General Questions

What kind of program offers MGSE?

The Munich Graduate School of Economics (MGSE) is an umbrella institution that coordinates the distinguished Ph.D. program in Economics. Please note that the focus of our program is on Economics and not on Business Administration.

How and when can I join the MGSE?

Once every year a centralized application process takes place, sucessful candidates start their positions in October.

You can find all the details on our application site.

How long does it usually take to successfully obtain a Ph.D. from the MGSE?

It usually takes 4 years to finish the program.

I would like to study in Munich and obtain a Master's Degree in Economics. Does the MGSE offer such studies?

The MGSE does not offer any possibilities to obtain a Master's Degree. Two Master's programs in economics (M.Sc. in Economics) and quantitivative economics (M.Sc. in Quantitative Economics) taught in English are offered by the Department of Economics at LMU Munich.

What is the degree offered by the MGSE?

Dr. oec. publ.

Do I have to spend time abroad?

Students at the MGSE are expected and highly encouraged to spend time abroad at a renowned university. In this respect, visiting a US university in the second or third year of the program would be especially beneficial.

Due to the department chairs' wide range of contacts, students can benefit from the excellent networks to other universities and research institutions.

Is it possible to study the Ph.D. program in part-time?

Please note that the MGSE program is a full-time program that requires regular attendance. As the open doctoral positions involve a working contract with LMU Munich, it is not possible to keep an additional occupation.

Is it possible to study at MGSE with external funding?

The MGSE does not offer external or self-financed Ph.D. positions.

Is it possible to study at the MGSE as a guest student or visiting student?

Generally, guest or visiting students from other universities can take courses at MGSE and benefit from the other great offerings in our program.

The prerequisite for admission as a visiting student is a host who applies for your admission to MGSE. You have to search for a host according to your research interests. Unfortunately, we can only support you by referring to the profiles of our researchers at our website.

In addition, we can only support you with the following recommendations:

• Do not randomly contact every faculty member. 
• Your chances of finding a host increase significantly if you carefully select the person you contact. 
• Generate interest in you and your research project 
• with a brief and concise description of your project,
• make it clear why you would benefit from a stay at Munich, 
• and where the match lies with the research interests of the person you have selected.