Requirements
Recognised degree with at least 180 ECTS credit points
If you have one of the following degrees from a recognised university (not university of applied sciences) or complete one before your chosen degree programme starts, then you can apply for this Master's programme:
- University Bachelor's degree in a similar subject to Economics
A degree is considered to be similar if at least 60 ECTS credit points have been awarded in economic subjects.
- Consecutive university Master's degree in another discipline
Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes must have been completed in the same discipline (consecutively) and amount to at least 270 ECTS credit points together.
Your degree programme will be recognised if the following criteria are fulfilled:
- Your degree was awarded by a university, which is recognised in the country where you attended the course.
- You have completed at least 80% of your course work at a recognised or accredited university.
- You have completed at least half of the course credits onsite at the university awarding the degree.
- You fulfil the minimum requirements for admission to the Master's degree programme at your home university.
Detailed information on the recognition of universities, university degrees and country-specific provisions
If you have any questions on recognised degrees or degrees in similar subjects please do not hesitate to contact the staff at the Admissions and Crediting Office who will be happy to help you.
Selection process
If the formal admission regulations are fulfilled and all documents have been submitted, we forward your application to the "MiQE/F Admission Committee" for the selection process.
The following criteria will be assessed in the selection process:
Your GMAT or GRE score (20%)
GMAT or GRE can also be taken in the new online format.
When evaluating GMAT scores the Total Score is taken into consideration, while for the assessment of GRE scores the Quantitative Reasoning section is decisive. If you have taken the test several times, the test with the best results will be considered.
Test results must not be older than five years and must be made available electronically to us by GMAC or ETS before the closing date for applications.Therefore it is important to state the Institution code of the University of St.Gallen when taking the test. Should you have failed to do so, then instruct GMAC or ETS to provide us with your test results in a timely manner (institution code GMAT 5RK-QG-07, GRE 7202).
Students with a Bachelor's degree from the University of St. Gallen or another Swiss university can choose to, but do not have to, submit their GMAT or GRE test results. The GMAT or GRE scores are compensated by increasing the weighting of the average grade by 5/3.
Average grade during undergraduate studies (30%)
The average grade is calculated by taking the examination grades stated in your degree certificate in all relevant disciplines. Credits considered as relevant are those equivalent to credits from the core compulsory and the core elective courses of the HSG Bachelor in Economics.
If you do not have your final degree at the time of application, you must apply with a current transcript. All credits specified in the current transcript will be considered.
Writing sample (20%)
Submit an academic paper (minimum 3.000 words) or a completed Bachelor’s Thesis as a “writing sample”. The “writing sample” should be broadly related to the field of economics.
If you haven’t written a paper or a thesis in the field of economics during your undergraduate studies, you may submit an essay in English on an economic topic. The essay cannot be longer than 20 pages and must include the signed “Declaration of authorship”. Analytical thinking, written expression, text structure and visual presentation will be assessed.
Please find further information in the factsheet “writing sample”.
Extracurricular activities and the letter of motivation (30%)
Commitments and activities outside of your studies, such as work experience, challenging internships or exchange semesters are only considered if you furnish proof thereof. List all of these activities on your curriculum vitae and furnish proof thereof. The curriculum vitae must be written in English. Use our style template.
In the letter of motivation, describe in English in no more than three pages why you would like to do the MiQE/F programme, where and how you carried out any extracurricular activities, international experience you already have and what kind of work experience you already have. A high level of fluency in English is required. Use our style template.
Programme-specific entry and additional requirements
Upon admission, entry requirements may be requested. Depending on your previous degree, you will have to complete an integration week or the Master's preparatory level before you can start the Master's degree programme.
Integration week Economics
Applicants with a university Bachelor's degree in a similar discipline must successfully complete the integration week Economics before this degree programme starts. After successful completion of the integration week you can start your master's studies.
The integration week Economics takes place at the beginning of September (calendar week 36). In case of failure, the failed exams may be retaken once at the beginning of November (calendar week 44).
