Vienna University Of Economics And Business Notable Alumni

The Vienna University of Economics and Business (German: Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien or WU) is the biggest university focusing on business and economics in Europe. It has been ranked as one of the best business schools in Europe and received Triple accreditation (AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA). According to The QS World University Rankings by Subjects 2020, Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU) was ranked 37th among more than 13.000 universities all over the world offering degrees in Business & Management.

History

WU was founded on 1 October 1898 as k.u.k. Exportakademie (in English: Export Academy) to provide professional training to future businessmen and thus stimulate the Austro-Hungarian empire’s economy. From humble beginnings as a professional school, it quickly grew to become an important institution, which was awarded the status of a fully-fledged Hochschule (an educational institution equivalent to a university, but specializing in a certain field such as technology or business or art) in 1919. At that time, it was renamed to Hochschule für Welthandel. The course of studies leading to the academic degree of Diplomkaufmann provided training preparing for the export and banking businesses and was very practical, comprising courses in business administration, economics, law and others. In 1930, the Hochschule für Welthandel was granted the right to issue doctoral degrees.

After World War II, the Hochschule für Welthandel increased its breadth in research. It started to become a very important institution in Austrian society at that time; most Austrian managers and many politicians received their university education here. From 1966 onward, it began to offer a more theoretical course of studies in economics. In 1975, it was renamed to Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien. At the same time, the number of students began to increase dramatically. In 1983, it moved to a campus in Vienna’s 9th District. Due to further increasing student numbers during the 1990s the campus became too small. As a result, new university grounds had to be built in Vienna’s 2nd district. The new Campus WU opened in October 2013, next to the Vienna Fair Ground.

Notable alumni

Politicians
Thomas Klestil (1932–2004), Austrian President (1992–2004)
Franz Vranitzky (1937– ), Austrian Chancellor (1986–1997)
Ferdinand Lacina (1942– ), Austrian Finance Minister (1986–1995)
Hannes Androsch (1938– ), Austrian Finance Minister (1970–1981) and Vice-Chancellor (1976–1981)
Christoph Chorherr (1960– ), Green Party Spokesperson (1996–1997)
Madeleine Petrovic (1956– ), Green Party Spokesperson (1994–1996)
Wolf Klinz, Liberal Party member of the European Parliament (2004–present)
Petra Steger, Freedom Party of Austria member of the National Council
Christoph Meineke (1979– ), Mayor
Andreas Salcher (1960– )
Entrepreneurs and Managers
Peter Brabeck-Letmathe (1944– ), Chairman and CEO Nestlé AG
Oskar Deutsch (born 1963), entrepreneur and President of the Jewish Community of Vienna
Hikmet Ersek (1954– ), CEO Western Union
Hans-Peter Haselsteiner (1944– ), CEO Strabag SE
Peter Löscher (1957– ), CEO Siemens AG (2007–2013)
Dietrich Mateschitz (1944– ), Founder & CEO Red Bull
Wolfgang Porsche (1943– ), Chairman of Porsche AG, Porsche SE and Volkswagen AG supervisory boards
Claus Raidl (1942– ), former CEO Böhler-Uddeholm, President Oesterreichische Nationalbank
Christopher Schläffer (1969– ), CDO VEON
Erman Ilıcak, President of Rönesans Holding, ranked 1st in Forbes Turkey’s “100 Wealthiest Turks” list in 2019.
Diplomats
Zygmunt Vetulani (1894–1941), Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Baghdad and Rio de Janeiro
Historians
Juan Friede (1901–1990), Muisca scholar and historian of Colombia
Public Institutions
Maria Schaumayer (1931–2013), President Oesterreichische Nationalbank (1990–1995)

vienna university of economics and business admission requirements

Admission Requirements

In order to apply for the MSc in Quantitative Finance you have to fulfill the minimum requirements for application and to proof your aptitude for the program. In case one or more of the required proofs are missing, your application has to be rejected.

Minimum requirements for application

1. Relevant Bachelor’s program:

Completion of or enrollment in a relevant Bachelor’s program or other equivalent degree program at a recognized Austrian or foreign post-secondary institution. To be considered relevant, the completed program has to meet the following criteria:

• Relevant Bachelor’s program or other equivalent degree program (worth at least 180 ECTS credits). The Bachelor’s Program in Business, Economics, and Social Sciences at Vienna University of Economics and Business is considered relevant.   
• If you apply with an equivalent degree program, examinations have to be documented in the following subjects:
  • Business administration / economics / finance, worth a minimum of 60 ECTS credits
    
    OR
  • Mathematics / statistics / computing, worth a minimum of 45 ECTS credits

Please note: It is not necessary to have completed this program at the time of application, proof of completion of your first-degree program is not required until actual enrollment. Nevertheless the requirements listed above have to be documented within the uploaded documents.

2. Achievement potential
(please find some examples how to show your achievement potential below):

• Valid GMAT Exam / valid GMAT Online Exam  (official or unofficial GMAT score report) and/or
• Valid Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) and/or
• Letters of recommendation written by a course teacher, an advisor or supervisor of an academic thesis, or the educational institution at which the course or courses were attended or the academic thesis was written, detailing your achievement potential
• Statement of purpose (in addition to one of the above listed proofs)

3. Sufficient proficiency in English:

• English as first language
• A full English-taught bachelor’s program (at least 3 years) or master’s program (at least 2 years); a confirmation from the university is required to prove that the completed program was taught in English. Please note that only an exchange semester or year in an English speaking country or with courses taught in English is not sufficient.
  To be considered official the document has to be stamped and signed by your university.
• Full master’s program done in English (at least two years, university confirmation required)
• One of the following valid certificates (official or unofficial test report): TOEFL 100, TOEFL IBT Home Edition 100, IELTS 7.0 (academic, general or online indicator version), TOEIC 800, Cambridge English: CAE (Certificate of Advanced English), CPE (Certificate of Proficiency in English) or BEC Higher (Business English Certificate Higher), UNIcert III
• A certificate from a university language department confirming the applicant has achieved level C1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. The certificate has to prove that you took one or more tests to assess your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. These skills should correspond to level C1 or higher according to the CEFR. Course transcripts or confirmations about your overall language skills or certain language courses will NOT be accepted as proof of your language skills. If you are not sure whether your language certificate fulfils these criteria, please submit one of the standardized tests mentioned above.
• Graduates of WU’s Bachelor´s program in Business and Economics; Bachelor´s program in Business Law and Bachelor´s program in Business, Economics and Social Sciences already fulfill this requirement.

4. Further skills and knowledge

• Skills and knowledge in business administration / economics / finance
• Skills and knowledge in mathematics / statistics