Choose the studies in finance is to draw a singular path or cross mathematics, digitalization and openness to the international. Depending on the orientation chosen – professional specialization, research diving or beginning of career in finance –, every decision shapes the way. Pointy techniques, digital agility, know-how: everything weighs as much as the choice of curriculum, thesis or the first position. It is better to master the real expectations of the sector: this is how we align passion, pragmatism and potential remuneration, to aim for the network and the function that really match you.
Education in finance: what you really need to know to choose your course
Starting out in finance studies can turn a passion for math into a springboard to international or open the door to high-level research and attractive remuneration. When you hesitate between master, thesis or bank post, it is better to clarify your motivations from the beginning.
In practice, finance offers two main axes: the professional path (bank, portfolio management, audit, fintech), and academic research (doctorate, master's degree, university chair). The first brings rapid remuneration and a wide network; the second values passion, mathematical innovation and intellectual depth – sometimes with bridges between the two. For a young graduate, the approach is mainly aimed at successful integration – professional quality starts from master's (with 42,500 € gross/year of median wage), while research attracts intellectual impact and innovation (modelling, financial AI, sustainable finance). Let's take a closer look at what distinguishes each option, what schools and employers really expect, and how to secure your choice between passion, pragmatism... and genuine wages.
What is a study in finance? Myth, reality and today's stakes
To opt for finance is often to cross the mirror of a sector that is both digitalized, and mobile, which remains demanding on the essential: analysis, management and financial optimization at the borders of math, economics and modern digital tools.
On the field today? With the rise of algorithmic trading, big data, IA, the sector opens up to diverse profiles. Classics such as banking or asset management are still strong, but new horizons are emerging: sustainable finance, compliance, blockchain, fintechs... The ESG Finance survey shows more 22 specialized programmes to respond to these challenges.
To be noted, the sector offers:
- High value added occupations: treasurer, credit manager, quantitative analyst, risk researcher...
- Solid employment from bac+3 or bac+5: until 58% of financial frameworks over 3,000 € Net/month
- Central place for innovationModeling, crisis anticipation, green transition...
Many students imagined finance as a pure math temple; a trainer recently mentioned that soft skills and digital watch regularly make more difference during interviews or internships than an excellent level of mental computing!
Courses, diplomas and specializations: visualise his path "master-thesis" or "master-job"
Are you wondering about the path to be drawn? In general, it takes three stages: each step opens the door to the market or research. To find yourself there, imagine a timeline from bachelor/licence to master, then to the thesis or immediate entry into the post.
From BTS to the thesis: the map of possibilities
Each level brings distinct skills, but the specialization asserts above all from the master. Some concrete references on the emblematic routes:
| Level | Course/Target | Annual average wage | % Insertion pro. |
|---|---|---|---|
| BTS/DUT | Financial Adviser, Management Assistant | 24 000 – 28 000 € | 85% |
| License/Bachelor | Finance Assistant, Back Office, Client Manager | 28 000 – 32 000 € | About 80%. |
| Master/MSc/MBA | Financial Analyst, Management Controller, Junior Trader | 42,500 € (gross/median year) | 85-95% |
| Doctorate/Thesis | Researcher, Teacher, Data Scientist Finance | Start at 42,000 €, changes strongly depending on the institution | Very variable (mobility, post-doc...) |
Finally, to do a thesis is to bet on the taste of solving complex problems (EDP, probabilities), while joining a bank after a master's degree leads more to immediate salary security and the professional network. A guidance professional pointed out that it is usually a matter of choosing between stability and intellectual challenge.
RNCP accredited schools multiply – for each course – the links with the international (campus world, English courses, World courses, double degrees).
Key specializations, today and tomorrow
The offer becomes very wide: audit, corporate finance, quantitative modelling, wealth management, compliance, fintech, sustainable finance, heritage engineering... With the rise of digital and green finance, diversification is accelerating. Some professionals believe that starting "generalist" is not handicaping; We can then refine, often through internships or alternation!
- Corporate Finance: Analysis, M & A, Cash Management
- Market finance: trading, asset allocation, derivatives modelling
- Audit/Management control: compliance, data analysis, reporting
- Fintech/Durable: innovations, blockchains, impact management
The example of ENSAE or Dauphine? Real fish pools: it happens that one enters for curiosity... and that we become an expert in stochastic finance or ethical finance after three to five years!
Skills, materials and level required: demystify the "math syndrome"
The question that comes up frequently: Do you have to be an expert in math? The answer remains nuanced: there is no need to be a major in calculus, but it is better to accept it as a privileged ally. Modern finance relies on profiles combining robust mathematical basis (probability, differential calculation, EDP) and openness to technology.
Key subjects and tools in finance
The common core includes accounting, financial analysis, taxation, and more and more data modules and modelling. Masters prized for their employability include from the first year:
- Applied Mathematics : probabilities, partial derivative equations, optimization
- Digital finance : Excel expert, Python, R, automated trading tools
- Market analysis, risk management and management control
- Soft skills: communication, adaptability, critical mind (other point highly valued during interviews)
A zoom: Bloomberg room, business games or data & compliance workshops sometimes serve as a life-size crash test. Even if the statistics cause a few students to stumble in the first year, the pedagogical support and evolutionary method (simulators, FAQs or coaching) help to overcome the "math syndrome". Blowing is normal, and, according to some elders, this is an integral part of the journey.
