how appropriate healthcare management might help to tackle them
Find out which aspects of evidence-based medicine are crucial when deciding on a therapy
Evaluate health policy measures and ethical implications of structures and courses of action
Learn which factors are relevant when assessinf conclusions and evaluating methodological designs in the context of clinical studies
Take your next step up the career leader to senior position in any of a wide range of healthcare system institutions
Career Opportunities
In terms of job prospects, Cologne is an interesting location for students of the health economy. Many hospitals, wellknown pharmaceutical companies, insurance and consulting firms are located in Cologne and the surrounding region. We help you forge ties with our partners even before you have completed the programme. Upon graduation from the interdisciplinary Master in Health Economics programme, you will be ideally prepared to work in a public and private healthcare institutions. You will be able to take a step up the career ladder to a senior position in any of a wide range of healthcare system institutions. Your work will include tasks in the field of management, administration or in associations as well as health policy management institutions. Further professional prospects for graduates of this interdisciplinary programme include activities in academic teaching and health, as well as health policy research.
Our alumni report about their experiences after their studies. Read their interviews here.
Apply Expertise
The teaching at our faculty has benefited from many years of experience in working with companies and visiting lecturers from diffferent professional fields. Many ot the visiting lecturers are professionals and managers of the pharmaceutical and medical industry who brin important experience to the programmes, resulting in sector-specific, up-to-date programme content for our students. This ensures that the programme refelcts the real world by combining the practice and the theory, whilst also promoting knowledge-sharing between you and companies.
Some examples of the questions Health Economics students look at:
Who are the key national and international players in healthcare?
What illnesses are significant in terms of health economics and how can appropriate healthcare management help to tackle them?
What aspects of evidence-based medicine are of crucial significance when deciding on a therapy?
How can health policy measures be assessed?
How can the ethical implications of structures and courses of action be assessed?
What aspects are relevant in the assessment of conclusions and the evaluation of methodological designs in the context of clinical studies?
Practical Experience
The teaching at our faculty has benefited from many years of experience in working with companies and visiting lecturers from different professional fields. Many of the visiting lecturers are professionals and managers of the pharmaceutical and medical industry who bring important experience to the programmes, resulting in sector-specific, up-to-date programme content for our students. This ensures that the programmes reflect the real world by combining the practice and the theory, whilst also promoting knowledge-sharing between you and companies.
Health economics is a pioneering field, bringing together the perspectives of different stakeholders from the realms of management, medicine and policy making.
Double Degree Option
In addition to our standard master programme, students have the option to take the Double Master’s Programme in Health Economics and Management in cooperation with Maastricht University. Students on this international study programme spend one year at the WiSo Faculty and one year at the partner university. After successful completion of the programme, you awarded two degrees.
International
Most of our courses offered in English language. We maintain cooperation with a variety of international partner universities throughout the world, so it easy for you to go a semester abroad. Or take part in one of our study tours or other short programmes such as "WiSo@NYC". More information and offers can be found at international.wiso.uni-koeln.de.
Information on the application
Admission Requirements
Admission Requirements
The admission requirements must be fulfilled until the application deadline:
Bachelor's degree
Application in the case of unfinished Bachelor studies: In cases where present Bachelor studies have not been fully completed, application is permitted if the candidate has earned at least 80% of the required credits and will have achieved the remaining results by 30 September at the latest. The specific admission criteria governing the designated course of study (including the overall grade) must already have been fulfilled on the basis of the exam results available at the time of application.
Overall grade of at least 2.7 (German grade) in the Bachelor’s degree
Fulfilment of the following subject-related requirements
At least 60 ECTS credits in Health Economics and/or the field of Business Administration and Economics
At least 15 ECTS credits in Medicine
At least 18 ECTS credits in the field of Methods in Health Economics
If the number of applicants meeting the admission criteria exceeds the number of places available for this course of study, a selection procedure is initiated for the purpose of ranking these applicants. The procedure is based on the grade earned in the Bachelor’s degree or a course of study deemed equivalent. The admission results of the last selection procedures can be found here.
Application documents
We are currently revising the following contents. All current information will be available at the end of January 2021 at the latest.
Authenticated documents required for the Master's online application portal by the WiSo Faculty:
Bachelor degree certificate | If you have not finished your bachelor studies but have passed at least 80% of the examinations (at least 144 credits in a bachelor degree carrying 180 ECTS credits), you can apply by submitting a confirmation of all credits earned so far, along with a provisional average grade computed and certified by your examination office. Please note that the remaining credits must be earned by 30 September.
Transcript of records (stamped and signed) | list of all taken modules and courses including grades and credits
Transcript of semester abroad | only if examinations passed abroad should be considered for the admission criteria as well | the courses have to be recognised by the home university as part of the bachelor programme and recorded in the transcript of records.
School leaving certificate | A-levels/ High school diploma
Official description of the content of all taken bachelor courses | e.g. course catalogue or PDF-file with link to course description at the website of the University
Proof of German language proficiency | This is not necessary for applicants who obtained their bachelor's degree or university entrance certificate (e.g. Abitur) in German language
If you are interested in the Double Master's Degree in Health Economics and Management, please check the additional application documents.
Students who did not obtain their bachelor’s degree in Germany have to apply additionally via uni-assist. Please note, you have to document your education in detail. You start with the certificate from the last school you graduated from (which entitles you to begin university studies in your home country) and continue up to the current state of progress in your university studies. Furthermore, you have to hand in all documents in original language and additionally in sworn translation either in German or in English language.
The application documents must be submitted to uni-assist 8 weeks before the application deadline. The documents will only be checked if the fee has been paid. The following documents are required:
authenticated (and translated) copy of bachelor degree certification or attestation of 80% studies and Transcript of Records | Please submit all certificates in their entirety: include the diploma certificate as well as the overview of subjects and grades. You must not omit any parts of the certificate (such as a diploma supplement) or single pages. In order to calculate your grade, uni-assist needs the grading system used by your university for your degree. More information can be read here.
authenticated (and translated) copy of diploma supplement
authenticated (and translated) copy of university entrance qualification | e.g. A-level, High School diploma | Submit the certificate which allows you to start university studies in your home country | Please also check the country specific information.
authenticated copy of proof of English language proficiency
authenticated copy of proof of German language proficiency
authenticated copy of all documents listed above in the original language | Only if the original document is not available in English or German language. Information about translation and authentication of documents can be read here.
only for applicants with Chinese (except Hongkong) or Vietnamese bachelor’s certificates | original APS certificate| certified copies cannot be accepted!
Application and admission procedure
Information on the application process and deadlines can be found on the application website.
Current changes with regard to the Corona Pandemic are summarised here.
Standard period of study: 4 semesters, full-time | Start: fall term | Degree title: Master of Science The master's programe carries 120 ECTS credits and compromises a Core and Advanced Section, a Specialisation Section, a Supplementary Section and a Master Thesis.
The Core and Advanced Section of the master's programme Health Economics contains 48 credit points. This area covers the basics of health economics.
The Specialisation Section, where students altogether complete 30 credit points, includes seminars as well as specialisation modules in health economics and medicine.
In the Supplementary Section, at least one module from economics and/or sociology has to be completed. Furthermore, to accomplish the required 18 credit points within this section, further modules from business administration and/or medicine have to be completed.
Detailed information concerning the curricular design is available on our homepage on the Programme Structure pages. Especially at the beginning of your studies, individual consultations will help to make the right choices over the course of the programme.
