Master of Science in Finance
How to apply
Admission conditions
We require our students entering the programme to hold one of the following:
- A Bachelor degree issued by a Swiss university.
- A Bachelor degree from a Swiss university of applied sciences with a solid track record.
- A Bachelor degree issued by a non-Swiss recognised university.
To apply for the programme, you must hold a Bachelor degree or be about to complete it. You must also have a good command of English. Your application will be reviewed by an admissions committee.
Students who hold a Bachelor degree in finance, economics or management from a Swiss university are directly admitted.
Students who hold a Bachelor degree in another field providing evidence of prior university studies in finance, economics or management deemed sufficient can apply.
Students who hold a Bachelor degree in finance, economics, management or a related field from a Swiss university of applied sciences are admitted conditionally following successful completion of a one-semester (30 ECTS) bachelor-level pre-programme in economics.
Fast track programme for student excellence: students who hold a Bachelor degree in finance, economics or management from a Swiss university of applied sciences with an average grade of at least 5.00 can apply for direct admission.
Students with a non-Swiss Bachelor degree in finance, economics, management or a related field can apply.
Depending on qualifications and grades, students are either admitted directly or may be asked to complete a one-semester (30 ECTS) or two-semester (60 ECTS) bachelor-level pre-programme. If accepted conditionally, students start the MScF programme following the successful completion of either one of these pre-programmes.
Enrolment
Please go to the page Registration and Conditions for all the details regarding:
- Eligibility for university studies
- Master degree admission and application deadlines
- Administrative fees
- Online enrolment
- Application form
- Application form for students who have a Bachelor degree from the UniNE.
Fees and expenses
- CHF 515 per semester for Swiss residents
- CHF 790 per semester for non-Swiss residents
- See details on the page « Expenses ».
Frequently asked questions
Admission questions
Your application is reviewed in less than a month after your application.
No, these tests are not required.
Yes. However, you need to have your bachelor degree before the programme starts.
The same as the normal application. If your application was rejected, do not reapply unless you obtained another diploma in the meantime.
General programme questions
Beyond high scientific standards, the programme is designed to prepare and facilitate the transition to the finance professions.
The first semester concentrates on core courses in the foundations of modern finance, accounting, quantitative methods and economics. After the first semester, the small number of students allows interactive teaching and team work to solve case studies and projects.
The programme has a strong focus on financial analysis, asset valuation and portfolio management so that it is tailored to take the CFA exams. These professional exams are highly valuable and recognized all over the world.
The Master is part of the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program. This status is granted to institutions whose programme incorporates at least 70% of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge, which provides you with a solid grounding to sit for the CFA exams.
Yes, upon request and in exceptional cases such as employment or child care. Approval of the director of the MScF is mandatory.
No.
Our goal is to admit around 30 students every year.
Credits transfers obtained in other master programmes are limited to elective courses. They are reviewed case by case.
Every year, some students decide to write a PhD thesis at the Institute of Financial Analysis in Neuchatel. Elective courses with strong theoretical foundations, either in Neuchâtel or at other Swiss universities, facilitate the enrolment in a PhD programme.
Internship and employment
Many students complete an internship between two semesters.
If certain conditions are fulfilled, students can earn 3 ECTS for completing an internship report.
It is also possible to write an internship thesis instead of a research thesis during the fourth semester. The internship thesis is a project completed under the guidance of a company and allows to earn 30 ECTS if a student signs up for the extended 120 ECTS Master in Finance.
It is not possible to guarantee internships, because by Swiss law these have to be based on individual contracts between the student and a company.
In our experience, good students from Switzerland and the EU comfortably find internships in Switzerland. Non-EU students have to consider additional administrative burdens and constraints from their visa. It is also possible to do internships in another country than Switzerland.
The median is CHF 80’000 when hired and CHF 100’000 after three year for Alumni working in Switzerland.
