Master of Finance

This module lays the foundations of general statistical principles with an underlying focus on economic and financial applications. Concepts studied include probability, probability distributions, confidence intervals and regression analysis. The module aims for you to understand the difference between randomness and systematic skill, especially in the context of financial and economic management. 

This course aims to familiarise you with key concepts of macro- and monetary economics. More specifically, it introduces you to the concepts of Neo-Classical and Keynesian macroeconomic models by covering the labour, goods, capital and money markets, in addition to their respective implications in the application of monetary and fiscal policy as tools for stabilising the price level, as well as generating output and creating employment. In the monetary economics section the course focuses on the functions of money, the money supply and monetary policy transmission process, targets, rules and strategies as well as monetary policies in small open economies.

This module focuses on external financial reporting, including principles of financial statement preparation, their interpretation and evaluation.  The first classes lay foundational knowledge about standard-setting principles and how they translate into actual financial reports.  Students further gain an understanding on managerial incentives in external reporting and in the resulting need to critically evaluate such reports from an outsider perspective, including empirical assessments of accounting quality and approaches for detecting earnings management. We will discuss how to make inferences about strategic and operating business decisions using ratio analyses, highlighting how managerial decisions have direct consequences in financial reports.  The course concludes with a discussion of credit analysis, i.e., the evaluation of a firm’s creditworthiness based on their financial reports, and some insights into forecasting (pro-forma) financial statement for equity analysis, business development, consulting, etc.

This module introduces you to the fundamental tools of modern corporate finance and asset valuation.
You will learn how to apply the present value rule and no-arbitrage arguments to value stocks, bonds and plain-vanilla derivatives. Mean-variance portfolio choice is also introduced and includes an in-depth look into the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) and the efficient market hypothesis.
You will also cover the analysis of financial decision making within a firm. This includes choosing projects that firms should invest in (capital budgeting) and choosing specific financing for these projects (Financial Structure Decisions), where the Modigliani and Miller (1958) theories are used as a key starting point. 

This module gives you the ability to value and apply the most important financial instruments in different contexts. These include stocks, bonds and derivatives including swaps, FRAs, futures, options and credit derivatives. The module also gives an introduction to financial modelling using Excel and VBA. You are expected to utilise the resources in our Finance Lab and to complete the Bloomberg Markets Concepts tutorial. 

The Luxembourg Offsite is a three day trip integrated into the compulsory “Responsible Management in Finance” module.

You will be given an introduction to Luxembourg as a European Financial Centre and the career opportunities that it offers. This is done through networking activities with our Luxembourg based FS Alumni and Corporate Contacts, and also allows for teambuilding amongst students.

You will learn about sustainability in finance through working on case studies and attending an exclusive lecture by Prof. Dr. Hakan Lucius, Head of Corporate Responsibility and Civil Society at the European Investment Bank. The lecture explores investing in a sustainable matter, how to integrate sustainability into finance, and the implications of environmental sustainability on finance.
 

This module focuses on corporate governance, corporate investment decisions, corporate financing, and payout policy. You will take the position of a corporate decision makers that applies analytical methods in real-life case studies. The course will enable you to design corporate governance structures, make educated investment and financial decisions, and evaluate corporate financial decisions.

In-depth exposure to market and credit risk allows you to grasp the theories and significance of risk management in financial institutions. On completion, you will be able to apply risk measurement and management to banking scenarios.

This module allows you to become familiar with the possibilities of computing and analysing in the area of big data. Beginning with grasping a thorough understanding of computers as a tool in the area of big data (i.e. programming), you will learn how to handle data and later develop data analysis and machine learning skills. Frankfurt School will then prepare you for applying these teachnical concepts to financial problems.

Management in finance, although extremely rewarding, leaves you with challenges concerning personal values, conflict, power management and influencing.

The Responsible Management in Finance course addresses these challenges by viewing the finance professional as a steward of the global economy.

You will learn to apply your fully-formed and creditable values to the workplace. We cover key insights of behavioral ethics and work in groups to distinguish what helps and hinders ethical expression. Physically practicing methods of ethical expression that are demonstrated in the Giving Voice to Values and Values Education curriculums, prepares you for the real working world.

You will also explore economic stewardship, defining corporate power, the means of earning it and the necessity of legitimacy. We use stakeholder analysis, including the stakeholder ‘hats’ or capacities, to investigate the social and environmental impacts of business, whilst simultaneously learning about the evolving expectations of business and considering human rights.

Finally, you will learn about the important role that corporate governance structures and processes (and the growing willingness of shareholders to use them) have assumed in aligning corporate behavior with the expectations of shareholders and other stakeholders.

Lecturer

Andrew Newton

Each student will choose one of four concentrations (see below) to focus on during their studies. Each concentration has a set curriculum of core modules to be completed.

A range of electives including Renewable Energy Finance, Digital Marketing and Diversity Management allow you to tailor your Master of Finance through a diverse and distinctive structure of time formats and block weeks. Electives are taught not only by in-house faculty, but also by leading international practitioners, providing you with the tools to meet your personal aspirations. Elective options are published at the end of third semester and students must choose 2 elective modules to start in their last semester.

Here you can find the entire list of electives that we offer for the upcoming 2019 summer semester.

Each student is required to conduct independent research in order to complete their Master’s thesis. The thesis period usually lasts three months and normally takes place at the end of the 4th semester. In preparation for their Master’s thesis, students participate in a Research Methods workshop, introducing them to both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Two supervisors advise students in designing and implementing their research and also asses their thesis once completed.

Students have the option to study at one of our international partner universities and use the credits gained during the semester abroad to replace the electives in semester 4.

