Application
Full-time Master in Finance

• Bachelor’s degree in any field of study (ideally Business or STEM) with above average grades and at least 180 ECTS*
• Above average academic performance during both high school (Abitur) and Bachelor degree
• A competitive admission test score (HHL Entry Test (12+ points) or GMAT (600+, Focus: 555+) or GRE)
• Very good English skills (TOEFL score of 90+ ibt, IELTS score of 7.0, or a Bachelor’s degree completed in English)
• 6 or more months of relevant work experience by the program’s start date

*In Germany, completing a Master’s program requires a total of 300 ECTS, including credits from the Bachelor’s degree. As the Master in Finance is a 90 ECTS program, applicants with fewer than 210 ECTS from their Bachelor’s degree will need to obtain the missing credits by approved professional experience, additional Bachelor’s courses, or further Master’s courses at HHL before graduation. For applicants with degrees from outside the EU system, please contact
Jana Vogel for a quick equivalency check. Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to get reach out to us.

Are you ready to start your HHL journey? Have a look at our checklist to make sure you have all the required documents ready:

Mandatory documents to submit your application:

• Curriculum vitae
• Letter of motivation
• Copy of your high-school diploma (Abitur)
• Current/final transcript of your Bachelor’s degree
• Passport photo

Further application documents are (those can be submitted later)*:

• Proof of a minimum of 6 months of relevant practical work experience
• Copy of Degree Certificate (if already available)
• Proof of English proficiency
• GMAT or GRE or HHL Entry Test (our GMAT code is ZCB-P6-03 and our GRE code is 4061)
• For students with a non-business-related Bachelor’s degree: Proof of appropriate business background via electives, thesis, or work experience

Applicants from China, India and Vietnam need an APS certificate in order to be able to study at a German university. Please visit APS China, APS India or APS Vietnam for further information.

*In order to receive the early bird discount, you must have submitted your application by the above deadlines, as well as submit all missing documents and tests (including GMAT/GRE or HHL Entry Test) and successfully pass the HHL admissions interview until March 31.

After you have submitted your application online and your eligibility for the program has been confirmed, you will be invited to an interview with an HHL professor. We will arrange the timeslot individually with you to best suit your personal schedule. The interview will take place virtually or – if you would like to take the opportunity to visit HHL – on-site.

The admission interview usually takes 1 hour and consists of four parts:

1. Personal Fit (20 min)

The interview aims to gain a personal impression of you and test your analytical abilities. Your interviewer will seek to learn more about your personal and academic background, as well as your motivation to study at HHL. The following aspects will be evaluated:

• Personality (ability to work in a team, maturity, self-confidence, communication skills
• Leadership potential (leadership ability, motivation and energy, growth mindset)
• Motivation & interest for HHL

2. Presentation and discussion (12 min + 5 min)
In this section, you are asked to prepare a presentation on a topic which you will receive two days before the interview takes place. The following criteria will be assessed:

• Presentation (problem identification, outline and structure, synthesis ability, creativity and originality)
• Discussion (assessment ability, argumentation, critical faculty)
• Personality (appearance, theoretical ability, self-confidence)

3. Case Study (15 min)
In the third part of the interview, you will be challenged in a small business case to test your problem-solving skills and fundamental business sense. The following aspects will be evaluated:

• Problem-solving abilities (analytical abilities, structuring, flexibility, creativity, business understanding)
• Discussion (assessment ability, argumentation, critical faculty)
• Personality (appearance, theoretical ability, self-confidence)

4. Feedback and your questions (8 min)
In the last section, you will receive some immediate feedback on your interview performance and have the chance to ask questions.

After a successful interview, your complete application will be discussed by our admissions committee. You will be informed about the decision approximately 7-10 days after the interview.