VGSF

lesliejy

I was told to give a brief introduction of the school in the forum. I am not selling my school here, so it is UP to yourself whether it is a right (instead of 'good') school.

Vienna Graduate School of Finance (www.vgsf.ac.at) has a relative young Ph.D. in finance in Europe, though it is formly called CCEFM program that has about ten-year history in Central Europe. I am one of the first cohort and am in my second year of study. Simply clicking the link above you would get much more information than what I write here.

Unlike the traditional continental European doctoral programs (such as the ones in England), it adopts the so-called US-system (maybe this is not of great of interest to most of whom are going to apply US schools in the first place). In the first two year you will be taught courses covering from Mathematics (real analysis, measure theoretic intergration theory and probability theory, stochastic processes including Wiener case and general Levy processes), Microeconomics, Econometrics, Game theory to Corporate finance and Asset pricing, etc. etc. From the school webpage, you will note that some of courses are taught by renowed professors from the States as well as the rest of Europe. Coursworks are very heavy and demanding, it is not uncommon that you work until midnight everyday if you do not have mathematics background. (By mathematics background, I mean studying mathematics in the undergraduate or graduate level.) Then it follows an research and thesis writing in your third and fourth years. To my best knowledge, the school is a little bit biased to Corporate Finance. The most preminent professor, Prof. Josef Zechner, is a well established Corporate Finance guy.

I can not offer anything about career prospects yet because, as I said, I am in the first cohort and it take me, at least, another  two years to be in the job market. Nevertheless, I can say that the school has nice connection with US schools and other good European Schools. (Check the research seminars at vgsf.)

Ok, I am always available in most of times to answer questions but might not be so prompt as you expect.

Cheers,

JY

kakasasa

Yes, I also personally feel VGSF is a good school. Moreover, the city of Vienna is nice!

judydongxueni

哈哈感谢lz这么快就给我们分享了VGSF的情况

lesliejy

This is the way we chinese students help each other. I am also benefit a lot for the information shared from others.

Viky9

Very nice sharing!! Hope more European schools stand out to challenge the academic monoply of the US.....

reve1981

This program is very tough...But I absolutely believe that it is one of the best in Europe.