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Admission to the Master's programme in Accounting and Corporate Finance (MACFin)

Programme organised by the School of Management,
taught in German or English, selection process for foreign applicants.

Requirements

You can apply directly for enrolment in the Master's programme if you hold or will have obtained one of the following degrees from a recognised Swiss university before the start date of your programme at the University of St.Gallen:

  • Bachelor's degree with a major at least partly similar to Business Administration awarded by a Swiss university;
  • Bachelor's degree in Business Administration (similar major) from a Swiss university of applied sciences with a minimum average grade of 5.00 in the degree certificate and a maximum of 20 ECTS credits out of 180 ECTS credits in internship credits.
  • consecutive Master's degree from a Swiss university in another discipline.
    Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes must have been completed in the same discipline (consecutively) and amount to at least 270 ECTS credits together.

A list of the approved, accredited Swiss universities can be found on swissuniversities.


Depending on how relevant the major of your previous degree is to Business Administration, the extent of the additional requirement for the HSG Master's degree programme may vary. We differentiate between Bachelor's degrees with majors similar and partly similar to Business Administration.

Degree with a major similar to Business Administration:
90 ECTS credit points in three of the core subjects (Business Administration, Economics, Law and Mathematics/Statistics) including at least 45 ECTS credit points in Business Administration

University Bachelor's degree with a major partly similar to Business Administration:
60 ECTS credit points in two of the core subjects (Business Administration, Economics and Law) including at least 30 ECTS credit points in Business Administration and at least 15 ECTS credit points in Economics or Law, and additionally at least 6 ECTS credit points in Mathematics/Statistics.

For the classification of the similarity of a major, only curricular credits of a completed degree programme are taken into account. Excess credits (optional credits) are not considered. The compulsory achievements of the corresponding HSG Bachelor's degree programme serve as a basis for the classification. If you have any questions on degree recognition or equivalence, please do not hesitate to contact the Admissions and Crediting Office for further help.

You can complete the programme entirely in English or in German language. You do not need to submit proof of language proficiency when you apply. It is your responsibility to ensure that your command of the language of instruction is sufficient to allow you to complete your studies successfully. Recommended level at the start of the study is at least C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Programme-specific entry and additional requirements

Upon admission, entry requirements may be requested. Depending on your previous degree, you will have to complete an integration week or the Master's preparatory level before you can start the Master's degree programme. The remaining admission requirements must be fulfilled before graduation.

Applicants with a university Bachelor's degree in a similar discipline must successfully complete the integration week before this degree programme starts. The integration week offers an integrative overview of the graduate studies at the University of St.Gallen. Two dates are available: End of May / beginning of June (calendar week 22 or 23) and beginning of September (calendar week 36). The integration week can be repeated once. To be able to participate you must register on time.

The integration week curriculum combines the following modules:

  • Financial Management
  • Business Law
  • Business Administration (St.Gallen's Management Model and Marketing)
  • Economics (Microeconomics)
  • Contextual Studies (Humanities and Social Sciences)

The lectures in the integration week aim to deepen the study matter you have gone through in self-study and prepare you for the subsequent examinations you need to sit.

You will need to go through the study matter yourself to ensure your integration week is successful. Prepare yourself for the integration week in good time using the module descriptions, the recommended literature and the lecture notes.

Together with the admissions letter we will send you information on how to register for the integration week and how to access the lecture notes.

 

Applicants with one of the following degrees must pass the Master's preparatory level:

  • university of applied sciences degree in Business Administration
  • Bachelor's degree in a partially similar subject
  • consecutive Master's degree in a different subject

You will first be registered in the Master's preparatory level. Only when you have successfully met the requirements of the Master's preparatory level, can you take courses at Master's level. It is not possible to transfer external credits.

Master's preparatory level curriculum (56 ECTS Credits):

4 ECTS Credits Marketing
4 ECTS Credits Methods: Statistics
4 ECTS Credits Methods: Empirical Social Research
4 ECTS Credits Corporate Finance
4 ECTS Credits Leadership & Human Resource Management
4 ECTS Credits Accounting, Controlling, Auditing
8 ECTS Credits Fundamentals and Methods of Computer Science for Business Studies
4 ECTS Credits Introduction to Operations Management
4 ECTS Credits Strategic Management
4 ECTS Credits Macroeconomics II
4 ECTS Credits Microeconomics II
8 ECTS Credits Business and Fiscal Law

Macroeconomics II and Microeconomiks II are only offered in autumn semester, while all other courses mentioned above are offered in each semester, alternately in German and English. For more information, refer to the respective course or examination fact sheets.

