Information about the master's program in English

Welcome to the Master of Science in Health Economics and Health Care Management Website!

Program objectives: Students acquire academic and professional knowledge in health economics and health care management. The program serves students seeking the qualifications to work in (a) academia, (b) the health-care industry (e.g., hospitals, health insurance funds, pharmaceutical- and/or medical-devices companies, health care providers, etc.), and (c) public and not-for-profit institutions in the health-care sector.

Target group: Students with a bachelor's degree in business administration, economics, health economics, or business engineering.

Bilingual: The program is bilingual. Some courses are taught in German while others are taught in English. To enroll in the program as a regular student, you must submit proof that you are proficient in German. For further information, see the University's language requirements.

Incoming students and guest students: We welcome incoming students from our Erasmus exchange agreement partners and accepted guest students from other universities. Incoming students and guest students may attend only courses in English. No German language skills are required.

Overview of the program, including examination periods

See the module descriptions (PDF) for an overview of module content. Please note, however, this general overview is non-binding and changes may be made at any time. Contact the HEHCM program coordinator or the international office.

Excellent research: The program is run by the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Science and the Faculty of Business Administration (Hamburg Business School) at the University of Hamburg in close cooperation with the Hamburg Center for Health Economics (HCHE). The HCHE, a joint center of the 2 faculties and the University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf (UKE), is one of Europe's largest research centers for health economics.

Various studies: Seven professors, two junior professors, and two heads of junior research groups at the Hamburg Center for Health Economics (HCHE) offer a wide range of courses and an opportunity for state-of-the-art training.

Partnerships: The HCHE has excellent contacts within the health-care sector and to international universities. Master's theses can be written in cooperation with institutions from the health-care industry. We have Erasmus agreements with Erasmus University Rotterdam, the University of Oslo and the University of Southern Denmark in Odense.

Contact: For all questions regarding the MSc in Health Economics and Health Care Management, contact us at HEHCM.wiso@uni-hamburg.de.(HEHCM.wiso"AT"uni-hamburg.de)

The program at a glance

Degree: Master of Science (MSc)

Target group: students with a bachelor's degree in economics, business administration, health economics, business engineering, or business mathematics

Key areas: health economics, health care management

ECTS points: 120 ECTS creditsRegular period of study: Full-time study 4 semesters, part-time study possibleAdmission: winter semesterApplication period: 1 June–15 JulyNumber of places available: 30Bilingual: The program is bilingual. Some courses are taught in German while others are taught in English.

Program objectives

The master's program aims to qualify students:

for careers in academia
for managerial and professional careers in the health-care industry (e.g., hospitals, health insurance funds, pharmaceutical and/or medical devices companies, associations of health-care providers)
for professional work in public and non-profit institutions in the health-care sector

Graduates understand and can handle the complex interactions in health care systems and address key challenges to public payers as well as to the industry.

The master's program emphasizes quantitative and microeconomic methods and their application in the field of health economics or the field of health care management. Students also study the institutional setting of health-care markets.

Within the program, students may choose between 2 areas of specialization:

Health economics
This area of specialization is for students with an interest in the health-care sector who wish to work for public authorities such as ministries, associations of payers and providers, international organizations and research institutes. Courses on health economics are complemented by courses from other areas of economics such as labor economics, public economics, or behavioral economics.

Health care management
This area of specialization is for students with an interest in the health-care sector who wish to work for hospitals, health insurance funds, pharmaceutical and/or medical devices companies, and associations of payers and providers. Courses on health care management are complemented by courses in general business administration such as marketing, accounting, controlling, or innovation management.

Program structure and curriculum

The master's program starts with courses aimed at improving skills in quantitative and microeconomic methods. There are also health-care-specific courses. For example, a course offered in cooperation with the University Medical Center familiarizes students with the classification of illnesses and imparts fundamental medical knowledge of important diseases. These courses are complemented by an introduction to health-care markets.

In the second semester, students choose between the specialization in health economics, focusing on the application of economics to the health-care sector, and the specialization in health care management, focusing on the management of institutions in the health-care sector. In addition to their chosen specialization, students may choose up to 2 courses in the other specialization. Students write a term paper in the third semester in preparation for their master's thesis in the fourth semester.

The program has a total of 23 modules plus the master's thesis (completion time: 6 months). Course descriptions To successfully complete the program, students must take 16 module examinations and submit a master's thesis. An overview of the program can be found in the course guide.

Information for incoming students

Information for incoming students from our Erasmus exchange agreement partners as well as for guest students from other universities

Overview of the program, including examination periods

Course descriptionSee the module descriptions (PDF) for an overview of module content.

Please note, however, that this overview is non-binding and changes may be made at any time. If you have any questions, contact Kathrin Tacke or the international office.