Student profile in more detail
Will this program prepare me for a PhD in Finance?The Financial Economics Program provides a solid foundation for both professional and academic career paths.
Around 84% of recent graduates have used the Financial Economics Program as a terminal Master’s degree that qualifies them for competitive, technically demanding jobs in the professional world.
Around 16% of recent Financial Economics Program graduates have chosen to continue with more graduate or postgraduate study at top institutions all over the world. Some do so immediately after completing the BSE Master’s. Others choose to get one or more years of work experience, such as a central bank traineeship, before pursuing a PhD.
Are there opportunities for PhD study at the BSE?There are two PhD programs in the BSE community: the Graduate Program in Economics, Finance and Management (GPEFM) at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) and the International Doctorate in Economic Analysis (IDEA) at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB).
While these PhD programs are organized jointly with the BSE, they each have their own distinct admissions processes.
UPF PhD (GPEFM)
The main point of entry to the UPF PhD program is the BSE PhD Track Program. The PhD Track Program is Year 1 of the UPF PhD.
Students in the BSE Financial Economics Program with outstanding performance in their courses have the opportunity to be admitted to the PhD Program before finishing the Financial Economics Program. Those students will have to apply for admission to the PhD Program at the beginning of the second term of the Financial Economics Program. Admission will be decided in March. Admitted students will need to follow two more years of coursework to move to the PhD research and dissertation phase.
See UPF PhD program structure
UAB PhD (IDEA)
Entry to the IDEA PhD program is through the IDEA Master in Research. BSE students can visit the IDEA website to learn more about the admissions process, which is the same for BSE students and external applicants.
Which PhD programs have admitted Financial Economics Program graduates?BSE master's graduates have gone on to enter some of the most prestigious and competitive doctoral programs in the world, including:
Universitat Pompeu Fabra (organized with BSE)Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (organized with BSE)Athens University of Economics and BusinessAustralian National UniversityBocconi UniversityBologna UniversityBonn School of EconomicsBoston UniversityColumbia UniversityEuropean University InstituteHarvard UniversityLMU MunichLondon Business SchoolLondon School of Economics (LSE)Paris School of EconomicsPrinceton UniversityQueen Mary University of LondonSapienza University of RomeTilburg UniversityUniversidad Carlos III de MadridUniversitat de BarcelonaUniversity College London (UCL)University of MinnesotaUniversity of WyomingUniversity of YorkSee a more complete list of PhD programs
Who hires Financial Economics graduates?Consulting FirmsFinancial ServicesGovernment & AuthoritiesResearch & Academic InstitutionsOther IndustriesTechnologyExamples of recent placements:
Banco Santander - Traineeship Finance & Risk (Germany, Munich)Bank of England - Market Intelligence Analyst (London, United Kingdom)CaixaBank Research - Research Assistant (Macroeconomics Department) (Barcelona, Spain)Deloitte - Banking risk advisory (Barcelona, Spain)European Central Bank - Trainee - Directorate Supervisory Strategy and Risk (Germany, Frankfurt)IESE - Research Assistant (Spain, Barcelona)ING - International Talent Program (ITP) (Brussels, Belgium)JPMorgan Chase - Associate Trading Services Associate I (UK, London)MJ Hudson - Quant Data Scientist (Spain, Barcelona)Nordea - Investment Banking Analyst (Denmark, Copenhagen)Oxera - Senior Consultant (UK, London)Alumni career paths in more detail
Can I enter another BSE Master's directly from this program?Students who successfully complete the Financial Economics Program are eligible for direct admission to the following programs, if they stay for a second consecutive year:
Master’s Degree in Data Science:
Data Science for Decision MakingOR
Master’s Degree in Specialized Economic Analysis:
Competition and Market Regulation Economics of Energy, Climate Change, and SustainabilityEconomics of Public Policy International Trade, Finance, and Development Macroeconomic Policy and Financial MarketsA 20% discount will be applied on the second program's tuition fees. All BSE Alumni are eligible for this discount at any time.
Read more about taking a second BSE Master’s degree