All students must take two language courses (foreign languages) in addition to their Master’s degree course to successfully complete their Master's degree programme. Crediting of internationally recognised language certificates is possible during your Master's studies. Please find a list of recognised language certificates in the Directives, Annex I on the last pages of the document.

All students must provide evidence of sufficient accounting knowledge to successfully complete their Master's degree programme. If you have already acquired sufficient knowledge of accounting during your studies, the evidence can be credited during the admission process. If this evidence is missing at the time of admission, the accountancy examination has to be taken at the University of St.Gallen.

Application

The degree programme starts in the autumn semester. Please apply online. The application fee is CHF 250.

Application period: 1 October - 31 March

To the Online Application

Please have the following information and documents ready to upload:

  • Digital passport photo
  • Signed Enrolment Agreement
  • Passport or ID card and, if applicable, a Swiss (permanent) residence permit
  • Curriculum vitae – style template / MLaw, MLE style template
  • Higher education entrance qualification (Swiss maturity certificate or foreign upper secondary school leaving certificate)
  • Degree documents (degree certificate, final academic transcript, diploma supplement), if available. Otherwise current official transcripts from each university attended (including exchange programmes and transcripts from unfinished degree programmes). The current transcript must show at least 120 ECTS credit points for courses taken so that we can process your application.

Only one file can be uploaded per bullet point. You can use online tools such as online2pdf.com to create PDF files or to combine several pages into one PDF file. Make sure the files you send to us are legible so that we can process your application without delay.

Swiss citizens need their Swiss social insurance number (AHV number) for the application. If you do not know your national insurance number, please order a duplicate of your insurance certificate from the Swiss Central Compensation Office in good time.

What happens after you have applied online?

The Admissions and Crediting Office checks your personal data and your electronically submitted documents. You will hear from us no later than six weeks following your completion of the online application.

Please log into your user account regularly to check the status of your application. If we need further information or documents, we will inform you directly via your account’s status overview page. Additionally, you will be requested by email to log into your user account.

You will receive the Letter of Admission or the Letter of Rejection in your electronic mailbox (Compass Mailbox). Please find the link to your Mailbox in the Online-Application user account at the top right of your status overview page. You can access your Mailbox using your SWITCH edu-ID log-in data.

Your admission is conditional until you submit all the necessary documents. You may post a certified copy of your degree certificate and a confirmation of exmatriculation to us by no later than the start of the programme (calendar week 38). Please do not send any original copies in the post! (Electronic verification options for third parties may be accepted)

If you do not have your degree certificate by the time the degree programme starts, you have to submit confirmation by the end of calendar week 38 that you graduated from your university. The confirmation of graduation must clearly show that you have all of the course work required for graduation. The confirmation must also indicate when your university is going to issue your final degree certificate. Please note that you must also submit confirmation that you are no longer registered as a student there.

As soon as you have presented all the necessary documents, your admission is unconditional. We will send you a confirmation email.

Please find detailed information on the next steps before the start of your studies, accommodation, insurance and visa under the following link

Requirements

If you have one of the following degrees from a recognised university or complete one before the degree programme starts, then you can apply for the Master's programme:

  • University Bachelor's degree with a major at least partly similar to Business Administration
  • A Bachelor's business degree (similar major) from a recognised university of applied sciences (Fachhochschule) with a minimum average grade (not rounded) of 5.00 Swiss grading system (German/Austria 2.00, Netherlands 7.5) in the degree certificate and a maximum of 20 ECTS Credits out of 180 ECTS Credits in internship credits.
  • Consecutive university Master's degree in another discipline
    Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes must have been completed in the same discipline (consecutively) and amount to least 270 ECTS Credits together.

Your degree programme will be recognised if among other the following criteria are fulfilled:

  • Your final degree certificate was awarded by a institution of higher education which is recognised in the country where you attended the course.
  • You have completed at least 80% of your course work at a recognised or accredited institution of higher education.
  • You have completed at least half of the course work on site at the institution of higher education awarding the degree.
  • You fulfil the minimum requirements for admission to the Master's degree programme at your home institution of higher education.

