Finance

The Master's Programme in Finance prepares you for jobs in the world’s most selective companies in the financial industry.

Finance is a dynamic field filled with challenging work opportunities in e.g. international banking and management consultancy. The Finance Master’s Programme gives you the opportunity to develop a solid scientific approach to financial problems in a dynamic and demanding but supportive, learning-centred environment.

In our programme, you can tailor your degree by specialising in one of two areas of concentration:

Corporate finance prepares you for entry-level positions in e.g. investment or commercial banking, management consulting, or the finance and corporate planning functions of industrial firms.

The core topics you will learn about include

• analysing and choosing investment projects
• mergers and acquisitions
• agency theory
• investment banking and obtaining funds from the primary markets
• project and trade finance, and
• capital structure and dividend decisions

Financial markets prepares you for entry-level positions in e.g. investment management and strategy, venture capital and private equity, and risk management.

The core topics you will learn about include

• behaviour and determinants of security prices
• their implications on portfolio management
• behavioural finance and investor psychology
• venture capital
• risk management, and
• pricing options, futures, and other derivatives

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

1. General admission requirements

The application must first fulfill the general eligibility requirements before it is sent to the Master's programme for academic evaluation. Read carefully the general admission requirements, selection schedule, required application documents and application instructions on our website section admissions. See also language requirements.

In addition to the general eligibility requirements, each Master's programme has programme-specific evaluation criteria.

2. Programme-specific requirements

Academic evaluation criteria of the Master's Programme in Finance is based on considering the following areas:

• GMAT/GRE test score. Note that this receives the most weight in selection (exact weightings are not disclosed).
• Academic achievement (considering absolute and relative performance, the type of degree and the reputation of the institution granting it).
• Motivational letter, preferably less than 300 words
• Video phone (e.g., Skype) interview for selected candidates

It can be considered an advantage to have completed the basics of finance (discounting and present value, cost of capital, basics of asset pricing and portfolio theory, basics of financial institutions and financial markets). Students with little background in finance selected to the programme may be required to complete one or two B.Sc. level finance courses (such as Corporate Finance and/or Financial Markets and Institutions and/or Econometrics for Finance) during their first year of studies.

Learning outcomes

The Master’s Programme in Finance gives you a solid theoretical and practical skill set that will help you work successfully in a world where financial services are global, significant to the economy, and in constant change – and where the financial environment is increasingly aware of system-wide risks, conflicts of interest, and regulatory challenges.

Upon graduating from the programme, you will be able to

• understand the features of capital markets
• understand the models and theories of corporate financing and investment decisions
• apply these ideas independently and analytically in working life
• analyse corporate risk factors quantitatively
• evaluate the value of e.g. derivative instruments using sophisticated evaluation tools
• apply financial tools to a number of situations both in strategic decision making of the firm (e.g. mergers and acquisitions) and in day-to-day management (e.g. portfolio and risk management)

In addition, you will be able to develop solid general management skills, including:

• analytical, teamwork, and problem solving skills
• advanced-level international business communication skills
• understanding of challenging issues in business ethics

The programme is also known for preparing some of its students for the world’s best doctoral programmes in Finance.