Curriculum
Curriculum
The academic curriculum of the BSc programme covers areas of both economics and business, thus allowing students to get a wider perspective and thus have more career options after graduation.
Timetable 2022/2023
Fall Semester | from August 22 |
Midterm Break | November 18 - 20 |
Christmas Break | December 22 - January 2 (re-exam week January 3 - 6) |
Spring Semester | from January 9 |
Easter Break | April 7 - 10 |
Midterm Break | May 4 - 7 |
Graduation | June 10 |
End of Year |
June 21 |
Courses
Given the student body of 450 students and the comparatively small size of the School, staff and lecturers are able to work closely with students.
The core courses combine mainstream economics with various aspects of business. The five main blocks are as follows:
- Economics Courses - include courses that cover the main areas of theoretical, applied and quantitative aspects of the subject, including also international and European aspects of economics. These courses advance understanding of the choices and behaviour of individuals, households, firms, and other organizations.
- Finance and Accounting Courses - focus upon capital markets, finance, management accounting, financial accounting and financial management.
- Business Administration Courses - provide an understanding of business, organisation, and strategy including common functionally based business courses and the courses in Ethics and Sustainable Business and Economic Anthropology that have become especially significant in recent years alongside a growing concern with the ethical practices of business and a more profound understanding of the nature of business.
- Data Analysis and Business Intelligence Courses - provide advanced skills in data management, data visualization, data storytelling, and data driven decision making using various digital tools like MS Excel, Power BI, and R programming language. Students learn techniques how to analyse & interpret data, build data and financial reporting automation, become efficient using tools & delivering data driven insights.
- Communication Courses - teach powerful communication skills that enable undergraduates to bridge the gap between the everyday life and the university, be more effective in academic and professional situations and give professional training in team building and team dynamics. Given that the language of instruction is English, there is a strong emphasis on upgrading the knowledge and skills in communicating in English at an advanced level.
A brief insight into some of the courses: Academic Studies and Critical Thinking; Marketing; Econometrics; International Finance; Artificial Intelligence.
Specialisation Courses
In the beginning of the last study year students should choose from the four specialisation courses offered.
- Economics - focuses on an in-depth analysis of the role of the banking system in the economy from micro and macroeconomic perspectives.
- Finance - starts with topics on financial markets, including market design, price discovery, liquidity, informational efficiency and bubbles. This is followed by behavioural finance and portfolio management, corporate valuations and private M&A. The course emphasises empirical finance research methods that are relevant for the various topics.
- Retail Management - offers a general management view, covering a broad range of functional topics including strategy, online and offline marketing, operations and supply chain.
- Entrepreneurship - designed to teach students how to think and act entrepreneurial, how to start new venture and operate a business.
Internships
Students should have two internships during the summer breaks after the first and the second year of studies. Internships usually last from 4 to 8 weeks.
In total, all students must obtain at least 10 weeks of internship experience in order to graduate. The search process for internship placements is fully under student control.
Due to the fact that SSE Riga maintains close relationships with its alumni, quite a lot of job advertisements arrive via e-mail straight to students’ inboxes. Furthermore, many get in touch with their future employers during the SSE Riga career fair, Days of Opportunities, which takes place every Spring and attracts more than 40 companies from the Baltics.
Very often, students receive full-time job offers from their internship companies upon graduation.
Further opportunities
Further opportunities for an SSE Riga graduate are broad even during an economic downturn – students are appreciated by the top companies in the Baltics, and are welcome to pursue their academic interests in top-notch universities all over the world.
About half of SSE Riga recent graduates have found employment in consulting, accountancy, auditing and banking. During the last five years, there has been a growing interest in IT, sales, HR and marketing-related jobs. A significant number of students start their own businesses not only after graduation but also during their studies. A few students undertake further choose to study for a Master’s degree right after graduation, but the majority prefer working for a few years and then pursuing graduate studies.
Course List 2022/2023
First
Financial Accounting
Mathematics
Academic Studies and Critical Thinking
Academic English
Microeconomics
Economic Statistics
Data Analysis
Managerial Economics
Macroeconomics
Organization and Management
Business Ethics and Sustainability
Marketing
Economic and Consumer Behaviour
Introduction to Entrepreneurship
Management Accounting and Finance
Civil Protection
Business and Leadership Skills
Internship (4 weeks)
Second
Business Law
Human Resource Management
Econometrics
Market Research
Welfare Economics and Public Policy
International Finance
Financial Economics
Economic Anthropology
Business Valuation
Research Methods for Bachelor Thesis
International Economics
Civil Protection
Business and Leadership Skills
Internship (6 weeks)
Third
Bachelor Thesis
Artificial Intelligence
Specialisation: Finance
Specialisation: Economics
Specialisation: Entrepreneurship
Specialisation: Retail Management
Strategy
Business and Leadership Skills
Electives
Eco-Innovation, Social Responsibility, and Sustainable Management* (NEW)
Introduction to Quantitative Finance (on-line course, NEW)
Practical Real Estate
The EU and Political Change: Impact on Businesses
Critical Thinking and Argumentation
Platform Strategy for New Enterprise* (NEW)
Happiness: Philosophy, Economics and Politics
Fundamental Principles of Sales
Contract Law
Business Intelligence
Social Entrepreneurship and Impact Investing* (NEW)
Political Economy of Oil and Gas in the Context of Russia’s War in Ukraine (NEW)
(International Project) Circular Economy
(International Project) Corporate Social Responsibility
Speech and Accent Training
Business Organizations (NEW)
Female Innovation/ Inclusive Start-up (NEW)
Global Challenges (NEW)
Game Theory
Understanding and Preventing Corruption
Introduction to Taxation (NEW)
Business Analytics
Welfare State
Speech and Accent Training (repeated)
Investments
Introduction to Data Science
(International Project) Circular Economy and Fishery