Opportunities, wages and real employability: between dream and concrete
Moving to a trade regularly helps to remove doubts. Is it really profitable? Should we aim for a job on the way out or invest in research time?
The numbers reassure: with a BTS diploma, 85% of young people find a position within one year, the salary varies between 24,000 and 28,000 €/year. With a bac + 5, the median climbs to 42,500 € Gross per year; and the evolution reached between 10 and 15% in five years, depending on the mobility and specialization chosen. For star functions (DAF, treasurer, portfolio manager...), salaries start around 42,000-45,000 €, some up to 90,000 to 230,000 € for managers of important teams.
On the research side, financial growth is spreading more; scientific positions or teachers begin around 42 000 €, with possible international openness and significant impact via innovation (e.g. modelling of sustainable financial products or AI in risk management).
Express table to locate:
| Trade | Starting salary | Progress | Working environment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Financial Analyst | 42 500 € | +12% in 3 years | Bank, insurance, consultancy |
| Treasurer | 45 000 € | Up to 90 000 € | Enterprise, institution |
| Portfolio Manager | 45 000 € | Variable, according to funds | Management company, private equity |
| Researcher / Teacher | 42 000 € | +10–20% according to international career | University, laboratory, R&D firm |
Last point to note: wondering where to place the cursor between passion and security is not a whim, it is the basis for moving forward in a thoughtful way.
International dimension and recognition: diplomas, accreditations, global mobility
Impossible today to think of finance without the international dimension: 19 OMNES campuses in France or abroad, 40,000 OMNES students, more 215 000 alumni. This is the reality of the network accessible after graduation.
Labels and accreditations structure recognition (RNCP, institutional labels, interdisciplinary chairs, so-called programs) « High school »). These accreditations are often recommended to ensure real mobility: each year, internships, double degrees and exchanges attract recruiters, at ESG Finance, Dauphine, ENSAE or Polytechnique. An international expert pointed out that this openness is one of the keys to the sector.
- Courses in English accessible from the license at many partners
- Internships world or double diploma (France-USA, France-Asia...)
- Alumni network, international business games, immersive experiences
Training abroad sometimes wins +30 to 40% visibility at the time of recruitment (in asset management, fintech, international audit)... And it's an adventure that we keep in mind: there are times when elders make indelible bonds.
Accompaniment, resources and testimonials: Reassurance, progress... and decide
Nobody builds their journey alone – few are truly straight journeys. Coaching, business games, orientation simulators or student testimonials secure each stage, from the first application to the job projection. Being offered an individual interview or a live FAQ webinar is now the norm.
Focus on essential resources
- Dedicated FAQ on the math level or the choice of specialization
- Custom orientation simulator, with test to refine his choices
- Business game in real time, discovery of video professions
- Brochures or decision-making grids to download, concrete tools to inform your way
A testimony that illustrates this journey: "I thought the finance reserved for math cracks... In reality, it was alternation and coaching that helped me to lift my fears and find my place in sustainable management – today I'm piloting a green portfolio!" (Lea, sustainable finance analyst, Paris 2023). Some professionals point out that accompaniment makes all the difference to gain confidence.
FAQ "Studies in finance": your questions, our concrete answers
One last doubt? Students often come back with the same questions, and this logic can be understood. Here are some answers to make it clearer.
What masters for a thesis in finance?
The Royal Way generally passes through ENSAE, Dauphine, Polytechnic or HEC, where modeling and financial mathematics are the core of the curriculum. The master "modelization", "quant", or "applied mathematics" is a solid gateway to research (cf. House of Finance Dauphine).
Financial search or first job: how to choose?
A bank position (trader, analyst, credit manager) often guarantees a quick salary (between 42 000 € and 45 000 € Gross per annum), a progression and concrete. Research echoes passion and innovation (sustainable finance, AI, data science): it allows us to bounce back to industry if we reach an academic ceiling. The right choice? The one who encourages you to learn every day. Field experience indicates that the desire to go further sometimes motivates as much as remuneration.
Is it accessible without being "strong in math"?
We don't ask for Fields medals: finance demands a solid basis in probabilities, statistics or EDP. In other words, wanting to solve, exercise logic and open up to digital tools (Excel, Python, etc.) is largely enough. A lot of testimony goes in this direction.
Sustainable finance and digitalisation: "mode" effects?
We note that these are real trends: today, 60% of internships In the pioneer schools, green finance or digital transition is the focus, and nearly one in three master's courses address data analysis or ESG reporting.
How to finance his studies/research?
Awards of excellence (ENS, large schools), research chairs, CIFRE contracts and alternance offers (with 21.5% of apprenticeship contracts level +5 in 2022). Students' wages on alternance change between 900 € and 1,400 €/month according to year and host company.
Testimonials, guides, webinars: how to enjoy it?
Better to ask for an individual appointment (more than 3,000 OMNES experts available in 2024), participate in open houses, or consult the guides to download to structure his choice. Sometimes video accounts from other students give the necessary click to progress.
Doubtful? Test yourself!
Do you hesitate between bank, thesis or fintech? Most schools now offer online orientation tests, to adjust your profile, your aspirations and offer a precise feedback on the course to consider: to explore without delay, especially before finalizing your application.
To go further: Financial Research Testimonials (ENSAE) | Financial research in Dauphine | Panorama of studies in finance
Test your financial orientation or Make an appointment with an orientation advisor to secure your choice. Nothing excludes that you really advance by telling yourself early.