Download:
- Course Description
- Registration Form
- Guidelines for Searching Literature
- Instructions for Writing a Seminar Thesis
Course Description
During the seminar, participants will discuss a broad range of current topics in the economics of human capital. This will include topics on the role of beliefs and information in the labor market. The course description above provides more details, including references and brief comments on the research questions covered in the respective literature.
The seminar has two consecutive parts:
In the first part, students write a thesis (15 pages) under the guidance of their advisor. In an introductory session, students learn about the principles of scientific work and the scope of analysis that is expected. The thesis elaborates on the literature (see the list of topics for the main article(s) to be covered). Students are expected to search for additional literature and then work independently on their topic. Advisors provide close guidance during this process
The second part consists of a blocked seminar (June 11th and 12th, 2026) of students’ presentations. This part will take place at a youth hostel located in a beautiful medieval castle about one hour from Nuremberg, where we will stay overnight. The department will cover all costs (travel costs, accommodation for one night at the castle, and meals). Before preparing their presentations for the block seminar, supervisors will provide students with detailed feedback on their thesis, enabling students to give high-quality presentations about their topic.
Students who want to participate should submit a participation form indicating their preferred topics (see above) to bianca.haustein@fau.de until February 13th, 2026. The deadline for submitting the thesis is May 24th, 2026. We will have a short introduction over Zoom on March 2nd, 2026, at 10:30 am.