Master of Science programme in Finance

The programme prepares students for advanced work within the field of Finance, both in the private and public sectors. This includes, for example, careers in commercial and investment banking, asset management, corporate finance, financial consulting, risk management, financial regulation, and supervisory authorities. In addition, the programme provides a solid foundation for students who wish to pursue further studies in finance.

The programme aims to develop critical thinking and advanced analytical skills that enable students to identify, analyse, and resolve complex real-world and theoretical financial problems. It seeks to extend students’ knowledge of the main areas of financial decision-making and to provide a thorough understanding of the principles, models, and methods that underpin modern finance. The programme is based on the principle that advanced higher education should be research driven and characterised by academic rigour, with a strong emphasis on the effective use of quantitative methods, financial theory, and empirical analysis.

Furthermore, the programme provides students with an integrated understanding of financial markets, firms, and investors, and of how risk, return, valuation, and incentives interact in a global financial system. Students are introduced to central research areas and methods in finance and trained to combine theory and data in the evaluation of financial decisions and policies. Issues related to sustainability, regulation, and responsible financial practice are addressed where relevant, with the objective of preparing graduates to contribute professionally and thoughtfully to the development and functioning of modern financial markets and organisations.

General Entrance Requirements 

A Bachelor's degree (equivalent to a Swedish kandidatexamen) from an internationally recognized university and English 6/English B from Swedish upper secondary school or the equivalent level of an internationally recognized test.

Programme Specific Entrance Requirements 

A) The applicant’s university education must include:

i) a minimum of 30 credits in Economics which must include 7.5 credits in Microeconomics

ii) a minimum of 12 credits in Finance

iii) a minimum of 15 credits in Statistics, or 7.5 credits in Statistics and 7.5 credits in Quantitative methods and/or Mathematics

or

B) The applicant’s university education must include at least a Bachelor’s Degree (i.e. the equivalent of 180 credits) in Mathematics or in an Engineering programme with a quantitative or mathematical orientation.

The admission requirements listed above apply for admission to the programme. For continued studies within the programme individual courses might have specific requirements, as provided in each course syllabus.

This programme leads to a Degree of Master of Science (60 credits) with a major in Finance (magisterexamen med huvudområdet finans).

The programme covers two academic terms of full-time study (60 credits) including core courses (45 credits) and a Master Degree Project (thesis writing, 15 credits).

Language of instruction is English.

Programme structure and courses 

Semester 1

Period 1: Quantitative Methods for Financial Modeling, 7.5 credits (core)

Period 2: Financial Strategy and Value Creation, 7.5 credits (core)

Period 3: Financial Markets: Portfolio Decisions and Pricing, 7.5 credits (core)

Period 4: Programming for Finance, 7.5 credits (core)

Semester 2

Period 1: Empirical Finance: Methods and Applications, 7.5 credits (core)

Period 2: Advanced Topics in Finance, 7.5 credits (core)

Period 3-4: Degree Project in Finance, 15 credits (core)

For a Degree of Master (60 credits) the student shall:

Knowledge and understanding

• demonstrate knowledge and understanding in the main field of study, including both an overview of the field and specialised knowledge in certain areas of the field as well as insight into current research and development work, and
• demonstrate specialised methodological knowledge in the main field of study.

Competence and skills

• demonstrate the ability to integrate knowledge and analyse, assess and deal with complex phenomena, issues and situations even with limited information
• demonstrate the ability to identify and formulate issues autonomously as well as to plan and, using appropriate methods, undertake advanced tasks within predetermined time frames
• demonstrate the ability in speech and writing to report clearly and discuss his or her conclusions and the knowledge and arguments on which they are based in dialogue with different audiences, and
• demonstrate the skills required for participation in research and development work or employment in some other qualified capacity.

Judgement and approach

• demonstrate the ability to make assessments in the main field of study informed by relevant disciplinary, social and ethical issues and also to demonstrate awareness of ethical aspects of research and development work
• demonstrate insight into the possibilities and limitations of research, its role in society and the responsibility of the individual for how it is used, and
• demonstrate the ability to identify the personal need for further knowledge and take responsibility for his or her ongoing learning.

Local outcome 

• demonstrate understanding of the connection between economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainability in relation to finance.

The study programme will be followed up and evaluated in accordance with the applicable Policy for the Quality Assurance and Continuous Quality Improvement of Education at the University of Gothenburg (Policy för kvalitetssäkring och kvalitetsutveckling av utbildning vid Göteborgs universitet).

Students admitted to the programme have guaranteed admission to all core courses within the programme according to the programme structure outlined in the programme syllabus, and given that the course requirements are fulfilled.