Fakultät für Wirtschaftswissenschaften
Quantitative Economics
Master of Science
Do your Master’s Degree in Bielefeld
Study in an exceptional environment
The (Research) Master’s degree programme in Quantitative Economics
has been organized jointly by the Faculty of Business Administration
and Economics and the Institute of Mathematical Economics (IMW).
Both institutions offer students excellent supervision conditions and
the opportunity to work closely with their teachers. They are both also
characterized by a strong methodological orientation. The quantitativeanalytical approach to economics provides the relevant skills to model
and solve economic problems on an abstract level and to transfer the
analytic solutions to the real world application. This encourages a flexible and creative approach to complex economic issues like those found
typically in the real world. Students profit particularly from close cooperations with four European universities: Université Paris 1 PanthéonSorbonne, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, and Università Ca’Foscari
Venezia. These ties have been consolidated formally with a joint Erasmus Mundus Master based on a standardized curriculum, joint degrees,
and longer student exchanges at partner universities.
Bielefeld University is also a leading location for economic research in
Germany. Graduating with our Research Master in Quantitative Economics delivers the necessary qualifications for admission to our Bielefeld
Graduate School of Economics and Management (BiGSEM).
Alongside our strong research orientation, we cultivate close ties to
industry in Eastern Westphalia in order to provide our students with not
only scientific but also applied training at the highest level.
As a result, those studying for our Master’s in Quantitative Economics
have the best possible preparation for not only a subsequent scientific
career but also for the challenges of the private sector.
Optimal conditions for successful studies
Although completing your studies successfully will require curiosity and
commitment, you will soon find that very good working conditions are
also crucial. Bielefeld University offers a range of advantages that contribute to creating an excellent work and study environment:
■ A campus university in which all institutions are close together
(our slogan: “everything under one roof”)
■ An excellent university library with state-of-the-art facilities
(ranked by the CHE as the second best in Germany)
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Free and extensive wireless internet access for students
Multiple support services for studies and vocational preparation
Affordable student accommodation in close vicinity to the campus
Close to business with concrete projects: for example, as a member
of STUNT e.V. – Student Business Consulting or the student nonprofit organization SIFE.
Excellent in every respect
Modern study courses in 13 faculties, an outstanding infrastructure,
exceptional support services, and cooperations throughout the world –
Bielefeld University is an excellent choice. Because our students have
top priority, the University is continuously setting up and expanding
projects designed to improve study courses even further. These efforts
have also been acknowledged by the results of a nationwide competition, the “Initiative for excellent teaching”. Bielefeld University is one of
only six universities in Germany to receive a prize for its unique teaching and study culture.
Bielefeld University offers an inspiring and supportive environment for
future scientific staff – an innovative and international atmosphere,
scientific independence from an early stage on, exceptionally wellequipped work stations and laboratories, a prize-winning library, and
inspirational scientific surroundings.
Students can apply for a doctorate in all the research and subject areas
offered at Bielefeld University, and Master’s programmes are specially
designed to allow a smooth transition to research focuses and postgraduate programmes with an interdisciplinary orientation.
A dense network of graduate schools, international and national research training groups, as well as structured doctoral programmes is being expanded and developed continuously to provide the best possible
support.
Counselling:
Publisher:
Academic course counselling:
[email protected]
Universität Bielefeld
Fakultät für Wirtschaftswissenschaften
Postfach 10 01 31
33501 Bielefeld
International student information and counselling:
International Office: [email protected]
Questions on applications and admissions:
Students’ Office: [email protected]
www.uni-bielefeld.de/wiwi
V. i. S. d. P.: Fakultät für Wirtschaftswissenschaften,
Stand: Oktober 2012
© Grafik│Design, Universität Bielefeld, 2012
The structure of the degree programme
The Master’s degree programme in Quantitative Economics teaches students quantitative mathematical methods in economics and prepares
them to carry out their own independent work at the cutting edge of
research.
In their first year, students attend obligatory courses delivering the
main scientific and technological skills to carry out their own research.
The University offers courses in economics that focus on different methods. Students will need to carry out research in their own specific field.
■ Microeconomics
■ Macroeconomics
with scientific issues and enable them to develop their own ideas on
what to specialize in for the research project that will form their Master’s thesis in the fourth semester. It is possible for Master’s theses to be
supervised and assessed by faculty members at two partner universities.
In each semester, students also attend supplement courses. Here, they
are free to choose any courses. However, we recommend attending
language courses and courses on intercultural competence when planning an exchange visit abroad. For incoming students taking German
language courses is crucial for being fully integrated.
