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Study In Austria: Vienna Graduate School of Finance Doctoral Scholarships for International Students

VGSF PhD Scholarships

Course(s) Offered: Finance
Course Level: Postgraduate (doctoral)
Provider: VGSF
Country to Study in: Austria

Scholarship Description
The Vienna Graduate School of Finance (VGSF) is a center of excellence in finance, located in Vienna, Austria. Its main activities are academic research and PhD education.

VGSF faculty members are very well connected in the international finance community. Leading scholars are regularly invited to teach courses and present their papers in the research seminar. VGSF offer a stimulating learning and research environment and financial support to outstanding students from around the world. Their graduates can look forward to a rewarding career at leading academic institutions.

The Vienna Graduate School of Finance (VGSF) invites excellent students to apply for the PhD Program in Finance starting in fall next year.

Eligibility
The following requirements have to be met in order to be admitted to the PhD Program in Finance:
  • Successful completion of a relevant Master's program or a relevant equivalent degree program at a recognized Austrian or foreign post-secondary institution of education (according to § 64 (4) of the Universities Act 2002)
  • Proficiency in financial economics
  • Proficiency in mathematics and/or statistics
  • Adequate English proficiency
  • Achievement potential
The program is open for students from all countries with all academic specializations, provided they hold a Master degree or equivalent and have sufficient level of formal training.

Students who are going to graduate soon (by end of June) may apply, too.

Eligible groups
Citizens of ALL countries

Participating Institutions
Vienna Graduate School of Finance (VGSF), Vienna; Austria

Fields of study
All academic specializations in Finance.

NOTE that the VGSF PhD program in Finance consists of two parts: rigorous coursework and work on the PhD thesis. The students attend courses covering all major topics in finance and analytical methods required for research.

In particular, the courses focus on Corporate Finance, Asset Pricing and Quantitative Methods in Finance. In the past academic years students had the chance to attend courses taught by international scholars such as Tomas Björk, Christopher Hennessy, David Lando, Jacob Sagi, Rossen Valkanov, Jiang Wang and Toni Whited. After passing the required exams, students start to conduct research projects on their own.

In our weekly research seminar students have the opportunity to meet internationally renowned scholars presenting their state-of-the art research.

Number of awards
Up to six scholarships will be offered to the best applicants.

Sponsorship duration
Whole duration of study

Scholarship benefits
There are no fees to be paid if you are selected. It is a full tuition (plus living costs) scholarship.

The financial support is about 1800 Euros gross per month. After deducting insurance, tax, etc. it is about 1300 Euros (14 salaries/year). This should be enough to cover the living costs in Vienna, such that you can concentrate on your studies.

Method of Application
Online application (overview):
  • All information provided in the online application must be correct and complete. In case you need to make any important subsequent corrections please contact office(@)vgsf(.)ac(.)at.
  • Do not submit more than one application. If VGSF receives two or more applications from the same person, VGSF will not consider any of them.
  • All correspondence will be made via e-mail using the e-mail address you have specified for the login to the online application tool. Please check your e-mails regularly and keep your mailbox ready to receive.
  • Applicants who will finish their Master studies after the deadline but before June 2013 are welcome to apply as well.
In the online application form you have to provide the following information:
  • a self-statement of purpose
  • all your degree certificates
  • all your official transcripts
  • curriculum vitae
  • your GRE, TOEFL, GMAT, IELTS scores or any other proofs of your analytical skills and/or English knowledge:
    • TOEFL (code number 9618): paper based at least 600 points; computer based at least 250 points; internet based at least 100 points, not older than two 2 years
    • IELTS: at least 7.0 points (no band below 6) and not older than 2 years
    • CAE
    • GMAT
    • GRE (code number 9618)
    • or another proof of your English competence / analytical skills
  • Reference letters: For a complete application at least two reference letters have to be provided. In the online tool you specify only the contact details (name and e-mail) of the persons who are willing to provide reference letters. Reference letters must be sent by e-mail to office(@)vgsf(.)ac(.)at by the person who writes the letter. Reference letters must be received before the application deadline.
Online application (how to apply and tool):
In case you are interested to apply we suggest to carefully read the information about the application procedure in order to properly prepare your application. Further information about the program can be found at curriculum. We also propose to take a look at frequently asked questions. For all remaining questions please contact office@vgsf.ac.at.

You may apply using the Online Application Tool (only available during application period).

DEADLINE:
The online application period for the academic year 2015/2016 will start in the beginning of December 2014 and end in early January 2015.

Only applications submitted within this period can be accepted. Please note that only complete applications with all the required documents can be considered.

Application Deadline: 8 January 2015
Open for International Applicants: Yes

More Scholarship Information and Application