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Application for Winter Semester 2024/25 will be open until May 15, 2024

Apply now

 

NOTE: The profile "Information Systems and Network Economics" has been renamed "Digital Markets"

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The admission team

In case your application is incomplete or we need further information, you might be contacted by one of our team members

  • Coordinator: - Vacant
  • Ms. Mukhlisa Egamberdieva
  • Ms. Yitong Liu
  • Ms. Maha Rayess
  • Ms. Sraavya Yagnamurthy

Admission Criteria

  1. Grade point average (GPA) in previous studies of at least 2,5 according to the German grading system. Here you can learn how to convert your grade.
  2. Sound knowledge of economics: micro- and macroeconomics and quantitative methods. As an orientation, applicants should have acquired at least 24 ECTS in these areas. However, the Admission Board can admit applicants with knowledge considered equivalent.
  3. Sound knowledge of English at the level C1 of the CEFR. Here you can find more information on the equivalence of different English certifications.

 

Additionally, as it is required to all international applicants to Germany, we will check whether your Bachelor degree ist recognized by the Central Office for Foreign Education at the ANABIN database.

 

Official Admission Regulations

Official Admission Regulations in German

Translation of the Official Admission Regulations into English (non-binding)

 

Desired Profile of Applicants

Enrollment for the Master of Science Program in Economics is limited. Each fall we enroll individuals distinguished by academic excellence, high potential, and a broad range of backgrounds and experiences. What the admitted candidates do have in common is the ability to benefit from, and contribute to, our academic community. We evaluate applications according to three main criteria:

  • Strong academic aptitude
  • Determination
  • Diversity

 

Strong academic aptitude
Because the Master program at the Economics Department is rigorous and challenging, prospective students must possess a solid academic foundation. We are particularly interested in quantitative and analytical skills, because our core courses require a comfort with and facility for quantitative and analytical concepts.
Applicants need to have a qualified Bachelor degree, Diploma, or Master's degree from a recognized university with one of the following majors:

For all programs: Economics, business administration, business informatics, industrial engineering.

In Addition, we accept applications from candidates with one of the following backgrounds: For the profile Economics and Politics: political science, public administration, for the profile Finance: financial mathematics, mathematics, statistics, and for the profile Information Systems and Network Economics: computer science and information science.

Upon special permission we also admit students with different academic backgrounds. Regardless of their majors we expect people to have a very solid command of microeconomics and macroeconomics at an intermediate level. A sound knowledge of calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations are strongly recommended. However, we do not evaluate applications solely on 'the numbers' or on the degrees. Instead, we look at your entire profile, hoping to find as many strengths in as many areas as possible.

 

Determination
In addition to proven academic achievement, we are looking for candidates with a sincere desire to become intellectually engaged both in the formal classroom setting and through various projects, both individually and with their fellow students. Your motivation, your communication and social skills, your energy level, and the extent to which you have taken advantage of opportunities and resources available to you are also important to us.
We expect you to be determined to succeed in your studies and to be devoted to work with your fellow students to achieve your common goals. We appreciate broad intellectual curiosity, team spirit, and leadership qualities. We also request a statement of intent.

 

Diversity
We aim at creating a community of diverse backgrounds and interests because we believe that diversity will make learning experiences richer and help us to put learned views into perspective. We also believe that the interaction of people with different cultural backgrounds and experiences, different ethnicities, nationalities, and gender will create valuable interpersonal skills needed as leadership qualities in a modern world. It will also make the Economics Department a stimulating place to learn and expand one's horizons.

Deadlines for Application

Application process is closed at the moment.

The new application phase opens on April 15, 2024.

 

Following the application deadline, the admission board will evaluate all complete applications. Applicants will be notified of the decision to the email address that you used for your online registration.

 

Final application deadline: May 15, 2024 at 23:59

Important: You are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, so that in case of missing documents or problems with your application, you can be informed prior to the deadline.

Note: For urgent situations (Visa issues, scholarships, etc), you can send your application to this email: mep.admission@vwl.uni-freiburg.de . However, you must still apply online during the application period.

- You will be notified by e-mail that you have registered online upon receipt of your application.

- Only complete applications will be forwarded to the admission board!

