Frequently Asked Questions MiF FAQs.

Because the global business landscape is changing. Today, many of the most decisive actors in business are no longer just CEOs. They are the capital allocators, such as private equity firms, global asset managers, family offices, sovereign wealth funds, and global financial institutions, who influence and direct them, shaping expectations and strategic decisions far beyond simply providing capital.

At the same time, the CFO role is being redefined. CFOs are no longer just financial gatekeepers but strategic partners and, increasingly, leaders who transition into CEO positions.

This means that IESE is not departing from its core mission but evolving with it. IESE’s focus on general management and its mission of having a positive impact on business and society remains central.

Finance today operates within an interconnected ecosystem where regulation, incentives, and risk shape every decision, demanding technical fluency in analytics, AI, and data. IESE’s Master in Finance responds to this reality by combining financial rigor, AI competence, and deep institutional understanding, all grounded in the humanistic leadership, ethical perspective, and holistic view of the firm for which IESE is known.

The curriculum is designed to prepare you for the demands of modern financial leadership, combining deep technical knowledge, strong analytical judgment, practical market exposure, and a broader managerial perspective.

Students build a solid foundation in core areas such as corporate finance, asset pricing, valuation, markets, and risk while developing quantitative and AI capabilities that are integrated throughout the program. Rather than being taught as a stand-alone subject, AI is embedded throughout so that you will build cumulative learning over time, from analytics and predictive tools to machine learning, deep learning and generative AI, and always with a focus on financial decision-making rather than purely technical specialization.

The program is highly applied. Students work with Bloomberg across the curriculum, prepare for the CFA, and gain exposure to real financial environments through high-impact simulations and practical exercises. This helps students connect what is learned in class to the realities of investing, trading, valuation, regulation, and corporate transactions. International weeks in New York and London further broaden that market perspective.

Alongside technical training, the IESE MiF incorporates leadership, ethics, governance, communication and humanistic experiences into the curriculum, helping students prepare not only for careers in finance but also for positions of responsibility and influence within the industry.

Throughout the program, the Career Development Center also plays an active role in supporting students through interview and recruiting bootcamps, one-to-one guidance, and ongoing contact with industry professionals and recruiting companies.

The program includes three specialized tracks:

• Corporate Finance
• Capital Markets
• Banking and Financial Innovation

You can tailor your learning to your career goals. You will be requested to choose one of the three tracks, plus another three electives that can come from any of the tracks.

You will also take part in a hands-on international week in New York and another in London in addition to an internship of at least 3 months.

AI is embedded throughout IESE’s MiF through a fully coordinated AI learning path for financial decision-making. Rather than treating AI as a stand-alone topic, the program is designed as a coherent journey in which students progressively build capabilities across subjects, ensuring cumulative learning and the consistent, practical use of tools such as Python and Claude.

This path includes a Data Analytics Bootcamp, an AI-augmented productivity workshop, and specialized courses such as Predictive Statistics in Finance, Predictive Machine Learning in Finance, Deep Learning and Generative AI, and Business and AI Economics.

Beyond technical skills, students also explore how AI is reshaping financial institutions, markets and risk, developing the broader perspective needed to lead in an increasingly data-driven industry. This is reinforced through applied projects, including an AI entrepreneurial challenge.

Yes. The MiF curriculum covers approximately 70% of the CFA Level I and II body of knowledge, giving students a strong foundation in many of the core areas tested in the exams.

In addition, the program includes dedicated in-house CFA Exam Kickstart sessions to help students prepare more specifically for the exam.

Yes. Bloomberg is the market standard, and the IESE MiF includes a comprehensive Bloomberg immersion fully integrated across the program.

Students receive dedicated training, use Bloomberg in multiple courses, and are supported by a professor with deep professional experience in Bloomberg.

The program also features a Finance Lab with Bloomberg terminals and high-performance computers for AI-ready work. In addition, students complete Bloomberg Market Concepts and earn a Bloomberg certificate.

Yes. The MiF combines IESE’s distinctive case method with immersive, high-impact simulations and the practical application of AI, giving students exposure to real-world decision-making in areas such as trading, investing and M&A.

