Become an expert in Finance and Accounting through a full-time official Master, a program designed for an international audience and taught by a first class teaching faculty in just 6 months of focus-on class.
The main goal of the Master’s in Accounting and Financial Management is to train successful professionals to manage a corporate financial department while specializing in accounting, financial strategies, policies, and optimal finance and investment decision-making.
During the master students will learn how to align economic and financial strategies of the company to the evolution of local and global ecosystems, how select the most appropriate financing instruments for the company’s needs, and how to design and implement capital, debt, and dividend policies. Students will master the process and implications of merger and acquisition operations, and equity valuation methods.
In addition, the Corporate Finance specialization provides the option to a double degree with Montpellier University - MOMA (France).
The Master’s in Accounting and Financial Management is endorsed by Pompeu Fabra University, the 1st Spanish university and the 15th best university in the world (of those with less than 50 years), according to the Times Higher Education ranking. In addition, UPF Barcelona School of Management has EQUIS accreditation, the most prestigious institutional recognition for business schools globally.
Collaborators:
Why choose this program
Accredited school
The UPF Barcelona School of Management is accredited by EQUIS, an international distinction that guarantees the quality of our institution. The UPF BSM is the first management school - liked to a public university - to have this accreditation in our country.
Learning from the best
The faculty combines first-rate academic and professional lecturers from the Department of Economics and Business at Pompeu Fabra University and the main companies of the financial sector, respectively.
International environment
You will share 6 intensive months of class with participants coming from all around the world in a multicultural environment, combined with the attractive proposition of studying in Barcelona, a vibrant, dynamic, and international city.
Connection with the Industry
Students will have the opportunity to take internships in leading companies and institutions such as Danone, DKV, Everis, Hewlett-Packard, Mango, Henkel, Nestlé, or Boerhringer Ingelheim, among others.
Access to professional accreditations
This master’s degree provides accelerated access to CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) and ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) accreditation, two of the most internationally-recognized institutions for the accreditation of professionals in management, financial accounting, and management accounting. When you finish the program, you will also be ready to take the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exam.
CFA Accreditation
The Master's is a member of the University Affiliation Program of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute. At the end of the Master you will be ready to take the exam to obtain the CFA accreditation, a prestigious international recognition in investment management and financial analysis, and for which there are two scholarships offered in each course.
You can also take part in the CFA Research Challenge, a team competition in which more than 1,000 universities and Business Schools participate from all over the world.
Who is it for?
The master is aimed at university graduates who would like to focus their careers on accounting or finance departments, and also to young professionals already working in accounting and finance departments who would like to improve their future career opportunities.
Accreditations
UPF Barcelona School of Management is the management school of Pompeu Fabra University, the 1st Ibero-American university and the 16th placed university in the world, among those under 50 years of age, according to the Times Higher Education ranking.
UPF Barcelona School of Management has EQUIS accreditation, the most prestigious institutional recognition for business schools globally, and places itself among the top business schools in the world.
The Master in Accounting and Financial Management is an official master's degree and has the academic recognition of the Ministry of Education of the Government of Spain. The Quality Agency of the University System of Catalonia (AQU Catalunya) has institutionally accredited the UPF-BSM. This accreditation certifies all the official university master's degrees that we teach and recognizes the quality of our educational model in accordance with the criteria of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).
The master provides access to the CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants), ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) and CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) accreditations.
Curriculum
The master's program is organized into 3 major modules.
You must take all the compulsory subjects and choose two subjects from the elective offerings or the professional internship subject.
The master's program is completed with the elaboration of the Master's Final Project, which is developed throughout the course, parallel to the teaching activity.
Critical vision and a comparative international approach to accounting regulations (Spanish Reporting Standards and International Financial Reporting Standards).
Comparison with the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles US GAAP.
Review of the most recent research in Spanish accounting and international accounting.
Analysis of the latest trends and repercussions for the company.
Auditing principles, norms, and procedures.
