Master in Quantitative Finance

Master in Quantitative Finance is one of 8 English-taught Finance programmes at master’s level in the register, offered by 7 institutions. 7 of them list an annual fee for students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, from EUR 727 to EUR 1,453; this programme lists EUR 1,453 a year. 4 are at a public university, where EU, EEA and Swiss students pay no tuition within the standard duration plus two semesters.

The Master's in Quantitative Finance at WU Vienna is a full-time, English-taught programme for people who want to work as quants. It runs over four semesters and carries 120 ECTS. The degree awarded is a Master of Science, MSc (WU).

What you study

The first year builds the technical base. You take Mathematics, Microeconomics and Computing in the first half of the first semester. In the second half you move on to Probability, Principles of Finance and Statistics 1. The second semester adds Corporate Finance, Financial Markets and Instruments and Statistics 2. Later in the first year you take Asset/Risk Management I, Mathematical Finance and Econometrics, followed by Statistical and Machine Learning and Asset/Risk Management II.

You get extensive training in the programming language R, taught by one of its main developers. The programme focuses on applications in asset management, financial risk management and advanced statistical data analysis.

How the programme is organised

In the second year you pick one of two specialisations. The Science Track prepares you for an academic career and includes Paper Reading and Writing and Research Seminar I and II (Finance or StatMath), plus five electives. The Industry Track trains you for a career as a quant and includes an Industry Lab plus five electives. Both tracks combine financial models with computational skills and apply them in real-world settings with corporate partners.

The final part of the programme is a Master Thesis Seminar and the Master Thesis. The programme starts in October.

Who it suits

This is for students who like solving complex quantitative problems and want a career in finance. You should be comfortable working in intercultural teams and thinking outside the box. The student body is highly international, with 81% of students coming from abroad. The programme is taught entirely in English.

Admission, language and next steps

You need a relevant prior degree and examinations in economics, business administration or finance, or in mathematics, statistics or computing. You also need sufficient proficiency in English and proof of aptitude. Applications go directly to WU, not through a central portal. The programme page lists three deadlines for the winter semester 2027/28: 8 October 2026, 8 January 2027 and 8 March 2027.

As a public university, WU charges no tuition to EU/EEA and Swiss students within the standard duration plus two semesters. Other students pay a fee per semester. The programme page links to the detailed application guide and tuition information.

In the master’s degree programme in Quantitative Finance the students will acquire in-depth knowledge and skills in financial economics, microeconomics, mathematics, statistics, and computing. The students will also receive extensive training in the “R” programming language. The programme focuses particularly on applications in asset management, financial risk management and advanced statistical data analysis. Graduates will have a comprehensive qualification in finance, which they can combine with in-depth specialised knowledge in quantitative capital market-oriented models and methods as well as relevant calculation methods. They will be able to work independently on problems, and to interpret and critically evaluate the results of their analyses taking theories into account.

There is no central application portal in Austria: you apply to the institution, here WU Vienna University of Economics and Business. A public university sets the admission requirements and dates for this level, so read them on the programme page. Entrance examination, as the register states it: Admission procedure. Entry requirements and language tests are set by the institution, so start from the official programme page. Our guides cover tuition fees, the student residence permit and housing.