We examine how the EDHEC MSc in Financial Engineering sets itself apart with its intense focus on market finance. Learn how this prestigious master’s shapes graduates for successful careers in global financial institutions.
In EDHEC Business School’s MSc in Financial Engineering, students will explore areas of finance that other finance programs simply don’t cover. Emmanuel Jurczenko, who is the Director of Graduate Finance Programs at EDHEC, says the program focuses on one area of finance in particular.
“This program is highly specialized,” he explains. “So the focus of this program is market finance. You have the competitors that are working with a generalist MSc in finance, this is not what we are doing. What we are doing is really focusing on the financial markets aspect.” (04:48)
Market finance encompasses the various venues and mechanisms through which securities, commodities, and other financial instruments are traded, and managed. The markets include stock exchanges, bond markets, and derivative markets, among others. Market finance plays a crucial role in allocating, capital, managing risks, and providing liquidity in the global economy.
Emmanuel adds that when you compare the EDHEC program to the competition, “it’s hard to find such deep coverage of market finance aspects.” And he may have a point. (00:12)
The core courses of the MSc focus on the concepts behind stocks, bonds, derivatives, and alternative investments. They also cover topics as varied as sustainable finance and risk management. EDHEC students also have a range of electives, including topics like algorithmic trading, hedge funds, and private equity.
Emmanuel says that he has a responsibility to deliver a program with a strong academic curriculum, which covers financial markets in great detail. But what’s also very important is giving students the best chance possible of finding the job they desire. Let’s take a look at how successful EDHEC are in achieving that goal.
The EDHEC program is not only highly specialized. It is also highly selective. And that means a strong academic record alone is not enough to get accepted at EDHEC.
Emmanuel and his admissions team are looking for well-rounded individuals with a passion for finance. He also cites intellectual curiosity, engagement, and a desire to contribute to the future of the finance industry as key characteristics of any applicant to the program.
When they put a class of students together with all of these attributes, EDHEC’s job is then to mold them into finance professionals who can make an impact all over the world. “The result is that for most of our graduates, they’re able to secure a top position in a very important financial institution. Either in Paris, Frankfurt, London, or New York,” adds Emmanuel. (10:08)
For such a specialized program, the MSc in Financial Engineering can lead to diverse career opportunities.
Emmanuel explains that graduates typically pursue careers in two primary sectors. Around 60% of students prefer entering the trading arena, seeking roles as traders, sales traders, or structurers. On the other hand, 40% choose to explore opportunities in the asset management sector. This diversity in career paths highlights the program’s ability to cater to various professional aspirations within the finance industry. (11:20)
Yet perhaps the most vital cog of the EDHEC MSc in Financial Engineering is a simple one: feedback. It’s what the school uses to continually improve the program and adapt it to the changing needs of the marketplace. The first part of this feedback loop comes from employers, who relay back to the school how EDHEC graduates are performing in their roles.
“We get a lot of companies that are visiting us and the feedback we receive is: ‘Wow, your graduates, they are very good,” explains Emmanuel. “They’ve got the right mindset, they’ve got the good skill set and they are here to contribute to the future of the finance industry.’” (09:21)
The second stage of this feedback loop comes from school alumni. And EDHEC’s alumni network is perhaps more visible than most. They regularly return to the school to provide mentorship, advice, and support to current students. It’s their way of providing current EDHEC students with valuable industry insights.
“We [have] a very strong community of alumni that you can find all over the place with respect to the different financial centers. And what is very important is that they come back, in fact, to meet the actual students and to share their professional experience and their expertise,” says Emmanuel. (03:30)
In a volatile and rapidly-changing industry, you need a program that can adapt just as quickly. The EDHEC MSc in Financial Engineering fits that bill. By continually adapting to meet the needs of the market, it produces future-proofed, career-ready graduates ready to make their mark in the financial industry. It does this not only through a strong curriculum, but by forming close connections between students, faculty, employers, and alumni.
There’s a reason why this master’s is ranked among the top finance programs in the world. As long as the school’s feedback loop keeps powering the program forward, it will remain a highly specialized, highly selective, and highly successful program.
If you would like to learn more about studying a master’s at EDHEC, feel free to reach out to one of our EDHEC ambassadors.