Critical vision and a comparative international approach to auditing regulations.
Internal auditing and internal control.
Comparison with International Standards on Auditing.
Review of the most recent research in auditing.
Responsibilities and functions of the independent auditor.
Review of the most recent research in business analysis.
Economic and financial analysis of the company. One-dimensional and multidimensional models.
Financial statement analysis identifying business needs and determining solutions to business problems.
Working capital analysis. Relationship between working capital and the cash conversion cycle.
Analysis of the profit generating capacity. Analysis of cost and revenue of the firm which determines whether or not the firm is profiting.
Economic value creation.
Relationship between cost accounting, financial accounting, and management accounting.
Review of the most recent research in management accounting.
Activity based costing and activity based management.
Cost management information for strategic management purpose.
Cost structure and business models.
Cost reduction and continuous improvement.
Relationship between information systems and business processes.
Budgeting and management process: effective budgeting systems in practice.
Review of the most recent research in budgetary management.
Management control system techniques.
Performance measures.
Strategic planning and management system and the balanced scorecard.
Management control system techniques: long and short range planning.
Case studies in management control systems.
Financial system and strategies for mobilizing funds for investment.
Macroeconomic factors affecting business environment.
Review of most recent research in Spanish, European, and international financial systems.
Methods used to analyse securities and make investment decisions: fundamental analysis and technical analysis.
Fundamental analysis and the determination of the underlying health of a company by examining financial statements.
Technical analysis involving the use of charts for forecasting the direction of stock prices.
Stock Market and financial markets.
Latest trends in qualitative techniques in financial statement analysis.
Review of the most recent research on consolidated financial statements.
Latest trends in qualitative techniques in financial statement analysis.
Insolvency prediction models.
Credit scoring and credit rating models.
Analysis of individual corporations with aggregates and sectoral ratios.
You can also undertake curricular internships in companies, which are validated as two elective subjects (6 ECTS credits).
You must demonstrate and put into practice the knowledge you have acquired throughout each of the modules of the master's degree.
Complementary activities
This master’s degree provides accelerated access to CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) and ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) accreditation, two of the most internationally-recognized institutions for the accreditation of professionals in management, financial accounting, and management accounting.
The program contents also prepares students to take the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exam.
The Master in Accounting and Financial Management also includes the possibility of participating in practical activities and activities for personal and professional growth such a:
- Training Supplement: Initial preparation course for participants who may need to take it depending on their previous education: Introduction to Accounting.
- International mobility: The UPF Barcelona School of Management offers you the possibility of expanding your training and international vision through different programmes and activities:
- International mobility programme: extend your studies extracurricularly, during the academic year following the completion of your Master's, at a top-level institution. Limited places.
- Study Trip: optional trip to a European city in which conferences and visits to companies will be scheduled so as to expand knowledge and acquire a global vision.
- UPF-BSM Inside: is a group of interdisciplinary subjects (applied data, communication, creativity, innovation and project management, sustainability and leadership among others) that, if you take this program, you can access at no additional cost. They are 100% online and you can take them throughout the academic year at your own pace, as they have been designed as self-study subjects.
Qualification obtained
Once students have completed the course they will obtain the Màster Universitari en Direcció Financera i Comptable de l’Empresa / Master in Accounting and Financial Management en l’especialitat en Finances Corporatives. Specialization in Corporate Finance - Máster Universitario en Dirección Financiera y Contable de la Empresa / Master in Accounting and Financial Management en la especialidad en Finanzas Corporativas. Specialization in Corporate Finance issued by Pompeu Fabra University.
Issuance of official Master's Degrees: The amount stipulated in the DOGC (Official Gazette of the Government of Catalonia) must be paid for the rights to issue the degree. This rate varies annually and the rate in force at the time of application for the degree will be applied.
Faculty
The faculty is composed of professors from UPF's world ranked Department of Economics and Business and of professional lecturers who will train you to apply the knowledge to the day-to-day reality of current business.
