What is it about?
Competitive conditions are constantly changing worldwide. Financial services and the quantitative management and planning of companies are fields of activity in which complexity continues to increase. Quantitative, mathematical-statistical methods and procedures are becoming increasingly important. Highly qualified graduates with a clearly quantitative qualification profile are therefore in demand. The Finance, Accounting, Controlling, Taxation Master's study program offers a first-class management education that opens up a wide range of career opportunities thanks to its strong international orientation.
Profile of the study program
Finance, Accounting, Controlling, Taxation deals with questions such as
- How can companies meet the challenges of internationalization responsibly?
- How can economic problems be optimally solved for private companies, associations or authorities under changing global competitive conditions?
- What significance do quantitative methods have for financial service providers and in risk management?
- Which management tools can be used to lead a company to success?
With a scientific foundation and practical experience
The four-semester study program offers a scientifically sound and practice-oriented management education in the two quantitatively oriented profiles Risk & Finance and Accounting & Taxation. It offers specializations in the following areas, for example: Financial Management, Accounting, Controlling, Tax Management, Auditing, Risk Management and Insurance.
The study program consists of both application-oriented modules and more academically oriented learning units. In addition to the relevant theoretical and practical specialist knowledge, during your studies you will acquire professionally-oriented social skills and the ability to recognize business management tasks and develop solutions independently.
From the start of your studies, you will specialize in one of the two profiles Risk & Finance or Accounting & Taxation and hone your personal skills through your individual selection of compulsory elective modules from the various specialization areas of Finance, Accounting, Controlling and Taxation. This wide range of options for individual profiling means that the Master's in Finance, Accounting, Controlling, Taxation leads to a prestigious qualification in all four fields.
The third semester is a study abroad or internship semester in which you can either apply your acquired knowledge in practice or test it abroad.
Master of Science, which qualifies you for high-level specialist tasks
After successfully completing the course, you will be awarded the Master of Science (M. Sc.) degree due to its strong quantitative focus.
Specializations in the study program
In addition to the compulsory subjects of the other profiles, FACT offers the following elective modules:
- Corporate Governance
- Entrepreneurship and M&A
- International Controlling
- Macroeconomics and Finance
- Options, Futures & other Derivatives
- Project-oriented studies
- Risk Modeling Workshop
- Value-oriented corporate management
- Auditing
- Advanced Controlling and IT Law
- Quantitative methods and data analytics
- as well as other current topics, such as "Tax Basics" in the upcoming summer semester 2025 (with content such as AO, USt and ErbStG) or planned current topics in the winter semester 2025/26, such as "Digital Skills" and/or "Digitalization in Tax Law"
Course of study
This is a thematic overview of the course content. Detailed information on the exact names of the courses, information on ECTS or semester hours per week can be found in the examination regulations and in the module handbook. The marked (*) modules will be offered for the first time in the summer semester 2024 and cannot yet be found in this form in the module handbook.
Optionally, the internship semester can be completed part-time, i.e. a subject-related part-time employment must exist for at least 40 weeks with approx. 20 hours per week in order for this to be recognized as part of an internship semester.
Risk & Finance" profile:
| 1st semester |
Insurance & Corporate Risk |
Financial Management |
Quantitative Methods & Data Analytics* |
Compulsory elective module | Compulsory elective module |
| 2nd semester | Digital Finance |
Quantitative Instruments in Insurance & Risk Management |
Computational Finance |
Compulsory elective module | Compulsory elective module |
| 3rd semester | Semester abroad or internship semester | ||||
| 4th semester | Thesis & colloquium |
Profile "Accounting & Taxation":
| 1st semester | Advanced Accounting |
Tax Management I (VAT & Corporate Tax) |
Auditing I & Corporate Law* |
Compulsory elective module | Compulsory elective module |
| 2nd semester |
Special problems of (inter-)national accounting |
Tax management II (AO, case law analysis & choice of legal form for tax purposes) |
Auditing II & International tax law* |
Compulsory elective module | Compulsory elective module |
| 3rd semester | Semester abroad or internship semester | ||||
| 4th semester | Thesis & colloquium |
Why study at Fachhochschule Dortmund?
What makes Fachhochschule Dortmund special? What should you know about the city and the region? How is Fachhochschule Dortmund positioned in terms of internationality and what counseling and support do we offer you? Find out more about Fachhochschule Dortmund.
Who is it for?
Desirable subject-specific and interdisciplinary knowledge
The Master's study program in Finance, Accounting, Controlling, Taxation suits you if you enjoy numbers, networked thinking, analysis and planning. You already have a sound basic knowledge of business administration, are interested in financial developments and are willing to work hard.
Project experience or initial work experience is helpful in order to successfully complete the demanding course. English language skills are also an advantage. The faculty recommends that applicants have a B2 level of English, as English-language courses or English-language literature may be part of the study program. Communication and social skills are a prerequisite, as working in a team is standard in this professional field.
Prospects after graduation
Career prospects
You have the ideal qualifications for management tasks and high-value specialist tasks. They have the necessary qualifications to work in the management of companies or in the higher service of public administration.
Those who have a degree in this study program often work
- in accounting/controlling,
- in finance,
- in corporate management,
- in industrial companies
- in regulatory authorities,
- in banks, insurance companies, asset managers, investment companies
- in risk management
- in tax consultancy
- in fiduciary, counseling, auditing and auditing companies.
Cooperative doctorate
The Master's degree is the basis for a doctorate. Graduates who wish to gain further academic qualifications have the opportunity to do a doctorate at a university. This is possible via a cooperative doctorate, in which the university of applied sciences is a cooperation partner of a university.
Stay abroad possible during your studies
What do I need?
1. required degree
The requirement for admission to the “FACT” master’s program is:
- Proof of completion of a Diplom or Bachelor’s degree study program in Business Administration or Economics, or a related study program, at a university, or completion of a corresponding accredited Bachelor’s degree study program at a vocational academy.
- Study programs are considered related fields if their curriculum includes coursework and examinations in the areas of business administration or Business Studies that account for at least 75% of the total program volume.
- Furthermore, the study program must comprise at least 180 credit points under the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). Degrees that do not use the ECTS system must be converted accordingly.
To assess the admission requirements, the Examinations Committee establishes a “Commission for Assessing the Admission Requirements for the MA BM, MSc FACT, and MSc FACT – Controlling & Digitalization Master’s Programs.” The Examination Board may also appoint professors and academic staff who are not themselves members of the Examination Board to serve on the commission.
2. apply now!
The study program starts annually in the summer semester and admission is restricted, so there is a numerus clausus (NC). This means that Fachhochschule Dortmund allocates places according to the grade of the examination certificate for the first degree qualifying for a profession.
Who can help me?
We will be happy to answer any questions you may have about the study program and Fachhochschule Dortmund.

