Being able to study finance at top schools in Europe can be a major dream and at the same time a challenge for professional job seekers. A proper master of finance program offers a great blend of theory and practice that will enable you to obtain a grasp of accounting analysis in a local and international context. The completion of the degree will be a marvelous bounty of opportunities and open doors.
In this article, we have gathered 14 schools in Europe that are perfect for your professional prospects and qualification in finance. We will provide you with a basic overview of each school and additional details that can be taken into account prior to making a decision.
1. University of St Gallen
Location: Switzerland
The University of St Gallen offers a master’s degree in banking and finance, which is ranked 6th in the Financial Times Masters in Finance Ranking. It is the most prestigious master in Finance program in Switzerland. The MBF equips you with the skills you need to succeed in the workplace and provides opportunities for you to connect with top employers around the world. Students graduating from the program find themselves in various industries, including banking, consulting, corporations, asset management, insurance, academia, etc. The duration of the program is 1.5 years with a specifically designed curriculum that provides an understanding not only of deep financial aspects but also starts from basic and introductory courses in the first semester.
Some of the main courses are:
-
- Alternative Investments
- Banking & the Financial Economy
- Corporate Finance
- Financial Markets
- Quantitative Methods & Data Science
- Risk Management & Insurance
The selection process should be determined by the:
-
- Average grade during undergraduate studies
- GMAT or GRE score
- Extracurricular activities
- Letter of motivation
Finally, the application deadlines consisted of 5 rounds:
-
- Round 1: Applications submitted by 30 November 2022 / Decisions issued by 23 December 2022
- Round 2: Applications submitted by 31 January 2023 / Decisions issued by 28 February 2023
- Round 3: Applications submitted by 28 February 2023 / Decisions issued by 31 March 2023
- Round 4: Applications submitted by 31 March 2023 / Decisions issued by 30 April 2023
- Round 5: Applications submitted by 30 April 2023 / Decisions issued by 31 May 2023
The tuition for the last year was:
-
- For Swiss: CHF 1,429 / semester
- Foreign: CHF 3,329 / semester
The degree program begins in the fall semester.
2. IE Business School
Location: Spain
IE Business School is a dream place for many finance degree seekers who want to pursue their education in the community of Madrid. The Master of Finance program delves into the most pertinent aspects of our current financial reality, including a deep dive into the world of financial analytics and FinTech. The aim of the program is to provide students with first-hand knowledge of the realities of modern markets and understand the newest trends in corporate finance and private equity, global markets, asset management, and alternative investments. The program is specifically designed for assuring “the best path of professional success. The school partners with the most global organizations, including CFA and CAIA. The curriculum is a great fit for putting into practice theoretical knowledge acquired in the classroom. The program is ranked 5th for getting a job in the investment banking industry.
The duration of the program depends on whether you are applying for a full-time or part-time program. For full-time studies, the duration is 1 year and for part-time enrollment, it is 22 to 30 months with an intake period in September.
The application requirements consist of the following criteria:
-
- Online assessment
- GRE/GMAT/CFA lvl 1/CAIA lvl 1
- Personal Interview
The application deadline usually falls in the late summer early autumn period.
Tuition:
-
- January 2023 intake: € 41,000*
- September 2023 intake: € 43,300*
- January 2023 intake: € 41,000*
To become an IE University student, you must make a one-off contribution to the foundation. This fee is €1,200 and it can be paid during your enrollment process.
Finally, some of the basic courses offered by the program are:
-
- Private Equity
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Hedge Funds
- Big Data
- Real Estate Finance
- Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
Tracks:
-
- Investment banking and private equity
- Alternative investments
- Global markets and asset management
- Financial analytics & Digital finance
3. Stockholm School of Economics
Location: Sweden
Stockholm School of Economics provides a Master’s degree in finance with a Specialization in Corporate Finance or Investment Management. The program is entirely covered by experienced professors. Every student chooses one of two specializations: Corporate Finance or Investment Management. Then they choose the specialization at the end of the first semester of the program. It is one of the most popular programs in Europe with an outstanding environment and ample career opportunities afterward.
The duration of the program is 2 years with a tuition fee of SEK 180 000 per year if you are required to pay*.
