Profile
The world is full of opportunities that you can take advantage of as an employee, entrepreneur, freelancer, business founder, investor or in other roles. Examples include the establishment of new digital business models, the development of international business relationships, connectivity and networking between people, the transformation towards a sustainable economy or new, more humane working models. At the same time, the world often appears to be confusing and full of uncertainty and risks in terms of economic development or the occurrence of completely unexpected events.
In order to take advantage of these opportunities and at the same time successfully manage the uncertainties and risks that also arise, good financial management is a key prerequisite. If you are interested in finance, the Master's in Finance & Accounting will provide you with the necessary knowledge and skills to work successfully with other people with different skills and professional backgrounds.
In four semesters, you will acquire in-depth specialist knowledge in finance and accounting and acquire the personal and methodological skills to take on challenging tasks. At the same time, you will get to know interesting fellow students with very different backgrounds in your semester group. Our full-time professors and our lecturers working in a wide range of practical professions will become part of your network.
Integration of Finance & Accounting
The most important special feature of our degree programs is the integration of the areas of finance and accounting, in contrast to programs that focus on one of the two areas. In professional practice, both areas are closely interlinked anyway, as every investment or financing decision ("Finance") has an impact on corporate reporting ("Accounting"). This gives our graduates a broader knowledge base from which they can benefit when they start their careers.
Practical relevance
Our Master's students appreciate the high level of practical relevance in the lectures, which is not only provided by our full-time professors. External lecturers from the private sector (e.g. BASF, SAP, Deloitte, E&Y,...) enrich the lectures with integrated exercises, case studies and seminars, which give our students the opportunity to test the practical relevance of what they have learned. Furthermore, these contacts often lead to a first career entry or a voluntary internship.
Study abroad
Internationality is very important to us at the Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society. You therefore have the option of spending your third semester at one of our partner universities. The coursework you complete there will be recognized under certain regulations.
Double Degree
With a double degree, you take an important step towards an international career. In addition to deepening your specialist knowledge, you will get to know the culture, mentality and language of the host country and prove that you can find your way around independently in a foreign environment.
From the winter semester 2024/25, students on the Master's degree course in Finance & Accounting at Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society (HWG LU) will be able to place a strong European emphasis on their studies: Thanks to a new double degree agreement with the Katowice University of Economics, they can earn a Polish Master's degree in addition to their domestic degree in the standard period of study of four semesters.
Our Master's in Finance & Accounting also offers two interesting double degree programs in Australia:
Working in small groups
Every winter semester, around 25 students start the Master's degree program in Finance & Accounting. This means that you benefit from working in small groups and from the opportunity to get to know all your lecturers personally and increase your personal added value through the more intensive contact.
Graduates of the Master's degree program in Finance & Accounting work in demanding specialist and management positions, e.g. in large and medium-sized companies, at financial service providers, at auditing and consulting firms, in start-ups or as self-employed professionals. We are constantly developing our degree program so that our students have the best possible opportunities on the job market. This applies not only to the subject content, but also to methodological, personal and social skills as well as internationality.
The following are examples of the experiences of some of our graduates:
Education
Here you will find an overview of the professors and lecturers who teach the lectures as part of the Master's degree program in Finance & Accounting:
Prof. Dr. Gösta Jamin
Head of the Master's degree program in Finance & Accounting
Teaching areas: Banking, Financial Markets and Derivatives, Risk Management, Corporate Regulation, Economics
"Alongside the invention of the wheel and the taming of fire, the financial system is one of mankind's greatest inventions."
further information
Prof. Dr. rer. pol. Birgit Angermayer
Teaching areas: Group accounting, accounting of insurance companies and credit institutions, company valuation, tax planning, professional law, cost accounting
Prof. Dr. Andreas Diesch
Teaching areas: Income taxes, international tax law, taxation of corporate restructuring, accounting, investment, cost accounting
Prof. Dr. Stefanie Hehn-Ginsbach
Teaching areas: Investment and Finance, International Finance, Portfolio and Capital Market Theory, Investment and Value Creation, Applied Corporate Finance
"Corporate finance is the key to sustainable corporate success and is becoming increasingly important with growing global networking and digitalization. It is my passion to qualify you for extraordinary careers in these exciting and dynamic fields of activity and to accompany you in investing in your education and skills."
