Economic Research – Master of Science University of Cologne

The Graduate School of University of Cologne's Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Science (CGS) invites candidates to apply for its two-stage graduate programme in Economic Research! 

In a small exclusive group of students, you will pass the first stage of the programme and receive a MSc in Economics. You will benefit from a unique combination of excellent research with core topics in the field of economic research and specialisations within a broad range of topics and disciplines of the WiSo Faculty, which allow you to tailor your own study profile and become a specialist. You will focus on theoretical principles, learn about state-of-the-art research, and use methods to do your own innovative economic research.

The research focus of the MSc prepares you for an academic career and enables you to pursue a PhD in the second stage of the programme. If you decide not to enter the second PhD stage of the programme, you will still be highly qualified for top positions in leading institutions and companies with the advanced analytical focus of your MSc.

The programme combines canonical PhD-level training in microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics with the possibility to focus on key research areas and methods in Economics at the University of Cologne, such as Behavioural Economics, Public Economics, or advanced methods. Moreover, the programme offers the chance to include selected topics from other MSc programmes in Economics and related disciplines, such as Management or Political Science.

All specialised courses of the programme relate to up-to-date research areas of our large research centres at the University of Cologne and Key Research Initiatives of the Faculty of Management, Economics, and Social Sciences: the Cluster of Excellence ECONtribute: Markets & Public Policy, the Center for Social and Economic Behaviour (C-SEB), and the Key Research Initiative Behavioural Management Science (BMS).

Become part of this network and explore research close at hand with renowned scientists. Research Master's students are highly welcome to take part in lectures, seminars, workshops, and events of our local expert networks. We further offer workspaces and IT facilities at the research centres that are exclusively available for MSc Economic Research students.

The Master's programme contains 120 ECTS credits and comprises a core section, a specialisation, and a supplementary section as well as a Master's thesis. The core section of the Master's programme in Economic Research comprises 36 ECTS credit points. This area covers the advanced and research-oriented basis of micro- and macroeconomics, statistics, econometrics and mathematics. You will be enabled to handle scientific literature in the field of economic science and analyse economic problems at an advanced theoretical and empirical level. In the specialisation section, you will choose four specialisation courses in the research area you want to focus on in your proceeding studies. You can also broaden your general knowledge by choosing core courses that you did not previously attend in the core section. Additionally, two reading groups in microeconomics, macroeconomics, or econometrics are compulsory. In these groups, students will read and discuss the latest research papers in their respective research areas. The supplementary section serves as an additional section to further develop a more specific profile – either by deepening and specialising or by diversifying knowledge.

After successful completion of stage one of the programme, you will have two options:

• Continue with the second stage of the graduate programme and start your PhD straight away (dissertation phase).
• Finish the programme with a Master of Science in Economic Research and leave as a highly qualified candidate for top positions in leading institutions and companies.

Bachelor's degree

Application in the case of unfinished Bachelor's studies: In cases where present Bachelor's studies have not been fully completed, application is permitted if the candidate has earned at least 80% of the required credits and will have achieved the remaining results by 30 September at the latest. The specific admission criteria governing the designated course of study (including the overall grade) must already have been fulfilled on the basis of the exam results available at the time of application.

Overall grade of at least 2.5 (German grade) in the Bachelor’s degree

Fulfilment of the following subject-related requirements:

1. at least 36 ECTS in the fields of Business Administration and/or Economics – from this, 18 ECTS in the field of Economics
2. at least 15 ECTS in the fields of Statistics and/or Mathematics and/or Econometrics (Only modules with mathematical and/or statistical methodological skills are acceptable; pure [software] application skills will not be accepted.)

Please find more information and a full list of requirements here.

As the University of Cologne is state-funded, there are no tuition fees, just a biannual "semester contribution" of slightly more than 320 EUR, which includes the semester ticket for regional transport throughout Germany ("Deutschlandsemesterticket"). All in all, joining the University of Cologne means investing in an excellent education – and your professional future – without paying a fortune.

Further scholarships and further financing options

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