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Mastering the Future of Finance with EDHEC’s Master in Management, Finance track

Discover how EDHEC’s Master in Management, Finance track equips you with academic excellence and practical experience to master the future of finance and unlock career opportunities.

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16 Apr 2024

In the rapidly evolving world of finance, professionals who stand out are those equipped with academic excellence and practical experience. EDHEC's Master in Management - Finance track fully addresses this demand, offering a programme that blends world-class academic learning with significant practical experience making it highly valued in the financial industry.

From financial analysis and corporate finance to banking and financial markets, the programme provides exposure to different areas of finance before allowing students to specialise through an MSc Finance pathway in their final academic year.

Gain insights into the programme’s structure, benefits, and the unique opportunities it presents, guided by insights from Professor Laurent Deville, Programme Director, and the experience of Lorenzo Perlini, a student of the Master in Management, Finance track.

Introduction to EDHEC’s Master in Management - Finance track

EDHEC’s Master in Management - Finance track, taught by distinguished faculty and industry experts, is designed to help you achieve your career goals. It opens the door to a wide range of careers in finance. Upon graduation, you will be equipped with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills essential to navigate the complexities of the finance industry.

“The Master in Management - Finance track combines a 2-year academic education with a year of professional immersion. It is a unique programme because you will study Finance from day one! It begins with a foundational year, focusing on giving you a 360-degree view of finance. This comprehensive approach ensures graduates are well-informed in both corporate and market finance, equipped with managerial skills, and skilled in applying tools and knowledge to real-world situations. Upon graduation, you will earn a French Master degree, fully accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education in France, and an MSc degree, which is the specialisation you will choose for the last year of your education.

You will have the chance to study on EDHEC’s Nice campus, located between the sea and mountains, and enjoy the beautiful weather of the Côte d’Azur. It is a campus fully dedicated to finance with a Bloomberg Trading room, data sets, specific library, a Career Centre with a team specialised in finance, a finance research centre, etc. It is just an amazing place to learn Finance.” Professor Laurent Deville

For students comparing postgraduate finance courses or considering an MSc Finance, this combination of broad foundations, professional immersion and subsequent specialisation provides a progressive route from finance fundamentals to advanced study.

Explore the Master in Management, Finance track’s Structure

Year 1: Building a strong foundation for finance leaders

The first year is dedicated to developing a large understanding of finance. It covers managerial toolkits, cognitive tools like financial econometrics with Python, and insights into the future of finance, including fintech and climate finance. This foundational year prepares you for different areas of finance, ensuring you develop a broad skill set before choosing a specialisation.

“While some of you may already have a clear career path in mind, preferences can change. Our goal is to offer a broad overview that lays the foundation for a successful career in finance. This general perspective is crucial, even for those intending to specialise, as it will help master the content of your chosen area of focus and go beyond the basics.

Additionally, we offer electives designed to broaden your understanding or allow you to focus deeper into a particular interest. After the first year (Master 1), you will be well-prepared to enter the industry, taking on selective internships in France and abroad, which further your professional development.” Professor Laurent Deville

Lorenzo Perlini shares how the Master 1 of the Master in Finance Management fully prepared him to go into the professional immersion year: “In my experience, I was provided all the necessary information and skills to excel. The academic content laid a solid foundation, and the Career Centre played a crucial role in refining my application. They offered invaluable advice for excelling in interviews and organised mock interviews, which were tailored to the specific field I was applying to. This comprehensive approach significantly boosted my confidence and preparedness for the professional world.”

Year 2: Professional immersion and real-world application

A distinguishing feature of the programme is the year of professional immersion, allowing you to apply your academic knowledge in a real-world environment through two six-month internships.

This period gives students an opportunity to explore different areas of finance in practice and can help inform their choice of specialisation in the final academic year. Depending on their professional interests and internship opportunities, students can gain exposure to the types of environments found across banking, financial markets, corporate finance and other parts of the financial sector.

“The gap year is indubitably the most important step of the programme: for most students - including myself - it represented the first real chance to shine in the job market. It is first of all an opportunity to practically learn how to apply in a concrete way the theoretical knowledge acquired in class, and, secondly, the best way we have to understand what we really like to do “outside school”. Lorenzo Perlini

Year 3: Specialisation – Tailor your expertise

In the final year, you will choose from our four Master of Science to gain additional skills in your chosen field – Accounting and Finance, Corporate Finance and Banking, Financial Engineering, International Finance, and Climate Change & Sustainable Finance. This MSc in Finance specialisation year allows students to build more advanced expertise after developing their broader finance foundations and gaining professional experience.

“All MSc programmes share the same core MiM component on one side - regulation and ethics in finance, sustainable finance, strategic leadership and research methodology courses and specialised courses on the other side. Focus will there be given on content delivering advanced knowledge in Financial Analysis, Valuation, Quantitative Finance or Climate and Sustainable Finance, without being fully exclusive to specialisations.” Explains Professor Laurent Deville

Each MSc is designed to meet different career aspirations, ensuring that you are job-ready and able to excel in your chosen field.

“The gap year followed by the specialisation year really enabled me to secure a position in a Graduate Program before graduation.” Lorenzo Perlini

What do you learn in a Master of Finance?

A Master of Finance or MSc in Finance can cover a range of subjects depending on the programme and specialisation. Within EDHEC’s Master in Management - Finance track, students begin by developing a 360-degree understanding of finance before moving towards more specialised study.