IESE’s faculty model is distinctive: while the program includes practitioners and professors of practice, around 70% of the faculty are full-time professors with PhDs from top business schools who teach, mentor students, conduct original research, and bring independent thinking and original ideas into the classroom.

This matters because many of the ideas that have shaped modern finance came from academia, from Markowitz and Black-Scholes to Fama-French and Merton. Especially in a field being transformed by AI, students need more than exposure to current market practice; they also need professors with original ideas, strong research foundations, and the intellectual depth to understand change critically and help shape the future of the field.

At the same time, IESE’s MiF is closely connected to the market. Many faculty members consult and serve on corporate boards, and teaching is enriched by ongoing interaction with companies and financial institutions, including cases developed in dialogue with industry. The result is a combination of academic depth, real-world relevance, and close faculty commitment to students.

IESE’s Master in Finance is designed for candidates who are committed to building careers in the financial sector and who want to combine leadership capabilities with the strong technical and analytical expertise required to succeed. It is aimed at professionals who aspire to become future leaders in finance, rather than remain in purely technical roles.

Typical first roles for MiF graduates include those in:

• Investment banking
• Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) advisory
• Asset management
• Corporate finance
• Private equity and venture capital
• Private credit and debt funds
• Hedge funds
• Wealth management and private banking
• Financial advisory and consulting
• Fintech and financial innovation

From day one, IESE’s Career Development Center will help you define your professional goals and build a roadmap to reach them. You work on developing your personal brand, enhancing your interview and networking skills and connecting with companies that match your ambitions.

Throughout the program, you will benefit from IESE’s strong ties with the financial industry, including recruiters from top investment banks, commercial banks, asset management firms, private equity and venture capital firms, insurance companies, financial advisory firms, consulting firms and fintech startups.

The MiF also includes a Bloomberg Bootcamp to give an overview of the financial market from a practitioner’s perspective; a Communication Bootcamp that will build confident, clear and persuasive communication for teamwork, presentations and interviews; and a nine-month academic phase followed by a mandatory internship of at least three months. This internship requirement ensures that you will gain direct experience in the financial industry before graduating.

Some selected companies recruiting at IESE are:

• ABInBev
• Amazon
• American Express
• Bain & Company
• BCG
• Citi
• Crédit Suisse
• EY
• HP
• Imperial Brands
• McKinsey & Company
• Minsait
• Monitor Deloitte
• Nike
• Pepsico

As a MiF student, you will have access to IESE’s global alumni network of more than 60,000 professionals across Europe, the Americas and other international markets.

IESE’s alumni community is known for being one of the most engaged and supportive in the world. It is currently ranked second globally by the Financial Times (FT Global MBA Ranking 2025 and 2026) thanks to its strength at creating career opportunities and supporting students’ professional development across industries and regions.

The program tuition fee for the full-time IESE Master in Finance (MiF) is €52,000.

If you are admitted to the MiF program, you will be required to pay a non-refundable commitment fee of €10,000 to hold your seat.

This fee will be deducted from the total program cost and it is to be paid within two weeks of receiving the Admissions letter.

No. The €10,000 commitment fee must be paid within two weeks of receiving the admissions letter and the remaining €42,000 once the program starts in September 2026.

No. Travel and accommodation for the Master in Finance’s one-week global module in New York and the London Banking Week are not included in the MiF tuition fees and are additional costs assumed by the students.

Yes. A number of merit-based scholarships are available. You can consult the scholarships available here.

All scholarship candidacies require one cover letter within the application.

Scholarships are granted on a rolling basis – therefore, you will increase your chances of receiving a scholarship the sooner you apply.

You will be informed of the scholarship decision upon acceptance into the program.

IESE’s Post-Graduation Payment Aid (PPA) is designed for high-achieving students who may not currently have the financial means to fund their MiF.

The PPA allows eligible candidates to pay a portion of their tuition fees as a fixed percentage of their income after graduation.

Unlike the scholarship process, MiF candidates do not apply for the PPA with their application. Instead, detailed information on eligibility and the application process will be provided only to admitted MiF candidates.