If you want to apply for this Master’s programme, you should hold an academic Bachelor’s or Master’s in:

• Finance
• Business Economics, Economics or Business Administration, with a specialisation in Finance or Real Estate Finance
• One of the Bachelor's from our list of Dutch Bachelor’s degrees

Your degree must include all of the following:

• at least 15 ECTS of coursework in Finance.
• an intermediate-level course in Investments (covering topics such as portfolio optimisation and diversification, CAPM, and factor-based pricing models). 
• an intermediate-level course in Corporate Finance, covering topics such as capital structure theory and payout policy. 
• an intermediate-level course in Econometrics, which must cover multivariate linear regression, omitted variable bias, and non-linear Logit/Probit models 
• some coursework on derivatives or risk management (this can be covered as part of a broader course on Investments or Corporate Finance) 

You must upload a course description of each of these courses in your online application. 

Recommended background

Additional to your Bachelor’s degree it is recommendable to have strong knowledge of economics, maths and statistics as you will have a better understanding of the Master’s programme. Therefore, it can be helpful to have additional coursework in microeconomics, macroeconomics, accounting, mathematics and statistics at foundation-year level. 

Degrees from universities of applied sciences are not accepted.

You have direct admission to our Master's Finance without any further conditions such as a minimum GPA:

• if you have finished UvA’s PPLE programme, with the major Economics and Business (EB) provided that the EB-course Investment and Portfolio Theory 1 has been completed.

We are looking for students who have shown academic potential to keep up with the high level and workload of the programme. Therefore, one of the criteria on which your application will be assessed is the Grade Point Average (GPA). 

You must have an average GPA of 6.5 or higher in:

• Finance-related core courses (Corporate Finance, Investment, Derivatives e.g.)
• Econometrics

Having a GPA of 6.5 makes you eligible for selection, but does not guarantee admission. Places are offered to applicants with the highest GPAs until the programme is full. Please note that applications with a lower GPA can still be submitted and will be assessed. 

Send your GPA calculation along with your application. You do not have to update your GPA calculation after 1 June. In the 3rd week of June the best candidates will be selected.

One of the selection criteria is the motivation letter. The Master's Finance is an academically challenging programme with a strong emphasis on research methods. Applicants are expected to have a high level of intrinsic motivation for academic study in general, and finance and economics in particular. Your motivational letter should clearly state why you are interested in studying finance and pursuing a career in this field. It should also explain why your academic profile is a good fit for the programme. Furthermore, use the motivation letter to highlight any important aspects of your profile that are not documented elsewhere in your application, as well as extenuating circumstances that you have experienced. (Max. 1 A4)

Please provide a letter of recommendation from a previous or current supervisor, professor, co-worker, or peer who can describe the knowledge, skills, or aptitudes that you possess.