We advise students to spend their semester abroad during their first
year of study. Students attending a partner university during the second
year have to stay there for the complete academic year, because this is
the phase in which they have to specialize on their Master’s theses. The
same holds true for degree seeking incoming students.
■ Probability theory and statistics
■ Optimization
Alongside the Master in Quantitative Economics, we offer the following
Master degree programmes in German:
The first year of the course is identical at all partner universities. Lectures are supplemented by tutorials that are also specially designed to
speed up the integration of exchange students into University life.
In their second year, students specialize in their chosen research field
by attending in-depth lectures and seminars that will familiarize them
■ Business Administration and Economics
Admission requirements and application
Services and Support for International Students
When applying, in addition to completing the online application form,
you must supply the following documents in either German or English:
In addition to the many services and facilities available to all students,
the International Office offers a wide range of specially tailored services to
help you adjust to your new surroundings and take full advantage of your
studies. In addition to a wide-ranging leisure-time programme, Bielefeld
University provides the Brother–Sister programme: a personal tutoring
programme for all first-year international students in which student
mentors look after international students who are new to Bielefeld and
help them to get everything organized and handle any necessary bureaucracy during their first semester.
The International Office also hosts an accommodation agency. This can
give advice on renting student apartments in Germany and it is a source
of information from people with apartments to let.
■
A certified copy of a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent documenting
successful completion of a programme lasting a minimum of 3 years
with at least 30 credit points in microeconomics, macroeconomics,
analysis, and linear algebra
■ transcripts of records of all previously achieved study results
■ Proficiency in English verified by a language test (TOEFL [iBT] with a
minimum of 87 points or telc English with a minimum grade of B2) or
an equivalent certificate
■ Optional: a letter of application (up to 500 words) outlining your
eligibility for the study course
■ Statistical Sciences
The standard period of study is four semesters (2 years) starting at the
beginning of a winter semester (October). Admission to this Master degree programme is restricted.
For more information on application deadlines and for the online
application form, please go to:
www.uni-bielefeld.de/application
Getting a Doctoral Degree
Doctoral studies are particularly relevant for students who are interested in pursuing an academic career after obtaining their master’s degree.
The Faculty of Business Administration and Economics offers two different options for obtaining a doctoral degree:
students to obtain joint or double doctoral degrees with our partner
universities, e.g. in the framework of Cotutelle agreements.
In addition, the Faculty is a member of the Quantitative Economics Doctorate Socrates Erasmus Programme (QED). Its main purpose is to bring
European doctoral students together.
■ “Freie Promotion”
For further information see also:
■ As a member of the structured doctoral programme BiGSEM
www.bigsem.de
Whereas for the first option (Freie Promotion) only the completion of a
doctoral dissertation, presenting results of own research, plus an oral
defence are required to obtain the doctoral degree, doing a doctorate within the Bielefeld Graduate School of Economics and Management (BiGSEM) in addition involves some course-work. BiGSEM offers a
structured, internationally oriented doctoral programme with a strong
research orientation. Students choose one of two profiles: Economics or
Management.
BiGSEM unifies several special international doctoral programmes under
its roof: the International Research Training Group “Economic Behaviour
and Interaction Models (EBIM)”, with the Université Paris 1 PanthéonSorbonne as partner, and the “European Doctorate in Economics –
Erasmus Mundus (EDE-EM)”, carried out jointly by seven distinguished
European universities. BiGSEM supports and encourages doctoral
www.econ.ku.dk/qed
Fees and costs
The University Society “Westfälisch-Lippische Universitätsgesellschaft”
awards some part-cost grants for international Master students.
Erasmus agreements have been made with various European partners.
A successful application for an Erasmus grant can provide financial support for a student to spend up to 10 months in a foreign country.
www.uni-bielefeld.de/nachwuchs/promovieren
Job Prospects
There are no tuition fees at Universities in North-Rhine Westphalia. Students only have to pay the social fees, which currently are about 223,
95 EUR per semester. Paying the fees entitles each student to receive the
“Semesterticket”, which allows to use public transport free of charge
throughout the region.
Approx. 700 EUR per month should cover all personal expenses, including
mandatory health insurance.
Graduates in Quantitative Economics possess excellent training in quantitative economics and business administration methods with a strong
international and research-oriented focus. This qualifies them for
careers in the public sector such as management consulting, insurance,
and banking. The focus on an international training with European diplomas makes the programme increasingly attractive for an internationally oriented labour market.
Moreover, the Research Master in Quantitative Economics provides an
excellent preparation for a subsequent doctorate. This is not just due to
the knowledge that graduates have acquired in the different modules
but also the familiarity with research-related topics gained throughout
the entire study programme.
www.uni-bielefeld.de/wiwi