Detailed information on the recognition of universities, university degrees and country-specific provisions


Depending on how relevant the major of your previous degree is to Business Administration, the extent of the additional requirement for the HSG Master's degree programme may vary. We differentiate between Bachelor's degrees with majors similar and partly similar to Business Administration.

Degree with a major similar to Business Administration:
90 ECTS credit points in three of the core subjects (Business Administration, Economics, Law and Mathematics/Statistics) including at least 45 ECTS credit points in Business Administration

University Bachelor's degree with a major partly similar to Business Administration:
60 ECTS credit points in two of the core subjects (Business Administration, Economics and Law) including at least 30 ECTS credit points in Business Administration and at least 15 ECTS credit points in Economics or Law, and additionally at least 6 ECTS credit points in Mathematics/Statistics.

For the classification of the similarity of a major, only curricular credits of a completed degree programme are taken into account. Excess credits (optional credits) are not considered. The compulsory achievements of the corresponding HSG Bachelor's degree programme serve as a basis for the classification. If you have any questions on recognised degrees or degrees in similar subjects, please do not hesitate to contact the team at the Admissions and Crediting Office who will be happy to help you.

You can complete the programme entirely in English or in German language. You do not need to submit proof of language proficiency when you apply. It is your responsibility to ensure that your command of the language of instruction is sufficient to allow you to complete your studies successfully. Recommended level at the start of the study is at least C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

The number of university places for foreign applicants is limited by law. As the number of applications is higher than the number of places available, foreign student applicants are admitted via a selection process. (Swiss or Liechtenstein citizens, applicants with a Swiss permanent residence permit C and applicants with a Swiss school leaving certificate or a Swiss university degree can apply directly for enrolment in the Master's degree programme, provided that they fulfil the formal admission regulations.)

The Admission Committee conducts three admission rounds between October and March. All complete applications that have been submitted on time are assessed and a decision is made on the admission.

First admission round: 1 October–30 November / Decision: by 31 December
Second admission round: 1 December–31 January / Decision: by 15 March
Third admission round: 1 February–31 March / Decision: by 15 May

 

The following criteria will be assessed in the selection process:

  • Average grade (25%)
    The grade point average shown on your degree certificate is decisive. If your degree is not yet available at the time of application, the grade point average will be calculated based on the current transcript submitted. A maximum of 60 ECTS credits may be outstanding for the degree on the current transcript. 
     
  • International study qualification test - optional (25%)
    If no official GMAT, GRE, LSAT or GTEBS (formerly TM-WISO) test result is submitted or if the test result is too low, the grade point average is weighted twice.

    When evaluating GMAT scores the total score is taken into consideration, while for the assessment of the GRE score the Quantitative Reasoning section is decisive. Upload your official score report to your online application. (For GMAT Focus, upload a screenshot of the Test Taker Version from your mba.com account.) You must also have your score sent to the University of St.Gallen by GMAC or ETS before the closing date for applications. 
    (GMAT: University of St.Gallen, MA / MSc Masters Level, GRE: 7202).
     
  • University (5%), Curriculum (5%)
    Evaluation of the home university (e.g. CEMS, partner university, etc.) and the curriculum of your study programme.
     
  • Extracurricular activities and intercultural mobility (30%)
    Commitments and activities outside of your degree programme (e.g. internships, exceptional achievements, exchange semesters, additional qualifications) will only be taken into account if you furnish proof thereof. List all these activities in your CV, create one file with the relevant confirmations and upload this file in the ‘”Supporting Documents” section of your online application. Please use the Curriculum Vitae style template.
     
  • Letter of motivation (10%)
    Content, language and structure will be assessed. Please use the Motivation letter style template.

Programme-specific entry and additional requirements

Upon admission, entry requirements may be requested. Depending on your previous degree, you will have to complete an integration week or the Master's preparatory level before you can start the Master's degree programme. The remaining admission requirements must be fulfilled before graduation.

Applicants with a university Bachelor's degree in a similar discipline must successfully complete the integration week before this degree programme starts. The integration week offers an integrative overview of the graduate studies at the University of St.Gallen. Two dates are available: End of May / beginning of June (calendar week 22 or 23) and beginning of September (calendar week 36). The integration week can be repeated once. To be able to participate you must register on time.

