Program Overview

Program Overview

The Bachelor's degree program in Economics and Business Economics - Economics at the University of Groningen is a full-time program that explores how economics can address inequality and the role of the state, and how students can impact major societal issues for the better.

Program Description

In this program, students learn to use economic tools to analyze big societal problems, gaining insights into a wide range of topics like banking, fiscal and monetary policy, economic development, political economy, economic theory, decisions made by consumers on labor and other markets, and strategic behavior between firms on markets.

Program Structure

The program is divided into three years:

• Year 1: Students explore how institutional contexts like democracy and capitalism influence wealth and well-being, evaluating societal challenges such as inequality and climate impact from an economic perspective.
• Year 2: Students start with the Economics profile, exploring monetary and fiscal policies, government debt, banking economics, and economic growth.
• Year 3: Students choose a minor, with options ranging from economics courses to psychology or law, or even studying abroad, and specialize further in economics, writing an empirical Bachelor's thesis on a current topic.

Study Abroad

Study abroad is optional and can be done for one semester in Year 3 (30 EC) at one of the university's many international exchange partners in Europe, North America, Latin America, Australia, or Asia.

Entry Requirements

• Dutch diploma: VWO Natuur & Techniek, VWO Natuur & Gezondheid, VWO Economie & Maatschappij, VWO Cultuur & Maatschappij, with mathematics A or B.
• International diploma: Equivalent to the Dutch pre-university education (VWO), with mathematics as a standard/methods level subject.
• Language test: IELTS Academic overall score 6 (Speaking 6, Writing 5.5), TOEFL internet-based overall score 80 (Speaking 20, Writing 20), Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency, LanguageCert Academic, or Pearson PTE Academic.

Application Deadlines

• Dutch students: May 1, 2026, for a September 1, 2026, start.
• EU/EEA students: May 1, 2026, for a September 1, 2026, start.
• Non-EU/EEA students: May 1, 2026, for a September 1, 2026, start.

Tuition Fees

• EU/EEA students: €2,601 (full-time).
• Non-EU/EEA students: €13,500 (full-time).

Job Prospects

Graduates can find positions in (inter)national government bodies, public organizations, and private corporations such as financial institutions, multinationals, and consultancy firms, or pursue a Master's degree in Economics, which grants access to the world of banking or the government sector.

Research

Research in Groningen is deeply connected to business practice, economics, and society, with key areas including the relation between job polarization and the rise of populism, the environmental Kuznets curve, the impact of migration on technological change, and more.

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Binding Study Advice

A minimum of 45 EC in the first 12 months is required; students will be offered study advice after the first year, and a negative result may lead to not being allowed to continue with the degree program.