State and Allocation (BA)
The course consists of a lecture and a seminar.
Time:
Lecture: Tuesday, 12:00–2:00 p.m. (starting October 20, 2026), Room 3.06.H08, Instructor: Prof. Dr. Rainald Borck
Seminar: Wednesday, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (starting October 28, 2026), Room 3.06.S13, Instructors: Prof. Dr. Rainald Borck, Lucas Mandrisch
Language of instruction: German
Please ensure that you are enrolled in the corresponding Moodle course. The password will be announced during the course.
Course Content: Students will understand how markets function, be able to identify various forms of market failure and analyze appropriate policy measures, and understand the mechanisms and political motivations behind government intervention.
Assessment: Exam | 90 minutes
Module:
BVMVWL112
Bachelor Colloquium (BA)
Instructors: Prof. Dr. Rainald Borck, Dominik Bursy and Lucas Mandrisch
Schedule:
The colloquium will be held as a block course.
Introductory session: October 15, 2026, from 2:00–4:00 p.m. in Room 3.06.S16
Individual sessions:
November 9, 2026, from 2:00–6:00 p.m., Room 3.06.S14
December 7, 2026, from 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., Room 3.06.S18
January 11, 2027, from 2:00–6:00 p.m., Room 3.06.S21
Please note that changes to the individual sessions are still possible.
The Bachelor’s Colloquium in Public Finance is the accompanying course for writing your bachelor’s thesis. For general information on the bachelor’s thesis, application procedures, and the writing process, please refer to the pages on Theses and Bachelor’s Theses.
Contents:
- Supervision of the bachelor’s thesis writing process
- Preparation of an abstract
- Presentation of the results in a 20-minute presentation
Learning Outcomes:
Students
- are familiar with the formal and substantive requirements for a Bachelor’s thesis,
- have mastered academic writing techniques,
- are able to develop a research question and a research design with the support of the instructor,
- can appropriately present and defend their research projects.
Modules:
Urban Economics (MA)
Time:
- Lecture (Urban Economics - Methods): Friday, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. (starting Oct. 16, 2026), Room 3.06.S27, Instructor: Prof. Dr. Borck
- Advanced Seminar (Urban Economics – Applications): Friday, 12:00–2:00 p.m. (starting October 30, 2026), Room 3.06.S27, Instructor: Prof. Dr. Rainald Borck, Dominik Bursy
Language of instruction: English
Register in PULS for the modules “Urban Economics I: Methods” and “Urban Economics II: Applications.” Make sure you are enrolled in the corresponding Moodle course. The password will be announced during the course.
Course Content:
Analysis of economic models of urban activities and their applications in economic policy (e.g., housing markets, transportation, the environment, crime).
Learning Outcomes:
Students
- will have in-depth knowledge of urban and regional economics and be familiar with the current state of research in these fields,
- are proficient in the methods for the theoretical and empirical analysis of urban and regional economic models,
- are able to address current urban and regional economic issues using economic theories and to make well-founded assessments of economic policy measures.
Assessment:
Written exam | 90 minutes
Module:
MA-S-200
Research Seminar in Economics (MA)
Instructors: Prof. Dr. Rainald Borck, Dominik Bursy and Lucas Mandrisch
Schedule:
The colloquium will be held as a block course.
Introductory session: October 15, 2026, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. in Room 3.06.S16
Individual sessions:
November 9, 2026, from 2:00–6:00 p.m., Room 3.06.S14
December 7, 2026, from 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., Room 3.06.S18
January 11, 2027, from 2:00–6:00 p.m., Room 3.06.S21
Please note that there may still be changes to the individual sessions.
The Master’s Colloquium in Public Finance is the accompanying course for writing your master’s thesis. For general information on the master’s thesis, application procedures, and the writing process, please refer to the pages on Theses and Master’s Theses.
Contents:
- Supervision of a research project as part of the master’s thesis
- Application of scientific methods
- Presentation of results in a 20-minute presentation
Learning Outcomes:
Students
- can independently conduct scientific research on specific economic issues,
- are able to design a research plan, structure their research project, and develop a work plan,
- can present their research project convincingly and defend it against critical objections,
- are able to apply appropriate scientific methods to address the research question and justify their choice of methods.
Required Work:
- 20-minute presentation of the results
- Please refer to the schedule for mandatory meeting dates
Modules:
MA-F-100