Master of Science in Finance

The MScF is one of the top Master in Finance programmes in Switzerland. It provides you with excellent career opportunities through studying in small classes, acquiring practical knowledge of modern problem-solving techniques, and preparing for the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) and FRM (Financial Risk Manager) exams.

Profound. Practical. Personal

Profound: Our programme is profound and offers you excellent training in the tools sought by financial institutions, corporations and government agencies. The MScF is partner of the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program and the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP). This means that the programme covers a significant portion of the CFA and FRM curricula and ensures that you acquire up-to-date knowledge in finance.

Practical: The programme focuses on practical applications where you learn how to utilise modern methods in finance. You will solve real-life problems during hands-on exercises, computer-lab sessions, internships, or field projects. Meetups with practitioners and the CFA research challenge provide you direct exposure to the practical world.

Personal: Small classes allow for interactive teaching and teamwork presentations in a multicultural environment. Our campus is located in the heart of Switzerland right next to the beautiful lake of Neuchâtel – an ideal place to form the basis for your career in finance.

Programme presentation by Prof. Weigert

Employment

  • 87% of students found a full-time working position after three-months of graduation

Place of employment

  • Switzerland: 62% (Canton of Neuchâtel: 28%; other Swiss cantons: 34%)
  • World: 38%

Sectors

  • Banking, financial intermediation and insurance: 63%
  • Industry: 26%
  • Teaching, training and research: 7%
  • NGO: 4%

Graduates’ income (in CHF, full-time equivalent)

  • More than 50% of survey participants report that they are entitled to an annual salary of more than CHF 80’000 when they are hired.
  • More than 50% of survey participants report that they are entitled to an annual salary of more than CHF 100’000 after three years working in Switzerland.

Numbers are based on a survey of graduate students of the Master in Finance, 1-8 years after graduation.

Career opportunities

Students are trained for a broad range of financial positions: investment management, hedge funds, security analysis, corporate finance, venture capital and corporate restructuring, investment, commercial and retail banking, corporate planning, regulatory bodies, audit and consulting firms, investor relations, and finance within the public sector (central banks, governments and international organizations).

Past recruiters

  • Auditing and consulting firms: Collins Barrow, Deloitte, EY, KPMG, Maitland, Morningstar, PwC, Towers Watson
  • Banks: Banque Bonhôte, Banque Cantonale du Jura, Banque Cantonale Vaudoise, Crédit Suisse, HSBC, Lazard, Morgan Stanley, OCBC Bank, UBS, Vontobel
  • Corporate Finance: ASML, Autodesk, Cartier, eBay, Elsevier, Johnson & Johnson, Pepsico, Philip Morris, Swatch Group, Unilever
  • Governmental institutions: Finma, University of Neuchâtel
  • Investments: Aravis, Leonteq, Louis Dreyfus Commodities, Olympia Capital Management, SIG, SwissLife, TrendRrating

Are you fascinated by financial markets, have strong analytical skills and curious to explore state-of-the-art financial techniques?

Then the Master of Science in Finance programme might be the right choice for you. Every year, 30 – 40 students with an excellent Bachelor degree in economics, finance, management, or in the hard science (e.g., engineering, mathematics, and physics) join our programme. Over the past years, the class intake has been highly diverse with more than 60% of students showing an international (i.e., non-Swiss) background and more than 40% of our students being female.

  • Average age: 25
  • Average intake: 30-40
  • International students: 63%
  • Women: 41%​

Where did our international students obtain their Bachelor’s degree? A partial list of undergraduate institutions?

Athens University, Bocconi University, Hanoi University, Humboldt University Berlin, Istanbul University, Laval University, Lomonosov Moscow State University, London School of Economics, LUISS Guido Carli (Rome), New York University, Ohio State University, Shanghai University, University of Aberdeen, University of Bologna, University of Paris 12, University of Strasbourg, University of Verona, University of Tirana, University of Valencia, University of Vaasa

Previous degrees

  • Economics: 39%
  • Finance: 25%
  • Management: 19%
  • Other: 17%

Martin Grünenfelder, MScF 2023 

« I appreciated the setting in Neuchâtel with the small classes and interactive courses. We had highly dedicated professors who helped us acquiring both hard and soft skills. I was able to develop a deep knowledge in terms of financial markets, asset pricing theory, valuation, fixed income, and equity instruments. This prepared me well for my current job as a private banking relationship manager. Of course, the location close to the lake is a bonus as well. »

Laura Hutmacher, MScF 2022 

See the interview

Ceylin Negüzel, MScF 2022 

See the interview

Programme overview
Team
Career events
How to apply
Incoming students
Current students
CFA Institute Research Challenge
Prix ACBN

Contact

Institute of Financial Analysis
University of Neuchâtel
Rue A.-L. Breguet 2
2000 Neuchâtel

mscf@unine.ch
+41 32 718 13 50

Social Media

MScF

Student association

University of Neuchâtel Finance Association

Partnerships