Austria · Master's
WU Vienna University of Economics and Business
MSc Quantitative Finance
WU Vienna University of Economics and Business
Course Overview
WU Vienna's MSc Quantitative Finance is the most mathematically rigorous finance Master's in Austria — jointly run between WU's Institute for Statistics and Mathematics and the Vienna Graduate School of Finance (VGSF), with substantial input from TU Wien Mathematics for the stochastic calculus and numerical methods modules. The programme produces graduates targeting derivatives trading, risk management, asset management, financial engineering, and quantitative research roles in tier-1 banks and asset managers. Vienna's role as the Eastern European banking gateway (Erste Group, Raiffeisen Bank International, UNIQA, Vienna Insurance Group all run sizeable quant and risk teams) plus easy commuting to London, Frankfurt, and Zurich makes WU a serious feeder programme for European quant finance.
Sri Lankan applicants from strong quantitative Bachelor's backgrounds — UoM Engineering Mathematics, Colombo / Peradeniya Statistics, SLIIT / NSBM Quantitative Finance, NIBM Computational Finance — choose WU Quantitative Finance for: tuition at €1,480/year non-EU (versus €30,000+ at Oxford / LSE / Imperial for comparable programmes), triple-accredited business school credentials, and a 100% English-medium curriculum. The 4-semester (120 ECTS) curriculum covers stochastic calculus, financial econometrics, derivatives pricing and risk management, fixed income, portfolio theory, computational finance (Python / R / C++), plus a Master's thesis at the research frontier — often supervised by VGSF faculty with publications in the Journal of Finance / Mathematical Finance. Sri Lankan returnees route into senior risk, treasury, and capital markets roles at HSBC SL, Standard Chartered SL, Commercial Bank of Ceylon, Nations Trust, Sampath Bank, plus the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and IFC / ADB regional offices.
Entry Requirements
Academic
- check_circle Bachelor's degree (180 ECTS) in Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, Engineering, Economics, or Quantitative Finance with first-class equivalent (Sri Lankan GPA 3.5+ / first-class Hons).
- check_circle Strong demonstrated coursework in linear algebra, real analysis, probability theory, statistics, and programming (Python, R, C++, or MATLAB) — WU runs a curriculum-equivalence assessment.
- check_circle GRE Quantitative 165+ strongly preferred (not strictly required but tips ambiguous cases).
- check_circle Sri Lankan applicants from UoM (Engineering Maths, Civil with strong maths backgrounds), Colombo / Peradeniya Statistics, SLIIT / NSBM Quantitative Finance, and the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM) Colombo are competitive.
- check_circle Motivation letter (1-2 pages), CV with internship / research experience in finance or quantitative roles, 2 academic references, document nostrification through the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education.
English Proficiency
- check_circle IELTS Academic: 6.5 Overall (no band below 6.0).
- check_circle TOEFL iBT: 95 Overall.
- check_circle Cambridge English: C1 Advanced.
- check_circle Programme is taught 100% in English — German not required for the degree.
- check_circle Waived if your Bachelor's was taught entirely in English (Sri Lankan applicants from UoM / Colombo / SLIIT / NSBM qualify with an MOI letter).
Estimated Cost of Study
| Expense Category | Amount (€) | Approx. LKR |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition Fee (per year, non-EU) | €1,480 | Rs. 510,600 |
| Living Expenses in Vienna (12 months) | €12,600 | Rs. 4,347,000 |
| Student Visa, Residence Permit & Health Insurance | €900 | Rs. 310,500 |
| Bloomberg Terminal Access, Books & Conference Travel | €1,200 | Rs. 414,000 |
| Total Year 1 Investment | €16,180 | Rs. 5,582,100 |
*LKR conversion based on current bank rates. Subject to change.
Career Outcomes & PR
WU Quantitative Finance graduates qualify for Austria's Red-White-Red Card for Graduates (12-month job-search permit), with conversion at a qualifying offer. Master's-level salaries clear the EU Blue Card threshold (~€45,500/year gross in 2025) and the points-based RWR Card pathway leads to permanent residence after 24 months. Major employers: Erste Group, Raiffeisen Bank International, UNIQA, Vienna Insurance Group, plus regional offices of Goldman Sachs Vienna, J.P. Morgan, Deutsche Bank Frankfurt, UBS Zurich, and Big Four risk advisory teams (Deloitte, EY, KPMG, PwC). Median starting salary €55,000-€75,000 gross; trader / quant researcher roles can exceed €90,000 with bonuses. Sri Lankan returnees route into senior risk, treasury, and capital markets roles at HSBC SL, Standard Chartered SL, Commercial Bank of Ceylon, Nations Trust, Sampath Bank, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, and IFC / ADB regional offices.
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ඔබට සුදුසු විශ්වවිද්යාලයක් තේරීම, අයදුම්පත් යොමු කිරීම, SOP සකස් කිරීම සහ වීසා ලබා ගැනීම ඇතුළු සෑම පියවරකදීම, ඔබ වෙනුවෙන් සියලුම වගකීම් විශ්වාසවන්තව අප භාර ගනිමු.