Applications for Online Master of Finance Open Until September 20
The application deadline for the HSE Banking Institute’s online, English-taught Master of Finance programme has been extended to September 20. The programme attracts students from Russia, Ukraine, China, South Korea, Serbia, Germany, the US, Kazakhstan, and others.
According to forecasting by the HSE University Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge, financial analysts can expect to see impressive career success—finance is among the top 25 professions in terms of future potential. Financial specialists are sought after in banks, investment funds, credit rating agencies, consulting and auditing companies, and in the real economy.
Despite the digitalisation of all economic industries and the widespread automation of computing processes, experts in the field of finance still have an advantage over AIs. Even the most advanced machines are not capable of high-level analysis, skilful management of financial risks, finding well-reasoned financial solutions, implementing financial innovations and resolving ethical disputes.
Vasily Solodkov
Vasily Solodkov, Professor, Director of the HSE Banking Institute, and Academic Supervisor of the Master of Finance programme, explains why financial analysts are irreplaceable in tough economic times.
— Who is the online Master of Finance programme aimed at?
— In general, our applicants have backgrounds in finance, economics, mathematics, and management. However, the programme may also be of interest to specialists in related fields such as law, IT, and a range of others. Our graduates have the skills to take organisations of various scales to a new managerial level, so the programme also attracts business owners and the founders of startups.
The Master of Finance programme offers a tuition discount to applicants from Russia, developing countries, and post-Soviet countries. Students of the programme on a competitive basis are offered a 75% discount on registration fees for CFA certification exams (all three levels).
The programme is designed to take into account the needs of both recent graduates and professionals who want to improve their knowledge of finance. The online format of the programme allows students to maintain a full work schedule and save time by studying whenever and wherever is convenient.
— What is the educational concept of the programme?
— The content of the programme is based on the CFA Institute Candidate Body of Knowledge (CBOK) syllabus. This body of knowledge is oriented around the most up-to-date and innovative approaches in financial market research and is updated annually based on a survey of the world’s leading employers. This affiliation gives the students clear competitive advantages in employment. The programme is operated by the HSE Banking Institute, which trains highly professional managers capable of working in tough competitive conditions, adapting to various situations, and making unconventional decisions to bring success to their organisations.
The master’s programme comprises core courses that cover all three levels of the CFA syllabus, econometrics, financial theory, as well as elective and specialised courses in Financial Reporting and Analysis, Quantitative Methods in Finance, Financial Markets, Corporate Finance, Portfolio Management, Alternative Investments, Derivatives and Financial Engineering, and CFA Ethical and Professional Standards. Students will engage in project work with leading industry practitioners, including those with CFA, FRM, and ACCA certifications. Online master classes with key Russian and international specialists in finance provide opportunities to solve practical cases in real time and receive instant feedback from industry experts.
— What is required of financial analysts in light of ongoing economic sanctions and the new economic realities?
— Sanction pressure has an influence on the economy, but not on financial analysts, whose task is to provide objective financial analysis at the micro and macro levels. Naturally, the exit of leading international rating agencies and the reduced availability of statistical information makes analysts’ work harder than before.
— What new challenges is the industry facing?
— Our programme is international in nature. It first and foremost deals with the global economy, but not at the expense of the Russian side of things. One of the main problems in the global economy is climate change, which affects nature all over the world. Combatting this involves the use of ESG, which makes it possible not only to reduce carbon footprints, but also to develop new standards and drivers of economic development to reduce humanity’s impact on the planet. These standards have a huge effect on the regulation of the financial industry, alongside the ongoing fight against money laundering and the digitalisation of various business processes.
On September 6 at 7 pm Moscow time, the HSE Banking Institute will hold a webinar for applicants to the Master of Finance programme on the topic ‘Ruble exchange rate formation in new economic realities’. Vasiliy Solodkov will present the online Master of Finance programme. Alexander Kudrin, Cand. Sc, Chief Strategist and Managing Director at ATON, and professor of the HSE Banking Institute, will discuss the factors that shape the ruble exchange rate in a changing internal and external environment. Students of the programme will share their experience of their studies and offer an insider perspective on the programme.