Admission requirements
Application period
Admission to the master’s program in Economics at the University of Mannheim takes place on an annual basis. The program starts in September. You must apply in due time and form. Please read the following information carefully as incomplete applications have to be excluded from the selection procedure.
Degree requirements
A bachelor's degree in Economics or an equivalent qualification is required. The final grade or the current grade average of the bachelor's degree shall be 2.5 or better (German grading system). The bachelor's degree must correspond to at least 180 ECTS credits or have a standard period of study of at least 3 years. Degrees from neighboring fields such as Business Administration, other Social Sciences (such as Political Science or Sociology), quantitative fields (such as Mathematics or Engineering), and Humanities require a strong economic component in order to be recognized as equivalent by the admissions committee. The following criteria provide a guideline for the minimum requirements:
- At least 60 ECTS credits (or equivalent) were obtained in courses related to economics, finance, mathematics, or statistics
- and introductory modules in the following fields of economics have been successfully attended: macroeconomics, microeconomics, and econometrics.
An official decision on your eligibility can only be made during the admissions procedure, where all of your documents will be assessed in detail. In case of doubts, please do not hesitate to contact the program manager for a preliminary assessment.
Selection criteria
Seats are allocated based on the final grade or the current grade average of your bachelor's degree, your letter of motivation, and the academic essay:
- For the final grade or the current grade average a maximum of 15 points may be given.
- For the letter of motivation 7 points (very good), 4 points (good) or 1 point (satisfactory) may be given.
- For the academic essay 13 points (very good), 7 points (good) or 1 point (satisfactory) may be given.
The points will be added up. Based on their score (maximum 35 points), all applicants are ranked. The selection statutes can be found here.
Application process
To apply to the University of Mannheim, you must complete an online application form and upload all required supporting documents. An overview of the required documents can be found below and on the website of the Admissions Office.
Firstly, you are asked to enter personal information and upload documents, such as a your University Entrance Qualifiction, CV, and Transcript of Records. Please make sure to upload the respective document at the right place. Please note that it is not possible to change personal data or documents that have been uploaded in this section after you have confirmed correctness of the dates you stated in the form.
In the second part of the application process you are allowed to apply for up to three degree programs. All applications are treated equally. In the application form for the “Master in Economics” you can upload your motivation letter and academic essay.
You can find an overview of the whole application process here. Please read the information carefully as it applies to all of the master's degree programs available at the University of Mannheim and is relevant for both German and international applicants. We also recommend that you read the Master’s Guide.
Please note that only scans of German or English documents can be accepted. If your documents are in another language, a translation into German or English which has been produced by a sworn translator, is required. In addition, transcripts of records that bear a verification link or code can only be accepted if they can be downloaded completely.
Application documents
Curriculum vitae
Description:
An overview of your professional experience and academic qualifications. Please do not forget to mention academic distinctions, volunteer work, and the like.
Transcript of records
Description:
A transcript of records issued by your university, listing your fields of study and the credits and grades achieved, must be submitted with the application. If, at the time of application, you have not yet completed your bachelor’s program, you may still apply provided that only a few examinations are missing. Admission in such a case will be conditional. You must prove that the bachelor's degree has been completed before registering for your first examination in the master's program. Failure to do so will result in the offer of admission being withdrawn.
Proof of English language proficiency
Description:
A proof of German language proficiency is not required.
Tests must not have been taken more than five years ago. Proof of English language proficiency must be submitted by 15 August at the latest.
The following documents are accepted as proof of English language proficiency:
- a university entrance qualification obtained after at least two years at a school where English is the language of instruction,
- successful completion of a university program where English is the language of instruction for at least a quarter of the courses,
- University of Mannheim Language Certificate with level B2 or better in all four categories,
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): a minimum score of 72 in the internet-based test (iBT) is required. Ask the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to report your test scores using the following ETS code: 0254.
- First Certificate in English (FCE) with grade C or better,
- Certificate in Advanced English (CAE),
- Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE),
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS) – Academic Test: a minimum overall band score of 6.0 is required.
Letter of motivation (in English, max. 2 pages)
Description:
A statement which explains your motivation to study Economics at the University of Mannheim, your fields of interest (you may refer to the study track you are considering), study plans, and future career goals. Please use font size 12 pt or larger.
Academic essay (in German or English)
Description:
The academic essay should deal with a topic in economics, econometrics, economic history or statistics and/
or apply quantitative methods, such as regression analysis or other data driven methods. Please use font size 12 pt or larger for the main text. It is permitted to submit a document that is already available, such as a seminar paper or your bachelor thesis. The essay should not be longer than 25 pages. Main tables and main figures factor into the page count. The cover sheet, table of contents, list of figures, list of tables, bibliography and the appendix are excluded from the page count. Every idea, statement or fact taken from the literature or any other sources must be appropriately cited. Quotes need to be indicated as such. A good research paper implies a clear initial presentation of the research question. Relevant concepts and theoretical approaches need to be adequately discussed. If applicable, the methodological choices need to be justified. The analysis needs to focus on the research question. The paper should end with a well-argued synthesis that supports the conclusions. A good research paper is also fluently written and is consistent in its form.
APS certificate
Description:
Applicants who acquired their first degree in China, Mongolia and Vietnam must also provide the original version of the APS Certificate (APS-Zertifikat) issued by the Academic Evaluation Center (Akademische Prüfstelle) in the corresponding country.
Contacts: German Embassy in Beijing, German Embassy in Hanoi, German Embassy in Ulan Bator