Since the start of the 2017 academic year, the Master in Finance program run by the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Lausanne has offered three possible orientations: students can now choose to specialize in “Financial entrepreneurship and data science”, “Asset and risk management” or “Corporate finance”. The aim of creating the three orientations is to offer a better match between the needs of a fast-changing sector and students’ individual interests.
Interest in the financial field has grown steadily at HEC Lausanne, either as a result of the quality of the teaching program or the new challenges emerging in the finance sector. In 2013, the Master in Finance welcomed around 60 students, whereas a cohort of around 180 is expected in 2017. The three orientations have been introduced in response to the new needs in the finance industry, while this reorganization has also allowed a better distribution of the classes. This creates a closer relationship with teaching staff and offers more opportunities for developing soft skills, case studies and practical examples.
The reform is being led by the Director of the Master in Finance at the Faculty of Business and Economics, Professor Michael Rockinger, and takes into account both the needs expressed by the faculty’s students and graduates, and by key players in the finance industry: “The finance sector is changing quickly. Banks, insurance companies and businesses need specialists who are focused on the future, and able to manage projects or develop their career in quite specific areas, such as fintech,” comments Prof. Rockinger. “Thanks to the new program, our students will really stand out in the labor market, by bringing the necessary expertise in a particular area, as well as a general background in finance.”
“Financial entrepreneurship and data science”: a promising newcomer
While the “Asset and risk management” and “Corporate finance” orientations build on the subjects taught in the previous Master, the “Financial entrepreneurship and data science” orientation has been created to respond to the new challenges in the finance industry from start to finish. “This is a totally innovative orientation, where future project managers or business owners will have the opportunity to head up projects implementing tools that will be decisive for the future of institutions. That might be in anything from fintech to crowd funding, robo-advising, chat-bots or distributed ledgers,” adds Prof. Rockinger. By training finance specialists who are able to communicate with IT specialists (without being programmers themselves), HEC Lausanne is filling a gap in the teaching area.
The first semester offers a set of core modules focusing on mathematics and statistics, with an important emphasis on regulatory aspects and how markets work. Law courses have also been added.
“We’re very happy to be able to offer the new option to students starting this year. Currently, the MScF is being led on an interim basis by Prof. Goyal, who’s waiting impatiently to welcome them!” concludes Michael Rockinger.