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Which skills are expected in the various departments of banks and financial services companies?

We asked:

When we set out to design the program in Quantitative Accounting and Finance, discussions with relevant decision-makers revealed a clear gap in the academic landscape: in companies and other institutions in the financial sector, departments relating, e.g., to regulatory or compliance issues often find that graduates of Bachelor’s degree programs lack the necessary expertise. Despite conveying extensive information about business and economics, Master’s programs in business administration often provide only rudimentary training in methods, despite the fact that the latter is also essential for many job profiles.

Does this mean that specialists in business and economics should leave this area to the natural scientists and engineers? No. The analytical skills and understanding of economics which specialists in business and economics bring to the table are indispensable given the complex requirements which many departments of banks and financial services companies have to meet in light of the subjects they have to deal with. Moreover, company representatives believe that existing quantitative finance programs attach too little importance to accounting subjects and are therefore often unable to meet the requirements of departments whose employees are expected to demonstrate knowledge of valuation, corporate governance, data driven decision making and value-based corporate management.

The Master's program in Quantitative Accounting and Finance provides a perfect balance of specialized academic knowledge and methodological skills and therefore offers optimal preparation for a career in the financial industry. In particular, the combination of accounting and mathematics, a marriage which was made with the job market in mind, is unique in Germany’s academic landscape and provides a clear advantage to graduates of the Master’s program in Quantitative Accounting and Finance.