Study the most hands-on and up-to-date trends in finance and economics in the financial capital of the world. The Finance and Economics majors at Webster Geneva Campus are designed for students who are looking for a personalized, rigorous education that leads to careers in the economics and finance, management in the private and public sectors and at international organizations. Students can also continue their studies at graduate and professional schools of economics, finance and social sciences.
Start Your Financial Career in Geneva
Study the most hands-on and up-to-date trends in finance and economics in the financial
capital of the world. The Finance and Economics majors at Webster Geneva Campus are
designed for students who are looking for a personalized, rigorous education that
leads to careers in the economics and finance, management in the private and public
sectors and at international organizations. Students can also continue their studies
at graduate and professional schools of economics, finance and social sciences.
Students can choose from two different programs:
- The Bachelor of Arts in Economics provides applied and hands-on experiences throughout the studies and prepares students for confident and comprehensive decision-making in various areas of life.
- The Bachelor of Sciences in Finance focuses on finances from basic to advanced investments and financial management, and prepares students to work in banking and in other financial services.
Both programs share a core set of courses that are common to all business majors (Business Administration, Management, etc.) combined with specialized core and elective courses in economics or finance. The courses are taught by professors who have extensive professional experiences in their area of expertise. Courses are enhanced by visits, among others, to banks, including digital banks, insurance companies, and international organizations, such as the International Trade Center and the World Trade Organization.
Students can pursue internships towards the end of their studies — a unique opportunity arising from Webster Geneva’s strong ties to the local and international community in Geneva. Students can also consider these programs as part of their Study Abroad experience. This gives them the possibility to gain a truly unique perspective while advancing toward graduation with their major course requirements.
Study Economics and Finance at Webster in Geneva
Students can choose from two different programs:
- The Bachelor of Arts in Economics provides applied and hands-on experiences throughout the studies and prepares students for confident and comprehensive decision-making in various areas of life.
- The Bachelor of Sciences in Finance focuses on finances from basic to advanced investments and financial management, and prepares students to work in banking and in other financial services.
Both programs share a core set of courses that are common to all business majors (Business Administration, Management, etc.) combined with specialized core and elective courses in economics or finance. The courses are taught by professors who have extensive professional experiences in their area of expertise. Courses are enhanced by visits, among others, to banks, including digital banks, insurance companies, and international organizations, such as the International Trade Center and the World Trade Organization.
Learn from Program Head Judit Kozenkow Why Webster Stands Out in Switzerland
Transcript
[Music]
Text on screen: Webster Geneva Campus Faculty Spotlight
[Professor Judit Kozenkow sits in front of glass doors with a view of the trees on the Geneva campus.]
Text on screen: Judit Kozenkow, Head of the Business and Management Program
Kozenkow: Hello, my name is Dr. Judit Kozenkow. I'm the Head of Economics and Finance programs here at Geneva Campus of Webster. I have 15 years of work experience in parallel in public and private academia, and also in the business sector and at international organizations. I've worked at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and also at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research. Also, I worked in the business sector, in the financial sector, in strategic and risk management, and I've been still working in consulting at a global consulting firm on research projects linked to global trade trends and foresight.
On my academic side, I've been engaged with Webster since 2016 and before Webster, I did my PhD, completed my PhD in Economics at the Corvinus University of Budapest in Hungary with my research completed at the American University in Washington, D.C. I also completed a few fellowships including a fellowship at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C., and also in Geneva at The Graduate Institute. As for teaching, I've, as I mentioned, I've been engaged with Webster since 2016 and teaching core economic courses, including basic economic modeling, micro- and macroeconomics, international economics, managerial economics, value creation at undergraduate, graduate and also doctorate levels elsewhere. I also teach digital finance and would like to bring in some of these new areas also to Webster.
Text on screen: Why Webster Geneva Campus?
Webster Geneva Campus is a great and fantastic location for most of our, many of our programs, undergraduate and graduate programs. But I would like to focus obviously on economics and finance because in terms of economics, Geneva is a perfect spot when it comes to the business sector, engagement with the business sector and also engagement with the international organizations that are related to economics like the World Trade Organization. At my last course this semester, we visited with the students at the World Trade Organization to make the course, open-market experience and trade, a more hands-on experience for the students.
Also, for finance, obviously Switzerland is one of the most well-known and also one of the hotspots of finance and still the leading financial sectors are located in Switzerland. Around the world, Switzerland is well known for its financial sector, and it can be a very nice hands-on experience for students to visit banks, those traditional players, but also fintech companies, digital banks. We recently had a visit also to Swissquote, the digital bank, one of the biggest digital banks in Switzerland, and also to learn about those new, recent, very recent activities that are ongoing in the financial sector.
Text on screen: Why should I attend your classes?
The Economics program is really, really close to my heart because I have my PhD in Economics, and I've been working in using my economic knowledge and broadening that knowledge, it's since this 15 years or even earlier when back at my university studies. Also, my master's degree is in International Economics. I think and I believe that it is also very important for this campus that we are going to revitalize this economic program, make it very hands-on and applied experience for the for the students, organizing visits, but also inviting guest lecturers from the business sector, from International organizations. Also, from all other fields where startups are created and also people with great ideas, that they can also share their career experiences.
