Faculty of Business and Economics

Why study Development Economics at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen?

Development economics is one of the focal areas of the university which forms the backdrop for the new degree programme in development economics. As of 2011, the University of Göttingen is offering the internationally oriented Master's programme in Development Economics. The course of study at the Faculty of Economics is accredited by the Central Evaluation and Accreditation Agency (ZEvA), member of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA).

We highlight some of the particularly attractive features of the degree programme:

Development Economics in Göttingen - An especially attractive course of study:
The programme is the only university-level master's programme in development economics in Germany. It builds on successful degree programmes and research groups in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development as well as the Department of Economics. It offers a specialization in economics or agricultural economics and each of these concentrations offers a broad spectrum of courses. A semester abroad and a many different offered languages round off the programme.

A high number of professors and associated research groups from the Department of Economics and the Department of Agricultural Economics contribute to the courses of study. These groups ensure that the University of Göttingen has the largest concentration of internationally visible researchers in the field of development economics in Germany. The Research Centre "Poverty, Equity and Growth in Developing Countries: Statistical Methods and Empirical Analyses" further adds to the research and teaching capacity on development in Göttingen.


All courses will be held in English in order to specifically prepare students for scientific and international work. A broad course programme will be available.


The obligatory semester abroad can be done at excellent universities for example in Europe/ Russia, USA, Latin America, The West Indies, South Africa, Indonesia, China, Japan, Thailand and Korea. Students can choose from more than 60 European universities within the framework of the ERASMUS programme. Into the bargain, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) supports the exchange programmes with Russia, China and South Africa with additional scholarships. Those who went abroad during their BA, did their undergraduate degree outside of Germany, or will do fieldwork for their Master dissertation abroad, are exempt from this requirement.

    Additional information:
  • Studies abroad and internships abroad
  • Every semester two to three international guest professors participate in the master's programme, expanding the courses offered in regards to content as well as the courses offered in the English language.



The successful degree "Master of Science" (MSc) offers students excellent occupational possibilities, mainly with international organisations, in research institutes, in institutions of development cooperation as well as in the private sector (mainly in associations, in management consulting, in the financial sector, in large and internationally-oriented companies). At the same time, the master's degree offers an excellent starting point for continuing on with scientific in-depth studies in doctoral programmes at universities in Germany and abroad. The University of Göttingen itself has two PhD programmes related to development economics issues.



The conditions of study for Economics in Göttingen are ranked at the top in Germany. This includes the modern infrastructure with WLAN campus-wide, learning platforms and E-learning, and high-quality equipment in the seminar rooms and the modern divisional library for the Economic and Social Sciences as well as the State Library of Lower Saxons (SUB) as one of the largest five scientific libraries in Germany. These excellent conditions for studying have been confirmed in the so-called CHE university ranking.

There are also excellent developments in research: The Göttingen economists belong to the greatest achievers in the "Handelsblatt" ranking, which evaluates research performance. The Centre for European, Governance and Economic Development (cege) regularly offers research colloquiums, symposiums and workshops at the Faculty of Economics. These are also open to students of the master's programmes who are interested in research.



Göttingen is one of the most attractive university cities in Germany. Approximately one fourth of the population of 120,000 studies here and enjoys the international flair and the cultural diversity of the youthful city, rich in tradition, and located in the middle of Germany. Göttingen also offers cinemas, sports and cultural associations as well as beautiful surroundings. Numerous street cafes, pubs, discos, and student parties in the foyer of the main lecture hall provides Göttingen with a vibrant nightlife. For those that enjoy sports, the University sports centre offers more than 100 sports, and is one of the largest sports providers in southern Lower Saxony. Göttingen is also relatively inexpensive, offering students the benefit of a low cost of living.