*EU/EEA/Swiss citizens
Citizens of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland are not required to pay tuition fees.
*Non-EU/EEA citizens
Non-EU/EEA citizens are generally required to pay tuition fees. There are however some exceptions to this general rule.
The application process consists of the following steps:
-
- Bachelor’s degree
- GMAT or GRE test result
- Proof of proficiency in English
- Motivation & supporting attachments
Application deadlines:
-
- Early: November 15th
- Regular: January 15th
The curriculum:
-
- Portfolio Choice and Asset Pricing
- Fixed Income and Derivatives Markets
- Corporate Finance
- Responsibility and Sustainability
- International Study Trip
- Data Analytics Track
- XTM: Executive Trainee Module
- CEMS MiM
- Exchange Program
- MSc – Ph.D. Parallel Enrollment
4. University of Bocconi
Location: Italy
The 2-year program is designed to teach skills in all areas of finance that will help you gain interdisciplinary approaches after graduation. Students will study in Milan for the first year, then have the opportunity to study abroad for the 2nd year. Based on 2016-2017 statistics, 95.2% of graduates are employed after graduation, while 27.5% of graduates are employed abroad. The top industries of employment are manufacturing, banking, finance, and insurance consulting.
Tuition: around $15,600 (€ 14,340) per year.
The application requirements:
-
- Results of the GMAT (or GRE) test
- Grade point average of exams passed in the Undergraduate program
- Evaluation of the Curriculum vitae / Resumée and Personal statement
- Video interview in English (it is additional but not required)
The application deadline is composed of the following rounds:
For international applicants:
-
- I round: November 2022
- II round: 26 January 2023
- III round: 9 March 2023
- IV round: 19 April 2023
- V round: 25 May 2023
For Italian applicants:
-
- I round: 17 March 2022
For Bocconi applicants:
-
- I round: 13 October 2022
- II round: 27 April 2022
Finally, the university offers a good base and expertise on investment banking with special designed courses that are the following:
-
- Investments and Portfolio Decisions
- Financial Modelling
- Corporate Valuation
- Financial Analysis and Reporting
- Statistical Methods in Inference and Forecasting
- Derivative Pricing
- Investment Banking and Capital Structure Operations
- Company and Financial Markets’ Law and Regulations
- Risk Management and Capital Compliance
- Econometrics of Time Series Applied to Pricing and Portfolio Management
5. Edhec Business School
Location: France
Edhec Business School’s finance degree is somewhat different. They provide a program of MSc in Financial Engineering. The MSc in Financial Engineering is a graduate-level program that teaches you the fundamentals of finance, including stocks, bonds, derivatives, and alternative investments, as well as the analytical tools that are utilized in the field. The program is mainly designed for those who have a basic understanding and prior knowledge in finance and who want to seek a career in the international financial engineering sector. Everything is based on individual needs and preferences.
Moreover, ample career opportunities will come on the way. For instance, 60,000 internships and 33,500 job offers are posted on EDHEC’s dedicated jobs board every year. Additionally, the duration of the program is pretty unique. The overall program lasts 1 year. From July to May students explore academic courses, while from June onwards they get the chance to practice their knowledge and gain work experience.
Tuition: € 26,400
Application Deadline: 23 June 2023
Application Requirements:
-
- 3-year bachelor’s degree minimum in a finance-related field (or equivalent).
- Strong GMAT or GRE or TAGE MAGE or CFA Level III or CAT* official test score report. (CAT* for Indian students only).
- Acceptable English proficiency tests/certificates (TOEFL, TOEIC, or IELTS)
- CV
- Letter of motivation
- Academic transcripts
- 2 letters of recommendation
- Online interview to complete
Courses offered:
-
- Asset Pricing
- Fixed Income and Derivatives Products
- Portfolio Management
- Investment
- Trading
- Quantitative Techniques in Finance
6. ESCP Business School
Location: France
If you want to explore the European dream of obtaining your degree from Paris, ESCP Business School is right for you. Not only prestigious in France, but the school also has campuses all over Europe: Berlin, London, Madrid, Turin, and Warsaw. The school is ranked among the best worldwide, based on the Financial Times and QS Rankings. Students will get the chance to spend 15 weeks on the Paris Campus and 15 weeks on the London campus. This will be followed by an internship program to prompt better and more diverse professional experience in the field. Finally, there will be an individual thesis at the very end. 95% of the graduate students were employed after the three months of graduation.
