The department strives for international recognition through publishing research papers in leading refereed journals and through international visibility at high-level conferences. In this regard and when it comes to publishing research, department members orient themselves, their activities, and their methods to standards employed by international scientific journals. 

The department tries to maintain a balance between base-knowledge and applied research. In regards to both, research has to be conducted independently from the interests of specific social and/or funding groups. Empirical, quantitative research focuses particularly on evaluating policy measures. The department ranks highly in Austria with respect to research in applied microeconomics and applying corresponding econometric methods.

The research fields are determined by department employees' specific interests and experiences as well as considerations in scientific and social developments. The main research areas at the moment are:

• Applied microeconomics with a focus on labour, health and related fields
• Industrial organisation
• Macroeconomics, trade and the public sector
• Quantitative research

The department's research activities have been particularly successful in all of these fields, documented through publications in reputable and internationally refereed scientific journals. The Department is ranked at the top in Austria and 159 worldwide, such as in the IDEAS ranking which takes only the top 10 economists into consideration (last update: November 2023, opens an external URL in a new window).

Similiarly, our goal is to provide students with a level of education that corresponds to international standards. This level of education is based on scientific research findings. In almost all segments, society essentially depends on economic reasoning (an understanding of economic mechanisms, incentive effects of policy measures). In this regard, the department's mission is to offer corresponding courses in economics for all of the academic degree programs offered by the JKU's Faculty of Social Sciences, Economics and Business. Ultimately, students will be in a position to identify causes for economic changes and estimate subsequent consequences in regard to his/her professional environment. Moreover, business students are introduced to how market interactions work and the economic principles behind decision-making at companies.

The department offers advanced courses for students majoring in Economics that are designed to provide students with expertise and a strong understanding in various areas of economics as well as general economic methodology and reasoning through models. The objective is to convey a universally applicable set of methods as well as a critical reflection and demonstration of their limitations. A unique department selling point is to provide students with expertise and the ability to command quantitative methods in order to evaluate policies and analyse actions by economic agents. This skill set is a key asset for students in support of a future professional career both in economics and business.

Students at the Department of Economics have numerous opportunities to interact regularly with department faculty members; internships are very common and an ideal option for students to hone their craft. The department offers a Master's degree program titled Economics (Economic Policy Analysis) as well as a program titled Economic and Business Analytics. Our PhD program in Economics and Statistics is a joint program with the University of Innsbruck, preparing students to independently conduct a high level of research. All of our graduate degree programs are held in English.

New students can enroll in the Bachelor's degree program "Business and Economics" for a good overview and basis before enrolling in an advanced Master's degree program.

Graduates from our program work in academia, in business, and hold leading government positions.

The Institute of Economics at the JKU is a participative institution featuring a flat hierarchy and cross-departmental partnerships. A collaborative environment is conducive to conducting outstanding research. The institute benefits from its members voluntary and cooperative commitment in an effort to fulfill responsibilities in research, teaching, and administration. We welcome institute members at all hierarchical levels as partners to hold discussions and support decision-making processes.