About
Exclusive Benefits of the Program
The Elite Graduate Program Finance & Information Management (FIM) offers its highly motivated students various exclusive benefits which enable them not only to successfully complete a unique and ambitious program but also prepare them for future career success in leadership-positions either in business, science or government. The program guarantees a broad education with lectures and seminars by national and international well-reputed colleagues from renowned universities. Some of the exclusive benefits of our study program are listed below and may encourage students to learn more about studying Finance & Information Management.
Uniqueness
In 2004, FIM was introduced within the framework of the Elite Network of Bavaria. FIM has emerged as a great success story ever since: In addition to the Universität Augsburg, the Universität Bayreuth and the Technische Universität München, other national and international scientific and business partners constitute this unique and individual study program. Within the Elite Network of Bavaria, FIM is the only full time business master program. Furthermore, the high reputation of FIM is also demonstrated by the excellent position in the nationwide CHE Master-Ranking of 2008, 2011, 2014, 2017 and 2020 of the newspapers “Die Zeit” and “Handelsblatt”, in which FIM was ranked 1st in all categories.
By participating within our Elite Graduate Program, students will be able to achieve an internationally acknowledged and highly esteemed degree (Master of Science with honors) within four semesters and be part of a unique international program.
Cross-linking to and cooperation with (inter-)national, high-ranked, renowned universities, institutes and scientists is one of the key elements of the program. This provides for excellent conditions for an exceptional and profound technical education in the fields of Finance & Information Management.
Small classes (in mandatory courses approximately 30 students, even fewer in elective courses) facilitate for a comfortable study-atmosphere and allow very close contact to and intensive support through the lecturers and thus enable the students to participate actively in the program and learn more efficiently.
An intensive and individual support makes it possible for the students to gain experience in their methodological studies and at the same time in their practical experience. Students are encouraged by high level scientists and excellent practitioners. For instance, they can get unique insights into the daily life of important managers by accompanying them on a typical working day. In addition, fireside chats enable unique personal exchange between students and major personalities.
For each student, a highly-reputed scientist will be appointed to give guidance and support throughout the program. Furthermore selected students will be mentored by an internationally renowned practitioner. Hereby the mentors will not only give advice on the study-program, but also help with individual career planning and development. The mentoring concept therefore assures intensive personal support and individual coaching for each student by highly-reputed scientists and practitioners.
Interdisciplinary competences
Being successful in a leadership position requires both, professional as well as interpersonal competences.
Regular soft skill courses, summer schools, projects with business partners and an obligatory social project as part of the curriculum provide these important qualifications. Thus, FIM promotes personalities with highly diverse skills and interests. Besides, the technical education, the personal development and extension of interdisciplinary competences is a major element within our program with the aim to build leadership-competences.
Furthermore, the high level of diversity due to the different backgrounds of both students and faculty leads to a large mutual enrichment.
Highly-attractive study atmosphere
Most courses are held at the University of Augsburg, but courses that need special equipment such as in the trading room in Garching are held at the Technical University of Munich or other facilities. Weekend courses, summer schools or field trips will allow visits to various attractive locations.
Internationality and practical experience
The cooperation with our renowned business partners provides a wide range of possibilities to the students to develop their knowledge in practice and to do exciting internships, workshops and practical projects. They gain valuable scientific experience e.g. by research projects or paper projects that are supervised by (inter-) nationally renowned scientists. Thereby, the students obtain an excellent preparation for their future activities in practice as well as in science.
International experiences are offered through, e.g.
- Integration of highly reputed and well-known international guest lecturers,
- Options for internships abroad with one of our business partners,
- Possibility to complete the "Individual Research" as well as the "Master’s Thesis" at one of the program's high-ranked international university partners or at an international location of one of the program's industry partners, and
- Bilingual studies (English and German)
Students can furthermore profit from the international orientation of the program since…
- International visits and thus not only the study of technical issues but also the experience of new teaching methods, other cultures, and different values may easily be integrated in the individual curriculum
- Additional and profound language skills are earned – not only through stays abroad, but also because of English lectures and seminars
- International networks between scientists, students and practitioners can be established
- An internationally accepted and highly-esteemed degree will be achieved
Getting in contact with attractive companies is supported by the program through, e.g.
- A wide network of international companies, who also participate in the advisory board, ensures that the skills trained are of great practical relevance,
- Students are given the opportunity to integrate internships within their study program, as well as they are encouraged to conduct their thesis in close cooperation with one of the business partners of the program and thus can apply their theoretical knowledge to real-world problems
Since our business partners will also be integrated in the curriculum and meet with the students on field trips or in workshops, there will be multiple options to get in contact to potential employees or employers and establish lasting, prolific relationships.
Individuality
The individual choice of courses, majors, and the topics of the individual research and thesis ensures that each student is able to complete the program according to his individual needs, goals and strengths within all fields of the five majors Financial Management, Business & Information Systems Engineering, Analytics & Digital Business, Quantitative Finance and Energy & Resource Management. One of these is selected as the student’s major. Through the widespread range of courses, an excellent academic and professional education is guaranteed. Moreover, such a many-sided education allows the students to prepare for a unique and interdisciplinary career, where they can take on responsibility both in respected and prestige positions.
Fees & Financing
Tuition Fees
Accepted students will have to pay tuition fees that currently amount to approx. 100 EUR per semester. The exact amount is stated on the website of the University of Augsburg , which is responsible for the collection. Included in this contribution is a semester ticket for the public transport of Augsburg, Bayreuth and Munich.
