The MSc in Finance is a highly internationalised programme that aims to produce top financial professionals. Created in 2000 and inspired from the Anglo-Saxon model and methods, it was considered an important turning point in terms of innovation in the Portuguese academic community. Drawing on a solid and rigorous theoretical foundation, the MSc in Finance is a professional oriented programme, developed in close collaboration with the top Portuguese financial institutions.

Taught by a first class national and international Faculty, the MSc in Finance has been producing highly-skilled financial specialists for more than ten years. These experts now occupy prominent positions in Portuguese firms and financial institutions, as well as in international financial centres such as Madrid, London and New York.

The drive to ensure that the programme has an international scope – by creating professional and academic opportunities at home and abroad – is visible in the recruitment of our members of staff and in the choice of our programmes. Our mission is to train and produce highly-qualified students that can hold prominent positions within the financial services sector, either in industry or in service-producing companies, in Portugal and abroad.

Career Impact 

The MCs in Finance is suitable for those interested in following a career in finance related areas. Our experience and the opportunities offered to our former students have shown that it is possible to pursue, from this platform, successful professional and academic careers in Portugal and abroad. The MSc in Finance fosters a high-level of cooperation between the University and the business community through the production of applied research work and the establishment of partnerships for internship programmes.

Innovation and the growing complexity of markets worldwide have rendered finance-based careers particularly attractive to individuals with a high-level background and good quantitative skills, allowing them to redefine themselves professionally and redirect their careers towards activities within the financial services sector. The MSc in Finance has welcomed students coming from degree programmes in exact sciences – Engineering and Mathematics – in addition to those who have completed programmes in Economics and Management.

The programme is not exclusively focused on an academic background and therefore provides an accurate and comprehensive viewpoint substantially anchored in the realities of the corporate sector. This makes it possible to train highly-quality human resources perfectly capable of grasping the complex reality of today’s financial markets. Teaching does not lose sight of the contemporary trend towards globalisation and is designed to train and prepare specialised professionals to meet the modern challenges of financial innovation (e.g., structured products), corporate financing (e.g., private equity and project finance), risk management (e.g., credit and business risk analysis) and business governance (e.g., performance assessment and corporate governance).

The MSc in Finance has won a national and international reputation demonstrating the success of the choices made. Many students who have completed our MSc in Finance now hold important positions in several Portuguese institutions and organisations and have access to international career opportunities. New York, Madrid and London are some of the destinations chosen. A number of other students have decided to pursue an academic career and have taken up research work and continued with their PhD studies in reputed foreign universities.

Access with special conditions to the CFA programme

What is the CFA Charter? Technically speaking, there is no greater recognition within the financial industry than the CFA® designation, which, according to the Financial Times, is globally considered a Financial passport and the investment industry’s gold standard. There are approximately 160.000 CFA Charterholders worldwide in more than 165 countries.

How do I get the CFA Charter? To complete the CFA Program and earn the CFA Charter, you must successfully pass three exams (Levels I, II, and III), have four years of proven work experience and join the CFA Institute as a regular member.

Career Opportunities? This program addresses portfolio and wealth managers, investment and research analysts, professionals involved in investment decision-making, and finance students who want to work in investment management. The sectors with the highest proportion of CFA-qualified employees are: 

•     Asset Management
•     Accounting and Finance
•     Investment Banking M&A
•     Wealth Management
•     Equities
•     Private Equity
•     Risk Management
•     Research
•     Corporate Banking
•     Consulting
•     Fixed Income
•     Derivatives
•     Hedge Funds
•     IT

Finance Academy: Finance Academy is the first Oficial Prep Provider recognised by the CFA Institute in Iberia. Finance Academy’s main mission is to promote CFA® Designation and to prepare candidates for the CFA Exam in a reliable and proven way.

• The first Official Prep Provider in Iberia
• Academic methodology with excellent results
• Mentoring by CFA® Charterholders

Course Benefits: here are some of the main benefits

• Global recognition
• Professional projection
• Benchmark for recruitment
• Focused on the CFA® designation
• Professional network

Partnership with CQF Institute 

Católica Porto Business School partners with the CQF Institute within the scope of its Master's in Finance, and our students can join the CQF Institute for free. Founded in 2014, the CQF Institute is an organisation that brings together quantitative finance professionals worldwide and is the awarding body for the Certificate in Quantitative Finance (CQF). 

This association between our school and CFQ Institute opens doors to a wealth of resources, including CPD Certification Service - Continuing Professional Development accredited events, exclusive conferences and technical lectures delivered by renowned experts in the field and unparalleled networking opportunities and career progression.

About the Certificate in Quantitative Finance (CQF): created by Paul Wilmott, the Certificate in Quantitative Finance (CQF) is the most significant quantitative finance professional qualification recognised by financial companies worldwide. Since its inception in 2003, the CQF has become the benchmark qualification for the financial services industry.