The program provides two specializations in investment banking and financial markets with a duration of 15 months.
Tuition:
-
- € 27 950/year
Application deadlines:
-
- Round 1: January 6, 2023
- Round 2: March 27, 2023
- Round 3: June 6, 2023
Application Requirements:
-
- Bachelor’s degree
- GMAT or GRE test result
- Proof of proficiency in English
- Motivation & supporting attachments
- Knowledge in English or French
Major courses offered:
-
- Core Management
- Economics
- Statistics
- Accounting & Finance
- Marketing
- Leadership
- Strategy
7. HEC Paris
Location: France
HEC Paris offers one of the best Masters in Finance programs in international finance which is 1st according to the FT ranking. There is a massive chance of career opportunities after graduation, such as 99% employment within 3 months, €149,000 average salary after 3 years, 5 job fairs on campus, etc. Students will also get the chance to choose their preferred specialization after immediately being admitted. The school tries to assure everything for professional development and multinational success, as they provide trips to London in order to offer networking opportunities with the largest companies in the world. Furthermore, double degree programs are available as well.
The duration is 10 months with tuition of € 37,000.
Application deadlines:
-
- Round 1: October 18, 2022
- Round 2: January 4, 2023
- Round 3: March 1, 2023
- Round 4: April 19, 2023
Application requirements:
-
- Degree certificate(s) or current enrollment certificate
- All official academic transcripts obtained in a higher education institution (exchange programs included) with an official GPA
- Résumé (CV)
- GMAT or GRE or TAGE MAGE official test score report
- English language proficiency test score report: TOEFL or TOEIC (Bridge or Listening and Reading or Speaking and Writing) or IELTS or Cambridge
- 2 completed online reference forms (at least one should be filled out by a professor)
Core Courses:
-
- Soft skills seminar
- Ethics seminar
- Probability and statistics refresher
- Behavioral Finance
- Corporate valuation
- Securities markets
- Financial statement analysis
- Introduction to finance
- Corporate finance
- Financial accounting and reporting
- International macroeconomics
- Empirical Methods in Finance
- Asset management
- Financial regulation
Advanced core courses:
-
- Fixed income and MM
- Empirical Methods in Finance 2
- Securities Markets
- International Finance
- Capital markets specialization courses:
- Financial engineering
- Quantitative asset management
- Corporate finance specialization courses:
- Corporate restructuring
- Derivatives
8. Esade Business School
Location: Spain
The MSc in Finance program is designed to teach students all the skills and knowledge that nowadays’ top recruiters are looking for. Based on the statistics 96% of students after graduation find a job within 3 months. The school offers a two-track specialization format that helps to focus on interests and delve deeper into the area.
The tracks are:
-
- Corporate Financial Management
- Banking & FinTech
- Asset Pricing & Big Data in Finance
Each track provides specialized knowledge for acquiring the path of the desired profession.
Duration: 1 year
Tuition: € 36,000
Application requirements:
-
- Bachelor’s degree
- GMAT/GRE
- Fluency in English
Application deadlines:
- September 2022 – June 2023 (exact dates to be confirmed)
9. Frankfurt School of Finance and Management
Location: Germany
Frankfurt School of Finance and Management provides German excellence with a flexible program and international environment. It is ranked 31st worldwide. The concentrations are focused on the specific areas of capital markets, corporate finance, risk management, and financial advisory. As the school partners with more than 80 universities, they have good study approach options. When it comes to employment by function, the highest industry occupied after graduation is investment banking, which is then followed by consulting, corporate/retail banking, etc.
