Motivation Letter to university

To whom it may concern, My name is Tjark-Kristian Janssen, and I am a graduate student keenly interested in economics. I am writing to apply for a postgraduate position at the University of Vienna, one of Europe’s most prestigious higher educational institutes, and to delineate my previous research and acquired skills, making me a competitive applicant for this position. The programme offers me the chance to enrich my knowledge and professional outgrowth, thereby fostering my employability and paving the way for an auspicious academic career. During my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (ECTS-Grade: A), I gained valuable insights into business economics’ different subject areas. The attended programme sharply focused on mathematical principles through compulsory courses like Mathematics 1 & 2 and Statistics, which I all passed with excellence. As of my affinity for numbers, I decided to pursue an in-depth financial education to combine my mathematic-related interests with my passion for capital market-driven topics. Attending lectures on Basic Economics and Economic Policy, I acquired fundamental knowledge of contemporary macroeconomic theories. Meanwhile, in electives, i. e. Regulatory and Capital Market Driven Topics in Finance, I gained valuable insights into financial economics’ functionalities. After graduating from the Hochschule Hannover, I pursued my enthusiasm for highly sophisticated financial economics through a master’s degree in International Banking and Finance (with Distinction). Indeed, my past studies at the University of Glasgow enabled me to receive an initial impression of empirical-methodological ambitious topics, especially in asset pricing, monetary policy, and behavioural economics. For instance, the lecture Financial Markets, Securities and Derivatives trained my ability to analyse the effectiveness of different financial markets’ models and to apply complex mathematical methods. Furthermore, the Monetary Policy and the Role of Central Banks’ lecture deepened my insight into contemporary macroeconomic theories, enabling me to critically assess monetary policies’ objectives and analyse their relative importance across economies through empirical evidence. Likewise, the lecture on Behavioural Economics introduced me to theories on decision-making, institutional design, and policy interventions under different circumstances with a heavy reliance on econometrics. Lastly, through my master’s dissertation on Investors’ Fear and Stock Market Herding in East Asia, awarded with the prefix A3 (Excellent), I demonstrated a quick apprehension of econometric methods and an aptitude for empiricism. However, although I believe my precognition about the above-described fields of economics is substantial, in most cases, it barely scratches the surfaces. Hence, I would much enjoy deepening my knowledge in this regard. In my opinion, after five years of an economic core curriculum, I possess the fundamental skills to dive into in-depth empiricism rather than to reidentify existing concepts solely and, therefore, will excel in the MSc Research in Economics and Finance. Besides my enthusiasm for economics and finance, I am keenly interested in empirical research, including the opportunity to tackle theoretical issues, publish results, and potentially contribute to an international exchange of knowledge. However, the most exciting part of postgraduate studies lies in the opportunity to tap into unexplored terrain. Moreover, I enjoy the academic environment, especially being surrounded by bright open minds driven by a relentless thirst for knowledge. While reviewing various research-focused master’s programmes, the University of Vienna particularly stands out. Considering essential aspects like institutional reputation and course diversity, the opportunity to be tutored by excellent scholars particularly appeals to me. Overall, the areas of specialisation perfectly match my research interests. Firstly, I would be delighted to deepen my knowledge in Individual Decisions and Markets as well as Game Theory and Strategic Uncertainty. Indeed, I have engaged considerably in these topics previously; for instance, extensive parts of my master’s degree relates to the field of behavioural economics. Secondly, the possibility to choose between finance or economics for the alternative compulsory module particularly excites me. I am immensely interested in both areas. Hence, these specialisations and the tremendous academic environment at the University of Vienna will enable me to reach my full potential and develop my research ideas to fill a potential research gap. After my studies, I plan to pursue a career in an academic institution, preferable a high-ranking university. Alternatively, I intend to engage in a job at an international institution like the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, or the European Central Bank. Most of the occupations above involve an exceptional theoretical and empirical skillset, thus indirectly requiring extensive higher education. Additionally, the key to a successful career arguably lies in attaining considerable expertise and possessing the ability to adapt quickly to complex situations while seeking new challenges. I, therefore, decided to link my future career closely to this idea. The sophisticated theoretical framework of the MSc Research in Economics and Finance provides me with the opportunity to solidify my academic qualification and foster research interest while maximising future employability. Over and above, during my master’s degree at the University of Glasgow, I was able to gain a first-hand impression about postgraduate research fellowship through conversations with current PhD students. As of my predilection for academic studies and empirical research, I realised that this is precisely what I want to do. Hence, the prospect of training for a subsequent PhD programme and potentially become a comprehensive scholar constitutes my desired career path. I would be thrilled to be offered the opportunity of engaging in the MSc Research in Economics and Finance at the University of Vienna. Thank you very much for considering my request. Additional information about relevant courses taking during my past studies, including a list of contents and utilised textbooks, I attached to my CV. Please feel free to contact me at any time if you have further questions about my application.