Master of Science with Tracks in Quantitative Accounting, Quantitative Economics, Quantitative Finance and Quantitative Marketing (MSQ) Goethe University Frankfurt

The Graduate School of Economics, Finance, and Management (GSEFM) constitutes an alliance between Goethe University Frankfurt, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, and Technische Universität Darmstadt.

Courses are held exclusively in English.

The research-oriented Master's programme at GSEFM with tracks in Quantitative Accounting, Quantitative Economics, Quantitative Finance and Quantitative Marketing (collectively called MSQ programme) is unique in that students throughout the programme participate in the same set of analytically rigorous and quantitatively-oriented courses in accounting, economics, finance and/or marketing that are taken by the PhD programme students. At the end of the first year of studies, GSEFM PhD programme students take part in qualifying examinations that can also be taken by GSEFM MSQ programme students who would like to transition to the PhD programme at GSEFM corresponding to their MSQ programme track. Students may earn both the MSc and the PhD degree in a total of four years. GSEFM graduates holding a Master's degree will be in a strong position to serve as analytical experts in international institutions, government or the private sector. Placements of GSEFM MSQ and PhD graduates include Cambridge University, Columbia University, INSEAD, New York University, Oxford University, University of Amsterdam, Xiamen University, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, European Central Bank, Deutsche Bundesbank, Federal Reserve System, Bank of Korea, Hong Kong Monetary Authority, and a variety of banks, investment management firms and economic consultancies, including, for example, BlackRock and Deutsche Bank.

GSEFM graduates holding a Master's degree will be in a strong position to serve as analytical experts in international institutions, government or the private sector.

Applications will be reviewed in three stages with the following deadlines:
31 January
31 March
31 May

Particularly strong candidates from the first two stages will receive a positive admissions decision within approximately six weeks of the deadline for the respective stage. Other applicants from these two stages will receive the admissions decision together with the applicants from stage three.

Applicants from the third stage will learn about a positive admissions decision by the middle of July. All applicants who could not be admitted will be duly informed once the admissions process has been completed.

GSEFM strongly encourages candidates to apply in stage one or stage two, in part to have sufficient time for visa applications and other arrangements.

In the first year of the programme, students have the choice between the following four tracks:

• Quantitative Accounting: In this track, students in the first year of studies attend core courses in accounting, econometrics, microeconomics, mathematical methods, and programming languages. At the end of the first year, students who wish to preserve the option of eventually graduating with a PhD in Accounting also must pass qualifying examinations in accounting, econometrics, and microeconomics.
• Quantitative Economics: In this track, students in the first year of studies attend core courses in macroeconomics, microeconomics, econometrics, mathematical methods, and programming languages. At the end of the first year, students who wish to preserve the option of eventually graduating with a PhD in Economics also must pass qualifying examinations in microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics.
• Quantitative Finance: In this track, students in the first year of studies attend core courses in finance, micro- or macroeconomics, econometrics, mathematical methods, and programming languages. At the end of the first year, students who wish to preserve the option of eventually graduating with a PhD in Finance must pass qualifying examinations in finance, micro- or macroeconomics, and econometrics.
• Quantitative Marketing: In this track, students in the first year of studies attend core courses in marketing, microeconomics, econometrics, mathematical methods and programming languages. At the end of the first year, students who wish to preserve the option of eventually graduating with a PhD in Marketing must pass qualifying examinations in marketing, microeconomics and econometrics.

Second-year courses discuss how to carry out frontier research and are offered in a wide range of fields. The fields offered are accounting, microeconomics and management, macroeconomics, econometrics, finance, marketing as well as development and international economics. The choice of field courses is free across the four tracks, except that students must pick at least two field courses that originate within their MSQ programme track. Also part of the second year of studies is a research seminar that also helps with deepening skills in writing and presenting papers. The second year of studies concludes with a Master's thesis (to be completed within six months) that involves adducing valuable results on a substantive research question. In writing their Master's theses, students will thus demonstrate their ability to independently analyse a substantive issue in accounting, economics, finance or marketing using state-of-the-art methodological approaches.

Internships are not compulsory, but they are possible on a voluntary basis.

No tuition fees

Goethe University charges an administrative fee of about 377 EUR per semester (about 754 EUR per year). This includes free entrance to museums in Frankfurt as well as a "student ticket" that entitles you to unlimited use of all buses, trams, the subway, and regional trains in the Frankfurt, Darmstadt and Mainz ("Rhine-Main") region.

The cost of living in Frankfurt depends on personal requirements and lifestyle. However, students should expect expenses of about 1,000 EUR per month. This calculation accounts for 850 EUR for rent, food, clothing, and study materials, about 88 EUR for compulsory health insurance, and about 63 EUR for the university administrative fee.

A Bachelor's or Master's degree is required. Click here for detailed information about the requirements.

The exclusive language of all GSEFM degree programmes is English. Sufficiently strong English language skills may be documented in one of the following forms:
(i) A diploma/degree certificate from a secondary school with English as the official language of instruction (The secondary school must have been attended for at least two years.)
(ii) At least one year of successfully completed university-level studies in a degree programme being exclusively taught in the English language
(iii) Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores. The minimum scores are as follows: TOEFL/iBT: 93; TOEFL/PBT: 580; IELTS: 7.0.

Test scores that are older than four years at the time of the deadline for the stage in which the complete application is submitted cannot be accepted.

The TOEFL Designated Institution Code for GSEFM is "7276".

Applications will be reviewed in three stages with the following deadlines:
31 January
31 March
31 May

Particularly strong candidates from the first two stages will receive a positive admissions decision within approximately six weeks of the deadline for the respective stage. Other applicants from these two stages will receive the admissions decision together with the applicants from stage three.

Applicants from the third stage will learn about a positive admissions decision by the middle of July. All applicants who could not be admitted will be duly informed once the admissions process has been completed.

GSEFM strongly encourages candidates to apply in stage one or stage two, in part to have sufficient time for visa applications and other arrangements.

Multiple funding opportunities, including the Deutschland Stipendium

MSQ students are eligible to apply for student assistant positions at the GSEFM Faculties. Job opportunities extend beyond the university: 44,000 companies and organisations based in Frankfurt have approximately 450,000 employees on their payrolls. Furthermore, 350 banks, including the European Central Bank, 150 foreign banks, and the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world are based in the city. Well known as one of the most important financial centres in Europe, Frankfurt is also home to various cultural and research institutions. All these entities are key players in a flourishing environment that offers students and graduates interesting jobs and internships. The GSEFM Student Services Office, the "Studierendenwerk", and the Career Services at Goethe University provide information and support to graduate students who want to combine their studies with part-time jobs. However, it should also be noted that chances of successfully completing studies on time decline significantly when spending more than one day per week on non-study related work. Students from non-EU countries may receive a work permit after graduation.

Frankfurt am Main offers a wide variety of accommodations, from university dorms to privately rented apartments. The biggest providers of dorms are the "Studierendenwerk" (student services) and churches. The 26 dormitories offer more than 2,887 accommodation units starting from 203 EUR per month for a single room to up to 590 EUR per month for a family apartment of about 45m². For further information, click here. As these rooms are in high demand, we strongly recommend that students contact the institutions in question as soon as they receive their letter of admission to the programme.

Goethe University provides a well-developed career service including advice tailored to international students.

The GSEFM Student Services Office offers support regarding relocation, enrolment and cultural integration of students.