The integration week curriculum combines the following modules:

  • Financial Management
  • Business Law
  • Business Administration (St.Gallen's Management Model and Marketing)
  • Economics (Microeconomics)
  • Contextual Studies (Humanities and Social Sciences)

The lectures in the integration week aim to deepen the study matter you have gone through in self-study and prepare you for the subsequent examinations you need to sit.

You will need to go through the study matter yourself to ensure your integration week is successful. Prepare yourself for the integration week in good time using the module descriptions, the recommended literature and the lecture notes.

Together with the admissions letter we will send you information on how to register for the integration week and how to access the lecture notes.

 

Applicants with one of the following degrees must pass the Master's preparatory level:

  • university of applied sciences degree in Business Administration
  • Bachelor's degree in a partially similar subject
  • consecutive Master's degree in a different subject

You will first be registered in the Master's preparatory level. Only when you have successfully met the requirements of the Master's preparatory level, can you take courses at Master's level. It is not possible to transfer external credits.

Master's preparatory level curriculum (56 ECTS Credits):

4 ECTS Credits Marketing
4 ECTS Credits Methods: Statistics
4 ECTS Credits Methods: Empirical Social Research
4 ECTS Credits Corporate Finance
4 ECTS Credits Leadership & Human Resource Management
4 ECTS Credits Accounting, Controlling, Auditing
8 ECTS Credits Fundamentals and Methods of Computer Science for Business Studies
4 ECTS Credits Introduction to Operations Management
4 ECTS Credits Strategic Management
4 ECTS Credits Macroeconomics II
4 ECTS Credits Microeconomics II
8 ECTS Credits Business and Fiscal Law

Macroeconomics II and Microeconomiks II are only offered in autumn semester, while all other courses mentioned above are offered in each semester, alternately in German and English. For more information, refer to the respective course or examination fact sheets.

All students must take two language courses (foreign languages) in addition to their Master’s degree course to successfully complete their Master's degree programme. Crediting of internationally recognised language certificates is possible during your Master's studies. Please find a list of recognised language certificates in the Directives, Annex I on the last pages of the document.

All students must provide evidence of sufficient accounting knowledge to successfully complete their Master's degree programme. If you have already acquired sufficient knowledge of accounting during your studies, the evidence can be credited during the admission process. If this evidence is missing at the time of admission, the accountancy examination has to be taken at the University of St.Gallen.

Application

The degree programme starts in the autumn semester. Please apply online. The application fee is CHF 250.

Application period: 1 October - 31 March

To the Online Application

Please have the following information and documents ready to upload:

  • Digital passport photo
  • Signed Enrollment Agreement
  • Passport or ID card and, if applicable, a Swiss (permanent) residence permit
  • Curriculum vitae – style template
  • Supporting documents for extracurricular activities and intercultural mobility 
  • Letter of motivation (foreign applicants only) - style template
  • GMAT, GRE or LSAT test, optional (foreign applicants only)
  • Higher education entrance qualification (Swiss maturity exam, foreign upper secondary school leaving certificate)
  • Degree documents (degree certificate, final academic transcript, diploma supplement), if available. Otherwise current official transcripts from each university attended (including exchange programmes and transcripts from unfinished degree programmes). The current transcript must show at least 120 ECTS credit points for courses taken so that we can process your application. In the case of double degree programmes or "joint degrees", transcripts from each attended university including explanatory notes on the course programme must be submitted.

If any of the documents are not issued in German, French, Italian or English, you must also submit a certified translation of the document in German or English. Please observe our guidelines regarding "documents to be submitted" and "translations" in the Directive on the Implementing provisions of the admission regulations.

Only one file can be uploaded per bullet point. You can use online tools such as online2pdf.com to create PDF files or to combine several pages into one PDF file. Make sure the files you send to us are legible so that we can process your application without delay.

Swiss citizens need their Swiss social insurance number (AHV number) for the application. If you do not know your national insurance number, please order a duplicate of your insurance certificate from the Swiss Central Compensation Office in good time.

What happens after you have applied online?

The Admissions and Crediting Office checks your personal data and your electronically submitted documents. If your application is complete and fulfils the formal admission requirements, it is forwarded to the Admissions Committee.

