MSc in Accounting & Finance: Audit & Financial Control vs Consultancy & Deals Advisory
Compare EDHEC's MSc in Accounting & Finance concentrations: Audit & Financial Control vs Consultancy & Deals Advisory, and choose your ideal career path.
The MSc in Accounting & Finance at EDHEC is designed to prepare students for a wide range of careers across finance, accounting, and advisory. A key feature of the programme is the choice between two concentrations: Audit and Financial Control and Consultancy and Deals Advisory. Both concentrations share a common foundation before following a structured path that allows students to develop focused expertise aligned with their career goals.
At a glance: Career outcomes by concentration
| Job Function | Concentration | Employer |
|---|---|---|
| Audit, Accounting and related functions | Audit and Financial Control | Big Four or other audit/accounting firms’ sponsored graduate programmes |
| Transactions & Advisory Services | Audit and Financial Control or Consultancy and Deals Advisory | Big Four or other audit/accounting or advisory firms’ sponsored graduate programmes |
| Financial Analysis, Equity & Debt Research | Audit and Financial Control or Consultancy and Deals Advisory | CFA / Investment banks or financial firms’ sponsored graduate programmes |
| M&A Advisory Services and related functions | Consultancy and Deals Advisory | Investment banks or advisory/financial firms’ sponsored graduate programmes |
| Financial reporting, controlling and Investor Relations functions | Audit and Financial Control | CMA or Big Four or other audit/accounting firms’ sponsored graduate programmes |
| Family Office and Asset management related functions | Audit and Financial Control or Consultancy and Deals Advisory | CFA / CAIA / Investment banks or financial firms’ sponsored graduate programmes |
| Financial Advisory, Tax, Business Development and related functions | Audit and Financial Control or Consultancy and Deals Advisory | Big Four or other audit/accounting or advisory firms’ sponsored graduate programmes |
Audit and Financial Control: building expertise in reporting and performance
The Audit and Financial Control concentration is designed for students who want to work at the heart of financial reporting and oversight. It focuses on how organisations produce, structure, and control financial information. Students develop strong technical foundations through courses such as audit and internal control, international accounting, business performance management, and international law and tax. This concentration prepares students for environments where reliability, compliance, and financial transparency are critical.
Career opportunities include:
- Audit and accounting
- Financial controlling and reporting
- Investor relations
- Financial analysis
It is a natural path for students aiming to join audit firms or corporate finance functions in structured roles.
Consultancy and Deals Advisory: developing skills for transactions and advisory
The Consultancy and Deals Advisory concentration is aimed at students interested in financial transactions and advisory roles. Here, the focus shifts from reporting to action. Students learn how to analyse opportunities, support deals, and contribute to strategic financial decisions through courses such as mergers and acquisitions, financial modelling, transaction services, and project management. The concentration also places strong emphasis on applied learning through business cases and consulting-oriented work.
Career opportunities include:
- M&A advisory
- Transaction services
- Financial consulting
- Equity and debt research
This concentration is particularly well suited to students targeting fast-paced, deal-driven environments.
A structured concentration aligned with your career goals
The MSc in Accounting & Finance follows a structured approach to specialisation. Students are asked to indicate their preferred concentration. Each concentration comes with a predefined set of courses designed to ensure consistency and depth.
Applicants' concentration choice is reviewed by the Admission Committee, which makes a recommendation to Programme Director Moïse Louisy-Louis, based on each applicant's career goals and profile. This approach ensures that the chosen path aligns with the student’s track record and professional career project.
Two paths, one objective
Both concentrations share the same ambition: to prepare students for demanding roles in finance. The difference lies in how that goal is achieved.
- Audit and Financial Control focuses on mastering financial information, ensuring its accuracy, and supporting organisational performance.
- Consultancy and Deals Advisory focuses on using financial expertise to analyse situations, advise clients, and execute transactions.
Choosing between them is less about preference for courses and more about the type of career you want to build.