Duration: 2 years
Tuition:
-
- € 39,000 per year
Application requirements:
-
- Undergrad transcript
- TOEFL/IELTS
- GMAT/GRE
- CV
- Professional Experience
Application deadlines:
-
- Early bird deadline (€ 4,000 discount): 30 November 2022
- Early bird deadline (€ 2,000 discount): 31 March 2023
- Final application and scholarship deadline: 30 June 2023
Courses offered:
-
- Statistics & Econometrics
- Financial Statement Analysis
- Foundations of Finance
- Macro- & Monetary Economics
- Financial Products and Modelling
- Data Analytics & Machine Learning in Finance
- Risk Management
- Corporate Finance & Valuation
10. Skema Business School
Location: France
The MSc in Financial Markets & Investments is a market-driven finance program that closely mirrors the world of international finance’s ever-changing landscape. A practical approach is used in the teaching and curriculum. Students will be given the option to study at three locations with five specializations. The specializations are taught in three distinct campuses:
-
- Trading, Structuring & Portfolio Management related courses in Sophia Antipolis
- Asset Management track and Investment Banking track in Paris
- Financial Analysis track and the CFA® preparation track in Raleigh (+ OPT visa to insert in US/Wall Street).
The program provides two options, either you get enrolled for 1 year or 2 years.
Tuition:
-
- MSc in one year: Financial Markets & Investments: € 25,000
- MSc in 2 years: Financial Markets & Investments:: € 38,000
Application requirements:
Requirements – Two-Year
-
- Three-year university degree or equivalent.
Requirements – MSc (one-year):
-
- Students who hold a four-year university degree or equivalent + two months minimum of professional experience
- English language test required for all students
- GMAT/GRE is not mandatory. However, a good score strengthens the application.
The courses are offered based on campus location and the tracks.
For the investment banking track on the Paris campus, the courses are the following:
-
- Firm Credit Ratings
- Fintechs & Blockchain: a Practical View
- Basel & Banking Regulation Outlook
- CIB Job Market Coaching
- Equity Research & Practice
- IPOs Simulation (Amplifying Technology)
- Corporate Equity Derivatives – Financial Engineering
- Equity & Debt Capital Market
- Fixed Income Management
- Investment Valuation
- Excel Valuation Case Studies
- Private Equity/LBO Training
- M&A and Restructuring
- Post Merger Integration
- Strategic Asset-Liability Management
- Leveraged Finance – Project Finance
- Investment Bank Job Training
- Deal & Negotiation Training
11. Rotterdam School of Management: Erasmus University
Location: Netherlands
Rotterdam School of Management: Erasmus University provides a master’s program in finance and investments. The program will give hands-on experience and essential knowledge for financial day-to-day operations while preparing for positions in various industries, such as for financial institutions, corporations, consultancy firms, your own start-up, a government project, or an NGO. From September through December, a core of corporate finance, valuation, investments, financial modeling, and ethics modules are taught by some of Europe’s most prestigious scholars in the field. From January to June, you can tailor your electives as well as your master thesis topic to fit your professional goals. The school is ranked 23rd based on finance master’s rankings 2020.
The duration of the program is 1 year.
Tuition: $18,700
The application opens on the 1st of October, 2021.
Application requirements:
-
- Bachelor’s Degree
- Relevant courses during previous education
- GMAT+GPA
- English Proficiency at C1 level
Core courses:
-
- Corporate Finance
- Valuation
- Investments
- Financial Modelling and analysis
12. Essec Business School
Location: France and Singapore
A Master’s in Finance is a good foundation for pursuing a degree in either Paris or Singapore. Based on career statistics there is a nearly 100% probability to find a job 3 months after graduation. The school is ranked 4th by Financial Times. Potential students who want to pursue a career in Corporate Finance, Financial Markets, FinTech, Asset and Portfolio Management, Risk Management, and occupy positions in investment banks can take advantage of the variety of options provided by the university. Students will also be involved in major trips to New York, London, and Hong Kong and be recruited by the world’s top companies, such as Ardian, Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, Barclays, Goldman Sachs, and J.P. Morgan. There are three tracks offered that are Corporate Finance (in Paris and Singapore campuses), Financial Markets (in Paris and Singapore campuses), and FinTech and Analytics (in Singapore campus).
The duration is 1 or 2 years depending on the degree of the applicant.
