International Bachelor Economics and Business Economics

3 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Erasmus University Rotterdam

Program Overview

Our Economics & Business majors are designed to give you a solid foundation in economic theory and business practice while letting you explore how these fields shape society and the global economy. Whether you're fascinated by market dynamics, financial systems, or policy-making, you'll develop the analytical and problem-solving skills that employers genuinely value, all within our internationally-focused Liberal Arts and Sciences programme.

Curriculum Structure

First Year: Building Your Foundation

Your first year is structured around five 8-week blocks, each combining an economics course, a business economics course, and supporting skills training. You'll start with core concepts like microeconomics, exploring consumer choice, firm production, market structures, and how individual decisions ripple through entire economies. Alongside this, you'll tackle accounting and organization strategy, learning how businesses actually function—from financial statements and revenue recognition to management control systems and real-world decision-making.

Second Year: Deepening Your Analytical Toolkit

Building on your foundation, you'll move into more sophisticated analysis with macroeconomics, understanding how government policy shapes employment and output, plus how national economies interact through trade and capital flows. You'll also strengthen your quantitative skills through data analysis and spreadsheet modeling, learning to work with information systems, databases, and optimization techniques that modern businesses rely on daily. This year emphasizes practical application—you're not just learning theory; you're converting complex analyses into real policy recommendations and business strategies.

Third Year: Specialization and Research

In your final year, you'll choose a major that aligns with your interests—whether that's Policy Economics, Financial Economics, International Economics, Marketing, or other specialized tracks. You'll cap your degree with an individual thesis project on a subject from your chosen major, working closely with supervisors to conduct meaningful research that demonstrates your mastery of the field.

Focus Areas

Policy Economics, Behavioural and Health Economics, Economics of Markets and Organisations, Financial Economics, International Economics, Marketing, Strategy Economics, and Urban, Port and Transport Economics.

Learning Outcomes

You'll develop thorough understanding of economic theories and become an all-round player equipped to identify and analyze problems in economics and beyond. You'll gain strong analytical and problem-solving skills alongside practical tools for understanding market mechanisms, consumer and firm behavior, and how economic choices affect society.

Professional Alignment

Our majors are developed in close collaboration with the Erasmus School of Economics—consistently ranked among Europe's top business schools. Upon completion, you're eligible for Master programmes in Economics & Business offered by the Erasmus School of Economics, positioning you for advanced careers in governance, public management, policy-making, and business.

Reputation & Employability

Erasmus University Rotterdam's Rotterdam School of Management ranks 3rd in Europe according to Financial Times, and our economics faculty draws on these institutional resources to deliver exceptional education. Our graduates are attractive candidates for leading roles in government, international organizations, and multinational corporations.

Entry Requirement

Successful completion of EUC NT200 Mathematics is required to ensure you have the quantitative foundation needed for success in our economics and business courses.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

At Erasmus University Rotterdam's Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) and Erasmus School of Economics (ESE), our Economics & Business majors immerse you in real-world learning right from the start, blending top-tier theory with hands-on practice to build skills employers crave. You'll dive into group projects, case studies, and interactive debates in small classes, work on solving actual business challenges from corporate partners, and even join study trips to global financial hubs—all designed to sharpen your analytical edge and prepare you for high-impact careers in economics and business.

This practical focus extends through dedicated facilities and programs tailored to these majors:
- Group projects and case studies: Tackle real-life finance and business cases in diverse international teams, plus core courses like team building and electives in strategy, entrepreneurship, and HR management.
- Internships: Opportunities integrated into master-level tracks, with companies seeking top talent from RSM programs for close collaboration.
- Study trips and field visits: Global Experiential Learning (GEL) modules include company visits and travel to international hotspots, such as financial centers or emerging markets like South Africa, focusing on digital transformation, corporate strategy, and entrepreneurship.
- Immersive tech and digital tools: Access the Immersive Tech Space at the Erasmus Centre for Data Analytics (ECDA) at RSM for experimenting with VR/AR, AI, big data analytics, and gamification in business contexts—perfect for economics and business students collaborating with researchers and industry pros.
- Research institutes and labs: Collaborate at ERIM, one of Europe's top three business research institutes, with world-class faculty support for independent research in economics and management.
- Libraries and advanced resources: Full use of EUR's libraries, plus RSM's specialized tools for data-driven courses like big data management and business architecture.

Imagine applying these experiences to launch your career—RSM and ESE grads are in high demand globally. Ready to take the next step? Check the full facilities list here: [EUR Facilities Overview](https://www.eur.nl/en/facilities) and apply today!

