TL;DR

• The MSc in Financial Engineering at EDHEC Business School is mainly geared towards early-career professionals with quantitative backgrounds or prior training in finance
• The median salary for financial engineering roles across banking, insurance, and investments is $109,000 in the US
• In addition to studying in Nice, MSc in Financial Engineering students take trips to London and Paris to meet with investment banks and industry professionals

If you’re looking for a career in finance, one of the most lucrative options available to you is financial engineering.

Financial engineering is the practice of applying quantitative finance techniques—including tools from economics, statistics, and data science —to solve financial problems and create new financial products.

It’s used in all manner of analytical roles across banking, insurance, and investments, and those who secure a financial engineering job can enjoy a median salary of $109,000 in the US.

So, where do you start?

An MSc in Financial Engineering is a good launchpad. The 18-month full-time program at France’s EDHEC Business School gives students with prior financial training the tools to accelerate their careers in financial engineering.

Here’s everything you need to know about the EDHEC MSc in finance, including insights from students and faculty.

EDHEC MSc in Financial Engineering | Who is it for?

The MSc in Financial Engineering at EDHEC is mainly geared towards early-career professionals who have quantitative backgrounds or prior training in finance. This could mean you studied financial economics or mathematics at university, or that you’ve worked in an entry-level finance role.

The program mostly attracts recent graduates from four-year bachelor’s programs, though those with three-year bachelor’s degrees are also welcome. Over half of these students (53%) studied finance previously. The next most-popular undergraduate subject was economics at 35%, followed by engineering at 12%.

Aimed primarily at recent grads, the average age on the program is 24, though ages on the current class range from 22 to 31.

Although the curriculum is taught fully in English and English fluency is a requirement for entry, there are four continents represented in the current class.

“Our cohort is smaller than in other master’s programs, which fosters close-knit links with classmates,” explains Thomas Reynes, a current MSc In Financial Engineering student. “Plus, the diversity of backgrounds from engineering international students really enriches the experience.”

Finally, the program skews male, with only 20% of the current class made up of women, though this reflects a wider trend across top finance master's in France. The likes of HEC Paris and ESSEC Business School also offer programs with a more than 65% male cohort, according to the Financial Times.

EDHEC MSc in Financial Engineering | Curriculum

Depending on your prior learning, you may be required to take some remote and self-paced courses in the summer before the program starts to get you up to speed with foundational concepts like fixed income and derivatives, the principles of data science, and portfolio management.

These preparatory modules level the playing field in preparation for the program’s core courses, which, according to Emmanuel Jurczenko, executive director of graduate finance programs at the school, are one of the key areas in which EDHEC’s finance MSc stands out from the competition.

“Most of the top competitors deliver a generalist (international) finance program with two broad specializations: Market Finance or Corporate Finance,” he explains. “We are one of the few to offer a full quantitative finance-focused programme with investment track specializations, including systematic trading and quantitative investment solutions.”

Students dive into core modules covering the essentials of financial engineering, including a Python programming bootcamp, advanced derivatives courses, and modules on financial machine learning.

The two concentrations available in the program are systematic investing and enhanced statistical arbitrage.

On top of classroom study in Nice, students take two study trips: one to London and one to Paris, to meet with investment banks and industry professionals. They can also choose to complete a research thesis to earn an academic research certificate.

“Meeting professionals on their own turf, exchanging ideas, and seeing how things work in reality has been eye-opening,” explains Thomas. “Personally, it helped me discover roles I wouldn’t have considered and gave me a broader view of the careers I could pursue, both on the sell-side and the buy-side.”

EDHEC MSc in Financial Engineering | What’s different about this program?

In addition to the unique specialization opportunities available at EDHEC and the opportunity for students to gain work experience while studying, Emmanuel believes the school’s positioning sets the program apart from similar programs.

“[We have] credibility and proximity with the industry thanks to our various EDHEC research initiatives, Scientific Beta, Scientific Portfolio Analytics, and EDHEC Climate Institute,” he says.

These industry connections translate directly to the program’s curriculum and students can benefit from the advice, experience, and expertise of business professionals.

“One of the main highlights of the program is being taught by true experts in their fields,” says Thomas. “Some professors are so accomplished that a good chunk of the course content is drawn directly from their own research, which really transforms the learning experience.

“The program also offers plenty of side opportunities to explore personal interests,” he continues. “I came to the MSc wanting to deepen my knowledge in machine learning, which has rapidly gained importance in finance. Thanks to EDHEC, I was able to co-host an EDHEC Speaker Series session, presenting its research paper on machine learning, and pursue a thesis in this area.”

EDHEC MSc in Financial Engineering | Application & fees

For this highly selective program, EDHEC looks for applicants with a solid background in market finance and a strong academic record, with at least a three-year bachelor’s degree. You’ll also need to submit an English proficiency test score, a motivation letter, academic transcripts, two letters of recommendation, and a CV. If your application meets the criteria, you’ll be invited to an interview.

Successful applicants can expect to pay tuition fees of €31,900 ($37,190) for the 2026 intake, excluding a €100 ($100) application fee.

In addition to an undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline and fluency in English, you will also need to provide a strong score in an entry exam, such as the GMAT. This must be submitted alongside a letter stating your motivations for pursuing the program, as well as academic transcripts, two letters of recommendation, and finally an online interview.

To be successful in the interview process, Emmanuel advises demonstrating your commitment to the program by showing interviewers that you are enthusiastic about the subject matter and have a clear career plan.

“Be interested in the financial markets news and evolutions—read daily newspapers, business magazines,” he says. “Be curious and show ambition.”

This curiosity is something that is not only encouraged in the interview process but throughout the program. As Thomas explains: “This is an MSc where you can truly dive deep into the topics you want to master. The more you explore, the more you will get out of the program.”