- Final round of notification of admission decisions will be made by July, 2024.

Application Procedure

 

Enrollment is restricted. In order to create a dynamic community of able and successful students we require students to document the following abilities and to submit the respective documents during the online application:

  1. Scanned copy of your original Bachelor degree
  2. Scanned copy of your original transcript
  3. Scanned copy of the official translation of your original Bachelor and transcripts of records (if not in German or English or other accepted languages)
  4. Scanned copy of the evidence of command of English
  5. Curriculum Vitae
  6. Letter of intent
  7. Signed declaration of not having lost the right to examination (Template)
  8. Scanned copy of the APS Certificate for applicants with Bachelor degree from China, Mongolia, Vietnam and since 2023, from India.

 

Recommended additional documents in case your background in Economics is not very strong:

  • GRE / GMAT
  • Recommendation letters from two professors of  previous studies or former employers.

 

Here you can find the Information Sheet for applying in 2023 as an orientation

- Information Sheet Application 2023

 

Additional Information for applicants from the P.R. China:

- Additional info for applicants from the P.R. China

 

Certified copies:

How does a certified copy look like? (second page in English)

 

Budget, Visa and Health Insurance

Budget

The following list provides an indication of living expense components for 2023 (some items might have changed in 2024):

  • Registration fee: 180 € per semester
  • State fee for non-EU students: 1500 € per semester
  • German Language course: approx. 160 € per semester
  • Rooms in private accommodation including extra costs: 350 € – 700 €
  • Rooms in student residences: 250 € and 550 € including extra costs
  • Health insurance approx. 120 €
  • Food approx. 150 € – 300 €
  • Semester ticket approx. 89 €
  • Other expenses (clothes, books) approx. 200 €
  • With your UniCard, you have access to price reductions for public transport, at the student cafeterias, and at cultural events (e.g. theatre, concerts, museums, etc.)

 

DISCLAIMER: Due to the inflation that Germany is experiencing during 2022 and 2023, the prices are continuously increasing and the expenses will most likely be higher.

Financial support

Please note that while you are a student and do not have a working permit, you are allowed to work up to 120 days (240 half days) per year.

Currently, there are no scholarship schemes or other financial assistance from the university. Please consult the websites listed below for scholarship possibilities:

- DAAD: scholarship database

- University of Freiburg: Studierendenportal-Finanzen

- BMBF Stipendienlotse

 - Deutschlandstipendium (Germany Scholarship)

Financial aid of the international office for international students

Money &Financial aid of the Studierendenwerk Freiburg

In addition to federal financial aid (BAföG), SWFR also offers other financial options such as, student loans, educational loans, stipends or KfW student credit.

www.swfr.de/en/freiburg/ 

Scholarship Advising of the University of Freiburg

Scholarship consulting of the Studierendenwerk Freiburg

Scholarship of the KHG

https://www.khg-freiburg.de/html/content/stipendien3226.html

Visa

EU citizens and citizens from some other countries as e.g. Australia, Canada, Honduras, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Liechtenstein, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Switzerland and the United States do not need a visa. Students of other nationalities must apply for a visa for study purposes via the German diplomatic representation in their home country. It is very important that you do not under any circumstances travel to Germany on a tourist visa, as such a visa cannot be converted into a visa for study purposes, whilst you are staying in Germany.

For detailed information, please refer to the German embassy in your country of residence.

 

Health Insurance

To be able to enroll, you must take out a health insurance policy. Students in Germany currently pay a fixed rate of about EUR 105 per month for health insurance, regardless of which insurance company they choose. International students from countries with which Germany has a Social Security Agreement including an insurance clause (e.g. EU and EEA countries) may remain insured in their home country, but have to provide proof of health insurance ("European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)") to gain exemption. Students may also purchase a package deal insurance, e.g. from the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service). This package deal includes health insurance, personal liability insurance and accident insurance.

For further information, please refer to the website of the Studierendenwerk Freiburg.  and concerning the health insurance requirements for matriculation please check here. For the DAAD package, consult www.daad.de/en.

FAQ Frequently Asked Questions about the Application Process

Q: My previous studies were not in Economics. Can I still apply?