They can also share why economics is useful — and I believe this is really useful knowledge nowadays in this rushy, accelerated world when everything is very complex, everything is interconnected — economic skills and this economic thinking can give a very great base knowledge for other programs, as well, or to complement other programs really well. We also encourage students to take, if not major in Economics, but pair it with another major and take it as a minor, because it really can give those skills that are really useful for success in the 21st century.
Text on screen: Webster Geneva Campus
Plan an Internship with Local and International Community Partners
Students can pursue internships towards the end of their studies — a unique opportunity arising from Webster Geneva’s strong ties to the local and international community in Geneva. Students can also consider these programs as part of their Study Abroad experience. This gives them the possibility to gain a truly unique perspective while advancing toward graduation with their major course requirements.
Bachelor Programs in Finance and Economics
Academic Catalog Links
The following are links to the specific program requirements and courses in each major in Webster University's official academic catalog:
Geneva is a great place to gain real-world experience as you study Finance and Economics. Our city has an international reputation as a financial center, with a 500-year tradition as a center of trade, an ideal geographic location in a secure and competitive economy, and because of the city’s reliability and trust for quality standards.
Multinational Companies
Geneva's location in the heart of Europe and its proximity to Africa and the Middle East, its highly skilled, multilingual workforce and its political stability and safety make it particularly attractive to multinationals. Around 130 multinational companies are based in Geneva Lake region. They are predominantly involved in trading, banking, watchmaking, fragrances, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology and in luxury.
All of these firms need new, highly-trained talents, and many provide internship opportunities. The quality of universities and research in Lake Geneva region contributes to making Geneva a key player in the future — including in sustainable finance — and Webster Geneva Campus provides talented alumni employed by major companies across the region.
Geneva as a Finance Center
Studying Finance in Geneva gives you access to a rich and forward-thinking business community in the world of Finance. More than 3,200 finance-related companies operate here and account for more than 35,600 jobs in our region. There are 92 banks in Geneva, including 22 commercial and investment banks and 51 foreign-owned banks. In addition, there are hundreds of independent financial advisors, financial intermediaries, insurance companies and accounting firms based here.
Trade Finance
No other financial center in the world boasts the same concentration of skills as Geneva in areas related to commodity trading. This unique constellation comprises the main banking institutions with expertise in trade financing, leaders in this sector, including the global leader in inspection and certification, not to mention the large numbers of consulting firms and law firms that provide essential services to this industry. Geneva is the global leader in trade finance.
Shipping
Most goods traded internationally are transported by ship. A unique feature of Geneva is the interconnectedness of service providers for the shipping industry, from banks to inspection companies, and this explains why the world's second largest shipping company chose to locate in Geneva — even while Switzerland is located in a landlocked country. Today, the Lake Geneva trading center accounts for around 22% of the total volume of commodities shipped worldwide.
Sustainable Finance
Geneva has become a veritable laboratory of sustainable finance, due to the convergence of finance and international development in the city. Sustainable finance seeks to incorporate environmental and good governance criteria into investment decisions, for the benefit of clients as well as society as a whole. The Geneva Financial Center endorses this initiative through its support for Sustainable Finance Geneva.
Fintech
Financial services are in the midst of a digital transformation. And Geneva banks are not only well positioned to manage this transition, but are also playing a central role in shaping the industry’s digital future. Geneva boasts outstanding infrastructure and experience in data management. The Geneva Financial Center takes part in the activities of the association Swiss FinTech Innovations.
Universities and Research
Geneva boasts first-rate universities and research institutes specializing in areas as diverse as international relations and life sciences. The presence of 600 companies actively pursuing research and development make Geneva a center of innovation and technical excellence. Geneva's Financial Center supports educational initiatives that range from apprenticeships to basic research, as well as professional and continuing education.
Webster Geneva Campus runs an Economics and Finance Student Club that offers monthly discussion forums about the latest economic and financial outlook, invites guest lecturers to our campus and organizes field visits to companies, banks and international organizations. It also offers mentoring and tutoring for its members.
The Economics and Finance Programs offer unique opportunities for students to further enhance their studies by enrolling in signature courses, such as the Digital Economy and the Money and Banking. These special signature courses take students out of the classroom to explore Geneva, broader Switzerland or Europe for an unforgettable learning experience.
As an example, in Fall 2024, the students of the Money and Banking course visited Zurich for a two-day trip, which was packed with exclusive insights into the world of finance, cryptocurrencies and digital assets. During the visit, students had the privilege of meeting top industry leaders.
Read Money and Banking Signature Course Trip to Zurich Recap on LinkedIn
“Transferring my prior Swiss university credits to Webster allowed me to complete a bachelor’s degree, a highly valuable internship and a thesis in only 2 1/2 years, preparing me for my postgraduate studies.”
Alec Rochat
BS in Finance, ’19
Alec on Building a Professional Network
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