Progression & Future Opportunities

At Erasmus University Rotterdam's Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) and Erasmus School of Economics (ESE), our Economics & Business majors immerse you in real-world skills through hands-on formats like group projects, case studies, internships, and international study trips—blending top theory with practical application to launch your career strong. You'll dive into diverse teams, tackle live business challenges, and connect with global companies, all backed by world-class facilities like the top-ranked ERIM research institute. This setup ensures you're not just learning economics and business—you're living it, building the confidence and networks top employers crave.

Here's how experiential learning shines in our programs, drawing directly from RSM and ESE offerings:

- Group projects and case studies: Work in small, interactive classes on real-life finance cases from corporate partners via the Living Management Programme, or collaborate on strategy and entrepreneurship projects in courses like ECB310 Strategy and ECB311 Entrepreneurship.
- Internships: Integrated into master tracks (and accessible post-bachelor), with companies actively seeking RSM students for top-tier finance and investment roles, giving you direct industry exposure.
- Study trips and field visits: Join international trips to financial centers (2 ECTS) or Global Experiential Learning (GEL) modules, like visits for Leading Digital Transformation, Entrepreneurship, or strategies in emerging markets such as South Africa.
- Research and labs: Access ERIM, Europe's top-3 business research institute, for independent research; plus the new Immersive Tech Space at Erasmus Centre for Data Analytics (ECDA) for experimenting with AI, immersive tech, and big data analytics in business contexts.
- Digital tools and software: Hands-on with big data management, analytics, business architecture tools, and immersive technologies in courses like BIM research topics or ECDA initiatives for customer-centric digital commerce and visualization.
- Specialized facilities: Leverage RSM's interactive seminar spaces, ECDA hub for cross-domain collaboration with researchers and industry, and ESE-linked libraries/resources for economics electives like Data Science and Marketing Analytics.

Imagine applying to a program where you're consulting on actual corporate challenges from day one—RSM and ESE grads land roles at leading firms because they've already proven themselves. Ready to build those skills? Check the full facilities overview here: https://www.eur.nl/en/engagement and https://www.eur.nl/en/rsm (official RSM home). Let's chat about your application next steps!

Country Requirements

South-Africa: National Senior Certificate with minimum requirements for admission to a bachelor’s degree met, minimum overall average score of 70% in accepted subjects, no subjects under 55%, exempted from the English language test, mandatory to pass mathematics deficiency exam.
China: Senior Middle School Diploma + Gaokao, minimum Gaokao score 550/750 (except for Shanghai province, 484/600), mandatory to pass English language test, mandatory to pass mathematics deficiency exam.
Indian Standard XII qualification with 5 academic subjects required; CBSE, CISCE, and State Boards need 80% in 5 subjects, NIOS requires grades A–C, and overlapping subjects are not accepted
France: Diplôme du baccalauréat general, mandatory to pass English language test, Mathematics: Complémentaire minimum grade 14/20 or Specialité minimum grade 13/20, mandatory to study mathematics in the Premiere and Terminale year. Diplôme du baccalauréat general – OIB/BFI: exemption from English language test when American or British section chosen with minimum grade of 14, Mathematics: Complémentaire minimum grade 14/20 or Specialité minimum grade 13/20, mandatory to study mathematics in the Premiere and Terminale year.
Germany: Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, English studied up to and including the final year minimum grade 10/15, Mathematics studied up to and including the final year minimum grade 10/15.
GCE A-level applicants require 3 GCSE subjects (grades A*–C/9–4) and 3 A-level subjects (grades A*–C), preferably including English and Mathematics, with overlapping subjects not preferred.
U.S. applicants require an accredited High School Diploma with a minimum GPA of 3.0 in Grades 11–12 and 4 AP subjects with scores of 3 or higher.
Canada: Ontario Secondary School Diploma: at least six 4U-courses in grade 12 (M-courses not accepted), English language exemption when OSSD obtained in Canada (otherwise ENG4U minimum 70), Mathematics: Calculus & vectors and Advanced functions passed as 4U-course with minimum grade of 70.
Australia: Higher School Certificate / Certificate of Education: minimum ATAR-score of 85, English language exemption, mandatory to pass mathematics deficiency exam.
IB applicants require a minimum of 30 points (excluding TOK/EE/CAS), approved Mathematics qualifications or OMPT-A score, and minimum English grades in English A or English B HL.