 

A: We welcome applications with backgrounds different than economics. We will evaluate your previous knowledge in Economics, particularly in Macroeconomics, Microeconomics and Mathematical and Quantitative Methods. As a rule of thumb, you should have at least 24 ECTS in total in these areas. However, if you have less than that, the Admission Board can still consider your knowledge of economics to be sufficient if you have some equivalent courses in your transcripts.

In order to speed up the processing of your application and increase your chances of admission, feel free to send us a link to the module handbook of your degree ( or any similar document) describing the content of your courses and the equivalence between the credits system of your University and the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).

Q: English was the Language of instruction during my undergraduate studies. Do I still need to submit a TOEFL/IELTS score?

 

A: A Bachelor degree taught in English in a University placed in a non-native speaking country, is considered to be equivalent to the level B2, lower than required for admission.

A Bachelor degree taught in English in a University placed in a native speaking country, is considered to be equivalent to the level C1

A Bachelor degree together with a Master degree, both taught in English in Universities placed in non-native speaking countries, are considered to be equivalent to the level C1.

If you have done your undergraduate education in English in an non-native country, you need to submit a TOEFL or IELTS score (or equivalent certificate) that meets the requirements of the admission board: TOEFL ibt 95, IELTS 7.0.

In this page you can find more detailed information about the certificates accepted as equivalent to C1

https://www.studium.uni-freiburg.de/en/student-services/language-certificates

 

Q: All my application documents are complete except the TOEFL/IELTS score. Can I submit it at a later point?

 

A: If you have gathered all application documents except for your TOEFL/IELTS score, you may submit your application without a score report.

You can apply even if you do not yet have a valid English certificate at the moment of applying. You only need the certificate upon enrolment in October. You will receive a conditional admission if you fulfil the rest of requirements and with this document you will be able to apply for visa. However, you will not be able to enrol at the University unless you provide a valid English certificate.

 

Q: When will the admission decisions be announced?

 

A: While the “turnaround time” varies in direct proportion to the number of applications received, and is therefore different every year, we strive to announce first-round results within 6 weeks of the application deadline. If you have not received notification about your application after this time, you are welcome to send an inquiry to:              

mep.admission@vwl.uni-freiburg.de

 

Q: I have not completed my first degree. Can I still apply?

 

A: You do not need to have your degree completed when applying for the program. However in case of admission, you need to be able to submit your final Bachelor degree upon enrollment in October.

 

Q: How can my degree/transcript be certified?

 

A: All documents, including your undergraduate degree and transcript must be certified by an official third-party at the moment of enrolemnt. This service is usually performed by a notary public, but in the case of official school documents, can be completed by an employee of your school's registrar.

Here you can find more information:

https://master.econ.uni-freiburg.de/application/certified-copies/view

However, at the moment of submitting your application, you do not need to certify your documents.

Q: What is the minimum GPA requested?

 

A: In order to be admitted you need a grade point average (GPA) of 2,5* (German grading System) or better (which means lower according to the German system)

In order to know how to convert your GPA to the German grading System, you can apply as an orientation the modified Bavarian formula:

 German Study Guide german grade convertor formula and explanations

You can also access this pdf file provided by Geschäftsstelle der Wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Prüfungsausschüsse.

 

Even if your converted GPA is worst than 2,5, we would like to encourage you to apply. The grades in some academic systems and Universities are converted using other formulas than the modified Bavarian formula.

In order to speed up the processing of you application and help converting your grade, feel free to send us per e-mail an official document describing the grading system in your University.

Q: Is work experience required?

 

A: No, work experience is not a requirement for admission to the program. While most of our students make the transition from their undergraduate programs directly to Master Program, we have had many successful applicants with years of professional experience in between. Your employment history is of interest to us, so be sure to document it in your application.  
Q: Are there going to be online lectures next semester?

A: Each semester, the University evaluates the number of cases in the region and following the regulation enacted in response to the pandemic, decides on the teaching format. You can follow this website for updates:

https://uni-freiburg.de/university/topics-in-focus/corona/

For Winter Semester 2023/24 most of the lectures, if not all, will be in presence, with on-site teaching for students in Freiburg. Video recordings of the lectures might be made available for those students who did not receive visa on time or must be held in quarantine.