The aptitude test consists of two stages.

First Stage

The admission committee evaluates the performance in the bachelor's program on a scale from 0 to 100 points. The following two evaluation criteria are used:

1. Final grade: For the first university degree, a total of 50 points is awarded for a final grade of 1.0. For each tenth of a grade the bachelor's degree is worse than 1.0, the applicant receives a deduction of two points. There are no negative points awarded.
2. Subject qualification: The curricular analysis of the present subject knowledge is based on competencies that are relevant to the course of study.

Competency parameters are:

• The ability to work in a scientific manner,
• sound specialized knowledge from the first degree,
• ability and interest to efficiently acquire in-depth specialized knowledge and the associated methodological approaches from economics and thus to independently analyze economic problems at the individual and macroeconomic level,
• the ability to efficiently translate theoretical knowledge into action recommendations, as well as
• at least a solid knowledge of the German and English languages.

The analysis of existing subject knowledge is based on the basic subject groups listed below:

Subject Group I:

• Microeconomics, macroeconomics, finance, economic policy
• Decision theory, game theory
• Mathematics, Statistics, Econometrics

Subject Group II:

• Fundamentals of business and economics, in particular economics
• Mathematical-analytical methods, social science methods

The applicant can receive a maximum of 50 points for prior expertise.

An application is possible as soon as less than 40 credit points are missing for the completion of the bachelor's degree. If no degree certificate is available yet, a certificate must be enclosed showing the already completed modules, their individual grades as well as the average overall grade of all achievements made so far. In this case, the evaluation is based on a fictitiously calculated overall grade. Thereby, the achievements missing for the degree are evaluated with the grade "4.0" and then the weighted average is calculated according to credit points. If the bachelor's degree has already been completed, a copy of the degree certificate must be submitted together with the final transcript of records.

The applicant's score from the first stage of the aptitude test is the sum of the scores according to criteria 1 and 2. Applicants who achieve an overall score of 80 points or more on the first stage of the aptitude test are suitable for the degree program and will receive a letter of admission. Applicants who score less than 50 points on the first level are classified as unsuitable for the master's program "Economics and Public Policy".

Second Stage

Applicants who have achieved at least 50 points and less than 80 points in the first stage of the aptitude test get invited to an interview (second stage of the aptitude test). The aptitude interview is conducted individually for each applicant and has a duration of at least 20 and at most 30 minutes.

The interview should show whether the applicant can be expected to achieve the goal of the study program "Economics and Public Policy" independently and responsibly on a scientific basis. Subject-specific knowledge that is part of the master's program in Economics and Public Policy is not decisive. The aptitude interview covers the aptitude parameters listed above.

The aptitude interview is conducted by two members of the selection committee, at least one of whom must be a professor.  The commission members independently evaluate the extent to which the suitability parameters listed above are present. Each of the members records the result of the aptitude interview on a point scale from 0 to 50, where 0 is the worst and 50 the best result to be achieved.

An applicant is classified as suitable if

1. at least 80 points have been achieved at the first stage of the suitability procedure, or
2. at least 50 points were achieved at the first stage and at the second stage of the suitability procedure respectively.

The application procedure is conducted twice a year.

The application deadline for a study place for the winter semester is June 15 of the same year (deadline) and for the summer semester December 15 of the previous year (deadline). Applications received after these dates can not be considered!

• Therefore, please send your documents in time and completely!
• Please take into account the postal delivery times, the postmark is not decisive!
• Only the actual receipt of the application at Augsburg University is relevant to meet the deadline!