Course content and focus areas
The MSQ is an integral part of the course offerings provided by the Graduate School of Economics, Finance, and Management (GSEFM), which is supported by Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, and Technical University Darmstadt. GSEFM offers four Ph.D. programs (in Accounting, Economics, Finance, and Marketing) as well as the MSQ. The entirely English-language course offerings for the MSQ align with those of the first two academic years of the Ph.D. programs. This structure enables students to earn a Ph.D. degree through a program designed according to international best practices, incorporating the M.Sc. degree.
The MSQ provides a highly research-oriented education in concepts and methods of economic and quantitative theory, as well as their application to empirical economic research, at an advanced academic level. Students are empowered to independently formulate and address substantial and engaging research questions while incorporating the current state of leading economic research. The MSQ includes four branches of study:
- The Quantitative Accounting branch focuses on Accounting and Management;
- The Quantitative Economics branch emphasizes Development Economics, International Economics, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, and Econometrics;
- The Quantitative Finance branch centers on Asset Pricing and Corporate Finance;
- The Quantitative Marketing branch specializes in Marketing.
Building on foundational modules in the first academic year that teach essential methods of modern economic research, the MSQ offers students the option to prepare for a dissertation at GSEFM starting in the second academic year by successfully completing the qualification exams for the Ph.D. program corresponding to their branch of study. A dissertation at GSEFM is designed to enable students to compete successfully for academic and other research-oriented positions alongside graduates from the world's leading Ph.D. programs. For students who complete their studies at GSEFM with an M.Sc. degree, the MSQ provides the opportunity to qualify for demanding, quantitatively oriented roles in professional practice during the second academic year. This is achieved through modules addressing a wide range of current economic research topics and the development of a substantial, independent research-based master’s thesis. This equips students to apply or further develop the quantitative methods relevant to addressing contemporary economic questions, produce rigorous theoretical and/or empirical findings, and clearly and meaningfully explain the significance of their findings.