Ulrich Nissen completed his initial studies at the University of Hamburg in 1991, graduating with a degree in Industrial Engineering and Management. He further qualified himself with a diploma in Environmental Protection through postgraduate studies at the Nürtingen University of Applied Sciences. He then earned his doctorate ( Dr. rer. pol.) from a chair of law within the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. The topic of his dissertation was "The EC Eco-Audit Regulation – Determinants of its Effectiveness." Following an apprenticeship as an automotive electrician, Nissen began his professional career as a marketing assistant for a company in Denver, USA. After this period, he became a research associate at the Fraunhofer Society in Stuttgart. While preparing for his doctorate, he worked as a freelance management consultant before taking over as head of the controlling department at a medium-sized industrial company near Würzburg in 1999. It was there that he received a professorship offer from the Giessen -Friedberg University of Applied Sciences.
Prof. Dr. Nissen has authored numerous articles for specialist journals and edited volumes and published two monographs. His diploma thesis was awarded the HASCO Science Prize, and his doctoral dissertation received the Hermann Gutmann Foundation's Dissertation Prize. His primary research and professional focus is on behavioral controlling and complexity cost management.