Academic directors
Faculty
Collaborating faculty
- Maurici Alkain Adroer
Senior Manager at M&A Transaction Services Departament, PwC New York.
Master in Auditing and Financial Management from UPF Barcelona School of Management - Ute Busam
International Management Consulting · Coordination and execution of international project · Definition of Sales and Marketing Strategies · Channel Marketing · Definition and monitoring of objectives and KPI's · Analysis of new markets, products and competition · SWOT analysis · 4P and 7P analysis · Consultant and advisor in social entrepreneurship and start-ups · Financial due diligence · Feasibility Plan · 3-5 years Business Plan · Consulting and support in strategy definition - Felipe Canhavate
M&A and Project Finance Manager at Renewable Energy Company.
MSc in Economics at Barcelona Graduate School of Economics. Executive MBA por IESE. - Álvaro González
Investment manager at Ventient Energy
International Economics, International Business at EBS Universität für Wirtschaft und Recht
Finance and Banking at CIFF - Raül Martínez Buixeda
PhD in Business: “Hedge funds: risk inference in a real and severe stress scenario” Universitat de Barcelona (UB)
FX Consultant Eurofragance S.L. ByDemes SL. - Raúl Merino
Senior Risk Quant at VidaCaixa
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Financial MathematicsDoctor of Philosophy (PhD), Financial Mathematics, Master of Research (D.E.A.), Quantitative EconomicsMaster of Research (D.E.A.), Quantitative Economics, Master, Mathematics Applied to Financial Derivatives.Master, Mathematics Applied to Financial Derivatives. - Toni Prat Jorba
PDD from IESE Business School
Senior Partner at Global Abogados
Methodology
The sessions are eminently participative and integrate the exposition of theoretical concepts with the active intervention of the participants: they discuss and solve practical cases and carry out role plays in teams based on real and current problems.
The Final Project is prepared in a group and allows you to put into practice the acquired learning.
Real company cases
Throughout the course, real and current practical cases will be worked on, discussed, and presented, allowing you to apply the concepts learned and to face possible situations and scenarios that you will find in your professional activity.
Teamwork
Working in groups will allow you to share and compare different views, knowledge and opinions with classmates from diverse backgrounds. This will enhance your academic experience and strengthen your networking.
Professional Business Challenge
Students will face a professional business challenge, solving a real case for a current company.
International vision
An optional academic experience in London is offered every year. Participants will discover the most important financial institutions of the city and will attend masterclasses taught by professionals from these companies.
Evaluation
Continuous assessment. The following are common evaluation activities:
- Case studies, exercises, and activities
- Tests
- Oral presentations and active participation in class
- Class attendance (minimum 80%)
- Final Project
Tools
Project-oriented learning and the combination of lectures and active methodologies such as case studies, flipped learning, solving real problems and professional simulations allow the student to connect theory and practice, acquire advanced skills and achieve learning which is transferable to work.
You will have:
- Master's Final Project (TFM) or Postgrad Final Project (TFP)
- A personal mentor to monitor your final project (TFM or TFP)
- Digital resources to achieve transversal skills
- Interdisciplinary activities and workshops
Professional Future
The program is aimed at junior professionals from all over the world who wish to direct their professional career towards Finance and Accounting.
Student profile
Every year the program welcomes students from different countries, coming from common backgrounds (Accounting and Finance, Economics, Business and Management) who share a common objective:
to train with a high-quality program that lets them succeed in the professional world.
Average age
Average number of years of working experience
International Students
Career opportunities
We train you to open up your professional career in accounting and finance departments, the consulting sector, and Corporate Finance with international projection.
The Master includes a curricular internship in International companies. Students are assigned an internship Advisor who will assist you through the search for the internship, manage the internship agreements with the company, and act as the contact point throughout the internship period.
- Financial Manager
- Consultant specialized in finance and accounting
- Risk analyst in Financial area
- Internal Auditor
- Financial advisor