Universität Bonn

Department of Economics / BGSE

APPLY at the BGSE
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How to Apply

We encourage outstanding (top 10%) students with a university degree (bachelor or master) in economics or related fields, such as mathematics, statistics, business administration, accounting, and finance, to apply for admission.

Three Steps to Apply

1.

Make yourself familiar with the program and admission requirements before you apply.

2.

Read the online application guide carefully and prepare your documents.

3.

Go to the online application portal of Bonn University (open from November until January).

If you have already registered you can check the status of your application.

  • The application deadline for the program starting in October is January 15.
  • We will accept documents in either English or German. If you have documents written in other languages, you will need to provide a certified translation in either English or German.
  • Incomplete applications will not be considered. In particular, letters of recommendation and other necessary documents that arrive after the deadline imply that the application is incomplete.
  • If you have not yet completed your university degree but will do so before the BGSE program starts, you are of course also invited to apply. In that case, you will be asked to enter relevant information about your current studies during the online application process.
  • PLEASE NOTE: You will need to present a GRE score report and two letters of recommendation to be considered for a scholarship as well as for the conditional offer for the doctoral program
3

If you do not intend to go for a doctoral degree, you may want to apply for our regular MSc in Economics3.

Application Requirements

You will need the following documents to apply for the MSc/Economic Research Program (incl. a grant application and conditional offer to proceed to our doctoral program):

  • Statement of Academic Purpose
    Your Statement of Academic Purpose should outline your academic background, research interests, and career goals, ideally articulating how these align with the expertise of our faculty members. The statement should also explain your specific research areas of interest and your objectives for graduate study.
  • Curriculum Vitae

  • Two letters of recommendation (uploaded by your professors) 
    You are required to have two confidential letters of recommendation from your academic teachers. Please ask your professors to address the following questions in their letters: Does the candidate belong to the top 5% or top 10% of his or her cohort (size of the cohort)? Is the candidate likely to perform well in a competitive, structured PhD program with a strong analytical focus?

    Once you have submitted your application, your referees will receive an automatically generated email with upload instructions and a submission link. (This email is typically sent within 24 hours. Please ask your referees to check their spam folder before reaching out to us, as the process is fully automated and emails are always sent to the provided addresses.)

  • GRE Score Report (General Test Format)

A GRE Score Report is required for ALL applicants.

The average quantitative GRE score of our successful applicants is 165. The minimum required GRE quantitative score for an application to the BGSE is 160.

Please upload an official copy of your GRE report and instruct ETS to give us official access to your scores so we confirm them via their online portal. Our (BGSE) institute number at ETS is 1359. If you receive an offer, this GRE score verification will be required for final admission.

Students with a score below this threshold are not eligible to apply. If you have not yet met the minimum score, we recommend retaking the exam and applying once you have improved your results

  • TOEFL or IELTS  (academic format) score report is required if English is not your first language or if the language of instruction of your previous degree is not English (curriculum must have been taught exclusively in English)

A TOEFL iBT score of at least 100 with at least 23 in each of the 4 sections is the minimum requirement.

Please upload an official copy of your TOEFL report and instruct ETS to give us official access to your scores so we confirm them via their online portal. Our (BGSE) institute number at ETS is 1359. If you receive an offer, this TOEFL score verification will be required for final admission.

IELTS in the academic format is also accepted. The minimum requirements for your IELTS score are overall 7.0; reading 6.5; listening 6.5; writing 7.0; speaking 6.5.

Students with TOEFL iBT or IELTS scores below the required minimum are not eligible to apply. If you have not yet met the required scores, we recommend retaking the exam and applying once you have improved your results.

If English is your first language, please upload a self-declaration.

If the language of instruction for your previous degree was English (the curriculum must have been taught exclusively in English), please upload a confirmation. A screenshot from the program’s official website stating that the language of instruction is English is also acceptable.

  • Academic transcripts/certificates of your Bachelor's or master's degree in economics or related fields, such as mathematics, statistics, business administration, accounting, and finance (transcript of record, university certificate/s, diploma supplements - of all degrees you have obtained or are currently pursuing)
    It is no problem if you have not finished your BSc or MSc degree when applying but you must have finished your previous study before the BGSE program starts in October.

  • APS Certificate is mandatory for applicants whose most recent degree is from China (except Hong Kong), India, Mongolia or Vietnam; to be submitted either with the application or once they receive an offer. For more information, please consult our FAQ

Links

  1. https://www.econ.uni-bonn.de/bgse/en/doctoral-program/program-overview
  2. https://masterapplication.uni-bonn.de/movein/hosted/online/move/movein/portal/studyportal.php
  3. https://www.econ.uni-bonn.de/en/study-programs/master
  4. https://www.econ.uni-bonn.de/bgse/en/apply-now/faq