Please log into your user account regularly to check the status of your application. If we need further information or documents, we will inform you directly via your account’s status overview page.

The Committee evaluates each application within three admission rounds. The selection process is concluded by end of April at the latest. A detailed description of the selection process can be found in the "Admission of foreign applicants to the Master's Level" fact sheet.

You will receive the Letter of Admission or the Letter of Rejection in your electronic mailbox (Compass Mailbox). Please find the link to your Mailbox in the Online-Application user account at the top right of your status overview page. You can access your Mailbox using your SWITCH edu-ID log-in data.

Along with the Letter of Admission you also receive the invoice for the first semester fee and a form to confirm your place on your chosen programme. Your place will be confirmed as soon as we receive your completed confirmation form, and the semester fee invoice amount is credited to our account on time. As a rule, you will have two to three weeks for confirming your participation in the chosen programme of study.

Your admission is conditional until you submit certified copies of the following degree documents: 
(Electronic verification options for third parties may be accepted.)

  • Final academic transcript and diploma supplement (if issued by the degree awarding institution)
  • Degree certificate 
    If the degree certificate has not yet been issued by the time of submitting the academic transcript, the graduation and the degree level have to be apparent unambiguously on the final academic transcript (i.e. degree awarded, graduated, degree granted).

Send a certified copy of your degree certificate and final academic transcript by postal mail to the Admissions- and Crediting Office of the University of St.Gallen by no later than the start of your study programme (calendar week 38). Should you not be able to submit the certified copies of your degree documents in time, you will not be able to start your studies. 

Do not send any original documents in the post! A copy is considered to be officially certified if the content of the copy is identical to the original documents and if the home university or an official body confirms this with stamp and signature. Authenticated copies of the documents pass into the possession of the University of St.Gallen. They will not be returned.

If any of the documents are not issued in German, French, Italian or English, you must also submit a certified translation of the document in German or English. Please note our guidelines regarding “documents to be submitted” in the Directive on the Implementing provisions of the admission regulations

As soon as you have submitted all the necessary documents, your admission is unconditional. We will send you a confirmation email. 

Please find detailed information on the next steps before the start of your studies, accommodation, insurance and visa under the following link

The Admissions and Crediting Office checks your personal data and your electronically submitted documents. You will hear from us no later than six weeks following your completion of the online application.

Please log into your user account regularly to check the status of your application. If we need further information or documents, we will inform you directly via your account’s status overview page. Additionally, you will be requested by email to log into your user account.

You will receive the Letter of Admission or the Letter of Rejection in your electronic mailbox (Compass Mailbox). Please find the link to your Mailbox in the Online-Application user account at the top right of your status overview page. You can access your Mailbox using your SWITCH edu-ID log-in data.

Your admission is conditional until you submit certified copies of the following degree documents: 
(Electronic verification options for third parties may be accepted.)

  • Final academic transcript and diploma supplement (if issued by the degree awarding institution)
  • Degree certificate 
    If the degree certificate has not yet been issued by the time of submitting the academic transcript, the graduation and the degree level have to be apparent unambiguously on the final academic transcript (i.e. degree awarded, graduated, degree granted).

Send a certified copy of your degree certificate and final academic transcript by postal mail to the Admissions- and Crediting Office of the University of St.Gallen by no later than the start of your study programme (calendar week 38). Should you not be able to submit the certified copies of your degree documents in time, you will not be able to start your studies. 

Do not send any original documents in the post! A copy is considered to be officially certified if the content of the copy is identical to the original documents and if the home university or an official body confirms this with stamp and signature. Authenticated copies of the documents pass into the possession of the University of St.Gallen. They will not be returned.

If any of the documents are not issued in German, French, Italian or English, you must also submit a certified translation of the document in German or English. Please note our guidelines regarding “documents to be submitted” in the Directive on the Implementing provisions of the admission regulations

As soon as you have submitted all the necessary documents, your admission is unconditional. We will send you a confirmation email. 

Please find detailed information on the next steps before the start of your studies, accommodation, insurance and visa under the following link

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Contact

Admissions and Crediting Office
University of St.Gallen
Dufourstrasse 50
CH-9000 St. Gallen
admissionsunisg.ch

+41 71 224 39 31
Tue.-Thu. 10:00 am - 11:30 am

At the office (02-U154)
Tue.-Thu. 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
by appointment only 

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