The programme covers corporate and market finance alongside managerial skills and tools. During the first year, students study areas including financial econometrics with Python, fintech and climate finance. In the specialisation year, the curriculum can include advanced knowledge in financial analysis, valuation, quantitative finance, regulation and ethics, sustainable finance, strategic leadership and research methodology.

This combination helps students understand different areas of finance while developing analytical and practical skills that can be applied in professional settings.

The EDHEC experience: Beyond the classroom

EDHEC Business School's Master in Management - Finance track is more than just an academic programme. It is an ecosystem designed to foster professional growth and network building. With its comprehensive curriculum, international exposure, real-world experience, a dedicated Career Centre, and specialised career services, you will be well-prepared to enter the competitive finance industry successfully.

The Nice campus is dedicated to finance and, as Professor Laurent Deville explains, provides access to resources including a Bloomberg Trading room, data sets, a library, a finance-focused Career Centre and a finance research centre. Alongside academic study, internships and interaction with faculty and industry experts can also contribute to students’ professional development and network.

Want to know more about our Master in Management – Finance track? Watch the replay of the Info Session available on our on-demand videos webpage

FAQs

A master’s degree in finance can prepare graduates for a wide range of careers across the financial sector. Depending on their skills, experience and chosen specialisation, career paths can include financial analysis, risk management, investment banking, asset management, portfolio management and corporate finance.

EDHEC’s programme combines academic study with a year of professional immersion, helping students apply their knowledge and explore potential career paths before completing their specialisation. The programme information also identifies roles such as financial analyst, finance director, chief financial officer, risk analyst and risk manager.

Career outcomes ultimately depend on factors including a graduate’s specialisation, professional experience, individual profile and the opportunities available in their target market.

A finance master’s can be academically demanding because students may need to work with quantitative methods, financial concepts and analytical tools while developing an understanding of complex financial markets and business decisions.

At EDHEC Business School, the MiM - Finance track is structured progressively. Students first build a broad foundation in finance, including managerial tools and financial econometrics with Python, before undertaking professional immersion year and moving into an MSc specialisation.

The level of difficulty will naturally vary according to a student’s academic background, quantitative skills and familiarity with finance. Rather than assuming the same level of difficulty for every student, prospective applicants should review the curriculum and entry requirements to assess how closely the programme matches their background and objectives.

The right master’s degree after a bachelor’s in finance depends primarily on the area of finance in which you want to develop deeper expertise.

Students who want to continue in finance can consider postgraduate finance courses that provide either broad advanced training or a more focused specialisation. Within EDHEC’s Master in Management - Finance track, the final academic year provides specialisation options in Accounting and Finance, Corporate Finance and Banking, Financial Engineering, International Finance, and Climate Change & Sustainable Finance.

Students should therefore consider their preferred career path, the skills they want to develop and the areas of finance that interest them when comparing MSc in Finance options.

EDHEC's Finance Management programme is designed to provide a blend of academic excellence and practical experience. It offers students a comprehensive understanding of financial principles and real-world applications through internships and professional immersion.

This approach ensures that students are well-prepared to meet business objectives and excel in various financial management functions. This programme also integrates proficiency in accounting principles, making it a holistic learning experience.

The Master in Finance programme at EDHEC equips students with skills in financial analysis, risk management, investment strategies, and financial decision-making. It also focuses on developing managerial and leadership abilities. EDHEC's curriculum covers essential topics in finance and risk management, preparing students for roles such as risk analysts and risk managers. Students also gain an understanding of strategic planning and capital structure, which are crucial for effective finance management.

EDHEC offers several specialised postgraduate courses and Master’s programmes in finance, allowing students to choose according to their career interests. Its MSc portfolio includes programmes in International Finance, Corporate Finance & Banking, Accounting & Finance, Financial Engineering, and Climate Change & Sustainable Finance. Students can therefore explore areas ranging from corporate finance and banking to financial markets, quantitative finance and sustainable finance.

EDHEC’s MSc in Corporate Finance & Banking is designed for students interested in corporate finance and banking. The curriculum develops expertise in areas such as corporate finance, financial analysis and valuation. This type of specialisation is particularly relevant for students who want to understand how companies make financing and investment decisions and develop skills applicable to corporate finance and banking careers.

Yes. The MSc in Corporate Finance & Banking is specifically built to prepare graduates for banking-related roles, including investment banking, corporate banking, private equity, and financial advisory services. According to the programme's Academic Director, Hamid Boustanifar, the curriculum is closely tied to industry, including a partnership with Société Générale, and is designed to equip students with the skills needed for demanding banking and finance careers.

Financial analysis helps professionals assess the financial position and performance of a company or investment. It can involve analysing financial statements, evaluating performance, building financial models and using financial information to support investment or corporate decisions.

Developing financial analysis skills can therefore be relevant to a wide range of finance careers, including corporate finance, investment and banking.

Students comparing postgraduate finance courses may also consider whether they want an on-campus or online MSc. The programme described here is based on EDHEC’s Nice campus, which Professor Laurent Deville describes as a campus dedicated to finance. The supplied programme information does not state that the Master in Management - Finance track is available as an online MSc, so prospective students looking specifically for online study should check EDHEC’s current programme information for available study formats.