Master in Finance

CURRICULUM

The Master in Finance offers a unique learning experience combining online flexibility and on-campus engagement. This sets the stage for enriching in-class discussions, collaborations, and hands-on experiences that enhance your understanding of the subject matter.

We understand that your time is valuable. That is why we minimize the need for frequent travel to campus, enabling you to balance your education and work commitments better – alongside your job in only four semesters!

  • Semesters 1-3: Lectures on Friday afternoons (13:00 to 20:00) and Saturdays (9:00 to 17:00) on 8-10 weekends, final module exams included
  • Semester 4: Preparatory seminar in Austria and final master thesis; no regular presence on campus required

Given the program’s specialization options and the modular structure of the curriculum, you can adapt your studies to your professional and individual interests. By choosing four modules in the specialization phase as well as the focus of your master thesis, you can specialize in one of the two main areas of study: Risk Management & Regulation or Financial Technology Management.

SEMESTER DATES
Orientation Day April 7
Lectures  April 8 - 9
Lectures April 22 - 23
Lectures May 6 - 7
Lectures May 20 - 21
Exam & Lectures June 3 - 4
Exam & Lectures June 17 - 18
Lectures July 1 - 2
Lectures July 15 - 16
Lectures July 23
Exam August 5
Exam August 19

The lecture-free period begins after completing the exams and ends with the start of the new semester (April/October). 

 

MODULAR CURRICULUM

Master in Finance general courses enable participants to build a strong foundation in the principles and practice of finance and financial markets and to apply problem-solving skills to real-world situations.

  • Financial Accounting & Analysis
  • Statistics & Empirical Methods
  • Capital Markets & Asset Pricing
  • Corporate Finance
  • Alternative Investments
  • Derivatives & Financial Engineering
  • Risk Management
  • Ethics in Finance
  • Data-Driven Decision-Making in Finance

Choose four modules in one of the two specialization areas according to your personal and professional interests. Courses on offer can vary from year to year, which ensures that current topics are always included.

Big Data, Blockchain, and other developments in digitalization are challenging industry and financial institutions to constantly evolve and efficiently use new technologies for their benefit. Prepare yourself for these new challenges and actively shape the future of the financial industry!

  • Applied Credit Risk Management
  • Applied Deep Learning in Finance
  • Digital Assets, Blockchain Technology & the Future of Finance
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Textual Analysis in Finance
  • Trading & Technology
  • Global Economic Environment

Sensitive financial markets reacting to political and economic events require increasingly profound expertise in the fields of risk management and regulation. Obtain a practice-oriented qualification in this focus area and demand-oriented training in the financial center Frankfurt!

  • Applied Credit Risk Management
  • Bank Management
  • Compliance in Financial Institutions
  • ESG Reporting
  • Financial Stability & Regulation
  • Hot Topics in Practical Risk Management
  • Sustainable Business & Investing
  • Global Economic Environment

In a two-part seminar taking place in Frankfurt and in Kleinwalsertal (Austria), you will get prepared for the master thesis that concludes your studies in the final 22 weeks of the program. In their master thesis, Master in Finance students usually work on a practice-oriented problem from their chosen focus area.

NETWORKING & WORKSHOPS

FIRM-KAMINABENDE

An essential part of our teaching concept is the strong practical relevance of our programs. To this end, regular exchanges with industry experts take place not only within the framework of the lectures but also in extra-curricular lecture series. The FIRM-Kaminabende, which are sponsored by the Frankfurt Institute for Risk Management and Regulation (FIRM), provide insights into professional practice and also offer the opportunity to network with members of the GBS community and external experts.

Jan Jelovsek

ING
AI in Risk Management

Carsten Olbrich

PwC
EBA/ECB Stress Test - How Robust are European Banks?

Stefan Röth

PwC
EBA/ECB Stress Test - How Robust are European Banks?

Daniel Naumilkat

Deloitte
The State of Cyber: Organizations Driven by Technological Change and the Complex Risk Landscape – Doomsday or Opportunity?

Dr. Carsten Lehr

Bundesrepublik Deutschland - Finanzagentur GmbH
Tasks and Targets of the Bundesrepublik Deutschland - Finanzagentur GmbH

Gerold Grasshoff

Boston Consulting Group
Staying the Course in Banking

Dr. Henning Dankenbring

KPMG
Multi-Year Risk and Return Planning at Banks in Distorted Markets and at Times with Heightened Geopolitical Risks

Prof. Dr. Thomas Kaiser

KPMG
Risk Governance, Behavioural Risk Management and Risk Culture

Claudia Hillenherms

Helaba - Landesbank Hessen Thüringen
Risk Management - Beyond ECB/ EBA Guidelines

Dr. Klaus Bauknecht

IKB
Conventional and Challenging Thoughts about the Economic Outlook for 2019

Marco Di Filippo

Compass Security Deutschland
Cyber Risks: Advanced Persistent Threat (APT)

Manuela Better

Deka Bank
Risk Management - Change in the Light of Regulation and Digitalization

Clas Beese

Freier Journalist und Content Creator für Fintech
Crowdinvesting & Lending - What's left from the Hype?

Markus Solibieda

BASF
BASF Venture Capital

Maximilian Forster

CashOnLedger Technologies GmbH
Programmable Payments for the Industry 4.0

Frank Sibert

BNP Paritas
Climate Change & the Race to Net Zero - Opportunities & Challenges for the Financial Industry

Dr. Michael Josenhans

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater PartG mbB
Venture Debt

Dr. Joachim Hein

Union Investment Group Frankfurt
A Walk Through ESG Hot Topics

Peter Lellmann

Deloitte
A Walk Through ESG Hot Topics

Dr. Marco Schulmerich

Metzler
Blockchain is Here to Stay!

Shahrok Shedari

Metzler
Blockchain is Here to Stay!

Jorge V. Alonso-Iglesias

Management Solutions
Cybersecurity in Banking

Gerold Grasshoff

Boston Consulting Group
ESG -The New Mantra for Financial Institutions?

Dr. Jürn Schmelzer

Deka Bank
Organisational Design and Transformation in Finance Institutions
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BASICS OF SCIENTIFIC WRITING

During your master program, you will write many exams and other written assignments. While these written assignments primarily test your understanding and knowledge of the course content, your ability to express yourself academically and follow formal scientific criteria are equally crucial for successfully completing the assignment. A workshop will prepare you for these tasks and set you up for success. It will cover the basics of academic writing, discuss a professor's expectations for a typical written paper, and analyze examples of successful student papers from your program so you can see what good writing looks like in your field.

Prep Course Accounting, Mathematics & Statistics

With this preparatory course, we aim to provide a quick overview of the basic concepts of accounting, mathematics, and statistics to facilitate access to the Master in Finance program and to give a rough idea of the methods used and their possible applications. This course is organized for all incoming students of the Master in Finance program prior to the start of lectures.