Key Features of the
Graduate School of Economics, Finance, and Management (GSEFM)
The Graduate School of Economics, Finance, and Management (GSEFM) – based in the House of Finance at Goethe University Frankfurt – constitutes an alliance between Goethe University Frankfurt, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, and Technical University Darmstadt. Operating in Continental Europe's primary center for financial markets and central banking, GSEFM aims to realize the three universities' joint vision to establish a premier European center for quantitative and research-oriented graduate-level education in economics, finance, and management.
Leveraging the achievements of Goethe University’s established and highly successful research-oriented graduate programs, GSEFM offers a rich palette of programs. These programs feature the structure of premier anglosaxon graduate programs, and at the same time leverage the interdisciplinary and inter-institutional wealth of Goethe University Frankfurt, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, and Technical University Darmstadt.
Some of GSEFM's strengths include:
Top-Notch Degree Programs:
Ph.D. Program in Economics
Launched in 2004, the Ph.D. Program in Economics has grown to more than 100 students from Germany and around the world. Compelling for its strong empirical focus, the Ph.D. Program in Economics offers a two-year cycle of doctoral-level courses developed specifically to transmit a rigorous methodological framework in the three core areas of economics (microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics), followed by courses designed to expose students to the research frontier in a variety of fields of specialization (money and macroeconomics, microeconomics, asset pricing, coporate finance, econometrics, marketing, as well as law and economics). As the largest program within GSEFM, the overarching objective of the Ph.D. Program in Economics is to produce outstanding economists capable of taking leading positions in academia or serving as experts in international institutions, government, and the private sector.
Ph.D. Program in Finance
Compelling for its in-depth coverage of both issues in asset pricing and corporate finance, the Ph.D. Program in Finance offers a two-year cycle of doctoral-level courses developed specifically to transmit a rigorous methodological framework in the core areas of finance as well as selected core areas of economics (microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics). As for the Ph.D. Program in Economics, students in the Ph.D. Program in Finance can select from a variety of second-year field courses designed to expose students to the research frontier in their fields of specialization. Graduates from the Ph.D. Program in Finance are expected to find excellent job opportunities in both academia and the financial industry.
The Doctorate /Ph.D. Program in Law and Economics of Money and Finance
Started in 2009, this program is targeted both to law and economics graduates, and offers a two-year interdisciplinary program designed to analyze and understand the complexities of monetary and financial stability.
The program also features a significant number of courses from the Ph.D. Program in Economics and the Ph.D. Program in Finance, enabling students to work across programs in interdisciplinary research teams. The Doctorate/Ph.D. Program in Law and Economics of Money and Finance enables its graduates to take on challenging positions in academia or serving as international experts specifically on issues related to market regulation.
MSQE Program
The research-oriented MSQE Master Program, with tracks in Economics, Finance, and Marketing, is unique in that it enables first-year students to participate in the same set of analytically rigorous and quantitatively oriented courses in economics, finance, or marketing that are taken by first-year doctoral students. Students who complete the first year of the program with strong success have the option to join a GSEFM Ph.D.program. Other students in their second year in the MSQE Program have the option to enroll in courses with a strong emphasis on policy issues and on issues of implementation. Students leaving GSEFM with a terminal MSQE degree will be in a strong position to serve as experts in international institutions, government, or the private sector.
Environment Conducive to Frontier Research:
After completing their coursework, students in the doctoral programs at GSEFM carry out research, gaining from an environment which includes structured interaction between faculty and students, participation in international research networks and conferences, as well as research stays with faculty elsewhere who are leaders in a student's area of research. Students benefit not only from GSEFM's location in Continental Europe's financial hub, but also from the faculty’s linkages to policy making institutions like World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and the European Central Bank, giving them the chance to engage in frontier research on substantive isuses.
A Distinguished Body of Faculty Members
GSEFM's faculty members have a wide range of teaching and research experience at various excellent universities and public institutions in Europe as well as the United States. GSEFM’s faculty members are involved in key international research networks, and in the past few years have published in journals such as American Economic Review, Econometric Theory, Economic Journal, International Economic Review, Journal of Applied Econometrics, Journal of Econometrics, Journal of Economic Theory, Journal of Financial Economics, Journal of International Economics, Journal of Monetary Economics, Journal of the European Economic Association, Journal of Finance, Review of Economic Studies, and Review of Economics and Statistics.
A Highly Talented and Vibrantly Diverse Student Body
A large proportion of the applicants to the GSEFM's degree programs achieve the highest possible score – 800 points – in the quantitative part of the benchmark test for graduate student admissions worldwide, the GRE (Graduate Record Examinations). A number of incoming students have turned down offers of admission from prestigious graduate programs worldwide. Currently there are approximately 250 students in the GSEFM degree programs, of whom approximately one third are female and more than half are international students, hailing from five continents and more than 40 countries, including Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Egypt, Greece, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Korea, Latvia, Mexico, Moldova, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Syria, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom, Ukraine, the United States, and Uzbekistan.
Excellent Placement Record
Graduates of GSEFM will be capable of taking on research positions at fine academic institutions, or – through their ability to grasp and manage complex economic and financial issues – of serving as experts in the private sector or in international and national government institutions. Past placements include Columbia University, University of Amsterdam, European Central Bank, Deutsche Bundesbank, Federal Reserve System, Allianz Inverstment Management, and Union Investment.
A Welcoming Atmosphere
The GSEFM Student Services Office strives to give students dedicated assistance – including "arrival-survival" in the initial weeks – so that students can focus on succeeding in their studies and academic pursuits. Ongoing student support includes academic orientation and counseling, grade and transcript issuance, student job search assistance, graduation, and alumni relations.
A First-Rate Campus
Goethe University's new Campus Westend offers top-notch facilities, including the stimulating research environment in the House of Finance that is ideally suited to taking advantage of peer-group externalities. Beyond being ideally suited for academic interaction, Campus Westend offers an idyllic park-type setting and a rich set of important historic connotations.