MSc in Finance and Economics

M2: Financial Economics track 

Curriculum

The Financial Economics track of the Master of Science in Finance and Economics targets students who seek to gain expertise in decision making combining economic and financial knowledge with statistical, econometric and data analytic methods. It offers the necessary skills for a successful start of a career in consulting and policy analysis in the financial and banking industry, or in the public sector including ministries, central banks, statistical offices or international organizations.  

The Financial Economics track is divided into the following four modules across which students will develop in-depth knowledge in areas including econometrics and programming, program evaluation, banking and finance, economic modelling and data analytics, as well as the application of this knowledge to different contexts.

1. Financial Economics module (core courses in Semester 3)

• Econometrics III (STATA)
• Programming in R and applications
• Advanced Microeconomics of Banking
• Survey data in the fields of Economics and Finance
• Impact Evaluator

2. Special Topics in Finance and Economics (optional courses common to all tracks in Semester 3)

3. Special Topics in Finance and Economics (optional courses common to all tracks in Semester 4)

4. Internship and Applied Master Thesis, or an Academic Master Thesis

Students are given the option to complete either an internship with an Applied Master Thesis, or an Academic Master Thesis.

• Internship and Applied Master Thesis: Students do an internship within the public or private sector for a minimum duration of 12 weeks (with the option to negotiate a longer placement depending on the availability of the student and hosting company/institution). Each student has to submit an Applied Master Thesis. The topic of this thesis is coordinated between the student, an academic supervisor and the company supervisor. The Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance provides some support to students in obtaining a placement as well as drawing up internship contracts between the hosting institution and the student.
• Academic Master Thesis: Topics for the academic master thesis are coordinated together with the programme director and thesis supervisor. The Master thesis is an independent piece of research that should showcase a thorough understanding of the chosen topic as well as the appropriate research methodology. 

Learning outcomes

• Acquire advanced interdisciplinary knowledge within the academic field;
• Develop detailed understanding of a range of econometric and programming techniques, economic theory and policy making, the working of financial markets and institutions, and further aspects of financial economics;
• Develop skills and tools to analyse problems and identify appropriate solutions based on well-founded scientific knowledge of theories, methods and instruments of the field;
• Gain critical thinking, ability to work independently and communicate on the subject using terminology, language and expressions of the field;
• Gain exposure to the financial sector and offer opportunities for professional networking.

Prerequisite

Successful completion of the first year (M1) of the MSc in Finance and Economics or any other equivalent MSc programme.

Employability

We are training highly skilled and employable graduates: 83,33% of past year cohort is currently employed! Discover the career paths of our former students with our employability survey.