Master’s in Finance

• Discovery Week 

1st Semester  

• Mandatory Courses 
• Elective Courses
• Study Trips 
• Modules 
• Career Development Program - Mastering Your Career 
• Mentoring Program 
• Conferences, Meeting with Alumni, Networking Events, Business Forum 
   

2nd Semester

• Modules 
• Elective Courses
• Study Trips 
• Conferences, Meeting with Alumni, Networking Events, Business Forum 

• Work Project 
• Conferences, Meeting with Alumni, Networking Events, Business Forum 

• Corporate Finance 
• Empirical Methods for Finance 
• Financial Modeling 
• Investments 

Corporate Finance

Develop the analytical and practical skills needed for a career in investment banking, private equity, venture capital, auditing, or financial consulting. This specialization combines strong technical foundations with strategic insight, preparing you to make high-impact financial decisions.

Financial Markets

Deepen your understanding of financial markets and prepare for a career in investment banking, asset management, or portfolio risk management. This specialization combines financial theory with practical applications, helping you interpret market behavior and make informed investment decisions.

*Please take note of the following: 
— Students can qualify for only one area of expertise, but it is not mandatory for students to choose one.  
— Areas of Expertise and respective courses might be subject to change from one academic year to the next.  
— Each Area of Expertise has Core courses that you must complete, as well as a list of Elective Courses from which you can choose.  
— You need a total of 21 ECTS to obtain the Area of Expertise mentioned on the final MSc Certificate.  
— Students may attend elective courses from other master’s programs (up to 10.5 ECTS) subject to availability. 

— Some courses might not be offered every academic year. 

Discover some of the most popular electives:

• Advanced Financial Transactions in M&A
• Applied Corporate Finance
• Asset Management
• Corporate Valuation
• Financial Statement Analysis
• Fintech Ventures
• Impact Investments
• Introduction to Programming
• Private Equity

Explore the program brochure to learn more about all available options.

Each program has two compulsory modules to be completed by students:

• Ethics
• Sustainability

As part of the degree requirement, students must carry out a work project (thesis) in their final semester. There are three formats available: 

Field Lab 

Students focus on a specific theme or topic of more applied nature to propose solutions to solve an existing local real-world problem in a specific setting (group setting). 

• In pairs: Equity Research & Private Equity Challenge
• In groups: Business in Practice & Consulting Project
• Individual: Case Study

Project Based Learning

A dynamic learning methodology where students work in groups (3 to 5 students) through active exploration of real challenges or problems for a real-life organization. Students will be part of an interdisciplinary team (supported by mentors, partners, and a Nova SBE advisor).

Directed Research Internship 

Students carry out a problem-based issue to help address an identifiable problem in a company setting relevant to the course of study. 

Directed Research* 

Students showcase their knowledge and expertise by investigating a research problem of scientific nature in a relevant area of interest. 

* This format is generally reserved for those intending on pursuing their studies 

Mastering Your Career (MYC) is a mandatory Master's graduation requirement, worth 2 ECTS. It offers a valuable opportunity to expand learning beyond the classroom and empowers students to make the most of their journey at Nova School of Business & Economics.

Grading is based upon the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) a grading scale developed to facilitate the understanding and comparison of grades given according to different national systems.  

We did the math for you, and the awarding of ECTS grades per curriculum component breaks down as follows: 

21 ECTS 
in Mandatory Courses 

2 ECTS 
In Mastering Your Career Activities 

35 ECTS 
in Elective Courses (minimum) 

2 ECTS 
in Skills Accelerator Modules

30 ECTS 
in the Work Project 

90 ECTS in total to graduate 

You need a minimum of 90 ECTS to complete your Master's, but if you need 120 ECTS to proceed with your studies, you can extend your Master's by one semester with elective courses (30 ECTS).

Raise your academic profile with the CFA® Institute Research Challenge

Each year, Nova SBE enters the CFA® Institute Research Challenge annual global competition, which provides students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis, report writing, and presentation skills. This truly international challenge receives applications from more than 5000 students from over 1000 universities.

By participating in the CFA® Research Challenge, students have the possibility to use it as a foundation to develop their final Work Project, namely by doing an Equity Research project. ​Teams will be composed of four to five students who will defend the thesis together.

Become one of the leaders of tomorrow with the CMA® certification (Certified Management Accountant).

Nova SBE is part of IMA’s Higher Education Endorsement Program, which is a valuable addition to the Master’s in Finance student’s CV, when looking to pursue a successful career in management accounting and beyond.

IMA’s Higher Education Endorsement Program represents a stamp of excellence to our Master’s in Finance curricular content and gives students the chance to apply for the IMA® Student Leadership Experience Program, which is an exclusive benefit for Endorsed schools.

IMA’s globally-recognized CMA® program is a relevant assessment of advanced accounting and financial management knowledge in areas such as financial planning, analysis, control, and decision support – each of which is increasingly critical in meeting the changing needs of business, and therefore, essential learning for students of accounting and finance.

Each year, Nova SBE, and IMA (Institute of Management Accountants) will make available five scholarships that cover the costs of the CMA® program. To find out more about this scholarship, check this page.