Master's Degree Programme
| About the programme Language: English (See language requirements) | Place of study: Aarhus | Commencement: August / September (no winter intake) |
The two-year International Master of Science in Quantitative Economics (IMSQE) programme is closed for admission as of 2024.
The two-year International Master of Science in Quantitative Economics (IMSQE) programme is an advanced full-time specialisation in the MSc programme in Economics at the Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus BSS. Students tailor their degree programme based on a range of advanced-level master courses with a quantitative orientation. The programme requires strong analytical skills in quantitative methods and there are special requirements regarding the level and qualitative content of written assignments.
The IMSQE programme provides its students with several outstanding qualifications. They will acquire analytical skills at a very high level, and they will thus be able to apply the methods that they have learned to new cases, formulate new theories, formulate and test hypotheses, and reflect upon the validity and relevance of various scientific methods and substantive theories within the field. This implies that the students will be able to go well beyond the reproduction of known material, and working independently on new topics within the area will be a core competence of the ambitious students.
The purpose of the IMSQE programme is to provide candidates with advanced-level training within the analytical and quantitative disciplines of macroeconomics, microeconomics, economics, econometrics, and finance. The IMSQE programme aims at recruiting candidates within quantitative economics internationally, in competition with leading institutions such as London School of Economics, Oxford University, and Cambridge University.
Graduates of the IMSQE programme have acquired analytical skills at a very high level, which are in increasing demand. Potential future employers are Danish as well as international organisations, consulting firms, ministries and government agencies, and financial institutions such as commercial banks, mortgage institutions, pension funds, insurance companies and investment banks. Furthermore, the IMSQE programme provides an excellent opportunity for graduates to continue their studies at PhD level. There are options for both a three-year programme for students having completed their Master's degree and a four-year programme, in which students enroll after having completed the first year of the Master’s programme.
Access to the Master’s degree programme in Quantitative Economics at Aarhus University requires the successful completion of one of the following bachelor’s degree programmes:
Apart from a successfully completed, relevant Bachelor’s degree a grade point average of 9.5 (according to the Danish 12 point grading scale) or above is required to qualify for admission to the IMSQE programme. When calculating the grade point average, the admissions committee assesses each applicant on the basis of the average mark of the Bachelor’s degree at the time of application. Marks/grades obtained after the application deadline will not be included in the GPA.
Applicants without the educational background described above, who have completed a Bachelor’s degree in Economics at other universities, may have their study activities evaluated to determine if admission is possible. However, please notice that these applicants must, as a minimum have the following areas covered in their Bachelor’s degree programme in order to be considered for admission to the programme:
Since English is the language of instruction in all subjects, all applicants are required to provide documentation for their English language qualifications.
Please see the page on English language requirements.
Implementation of Selection criteria from the Summer intake 2024
Please notice that from the Summer intake 2024 the admission requirement of a GPA of 9,5 or above will no longer apply.
Instead this Master’s degree programme will from the Summer 2024 only admits a limited number of students each year. Meeting the admission requirements does not in itself guarantee admission to the programme.
When evaluating qualified applicants, the admissions committee assesses each applicant on the basis of the following criteria:
Academic background
* Relevant courses include courses with subject areas within macroeconomics, econometrics and finance.
The IMSQE programme is a two-year, full-time programme of instruction corresponding to 120 ECTS credits within the areas of macroeconomics, microeconomics, economics, econometrics, and finance. The courses in the IMSQE programme consist of a mixture of regular MSc courses and courses with an advanced quantitative orientation. Furthermore, there are special requirements regarding the level and qualitative contents of written assignments, and particular emphasis will be put on the students’ analytical, quantitative skills.
A personal academic advisor - or mentor - from the faculty associated with the programme will be appointed to each student in the IMSQE programme. The advisor will assist the student in putting together the individual study programme.
Course Work
To complete the IMSQE programme, a total of 80 ECTS credits must be earned from elective courses you find in the course plan. This has to include a minimum of 30 ECTS credits of advanced-level Master’s courses (courses numbered 6xxx).
You can find further details on this in the academic regulations.
Written Work
In addition to the coursework, written work makes up the remaining 40 ECTS credits. Of these 10 ECTS credits must be earned by completing a written assignment, while the final MSc thesis is equivalent to 30 ECTS credits. In the assessment of the final thesis, special emphasis will be put on the student’s analytical, and quantitative skills. The thesis may thus be shorter than a regular MSc thesis, but a very high level of independence is required. The student must defend the thesis orally at a public defence where an external examiner will also be present.
Find the academic regulations for Quantitative Economics here
Student Life at Aarhus BSS from Aarhus Universitet on Vimeo.
The Department of Economics and Business is located at the AU campus at Fuglesangs Allé, DK-8210 Aarhus V. At the campus you will find all important facilities including the main library and lecture halls.
The active student environment at Aarhus BSS offers a wide range of both academic and social activities.
As a student at the IMSQE study programme you will have a supervisor from among the faculty at the Department for Economics and Business, see 'Faculty and staff'.
IMSQE student testimonials:
Adalheidur Osk Gudlaugsdottir
The elite programme gives me an edge that other job applicants may not have. So this entire programme has been good for me - and also for my CV.
Stephanie Bendorff Røpcke
My strong analytical skills and my experience with working in an international environment are clearly the greatest gains from the programme.
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Graduates of the elite programme acquire analytical skills at a very high level. Potential future employers for elite graduates include Danish as well as international organizations, consulting firms, ministries, government agencies and financial institutions, including commercial banks, mortgage institutions, pension funds, insurance companies and investment banks.
Progress to the PhD Programme
Students who are interested in pursuing an academic career may also progress to the PhD programme. In recent years a substantial part of the students enrolled in the PhD programme at the department of Economics and Business Economics have been graduates from the IMSQE programme.
We want to help our students find successful careers. Students can always contact our Career Services for advice and assistance with getting onto the Danish labour market. Check out our careers page to see the range of services we offer.
