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Finance - Master's Programme

MSc in Finance | 1 year | 60 credits

A growth percentage on a screen

The Master’s programme in Finance prepares you for an international career in the financial services sector, e.g. in commercial and investment banking, insurance firms and supervisory authorities, and in finance functions in both private and public sector. Graduates from this programme have found work at financial and non-financial companies all over the world.


Description

This programme extends your knowledge of all major areas of financial decision-making. You will gain a thorough understanding of, and training in, effective identification, analysis and resolution of complex financial problems. The Master’s programme in Finance provides knowledge in both financial economics and corporate finance. Important objectives are to familiarise students with the main areas of investigation and research techniques used in finance, and to give you the general knowledge required to specialise in your preferred area of finance.

The programme is research-driven and based on the prin­ciple of academic rigour in practical application. You will learn advanced theoretical and empirical concepts in both financial econom­ics and corporate finance. We use case studies to help you practice what you learn. Thanks to our close connection to the business community the classes feature guest speakers from top management in financial firms on a regular basis.

The courses in the programme provide you with an understanding of the key areas balancing theoretical elements with applied and practical aspects related to the topics of the different courses. Sustainability issues, including issues related to business ethics, are key components of our courses, giving you the opportunity to reflect and discuss on the different roles of companies in society.

With a Master’s in Finance from a world class university you are well equipped to pursue a career in finance all over the world.

International Master Class

Students with exceptional study results during the first semester at this programme, may compete for seats at the International Master Class programme. An International Master Class is a highly competitive opportunity to go on an exchange semester after finishing your Master’s studies at LUSEM.

Top 50 in the Financial Times ranking

The finance programme is ranked 39th in the world in the Financial Times prestigious global ranking of the best Master’s in Finance 2022. The international financial paper sends questionnaires to the students who graduated three years ago, in which they have an opportunity to answer questions about what the study programme has meant for them, how their careers have taken off, what they have learned, to what extent they feel their studies paid off, etc. 

Accreditations and rankings

Bloomberg terminals

As a MSc Finance student you have access to extensive data resources, including Bloomberg terminals. You will be able to view live market data from across the world and use it to test how theoretical mathematical financial models stand up in practice.

Bloomberg is one of the leading providers of market data, news and analytical functions and is used globally in bank dealing rooms and investment houses.

Pre-programme career workshop

The Careers Centre provides guidance and advice to help you meet your career goals. During the academic year, the Careers Centre delivers a wide range of activities, for example, CV writing, interview preparation and networking skills.

As part of your orientation week, a half-day career workshop is run, especially tailored for the students of the MSc in Finance.

Double degree options

For selected students that deliver very good study results during the initial semester of the programme, double degree options with Emlyon Business School and University of Groningen will be offered. 

The programme at Emlyon business school takes place in Lyon and Paris with two learning trips abroad. Four specialisations are available for you to choose within the MSc in Finance at Emlyon. At the end of the programme you are invited to apply for an internship. No further thesis is required for the degree at Emlyon. The length of the programme is two semesters. 

After completing the Master’s in Finance (60 credits), you can take a third semester (30 credits of course work) at the University of Groningen, studying parts of their Master's in Finance programme. You do not need to write another thesis.

Contact

Master coordinator Economics
master [at] nek [dot] lu [dot] se (master[at]nek[dot]lu[dot]se)

Programme documents

In this high speed, high learning programme you will gain solid knowledge on the broad finance area. The programme comprises a total of 60 ECTS, consisting of seven compulsory courses covering theories, research methods, and applications in finance.  At the end of the year you apply your new skills and knowledge set in completing a degree project of 15 credits.  

This is a preliminary course list, and is intended as guidance only. The course list may be subject to change.

Autumn semester (September - October)

Beginning with a microeconomic foundation to finance, the course provides an in-depth analysis of portfolio choice and equilibrium pricing of financial assets.

Course code: NEKN81 | Download syllabus

The course covers statistical techniques that have immediate applications in finance. It is designed to equip students with relevant knowledge of methods for causal inference, time series analysis and machine learning. The focus is on the ability to apply the methods to finance problems.

Course code: NEKN96 | Download syllabus

Autumn semester (November - January)

The course provides an advanced, organised, comprehensive, and, in particular, applied coverage of corporate finance. Topics covered include capital, cash, and risk management, corporate governance and ownership, and corporate control and financial restructuring. Cases are used extensively to provide understanding of how to apply theory.

Course code: NEKN93 | Download syllabus

The course covers empirical models in finance. It begins with an overview of more advanced econometric techniques, such as maximum likelihood and GMM. The course then deals with applying econometric techniques to test financial models, such as tests of information efficiency, market microstructure models, event studies, asset pricing, and pricing of fixed income instruments.

Course code: NEKN82 | Download syllabus

Spring semester (January - March)

The course provides students with knowledge about corporate valuation. The Discounted Cash Flow-model and its practical applications are covered in depth. The course also deals with the multiples-based approach for valuation (relative valuation). Building on these frameworks, the course then covers corporate decision-making based on valuation principles. The course emphasizes skills in  Excel-modelling to support valuation. During the course, students complete a full valuation of a real-world company.

Course code: NEKN95 | Download syllabus

The course develops the students’ understanding of models for financial risk management and their ability to apply these models to real world problems. The course deals with topics such as the measurement and management of credit risk and Value-at-Risk, and the implications of the Basel regulations. The course also covers standard and complex derivative instruments in the markets and the application of these instruments for risk management. 

Course code: NEKN83 | Download syllabus

Spring semester (April - June)

In the project paper, students should display their ability to apply, compile, and advance knowledge and skills acquired during the previous courses. Through the project students should demonstrate their ability to identify, analyse, and solve financial problems and to evaluate, present, and document their results.

Course code: NEKN02 | Download syllabus

Personally, I have learned to think critically, to solve problems and to understand different finance related perspectives. The class is so diverse that I will have a network all over the world, in banking, corporate finance and consulting firms.

– Kathery Razo (Mexico)


Career opportunities

This is a programme for students who are aiming for a career in the finance industry, including portfolio management, investment banking, trading and security analysis, as well as advisory functions. Financial skills are also in demand by regulators and policy makers in the area of financial markets. The programme also prepares you for PhD studies in finance.

Recent graduates have found work at financial and nonfinancial companies such as the large Nordic banks, the big four consultancies, ABN Amro, Bloomberg, BNP Paribas, Fidelity Investments, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, Swiss Re, UBS, UniCredit, IBM, L’Oréal, Novo Nordisk and Siemens.


Programme requirements