FAQ

For additional administrative information please contact the programme administration. For all academic questions feel free to ask any professorial member of the PEF faculty, or your referee.

What are the career perspectives for PEF students?
The PEF prepares for top academic as well as non-academics careers that require a good education in economics, finance and quantitative methods.

Is it possible to work during the Ph.D. studies?
We appreciate that many graduate students work part-time during their doctoral studies and that this is necessary to support themselves. Realistically part-time commitments should, at least in the course phase, be less than 40 percent of a student's total time. The programme committee does not consider a job to be an important reason to grant an extension of the deadline for handing in the research proposal.

Are scholarships available?
The programme funds a small number of scholarships. However funds are limited, so students are strongly advised to raise funds from external organisations wherever possible. Remuneration for teaching within the Department of Economics or for Research Assistance is an important element of funding available to students.

Depending where you come from, there are several organisations which offer various scholarships: 

• Swiss Government (for the duration of one year only) 
• Institute of International Education, 
• Fulbright programme 
• German DAAD 

Please find more informartion here (PDF).

How long do the Ph.D. studies take?
Students take about three to five years to earn their degree.

What does the Fast Track PhD mean?
Starting in the fall semester of 2011 the PEF is offering a Fast Track programme to our Master students (MEcon and MiQE/F): Students can shorten their future PEF studies by attending two additional core electives and have them credited to their current Master studies. Together with the already available core courses on Master's level which are compulsory on the PEF level, a minimum of 16 ECTS and a maximum 24 ECTS can be credited to the PEF studies, depending on the specialization. Further information about the Fast Track programme is available here.

Equivalence/ Recognition of Ph.D. and Dr. Title
Any foreign academic title can be held in Switzerland, no formal claim of recognition is necessary. In Germany, Austria and other countries one can apply for recognition of the Ph.D. title with the public authorities. In that case the dean of studies draws up a certification that the Ph.D. title is equivalent to the doctoral title.

Is it possible to do an exchange during the Ph.D. programme?
Yes. As long as you are still in the course phase, please make sure that you attend similar courses. The programme committee decides before the exchange if courses are equivalent. An exchange is also possible during the dissertation phase. In that case you have to attend Ph.D., Literature/ Research seminars abroad. The International Exchange Office at the University of St.Gallen generally supports exchange at the Ph.D. Level.

Additionally you have the opportunity to take single courses at cooperating universities like Frankfurt, Constance, NCCR Finrisk network.

What is the type of doctoral thesis in the PEF?
The thesis in the Ph.D. Programme in Economics and Finance shall be written as a cumulative thesis. A cumulative thesis shall consist of at least three essays. The overall quality of the three essays should be that required by reputed international academic journals. The essays may be ones that have already been published at the time of the submission of the thesis. Individual essays may be co-authored.