Academic year 2026/2027

Master Year 1 - Economics and Finance

ECTS credits : 60

Programme objectives

Program objectives:

Acquire fundamental knowledge in economics and finance.
Master quantitative methods, IT tools, and data science techniques used to support economic and financial decision-making.
Develop the ability to analyze major financial instruments, understand how markets operate, and grasp the mechanisms behind financial asset price formation.
Conduct financial and extra-financial diagnostics of a company and assess its development opportunities.
Gain in-depth knowledge of green finance, including sustainability challenges and responsible investment strategies.

This first year of the Master's in Economics and Finance, available in both full-time and apprenticeship formats, offers students an in-depth education in economics and finance, as well as advanced mastery of quantitative methods and programming in finance. It is during this first year of the Master's program that students can begin to specialize, with a range of elective courses focused on either market finance or corporate finance.

For full-time students, the first semester can take place either on the Paris campus or the London campus. In London, students follow the Paris program, taught in English by professors from the London campus, as well as professionals from this major financial hub. Language courses are provided by the partner University College London. Students thus benefit from the international environment of London, its professional opportunities, while completing a curriculum that meets the academic requirements of Paris Dauphine-PSL University.

Most full-time students continue their first year of the Master's with a gap year, to gain professional experience and refine their career path. After the first year of the Master's in Economics and Finance, apprenticeship students continue their studies in the M2 Economic and Financial Engineering program.

Teaching methods

The first year of the Master's degree in Economics and Finance is an extension of the Bachelor's degree in Applied Economics at Dauphine. The close connection between the Bachelor's in Applied Economics and the Master's in Economics and Finance allows students to progressively and efficiently assimilate the concepts, methods, and tools of the discipline. A refresher course in computer science is offered to interested students before classes begin.

The first year of the Master's in Finance is divided into two semesters from September to June. Students specialize over the course of the program: after a core first semester, they choose to specialize in either corporate finance or market finance in their second semester. The common core includes the fundamentals of economics (macroeconomics, microeconomics, econometrics, and public economics) and finance (corporate financial analysis, portfolio management, derivatives). The curriculum addresses public economics through the study of energy and environmental issues. Specializing in the second semester allows students the opportunity to deepen their understanding of a financial subfield and learn the tools required to model relevant financial issues.

In the second semester, students can write theses in pairs. Students specializing in corporate finance can write a thesis on business valuation. As part of this thesis, students must find a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) that agrees to provide them with financial statements, information on investment projects, and the company's strategic vision. This is therefore a fieldwork project that requires both interpersonal skills and a good level of expertise. Under the supervision of an academic tutor, all students can also write a research thesis on recent issues in market or corporate finance. In all cases, these projects offer students the opportunity to deepen their area of expertise and develop their analytical skills.

Language of instruction: French

Admissions

In Initial training, there are two steps to the admissions process:

An online application
Admission is on the basis of the application

In Work-based training, there are three steps to the admissions process:

An online application
Eligibility for interview is determined after reviewing the application
Interview with eligible applicants, followed by admissions decision

Further studies

After the first year of the Master in Economics and Finance, apprenticeship students continue their journey in the M2 in Economic and Financial Engineering (2-year apprenticeship contract). Students in the initial training program can choose between several M2 programs, in initial training or work-study programs. Before joining an M2, they may take a gap year if their curriculum allows it, to gain professional experience in France or abroad: internships, fixed-term contracts, civic service, entrepreneurship, additional training...