further information
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Carsten Pohl
Teaching areas: Statistics, SAP ERP, Mathematics, Asset Management
"Not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted" - Albert Einstein
Prof. Dr. Hartmut Walz
Teaching areas: asset classes and investment psychology, current developments in the financial services market, behavioral economics, investment banking, financial psychology and behavioral economics, financial services
"The ultimate secret of successful investment and retirement planning is that there is no secret!"
further information
Prof. Dr. Markus Widmann
Teaching areas: International accounting (IFRS), annual audit, audit methodology, auditing principles,...
further information
Christine Heinzel
Teaching areas: Marketing, Human Resources, Project Management, Conflict Management, International Business Skills, Scientific Work
further information
Dr. Jochen Haller
Teaching area: Entrepreneural Finance & Venture Capital
further information
Tobias Kampmann
Field of study: Capital Investment Management
further information
Content & procedure
The Master's degree program in Finance & Accounting is divided into four semesters, with the fourth semester being used to write your Master's thesis. The following figure gives you an overview of the structure of the degree programs as well as the various courses to be completed in the individual semesters:
Detailed information on the individual study modules
Below you will find detailed information on the individual study modules:
1st semester
- Accounting and Taxation module
In the "Group Accounting" sub-module, individual in-depth questions are dealt with based on a basic understanding of group accounting. The sub-module "International Accounting" enables students to interpret the information contained in financial statements prepared in accordance with IFRS. The sub-module "Income Taxes" builds on the fundamentals of accounting to teach the basic principles of corporate taxation, including the differences between various legal forms. - Module Capital Markets & Accounting
The basic content of this module is the functioning of capital markets and the question of the purposes for which the instruments traded on capital markets and the information derived from market prices can be used. The sub-module "Global Financial Markets & Financial Products" deals with the general functioning of financial markets and, in particular, individual central financial instruments such as bonds, shares or currencies. "Financial Engineering & Structured Finance" deals with derivative financial instruments and analyzes how a combination of different instruments can be used to manage risks and generate desired cash flow profiles. The sub-module "Company Valuation" uses information derived from capital market prices, such as the cost of capital, to value companies. - Module Corporate Finance I
The "Applied Corporate Finance" sub-module covers the fundamentals of corporate finance with the central shareholder value approach. In particular, selected levers of value enhancement and financial analysis such as working capital management are applied theoretically and practically using case studies. In the sub-module "Entrepreneurial Finance and Venture Capital", you will gain a sound insight into entrepreneurial thinking and action as well as how equity investors evaluate investments, especially in start-ups; particular attention is paid to innovative forms of financing. - Module Methods and key competencies I
The sub-module "Optimally shaping discussions and negotiations" teaches the basics of successful communication as well as techniques for conducting discussions and negotiations. The sub-module "Change and project management" deals with project management processes and know-how against the background of effective stakeholder management. The aim of the "Presentation techniques" sub-module is to present complex issues independently and responsibly, taking into account the biographical and situational situation of the audience (personal skills/independence).
2nd semester
- Financial Services and Asset Management module
The sub-module "Capital market, stock exchange and supervisory law" deals with the legal basis for the functioning of modern capital markets to protect the rights of market participants. In the sub-module "Financial Psychology and Behavioral Economics", the knowledge and models of capital market theory are supplemented by the behavioral science dimension, with which the actual market events can be better explained than under the premise of completely rational behavior. The practical process of portfolio management is the subject of the "Asset Management" sub-module, from strategic asset allocation to the performance measurement of portfolio managers.
- Information Management module
The "Business Modeling and Data Analytics" sub-module covers selected topics from the field of financial modeling and data analytics, whereby the lectures include the practical use of the most important Excel tools, functions and new analysis techniques through the use of data analytics tools. "Enterprise Resource Planning" provides an introduction to information management and ERP systems. The sub-module "Data Warehousing and BI" teaches the basics of data warehousing, business intelligence and financial performance management.
- Corporate Finance II module
The Corporate Finance II module consists of the sub-modules "Due Diligence", "Capital Investment Management" and "Corporate Management". In the context of "Due Diligence", you will learn how to derive and manage M&A strategies from parameters of the corporate strategy and how to carry out independent due diligence analyses (especially financial due diligence) and assess analysis results. In the "Capital Investment Management" sub-module, you will deal intensively with the methods and principles of capital allocation in large companies with several business divisions in order to make well-founded decisions on the selection of capital projects, taking into account the investment life cycle and optimizing the overall portfolio. In the "Company Valuation" sub-module, you will apply company valuations to empirical cases, analyze annual financial statements and assess the plausibility of planning calculations. As the icing on the cake, you will acquire basic knowledge of the structure of a financial model and will be able to develop simple valuation models yourself.
