Advanced Master in Financial Markets

Presentation: Advanced Master in Financial Markets

The Advanced Master in Financial Markets is designed to give students a much deeper understanding of financial markets than the one offered by graduate or classic post-graduate courses. It examines the connections between the different aspects of finance and the financial markets, as well as the connections between theory and practice of markets and between theory and policy making.

• Job placement rate: about 80% even before graduation.

The Advanced Master in Financial Markets combines:

• courses with a strong focus on how markets actually work in practice, given by an unparalleled cast of senior practitioners and regulators and of highly respected academics
• an opportunity for a 3-month internship in a top-quality institution

In which other program can you get practical teaching by senior practitioners,including CEOs, CFOs, Chief Risk Officers, Head of Private Banking, Director at the European Commission, and other senior executives from banks, asset managers, hedge funds, private equity, infrastructures and regulators?
Professors design their courses specifically for the Advanced Master and update them each year to closely track key recent market developments

The program helps you find an internship (at least 3 months) in a quality institution in Belgium or abroad. This internship is a springboard to secure job opportunities. The job placement ratio is about 80% before participants even graduate and 90% within 3 months of graduation. Graduates of the program have been recruited by a range of firms in Belgium and abroad, including:

• Banks and investment banks: AXA, Bank of New York Mellon, Belfius, BNPP Paribas Fortis, Deutsche Bank, Euroclear Bank, ING, KBC, as well as Credit Suisse Zurich, Goldman Sachs Warsaw, ING Investment Banking Amsterdam, ING Corporate Banking London, etc.
• Asset managers, private banks and private equity funds: Blackrock Zurich, BCEE Luxembourg, Candriam, Capital@Work, DNCA Paris, Landy & Partners London, Lombard Odier, KB Asset Management, Société Générale Luxembourg, Blackfin, GIMV, Sofina, Macquarie Bank London, etc.
• Insurance companies: Fidea, La Baloise
• Consulting or advisory firms: Deloitte, EY, KPMG, PWC, as well as Avantage Reply, Baker Tilly, Capco, Grant Thornton, Moore Stephens London, Risk Dynamics, etc.
• Regulatory Agencies: Bank of England, European Central Bank, ESMA, Single Resolution Board, National Bank of Belgium, etc.
• Industrial Companies (finance positions), Fintech, Trade Associations, Universities, etc.

Course content

For this master, the courses will be delivered after business hours (late afternoon on weekdays and Saturdays) to allow participants to take the course in parallel with a professional activity.
This master is a full-time course (60 ECTs) that lasts one year, split over five terms. Students who do not have an economics or finance background, or want a refresher course, start mid-September with introductory courses covering the Principles of  Economics and Finance.
At the end of these courses, students will perform a three-month internship in a leading financial institution. The programme coordinator helps find internship opportunities. Previous internships have taken place in Belgium or abroad in institutions such as the European Commission, the European Central Bank, Belfius, BNP Paribas Fortis, ING, KBC, Degroof Petercam, Lombard Odier, Credit Suisse Zurich, all four Big 4 consulting firms, Euroclear Bank and SWIFT.
Participants may submit a master thesis on a relevant topic as an alternative to the internship.

Course format: 

Full-time, evening and Saturday classes (60 ECTS)

Qualifications/expertise after completing the program

By the end of the programme you will be able to:

• Have a much deeper and broader understanding of the practice of financial markets compared to other graduating students or even many young professionals.
• Acquire the ability to handle sophisticated financial techniques and make robust assessments of theoretical and policy-related issues, thanks to the sharing of experience of senior practitioners and top-level academics teaching the courses.
• Develop strong new competencies and skills to be a more accomplished and creative performer in the financial sector, with the ability to progress faster to senior positions.

Entry requirements

The Advanced Master in Financial Markets seeks:

• High calibre candidates with a strong academic background, and the intellectual curiosity and discipline that are necessary to succeed in a very demanding environment.
• Candidates with at least a graduate degree or equivalent in economics, management or finance, but also in other disciplines, such as law, mathematics, engineering or international relations, if willing and able to acquire basic proficiency in financial or economic matters taught as part of the program.
• Professionals already active in the financial industry, in the early phase of their career and seeking to broaden their skill range as a springboard to faster career evolution.

 Eligible applicants must hold one of the following:

• Master or Master of Science Degree or equivalent (4 or 5 years of study overall)
• Bachelor Degree with 180 ECTS credits or equivalent, complemented with relevant professional experience of at least 2 years.
  Admissions will be based on the candidates' academic and/or professional background, and motivation. Proficiency in English necessary.

Admission criteria: 

If the review of your application is positive, an interview (at Solvay or via Skype) will be organised with the Academic Director within 2 weeks. An essay related to Finance will be requested after the interview. After receipt of your essay, the result will be communicated within 5 working days. From the date of receipt of your admission letter, you will then have two weeks to confirm your registration by paying a 2000€ deposit and signing the admission documents.

Application cost description: 

Early-Bird discounts, amounting to €1.000, will be recognized to candidates who will send their applications by April 29th, 2019 (valid only for registrations confirmed within 2 weeks from receipt of the admission documents).

Manager: 

Director video