Bioeconomy

In light of the climate crisis, scarcity of raw materials, and changing consumer behavior, the shift towards climate-neutral and sustainable resource and technology management is imperative. Students of the English-taught Bachelor’s degree program in Bioeconomy (B.Sc.) at TUM’s Straubing Campus learn all the basics needed to organize and shape the social and economic transformation towards sustainability.

The degree program has a clear inter- and transdisciplinary focus and examines technology, ecology, society, economy, and their interactions. Students acquire sound economic expertise as well as basic knowledge of Business Administration, Mathematics, Statistics, Bioinformatics, Physics, Organic Chemistry and Biology. They develop specific skills to evaluate sustainable cross-sectional technologies such as biotechnology, energy technology and process technology, to analyze their economic and business potential and to design corresponding value creation systems and governance structures. In doing so, they always take into account the social, legal, ecological and ethical dimensions of the development and application of new products, processes and structures.

Graduates of the degree program acquire comprehensive economic knowledge, broad knowledge of the scientific and technical foundations of various future technologies, and a profound understanding of local, regional and global economic and material cycles. They are able to develop, evaluate and implement interdisciplinary solutions for economic structural change. They are thus excellently qualified to start a career in a wide range of industries, in public administration, or in international organizations, as well as to continue their scientific education as part of a Master’s degree program.

For a comprehensive description of the program, please refer to the degree program documentation:

• Degree program documentation for the Bachelor’s program in Bioeconomy (PDF, German)

In the first two semesters, important mathematical, natural science, environmental economics, and macroeconomic fundamentals are taught. From the third semester onwards, knowledge from the main areas of chemistry, physics, biology, and business administration / economics is deepened. In the fifth semester, a focus is set based on elective modules. The tandem module combines two subject areas, enabling a structured and interdisciplinary approach to solving a specific problem. The program concludes with a Bachelor’s thesis.

1^st semester: Mathematics, Statistics, Microeconomics, Management Science, Physics, Environmental Resources in a Changing World

2^nd semester: Organic Chemistry, Fundamentals of Thermodynamics, Empirical Research Methods, Macroeconomics, Material Flow Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment, Elective Foundations of Management (total 6 ECTS)

3^rd semester: Foundations of Biology, Wood-based Resources, Production of Biogenic Resources, Foundation of Programming, Intermediate Microeconomics, Environmental Management

4^th semester: Introduction to Process Engineering, Policy and Innovation, Circular Economy, Introduction to Environmental and Resource Economics, Green Chemistry, Elective Foundations of Management (total 6 ECTS)

5^th semester: Governance of Bioeconomy, Technical Electives (total 23 ECTS)

6^th semester: Evidence-Based Management and Policy, Project on Public Discourses and Scientific Solutions, General Elective Module (total 3 ECTS), Bachelor's Thesis

Elective Foundations of Management
6 credits must be obtained from the following list: Entrepreneurship, Supply Chain, Organizational Behavior, Strategic and International Management, Innovation Management

Technical Elective Modules
23 credits must be obtained from the following list: seminar in Behavioral Economics, Biochemistry, Fundamentals of Material Biomass Utilization, Biopolymers, Introduction to Development Economics, Behavioral Economics, Modeling and Optimization, Seminar in Innovation and Technology Management, Project Study

General Elective Modules
3 credits must be obtained from the following list: can be chosen from the total range of courses offered by TUM

The language of instruction for this program is mainly English. Most modules are offered in English, but some may be offered in German only.

Learn more about recognized certificates and other ways to prove your language skills.

• Information on exams
• Information on studying abroad

The tuition fees for international students from third countries for this degree program are 2,000 euros per semester.

Many international students can have their fees waived or receive scholarships to finance them. You can find all information on waivers and scholarships here.

Please note: The semester fee as a contribution to the student union must be paid additionally. It varies depending on where you are studying. You can find all information on the semester fee here.

Admission requirements and the application procedure vary depending on the type of higher education entrance qualification you hold.

During the application period, you must apply through the TUMonline application portal and upload your application documents.

If you receive an offer of admission, you will additionally have to submit individual documents as notarized hardcopies by post to be enrolled.

Generally, applicants with a qualification for postgraduate studies (e.g. a Bachelor’s) obtained outside of the EU / EEA must have their documents reviewed in advance through uni-assist.

In detail:

• What are the steps of the application process?
• What admissions requirements do I need to fulfill?

• Higher Education Entrance Qualification
• Complete and Current Résumé
• Passport
• Proof of German Language Proficiency
• Preliminary Documentation (VPD) by uni-assist - for international applicants only

We may require additional documents depending on your educational background and your country of origin. Complete the online application to receive a comprehensive list of the required documents. 

• Most Current Photo (as for ID)
• Application for Enrollment (signed)
• Higher Education Entrance Qualification (certified copy)

We may require additional documents depending on the type of educational background you earned and your country of origin. After accepting an offer of admission in TUMonline, you will receive a list of documents you must submit to TUM in hardcopy for enrollment.

Application period for the winter semester: 15.05. – 15.07.

For information on applying for a higher semester, please contact the Departmental Student Advising.

During the application period, you must apply through the TUMonline application portal and upload your application documents. Please be aware that we can only process your application if you upload all required documents within the application period.

We will review your application as soon as it is complete. Please check your TUMonline account regularly, to see if we have any queries to your documents or if you have to amend one or more documents.

After receiving admission, you will see in TUMonline which documents you have to submit for enrollment, and in which form. Please note that you always have to send the signed application for enrollment and all notarized hardcopies by post.

We recommend that you submit the documents for enrollment as soon as possible after receiving admission. If individual documents are not available by then, you can submit them up to 5 weeks after the start of the lecture period. You will, however, only be enrolled once we have received all documents.

You can check the status of your application at any time in your TUMonline account.

• Unrestricted Admission