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Department of Business and Economics

Seminars at the professorship microeconomics

Thank you for your interest in a seminar at our Chair of Economics (Microeconomics)! Here you will find all the information you need to successfully organise your participation in a seminar at our department and to be able to understand what we expect from you. 

Information on the topics of the seminars can be found in the corresponding semesters (Winter term/Summer term).

Ideally, but not necessarily(!), you have attended an elective course of our chair before the seminar (You can find an overview on the main page of the teaching).

The aim of our seminars is that you learn to communicate scientific content in written and verbal form.

In order to successfully complete a seminar at our department, you have to fulfil the following tasks:

  • Participation (ungraded) "Scientific work" (only BA Economics, details below).
  • Observance of our rules for "Scientific work" (all courses of studies)
    • Details can be found in the associated Moodleroom
    • In the course of time, templates as well as successful exposés, seminar papers and presentation slides should also be found there.
  • Seminar paper
    • 75% of the seminar grade
    • Length: 10,000-16,000 characters (approx. 5-8 pages), only the characters in the body text of the main part count (tolerance: +/- 10%), the appendix can be as long as you like.
    • Details on content & formal design: Moodle
  • Seminar presentation and active participation in discussions in the seminar
    • 25% of the seminar grade
    • Extent of presentation: 20 min. presentation + 10 min. discussion
    • Details on content and form: Moodle

For any organisational concerns regarding the seminar (forms, deadlines, creditability, ...) please contact our office at mik.wiwi@tu-dortmund.de.

Bachelor seminars: Here you can find further information on Module 11 of the WiWi 11 programme (which contains the seminar).

Master's seminars: The procedure and grading of a master's seminar is identical to that of a bachelor's seminar at our department until further notice, so that you can also use this information as a master's student.

The chair announces the topics of the seminars for the coming semester early so that you can decide in good time whether one of the topics is of interest to you.

A prerequisite for participation in the seminar is the successful application for a seminar place. To do this, you must take part in the central allocation of places by the faculty, which usually starts in January for the summer semester and in July for the winter semester. You can find more detailed information about the dates here.

  • Semester week 1
    • Introduction to the topic: The seminar leader introduces the topic of the seminar and the individual topic blocks in more detail.
    • Allocation of topics: You receive your concrete seminar topic.
    • Your own work at home afterwards: You familiarise yourself with your seminar topic.
  • Semester week 2: Scientific work 1 (basic principles & literature research)
    • The seminar leader explains the basics of scientific work and scientific literature research.
    • In addition, a member of staff from the university library will explain how to find relevant literature for your work.
    • If necessary, we will begin a guided individual literature search together in the seminar room.
    • Your own work at home afterwards: compiling a bibliography on your topic.
  • Semester week 3: Scientific work 2 (exposé/annotated outline & software)
    • We will discuss the preliminary literature list you have compiled on your topic together - if necessary also in smaller groups.
    • The seminar leader explains the quality criteria for the outline of a scientific paper and an exposé and introduces helpful text typesetting and software programmes.
    • Your own work at home afterwards: Writing an exposé / an annotated outline (2-3 pages) on your topic.
  • Semester week 4: Scientific work 3 (written paper & presentation)
    • We will discuss the outline you have prepared for your topic together - if necessary also in smaller groups.
    • The seminar leader will give formal and linguistic advice on the seminar paper and specify criteria for a successful scientific presentation.
    • Your own work at home afterwards: Working on your seminar paper topic
  • Semester week 7
    • In individual, 30-minute consultation hours, you have the opportunity to discuss details of your seminar paper with the seminar leader.
    • The prerequisite for taking advantage of the individual consultation hours is the submission of an outline for your seminar paper by the end of semester week 4.
    • Your own work at home afterwards: Completing your seminar paper (until week 11)
  • Semester week 11 (fifth to last week of the semester): Hand in your seminar paper.
    • Your own work at home afterwards: preparation of your presentation
  • Semester week 13 (third last week of the semester): Presentations
    • All seminar participants will give their presentations in one or two block sessions.
    • The prerequisite for giving a presentation is the submission of the seminar paper by the deadline (eleventh week of the semester).
    • Attendance is compulsory and active participation in the discussions of the lectures is included in the grade as described above.