Following the core advanced fundamentals courses (semesters 1 & 2), the modular curriculum offers courses in four fields during the specialization phase (semesters 2 & 3). The specialization phase also involves
In semester 4, the thematic focus of the Master thesis may be chosen in accordance with the individual professional and personal interests.
Advanced fundamental courses (7 x 6 CP) ensure that students acquire a thorough knowledge in the core areas of finance, economic theory, and quantitative methods as well as in programming as needed in finance and economics.
During the specialization phase, the modular curriculum offers advanced topics courses in four fields. Students choose six of the advanced topics courses offered (6 x 6 CP). The fields of specialization are:
With advanced course topics from areas such as Behavioral Finance, Big-Data-Based Personal Finance, Computational Finance, Credit Risk, Derivatives, Hedge Funds, Investment & Pension Finance, Real Estate Finance.
With advanced course topics from areas such as Banking & Securitization, Banking and the Real Economy, Financial Systems, International Financial Architecture, Market Microstructure, Mergers & Acquisitions.
With advanced course topics from areas such as Comparative Economic Analyses, Economic Growth, Fiscal Stabilization Policy, Household Finance & Macroeconomics, International Macroeconomics, Labor Markets and the Macroeconomy, Monetary Theory & Policy, Macroeconomics & Social Insurance, Economics of Taxation.
With advanced course topics from areas such as Applied Financial Development, Empirical Asset Pricing, Empirical Monetary Economics, Financial Econometrics of High Frequency Data, Household Finance Econometrics, Macroeconometric Forecasting, Multivariate Statistics for Large Micro Data Sets, Stochastic Calculus in Finance and Economics.
Transferable skills courses (2 x 3 CP) will support students in developing their personal abilities essential for a career in financial markets and economic policy analysis. Among others, the transdisciplinary topics taught may include:
The practical aspects of the curriculum are deepened by practice topics courses (2 x 3 CP), focusing on how models and methods as studied in the advanced fundamentals and advanced topics courses are applied by financial market practitioners and economic policy decision makers. These courses are taught by high-level practitioners from central banks, treasuries, international organizations and the private financial sector. The topics taught may include:
The Master thesis (24 CP) is a substantive piece of work that demonstrates a student’s in-depth familiarity with a particular topic from the program’s fields. A typical thesis will provide an original, critical synthesis of existing research, as well as evidence of the student’s ability to carry out independent research, using relevant theoretical and/or empirical methods.
The student’s work on the Master thesis will be facilitated through individual advising by a program faculty member as well as a Master thesis seminar (6 CP), providing opportunity to obtain feedback on the Master thesis project from peers and a wider range of faculty members. The Master thesis is to signal to future employers the student’s ability to carry out independent work on challenging and substantive issues in global finance and/or economic policy analysis.
Within the optional "Experience Frankfurt" module of the program offered annually in early summer, students will have the opportunity to
In case a student registers for the optional "Experience Frankfurt" module of the program, the student will be enrolled at Goethe University Frankfurt for the duration of the fourth semester, allowing free access to Goethe University Frankfurt and free or cost-reduced access to parts of the broader public infrastructure. While the major parts of the "Experience Frankfurt" module are free of charge for program participants, expenses for travel, accommodation and meals are not included.
Networking is an integral part of the study experience. We regularly invite prominent guest speakers from various backgrounds to talk about current topics in the global financial industry. While chatting with the experts in an intimate setting, students and alumni gain unique insights into how these experts are dealing with industry-specific challenges and opportunities. Make sure not to miss any of our expert talks and mark your calendars with the upcoming dates.
The GFE program features rigorous advanced fundamentals and specialization courses in Finance and Economics, backed by supporting courses in Econometrics, Data Science and Programming. Based on my great experience with the academic environment at VGU, I strongly believe that graduates from GFE will make glittering careers in the world of finance and economic analysis.