Teaching

The department's teaching primarily focuses on supporting the BA program in Public Health/Health Sciences and the MA program in Public Health - Health Care Delivery, Economics and Management. However, courses are generally available to students from other programs upon request.

Teaching in the Bachelor's program

The teaching in the Bachelor's program initially provides a broad overview of management in healthcare. Through a two-semester lecture series, students receive a comprehensive introduction to the classic management functions within the healthcare sector. This lecture is complemented by case study seminars based on a Springer textbook from the department, offering in-depth exploration of various methods and application areas. This course is also available to external participants through the Academy for Continuing Education.

Additionally, the program introduces students to the connections between public health and ecological sustainability through an elective focus termed "Planetary Health Economics." In the winter semester, students learn how various economic theories can help them better understand issues such as our unhealthy diets for both people and the planet. The summer semester focuses on the interplay between health, economics, and ethics. It introduces ideals of good economic practices underlying different economic theories and demonstrates how balancing problem understanding, economics, and ethics can lead to effective solutions for improving health and addressing the climate crisis.

This is further supported by application-oriented method seminars. In the "Systematic Review" seminar, students explore the steps involved in conducting a systematic literature review, preparing them for applying this method in their bachelor theses. The seminar provides guidance on scientific writing, database usage, and offers ample opportunity for feedback on individual review projects. In the "Ecological Decision-Making" seminar, students are introduced to life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. They explore the steps of LCA using their own examples and prepare to conduct a carbon footprint analysis, such as for a medical practice, as part of their bachelor theses.

Teaching in the Master's program

The Master's program applies the concept of research-based learning. Interactive seminars are offered that build on the business management content and ethical foundations from the Bachelor's lecture, addressing these topics at a level of scholarly discourse and critical discussion.

A key aspect of research-based learning, particularly from a management perspective, is entrepreneurial learning. In addition to the scientific hypothesis about the effectiveness of a new healthcare service, the hypothesis that it is feasible from a business perspective also requires critical evaluation. The Master's seminar "Health, Social, and Eco-Entrepreneurship" teaches students how to develop and critically assess a business idea. This is done through team work on real-world problems, where new, economically viable business concepts are developed. Social and ecological business ideas are also encouraged alongside those for the healthcare sector.

The Master's project seminar "Good Solutions to the Climate Crisis" builds on the department's research concerning the balance between ethics and scientific theory. Based on an overview of various economic theories and their ethical backgrounds, the seminar explores how solutions to the climate crisis can meet both economic and ethical criteria. It introduces different types of utopias for good economics, discussing concrete examples such as post-growth economics, the common good economy, or the "Cradle to Cradle" concept.

To prepare for the Master's theses, a seminar on conducting systematic literature reviews is also offered. In this seminar, students learn how to compile and evaluate the best available scientific evidence on a research question according to standards like those outlined in the PRISMA Statement. The steps of a systematic literature review are explored in depth through students' own research questions, providing a methodological foundation for their Master's theses.

Theses

We offer various topic suggestions upon request within our research group that we consider relevant, manageable, and suitable for your work. The suggestions primarily come from the following areas:

• Sustainability in Healthcare
• Life Cycle Analysis & Carbon Footprint
• Health Economic Evaluation & Digital Public Health
• Philosophy & Economics, Plural Economics
• Critical Analysis or Application of Selected Management Concepts in Healthcare

We are also open to other research questions, provided they fall within our areas of expertise.

Before undertaking theses that utilize the methodology of systematic literature reviews, we strongly recommend participating in the relevant Bachelor's or Master's seminar.

If you are interested in writing a Bachelor's or Master's thesis in our department, please send a brief email to mig-abschlussarbeiten@ipp.uni-bremen.de. You will then receive a detailed guide outlining the next steps and helping you make an informed decision.

Projects in the Entrepreneurship Seminar

The Entrepreneurship Seminar provided input on various entrepreneurial projects in Bremen and the surrounding area - e.g. in the fields of healthcare and eco-entrepreneurship:

Skinuvita (https://www.skinuvita.de/) – a spin-off of the University of Bremen, n, working to provide comfortable phototherapy for patients with psoriasis from home.

"The seminar supports students in developing and presenting sustainable business concepts with added social value."

(Janina Clasen, former seminar participant and later co-founder and regulatory affairs manager of Skinuvita GmbH).

Climactivity (https://climactivity.de/) - a non-profit organization founded in 2019 that promotes climate protection through educational games for adults

"The results of the seminar "Health-, Social- and Eco-Entrepreneurship" helped us a lot in establishing climactivity. Both the tangible input in the form of an app and the intangible input in the form of ideas and discussions were helpful and stimulating."
(Uli F Wischnath, CEO and program coordinator at climactivity e.V.)

Cafe Vielleicht (https://vielleicht-cafe.de/) – a cafe in Bremen's Neustadt district that offers a rotating menu of vegan sweet and savory treats.

"The seminar helped me to turn my idea into a realistic business venture. I gathered inspiration and tips, and the constant group reflection allowed me to identify potential challenges early on and incorporate them into the planning."

(Sarah Ruhe, former seminar participant and founder of the café)