Integration week curriculum combines the following modules:
- Microeconomics
- Macroeconomics
- Econometrics
- Statistics and Mathematics
- Programming in R
The lectures in the integration week aim to deepen the study matter you have gone through in self-study and prepare you for the subsequent examinations you need to sit. To give you an idea of what to expect, here is a literature list and the last year's timetable for the integration week
Master's preparatory level
Applicants with a consecutive Master's degree in a subject other than economics must complete the Master's preparatory level. You will first be registered in the Master's preparatory level. Only when you have successfully met the requirements of the Master's preparatory level, can you take courses at the Master's level. It is not possible to transfer external credits.
The learning programme for the Master's preparatory level consists of the following lectures (36 ECTS Credits):
4 ECTS Credits Macroeconomics II
4 ECTS Credits Microeconomics II
6 ECTS Credits Macroeconomics III
6 ECTS Credits Microeconomics III
6 ECTS Credits Data Analytics I: Statistics (VWL)
6 ECTS Credits Data Analytics II: Empirical Economic Research
4 ECTS Credits Accounting, Controlling, Auditing
The above courses are offered either in autumn or spring semester. For more information on the assessment of the above courses, refer to the respective course or examination fact sheets.
Evidence of sufficient accounting knowledge
All students must provide evidence of sufficient accounting knowledge to successfully complete their Master's degree programme.
If you have already acquired sufficient knowledge of accounting during your studies, the evidence can be credited during the admission process. If this evidence is missing at the time of admission, the accountancy examination has to be taken at the University of St.Gallen.
Application
The degree programme starts in the autumn semester. The application is made online. The application fee is CHF 250.
Application period: 1 October - 30 April
To the online-application
Checklist: Documents to be submitted electronically
Please have the following information and documents ready to upload:
- Digital passport photo
- Signed "General Conditions/Enrollment Agreement"
- Passport or ID card and, if applicable, a Swiss (permanent) residence permit
- Curriculum vitae in English – style template
- Supporting documents for extracurricular activities
- Letter of motivation in English
- GMAT or GRE test (official or unofficial score report)
- Writing Sample
- Higher education entrance qualification (Swiss Matura, foreign secondary school leaving certificate)
- Degree documents, if available. Otherwise current official transcripts from each university attended (including exchange programmes and transcripts from unfinished degree programmes). The current transcript must show at least 120 ECTS credit points for courses taken so that we can process your application. In the case of double degree programmes or "joint degrees", transcripts from each attended university including explanatory notes on the course programme must be submitted.
If any of the documents are not issued in German, French, Italian or English, you must also submit a certified translation of the document in German or English. Please observe our guidelines "Certified documents and translations".
Only one file can be uploaded per bullet point. You can use online tools such as online2pdf.com to create PDF files or to combine several pages into one PDF file. Make sure the files you send to us are legible so that we can process your application without delay.
Swiss citizens need their Swiss social insurance number (AHV number) for the application. If you do not know your insurance number, please order a duplicate of your insurance certificate from the Swiss Central Compensation Office in good time.
Alternative master's degree programme
If you apply online before 31 March you have the option to specify an alternative programme in your application. You may choose one of the following programmes: MBI, MiMM, MGM, MACFin, MEcon.
Only
if in the selection process your application is rejected, will your application be checked again. If all formal admission requirements are fulfilled for the chosen alternative programme, the admission process starts for this alternative programme.
Read up about language of instruction, admission requirements, and the admission process of the chosen alternative programme before you apply.
What happens after you have applied online?
We process your application
The Admissions and Crediting Office checks your personal data and your electronically submitted documents. If your application is complete and fulfils the formal admission requirements, it is forwarded to the Admissions Committee.
Please log into your user account regularly to check the status of your application. If we need further information or documents, we will inform you directly via your account’s status overview page.
You submit your degree documents to the admission office
Your admission is conditional until you submit all the necessary documents.
Send a certified copy of your degree certificate and final academic transcript to the Admissions- and Crediting Office of the University of St.Gallen by no later than the start of the programme (calendar week 38). A copy is considered to be officially certified if the content of the copy is identical to the original documents and if the home university or an official body confirms this with stamp and signature.
Do not send any original documents in the post!
If any of the documents are not issued in German, French, Italian or English, you must also submit a certified translation of the document in German or English. Please observe our guidelines "Certified documents and translations".
As soon as you have submitted all the necessary documents, your admission is unconditional. We will send you a confirmation email. Should you not be able to submit the necessary degree documents before the degree programme starts (calendar week 38), we will not be able to admit you.