The MSQE Program
with Tracks in Economics, Finance, and Marketing at the Graduate School of Economics, Finance, and Management (GSEFM): Key Features
Program Vision:
The MSQE Program with Tracks in Economics, Finance, and Marketing is unique in that it bridges between a professional Master program and a Ph.D. program: The MSQE Program's structure enables first-year students to participate in the same set of analytically rigorous and quantitatively oriented courses that are taken by first-year GSEFM Ph.D. Program students. In fact, students who successfully complete the first-year courses as well as end-of-first-year preliminary examinations have the option to join the GSEFM Ph.D. Program corresponding to the track of first-year courses they have been enrolled in. Alternately, second-year MSQE Program students have the option to enroll in courses with a strong emphasis on policy and implementation issues. This flexibility of the program's structure should be appealing to students who at the beginning of their graduate studies would like to preserve the option of either engaging in frontier research in economics, finance, or marketing, or preparing themselves for a professional career outside academia, serving as experts in international institutions, government, or the private sector.
An Extraordinarily Sound Theoretical Foundation Appealing also to Applicants with Quantitative Backgrounds:
Regardless of whether students pursue GSEFM Ph.D. Program studies or opt for a terminal MSQE degree, the coursework equips students with a top-notch foundation in state-of-the-art methods for future quantitative analysis of substantive issues in economics, finance, and marketing. The program is very well suited not just for those with a previous degree in economics, but also for those who previously studied a quantitative discipline, such as mathematics, physics, or engineering.
A Distinguished Body of Faculty Members:
The almost 40 faculty members of the MSQE Program have a wide range of teaching and research experience at various excellent universities and public institutions in Europe as well as the United States. The program'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 Marketing, Journal of Monetary Economics, Journal of the European Economic Association, Journal of Finance, Marketing Science, Review of Economic Studies, and Review of Economics and Statistics.
A Very Talented and Vibrantly Diverse Student Body:
A large proportion of the applicants to the MSQE Program achieve strong scores – 760 or more 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 80 students in the MSQE Program, 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.
A Comprehensive Admissions Review:
In order to recruit outstanding national and international students, the admissions review of the MSQE Program is based on a comprehensive and thorough assessment of candidates' application dossiers. The application dossiers include the following: application form; statement of motivation; two confidential letters of evaluation; GRE and TOEFL/IELTS test scores; as well as academic transcripts and degree certificates.
A Welcoming Atmosphere:
The Student Services Office of the MSQE Program 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.
Strong Placement Record:
The placement record for recent MSQE Program graduates include various doctoral programs (including programs at Goethe University, Tilburg University, and University of Paris), policy making institutions (European Central Bank and Deutsche Bundesbank), as well as various financial market institutions (including Allianz and Commerzbank).