- Methods and key skills II module
The learning objectives of the "Business Storytelling" sub-module are the independent, planned and verbally and non-verbally effective use of stories in business, both during presentations and in marketing and PR (instrumental competence), getting to know and implementing the latest research results from brain research, behavioral psychology and business administration (communicative competence) and taking into account the latest developments in global capitalism, management and communication media (systemic competence). The sub-module "Leadership Behaviour" deals with getting to know and applying the most important leadership tasks such as agreeing objectives and passing on information, delegation and decision-making behaviour, work organization, control and management, motivation and promotion, coping with stress and conflict situations. The sub-module "Research Methodology" teaches the scientific theoretical foundations for the subsequent preparation of the Master's thesis.
3.Semester (alternatively: semester abroad at a partner university)
- Governance, Risk & Compliance module
The module focuses on the regulatory market interventions with which the state attempts to ensure the proper functioning of markets and companies. The sub-module "GRC for companies and financial service providers" deals with risk management processes and internal control systems. "Governance & Compliance" deals with the elements of corporate governance and compliance and their significance for companies and their executive bodies. The sub-module "Regulation of Companies" uses a large number of case studies to discuss how the state intervenes in market activity in various sectors in order to achieve a better market result. - Module Auditing: Methodology and Auditingof Annual Financial Statements*
The sub-module "Auditing Methodology and Auditing of Annual Financial Statements" deals with the professional profile, function and working methods of the auditor, supplemented by the sub-module "Current Developments", in which current topics in auditing are discussed. The sub-module "Professional Law and Special Audits" deals with the topics of professional law (the auditing profession, organization of the auditing profession, professional supervision and quality control, professional principles, professional framework conditions, liability) and special audits (audit of the formation of a stock corporation, audits of changes in equity, audit of financial service providers, insolvency law over-indebtedness audit and audit of insolvency, audit of the ability of companies to restructure). - Controlling module*
The topics of the "Controlling tools" sub-module are the instruments of strategic controlling and the basic instruments of operational controlling. The sub-module "Cost Management" deals with the structure and management areas of cost management as well as selected cost management tools. In the sub-module "Stakeholder Controlling and Reporting", participants learn about various concepts of controlling from different perspectives. - International Consulting module*
The module aims to enable students to provide management consulting services in an international context. Students should be familiar with the challenges, working methods, methods and techniques of international management consulting and be able to provide successful advice independently in a business context that is previously unknown to them. In the market for international management consulting, there are companies that focus on top management topics of strategy and organizational consulting. These "strategic consulting" topics are characterized by independent issues and methods. Operational topics with a close proximity to the day-to-day life of the organization and a directly tangible effect on implementation, i.e. the goal of "corporate performance enhancement", are addressed differently in consulting, which is the focus of a second course in this module. The module is rounded off by the sub-module "Business Communication".
4th semester
- Preparation of the Master's thesis
* Selection of 2 out of 3 study modules
+++We will email you the module handbook on request (christiane.weinerth@hwg-lu.de) +++
Application & Admission
Our Master's degree program in Finance & Accounting is a consecutive Master's degree. Therefore, basic knowledge in the two areas of Finance and Accounting is an essential admisson requirements. You will find this regulated in the special examination regulations (§2).
You can find an overview of the credits we can recognize from your first degree here.
-> Please enclose an overview of your lectures with ECTS credits with your application and do not forget to include the topic of your Bachelor's/Diploma thesis!
Literature note: For students with no explicit background in finance and accounting, we recommend the following books to improve your knowledge:
- Perridon/Steiner: Finanzwirtschaft der Unternehmung
- Sorg/Birk/Angermayer-Michler: International Accounting according to IFRS
- Angermayer-Michler: Fundamentals of Group Accounting
- Weber/Schäffer: Introduction to Controlling (also available in English)
Language requirements:
The study program is predominantly held in German. A qualifying proportion of the courses is in English. The Master's program is also aimed at foreign students with comparable degrees and sufficient knowledge of German and English.
Here you will find the admission requirements for foreign students.
Admission restrictions:
Admission to the Master's degree program in Finance and Accounting is restricted to 25 students. Here you can find the NC table of the Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society.
The application deadline is July 15 of the current year
Contact person:
For all questions regarding the content of the Master's program, please contact
Ms. Christiane Weinerth
