Qualification of students

Graduates are expected to gain theoretical knowledge and advanced skills on the following areas: economics, mathematics and statistics, corporate and financial law.

For the economic area, topics offered include: monetary and financial economics, advanced micro- and macro- economics, growth and labour-market theories, the theory of investment-decisions (also under uncertainty) in economics and finance. The theories and analytical tools learnt from economics will enable students to understand the processes of economic globalization and growth, as well as the functioning of markets, the role of multinational corporations and financial institutions.

For the area of mathematics and statistics, the topics include: mathematical and statistical analysis, econometrics, mathematical finance, risk theory, portfolio optimization and optimal control. The students are expected to learn how to perform quantitative analyses for business and economic decision making, management of investments and financial forecasting of macroeconomic scenarios.

For the business and financial area, topics include: corporate finance, business management, economics of markets and financial intermediaries. The knowledge and skills acquired in this area will enable graduates to understand the policies of enterprise management, the strategies of internationalization of firms, the principles of corporate finance, the functioning of the financial system, the investment decisions and the policies for financial risk management.

For the law area the main focus will be on international financial and economic law. The lectures will provide legal expertise to understand the laws that rule the markets, the financial institutions and international trade.

Graduates will be able to apply the knowledge and skills acquired to the analysis and management of business tasks posed by the process of economic and financial globalization, to the design and implementation of internationalization strategies of firms, to the assessment of the financial risk, to the identification of the best economic policies to be implemented in the context of open economies (market regulation, competition policies, supervision of financial institutions, etc.); to the mathematical evaluation of investments; to the analysis and forecasting of economic and financial scenarios.

Graduates will gain the ability to make judgments about: the effects and effectiveness of the decisions of firms and financial institutions in which they were to operate, even in relation to the ethical implications of these decisions; the consequences and the effectiveness of economic policies. They will also need to assimilate fully the principles of professional ethics that guide interpersonal relationships in the contexts of employment. They should also learn the fundamental principles of the scientific approach to problem solving in economics and business administration. Learning these principles will turn to be extremely useful in trying to solve those problems that they will face during their professional activity. The multidisciplinary approach of this program encourages the development of independent judgment and critical thinking by offering students the opportunity to compare methodological approaches in different disciplines. The significant relevance of quantitative methods and their applications to economics and finance, facilitates the comprehension of the scientific approach to problem solving.

Graduates will be able to: present and communicate effectively within the company the results of their work (projects, reports, analyses, etc.); build cooperative relationships and collaborative working activities within groups; suggest solutions to the problems faced within the working contexts using mathematical and quantitative tools; access to a more specialized audience, for example, through the publication of research results. The ability to communicate effectively in the workplace is primarily gained through the presentation and discussion of case studies. The drafting of reports and essays, as required by some of the courses, and the writing of the final dissertation will help to enhance written communication skills.

Graduates will have the ability to develop and increase their skills through the consultation of the published scientific literature and the use of databases and other information-sets. The master degree in Finance and Economics also provides the methodological skills that support capabilities for further learning up to the possibility to continue their studies in doctoral programs. The students have also the opportunity to attend other activities organized by the Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods such as seminars and workshops to improve their ability to understand scientific challenges and new topics of research.

The preparation of the final dissertation provides students with further opportunities to develop the skills of independent learning.