Exclusive Scholarships
We want students of our elite graduate program to be able to fully concentrate on their studies. Therefore, we have introduced a special scholarship program in cooperation with our business partners who provide monthly financial assistance. Every student can apply for scholarships at the beginning of the first semester.
List of Other Scholarships
Financial Aid is also provided by other institutions and foundations. A comprehensive list of scholarships can be accessed online (see links below). For admission criteria and scope of support please refer to the relevant institutions.
- Stipendienlotse – Scholarship database of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research
- European Funding Guide – List of international scholarships within Europe
- Stipendium Plus – German scholarships officially stated by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research
BAföG
For information on BAföG please refer to the relevant website of the Federal Ministry for Education and Research. For a contact person at the University of Augsburg please refer to the local “Studentenwerk“.
Student Loans
Additionally to the scholarships, we offer individual student loans to all accepted students on demand. The repayment will depend on the salary of the students after the successful accomplishment of the FIM program. Students with salaries below a certain amount, students in maternity leave or students doing a PhD program will be disengaged from payments during that time.
Please note that we organize an information event about scholarships, financial aid and student loans for new FIM students in their first semester.
Campus Living
Augsburg Campus - Studying in a park setting
Information in brief
- Number of departments: 7
- Number of students: 20,437
- Number of professors: 219
Profile
The University of Augsburg is the sixth largest university in Bavaria. Still young and relatively compact, the modern campus university provides excellent conditions for studying a wide range of subjects, including Business & Economics, Law, the Arts, Social Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, Information Technology and Geography. Interdisciplinary research forms the basis for new types of courses oriented to the challenges of today.
History and general information
The University of Augsburg was founded in 1970 as the academic centre of the Bavarian South West. Over 16% of the students come from other German states and the number of foreign students, currently at the 9.6% mark, continues to grow. Augsburg itself offers maximal quality of life. Not least its over 2000-year-old history – which boasts such names as Jakob Fugger, Rudolf Diesel and Bertolt Brecht – is still very much alive, giving the relatively young university town of Augsburg her distinctive charm.
Service/Facilities
All enrolled students are entitled to the so-called Semesterticket which allows them to use public transport within Augsburg free of charge. The tram ride from Augsburg’s city centre to the University’s park-like campus takes only 15 minutes.
The concentration of all university facilities on this campus creates excellent conditions for studying. Short distances facilitate everyday life at university, promoting communication and integration. Augsburg’s University Library holds over 2,500,000 volumes, most of which are directly accessible. Courses at the University Sports Centre are also open to all students. Co-operation agreements with about fifty universities in all continents supply Augsburg’s students with diverse possibilities for studying abroad.
For more information, please visit University of Augsburg.
Bayreuth Campus - A campus full of opportunities
Information in brief
- Number of departments: 6
- Number of students: 13,502
- Number of professors: 232
Profile
Thinking and operating internationally demands more than just being one of the most attractive universities in Bavaria and occupying top positions in national teaching and research rankings. For this reason, the University of Bayreuth has set development targets for the year 2020 in order to further sharpen the University’s unique profile and competitive edge:
- Thanks to its diverse array of disciplines and strategically chosen focus areas, the University of Bayreuth is internationally recognized for its research contributions and offers an excellent study environment.
- The University of Bayreuth is one of the leading destinations in Germany in terms of its study environment and the level of its students.
- The University of Bayreuth is a medium-sized campus university which is committed to the highest academic standards and which has made a conscious effort to set itself apart from larger universities.
As one of Germany’s youngest universities, the University is able to operate in an unbiased, self-confident spirit of academic freedom, scientific progress, and social responsibility. In line with their vision, their top priorities are individual supervision, maintaining high academic standards, and creating programmes of study that take current research into account. The University’s interdisciplinary focus and the innovative collaboration between many of our disciplines are key features of Bayreuth’s research culture.
For more information, please visit University of Bayreuth.
Munich Campus – A Synonym for Technological Progress
Information in brief
- Number of departments: 14
- Number of students: 40,000
- Number of professors: 528
The Technische Universität München...
...can trace its actual origins to the independent 'Royal Polytechnic School' founded by King Ludwig II in 1868. Many outstanding university lecturers once worked at the TUM, and the establishment has produced a large number of leading scientists and engineers. Since the TUM is the only technical university in the south German state of Bavaria, this places it under a certain obligation to keep abreast with the foremost advances in scientific and technical progress. The quality of the education provided by the TUM is proved by the widely recognized standing of its graduates.
Munich , Garching, Weihenstephan – The TUM Campuses
The Faculties of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Surveying, Economic and Social Sciences, Medicine, and Sports Science, are all situated at the Main Campus in Munich, the location of the University Management and central administration offices.
Freising, a town 30 kilometers north-east of Munich, is the location of the Weihenstephan Campus and the Centre of Life and Food Sciences. The TUM's Centre of Science and Technology is situated on the Garching Campus, one of the most up-to-date seats of research and learning in Europe. The cooperation between various disciplines within the TUM departments of Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Informatics, Mathematics and Physics as well as associated research institutions belonging to the Max-Planck Association, the Bavarian Academy of Sciences, ESO and the LMU Munich constitute the scientific competence of the research campus.
For more information, please visit Technische Universität München.