Tuition:
Completing in 2 years
Master 1 (M1)
-
- France: € 12,500
- Singapore: SGD 20,700
Master 2 (M2)
-
- France: € 24,500
- Singapore: SGD 40,400
Completing in 1 year
Master 2 (M2)
-
- France: €24,500
- Singapore: SGD 40,400
Application deadlines:
-
- Round 1: Mid October 2022
- Round 2: Beginning of January 2023
- Round 3: Beginning of March 2023
- Round 4: End of April 2023 (TBC)
Application requirements:
-
- GMAT/GRE/CAT/Tage-Mage/TOEFL/IELTS/Cambridge/TOEIC
- Curriculum Vitae
- Motivation Letter
- Degree(s) obtained
- Transcripts/Grade Sheets
- 2 x Recommendations
- 1 Management Test
- 1 English Test
Core courses (track courses are not included):
-
- Programming in Python
- Management Control
- Strategic Cost Management
- Sustainability Performance
- Macroeconomic Theory and Development
- Corporate Financial Management
- Financial Markets
- Options
- Programming in Python
- Big Data Analytics
- International Finance
13. University College Dublin
Location: Ireland
This program will provide an advanced expert knowledge as well as a practical understanding of finance theory and practice as it applies to the financial services industry. Students will acquire all the necessary theoretical and practical knowledge and skills to successfully become a professional afterward. This includes jobs in investment banks, commercial banks, fund management, insurance companies, securitization and trading houses. The program is a top 50 ranked program by the Financial Times. After 6 months of graduation, there is an 88% chance of becoming employed. Students can also choose between full-time and part-time studies.
The duration of the full-time program: 12 months
The duration of the part-time program: 24 months
Tuition:
-
- Fees Full-Time EU: € 19,000 (academic year 2023/2024)
- Full-Time Non-EU: € 26,140 (academic year 2023/2024)
- Part-Time EU: € 9,500 per year (academic year 2023/2024)
- Part-Time Non-EU: € 13,070 per year (academic year 2023/2024)
Application requirements:
-
- Transcripts and original documents
- CV
- English language test
- References
Applications are assessed on a rolling basis.
Courses:
-
- Capital Markets and Instruments
- Derivative Securities
- Financial Analysis
- Financial Econometrics
- Financial Theory
- Quantitative Methods for Finance
- Banking and Financial Institutions
- Empirical Corporate Finance
- Portfolio and Risk Management
- Equity Asset Valuation
14. Grenoble School of Business
Location: France
MSc Finance is ranked 16th worldwide, 13th in Europe, and 6th in France by the Financial Times. The school has four campuses – Paris, Grenoble, Berlin, and Singapore. The MSc in Finance program’s aim is to offer graduates with advanced knowledge of finance and to prepare them for positions in banking, financial services, or corporate finance through an understanding of the strategic impacts of financial decisions. Topics such as corporate finance, financial management, and financial markets are fully covered by the time of graduation. Three specializations are available, which are Quantitative Finance, Investment Banking, and Financial Management.
Duration: 1 year on campus, the final management project can be completed online.
Tuition:
-
- Regular track (per year): 13 450 € (Grenoble campus)
- Short Track (full program): 19 750 € (Paris, Grenoble and Singapore campus)
Application requirements:
-
- Bachelor-level undergraduate degree in any subject
- Fluency in English (TOEFL/IELTS/Cambridge English/Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE-A)/Duolingo English Test)
- Quantitative proficiency is required for this program. This can be demonstrated by one of the following:
-
- Academic transcripts from a prior degree very good performance in a top-ranked university or business school
- CFA® level 1 / GMAT/ GRE
-
The application comes on a first come, first serve basis.
2021 academic intakes
-
- May 20, 2021
- June 03, 2021
- June 17, 2021
- July 01, 2021
- July 15, 2021 (last submission date – Grenoble campus students requiring a visa depending on your country)
- July 29, 2021
- August 12, 2021
- August 26, 2021
Core courses:
-
- Introduction Session
- The Fundamentals of Finance
- Mastering Financial Management
- Advanced Finance
- Capstone Course
In this article, we set out to cover everything you need to know before planning to apply for a master’s in finance program. The 14 schools on this list are perfect for achieving a European dream and becoming a multinational professional with diverse areas of expertise. Exposure to the contemporary world of finance will undoubtedly become handy when choosing a career or industry. In this way, it will become easier to find your desired school with all your preferences. There are abundant opportunities to choose from and you have all the information you need to make a decision and stride towards a better future in Europe.
Contributor: Ruzanna Mirzoyan