Up to two elective modules may be waived for Master of Finance students who have passed the CFA Level I exam and/or are selected to participate in the CFA Research Challenge. Students will need to submit their waiver application to programme management by the deadlines provided during the course of studies.

More information on the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program

Frankfurt School is proud to have participated in the CFA Institute Research Challenge for six years running. The annual global competition provides university students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis, testing analytics, valuation, report writing and presentation skills. 

On February 5, 2019, five Master of Finance students particpated in the national finals of the CFA Institute Research Challenge. Only three of twelve German universities had qualified for the German finals. The students conducted an extensive company analysis of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co.KGaA. They submitted a written report with a sell, buy or hold recommendation for the company’s stock. In the final, they had the chance to present their research results to a jury of four esteemed CFA charter holders.

CFA Society Germany

Frankfurt School’s close ties to the finance industry are evident in the guest lecture opportunities. Students can network with innovators and industry veterans regularly from their own university. 

e.g. this year's guest lecturers in the International Portfolio Management course include Dr. Yuliya Plyakha (Consultant @MSCI Barra), Brian Tomlinson (Director Portfolio Management @Allianz Global Investors), Dr. Stefan Junglen (Head of Fiduciary Risk @Deutsche Asset Management
S.A.), Dr. Adrian Zymolka (CEO @Axioma)

The Frankfurt School Financial Lab hosts workshops on Bloomberg, an important tool in the finance industry. Trainings on Visual Basics for Excel have also taken place in the past.

In cooperation with the Bombay Stock Exchange Institute Ltd. in Mumbai (BSE), Indian students in the Master of Science in Finance have the option to take the first of four semesters at the BSE Institute campus in Mumbai, whereby the last three semesters take place at the Frankfurt School campus in Germany.

Master of Finance students have access to finance conferences organized by FS Publishing House, e.g. M&A and Private Equity, Renewable Energy Finance, etc.

The Master of Finance is taught entirely in English. However, German classes are provided for all non-German speaking students throughout the duration of the programme. We strongly encourage our students to learn German before they arrive in Frankfurt in order to improve their employment opportunities.

For the first time, CFA Prep Courses will be hosted at FS (offered by Kaplan Schweser). Date: May 14-18. All FS students and alumni get a 20% discount. 

Frankfurt School is proud to have participated in the CFA Institute Research Challenge for six years running. The annual global competition provides university students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis, testing analytics, valuation, report writing and presentation skills. 

On Wednesday, February 21, 2018, five students of Frankfurt School of Finance & Management won the German final of the CFA Institute Research Challenge. With their financial analysis and business valuation of the biotech company BRAIN AG, the students convinced the four-member expert jury at the Germany headquarters of Bloomberg L.P. in Frankfurt am Main. In the finals Frankfurt School beat RWTH Aachen and Technische Hochschule Nürnberg.

The team will represent FS in the European final in Dublin on April 4, 2018.

CFA Society Germany

For the second time a team of four Master of Finance students won the annual Global Investment Banking Valuation Olympiad in 2017! Edging out one hundred teams in a three stage competition, they went on to win the London final, hosted by Greensea Capital LLP, an M&A Advisory firm.

The team comprised by Christopher-Michael Paasch, Felipe Omar Francis Nereira, Thorben Post and Torben Nagel, all from the class of 2018. Past winners include INSEAD (2013), Polytechnic University of Milan (2014), and the University of Stirling (2016). Link to full article here.

Yizhi, Tianxiao and Yihan, a team of three MoF students, edged out 443 competitors from 45 schools to emerge winners of the 2016 Regional PRMIA Risk Management Challenge, a case study competition that provides students with the opportunity to solve real world problems with a risk management focus.

Our students travelled to London to take part in the Regional Final which entailed developing an FX risk mitigation framework for the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS). We headed to Chicago for the finals where we competed globally following our success in London. 

Frankfurt School will once again sponsor three teams for the annual Business Game St. Gallen, taking place in April. The two-and-a-half-day case study competition, hosted by St. Gallen Business School in Switzerland, attracts participants from universities across Europe. Students will tackle corporate strategy, marketing and CSR case studies and will then present to a jury of leading Swiss and international company representatives and academics. Last year’s team were extremely successful and this year’s team hopes to follow in their footsteps.  

This year, we are sponsoring seven Master students to participate in the HEC Business Game. Students will take part in various strategy challenges and present their solutions to the respective companies. Last year’s competition involved 154 students from 46 different universities. Frankfurt School won two challenges and several team members earnt summer internships at the respective companies. 

Certified copy of your undergraduate transcript of records and degree award certificate

Certified copy of your TOEFL / IELTS results or equivalent (TOEFL IBT minimum score of 90 / IELTS minimum score of 7,0) or TOEFL ITP (minimum score of 577)

Official GMAT score report (preferred), GRE score report or FS Admissions Test (no possibility of waiver)

CV or resume (must be in English)

Other documentation supporting professional experience or other extracurricular activities, if applicable

Each of the documents listed above are required for completing your application. However, you do not need to upload them all at once.

The final deadline for applications is June 30th.

Applications are considered on a rolling basis, therefore we encourage you to apply as early as possible. Applications received before the end of November and March will benefit from our early bird discounts of 4000 EUR and 2000 EUR respectively. Applicants interested in a scholarship must complete the relevant section in our online application and submit it by the end of June.

Important dates (relevant for FS Bachelor students)

• Application start date: 10 May 2019
• Super Early bird deadline (4,000 € discount): 31 May 2019
• Early bird deadline (2,000 € discount): 30 September 2019
• Final deadline: 30 November 2019
• Programme start: 27 January 2019

The application portal will open on 10 May 2019. The links will be provided via e-mail. Please contact us for more information and if you have any questions about the process.