Your Master’s Program in Hamburg

Please create a user account, enter your information online, upload the required documents to your online application and submit your application electronically.

The application procedure for the master’s program in Politics, Economics and Philosophy is an online procedure. This means that you do not need to submit any documents in paper form to Universität Hamburg. Selection is based on the information you provide online and the documents you upload online. If you are admitted to enrollment, you will need to submit documents in paper form to the Application and Admissions Team (Team Bewerbung und Zulassung) confirming the information you provide in your online application. Please note that the offer of admission may be withdrawn otherwise.

If you have queries regarding your application, if you have technical problems or if you wish to make changes to the application you have submitted, please get in touch with the relevant point of contact by 28 March at the latest.

Please check your credentials. If you meet the following requirements, you are eligible to apply for the Master’s program in Economics at the Universität Hamburg.

University degree

Depending on the profile of your primary degree, i.e., your previous higher education, there are three application categories, each with its respective admission requirements:
a) a degree in Economics or 'Volkswirtschaftslehre'
b) a degree in a related subject, with sufficient advanced training in Economics
c) a degree in Mathematics, Mathematical Economics, Statistics or the equivalent

A. Applicants who have completed a degree in Economics or 'Volkswirtschaftslehre' are considered to have sufficient economic background to apply to the program.

B. Applicants with advanced training in Economics (i.e., a degree with strong focus on Economics) must show you have sufficient training in advanced economic analysis.
Your transcript of records must document the following types of courses:

• two lectures* in general economics, i.e. , basic micro- and macroeconomics,
• three lectures* on advanced topics in economics, of which at least one must cover predominantly theoretical and one predominantly applied issues
• three lectures* in mathematics, statistics and econometrics, of which at least one must be in mathematics and one must be in either statistics or econometrics

In lieu of the three lectures in mathematics, statistics and econometrics, a GRE revised General Test with at least 155 points in the quantitative section, or a GRE Subject Test Mathematics with a score of at least 700 points will fulfill the requirement.

If you have more courses than required (for each area) choose which courses you want to have considered in the selection process. Clearly identify the required lectures on your transcript.

* A lecture must consist of at least 2 hours per week over the course of one semester.

C. Applicants with a degree in mathematics, economathematics, statistics, or the equivalent.

If you have completed (or will complete prior to September 30) a degree in one of these fields, you must show sufficient training in advanced mathematics to be admitted. This means your transcript of records must document the following types of courses:

• Lectures* on Linear Algebra and Analysis
• Lectures* on Statistics or Lectures* on Econometrics

Alternatively,. a GRE revised General Test score of at least 155 points in the quantitative section, or a GRE Subject Test Mathematics score of at least 700 points may be submitted instead of the lectures to meet the requirement.

* A lecture must consist of at least 2 hours per week over the course of one semester.

If you have not received your degree certificate yet, you can submit the document by the end of the first semester of your master’s program.

English Language Proficiency Requirement

Because the master’s program is conducted in English, all applicants must provide proof of English language proficiency. Please submit your scores on one of the following English language tests:

• TOEFL paper- and pencil test: 22 points per skill
• TOEFL internet-based test: 92 points with at least 22 points per skill (Listening, Writing, Speaking, Reading)
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) - Academics: Band 6,5, Good Competent User, with at least 6,0 per skill
• Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (CAE)
• Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)
• Cambridge Higher Business English Certificate (BEC)

Test results remain valid for two year (counting back from the beginning of the application period on 15 February).

For details of the legal basis for this regulation, please see the admission bylaws for your chosen degree program: www.uni-hamburg.de/zugang-master/

When uploading your documents, please note the following points:
For documents not issued in German or English, a certified translation is required.

• Degree certificate or provisional Transcript of Records If you are still studying when you apply and cannot yet provide a final certificate listing your grades, please submit your current Transcript of Records confirming your provisional grade point average. You will then need to submit your degree certificate by the end of the first semester of your master’s program.
• Proof of English language skills:
  Applicants who, at the time of their application, are not able to attest their English language proficiency as listed above, must provide a proof of their registration for the next possible test date (e.g., print-out of the online registration). If because of the Corona Virus you are not able to verify your proficiency in English language or you are not able to register for a test please upload on our application portal a document with a statement explaining your problem. The submission of test results for those applicants is postponed until the end of the first semester (31 March 2021). For late submission, use this link.
• Up-to-date Transcript of Records. If you were not able to get a current transcript of records from your university because of the Corona Virus, please upload an old transcript of records and also a document with a statement explaining the problem. If possible, please send us the current transcript of records latest on 17 April 2020. Unfortunately, Documents submitted after 17 April 2020 will not be considered.
• GRE Mathematics test results (if applicable)
• Letter of motivation (500 words max., in English)
• At least one letter of recommendation from a university lecturer in your primary degree program. The lecturer must hold a PhD and must be employed full-time at an institute of higher education. Please note that we do not usually accept references from postdocs/research fellows. If in doubt, please contact application-econ.wiso"AT"uni-hamburg.de. There are two possible ways to submit the letters of recommendation. Either students upload the letters of recommendation as part of their application documents or it can be submitted confidentially on the following webpage: www.wiso.uni-hamburg.de/referenceletter-econ . If because of the Corona Virus you were not able to get in touch with a lecturer regarding a letter of recommendation, please upload on our application portal a document with a statement explaining your problem. If possible, please send us the letters of recommendation latest on 17 April 2020. Unfortunately, Documents submitted after 17 April 2020 will not be considered.
• Chinese applicants are welcome to provide an APS Certificate as part of their application documents.

Once your application has been reviewed, an acceptance or rejection letter will be posted in your STiNE account under the Dokumente (Documents) tab. For details of when this will become available, please see the information on applying online for a master’s program under the following link: www.uni-hamburg.de/international-master/.

If you have been accepted, please submit the paper documents required for enrollment to the Application and Admissions Team (Team Bewerbung und Zulassung) by the deadline indicated in your acceptance letter. Please submit certified copies of all documents—see www.uni-hamburg.de/beglaubigung/ for details.

For queries regarding questions in the online application form, please contact the Campus-Center of Universität Hamburg.

If you have technical problems (e.g., your username or password, etc.) with the online application form, please contact the STiNE support.

 For any other queries regarding your application, the application documents, the upload of your documents, the selection process, the study program, etc., which are not answered on this website (also check the FAQ section), please contact application-econ.wiso@uni-hamburg.de(application-econ"AT"wiso.uni-hamburg.de).

For queries regarding questions in the online application form please contact the Campus-Center of Universität Hamburg.

If you have technical problems (e.g. your username or password, etc.) with the online application form, please contact the STiNE support.

For any other queries regarding your application, the application documents, the upload of your documents, the selection process, the study program, etc. which are not answered on this website (also check the FAQ section), please contact application-econ.wiso@uni-hamburg.de(application-econ"AT"wiso.uni-hamburg.de).