Companies need professionals who can turn knowledge into decision-making.
The Master in Accounting and Financial Management is an official program, designed for an international audience, that prepares you, in just six intensive months, to make high-impact decisions in real financial environments.
Pursuing a master’s degree isn’t just an academic decision — it’s an investment in your future. That’s why it’s important to understand what this program truly offers and how it can help you move forward.
What will I gain from this program?
This program is designed for finance professionals with drive, commitment, and a desire to grow. You’ll learn by doing, guided by experienced professors and industry professionals with diverse perspectives.
Our admissions process carefully evaluates each application to ensure all students are prepared for the program’s academic level.
Studying at UPF-BSM means training at a globally recognized school through an official program that blends theoretical knowledge with hands-on, professionally oriented learning.
Collaborators:The UPF Barcelona School of Management holds the prestigious EQUIS accreditation, one of the most rigorous international standards for business schools. We’re the first school affiliated with a public university in Spain to achieve it.
Learn from UPF academics and working professionals who make real-world decisions at leading companies. The perfect balance between academic knowledge and practical experience.
Join classmates from around the world for six intensive months in Barcelona, a global city with a strong professional outlook and a unique character.
Gain access to real internship opportunities at companies like Danone, DKV, Mango, Henkel, Nestlé, Everis, Hewlett-Packard, Crandon, or PwC.
Prepare for two of the most valued certifications in accounting and management: CIMA and ACCA. A key boost for your financial career.
Many of our students change jobs, sectors, or even countries after completing the master. You won’t just gain knowledge: you’ll build a career with direction.
This master is designed for finance and economics professionals looking to take the next step in their careers. Individuals with a solid foundation in finance, accounting, or business management who want to gain a more strategic, international, and impact-driven perspective.
This program is for you if you:
It doesn’t matter if you come from the public sector, private enterprise, a startup, or a multinational: this program is built to help you take the next step, wherever you are on your professional journey.
UPF Barcelona School of Management is the business school of Pompeu Fabra University, the 1st Ibero-American university and the 16th placed university in the world, among those under 50 years of age, according to the Times Higher Education ranking.
We hold the EQUIS accreditation, the most prestigious institutional recognition for business schools worldwide, placing us in the international elite of academic management education.
The Master in Accounting and Financial Management is an official degree recognized by the Spanish Ministry of Education. In addition,Quality Agency of the University System of Catalonia (AQU Catalunya) has institutionally accredited the UPF-BSM. This accreditation certifies all the official university master's degrees that we teach and recognizes the quality of our educational model in accordance with the criteria of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).
The master provides access to the CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants), ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) and CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) accreditations.
The master's program is organized into 3 major modules.
You must take all the compulsory subjects and choose two subjects from the elective offerings or the professional internship subject.
The master's program is completed with the elaboration of the Master's Final Project, which is developed throughout the course, parallel to the teaching activity.
Critical vision and a comparative international approach to accounting regulations (Spanish Reporting Standards and International Financial Reporting Standards).
Comparison with the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles US GAAP.
Review of the most recent research in Spanish accounting and international accounting.
Analysis of the latest trends and repercussions for the company.
Auditing principles, norms, and procedures.
Critical vision and a comparative international approach to auditing regulations.
Internal auditing and internal control.
Comparison with International Standards on Auditing.
Review of the most recent research in auditing.
Responsibilities and functions of the independent auditor.
Review of the most recent research in business analysis.
Economic and financial analysis of the company. One-dimensional and multidimensional models.
Financial statement analysis identifying business needs and determining solutions to business problems.
Working capital analysis. Relationship between working capital and the cash conversion cycle.
Analysis of the profit generating capacity. Analysis of cost and revenue of the firm which determines whether or not the firm is profiting.
Economic value creation.
Relationship between cost accounting, financial accounting, and management accounting.
Review of the most recent research in management accounting.
Activity based costing and activity based management.
Cost management information for strategic management purpose.
Cost structure and business models.
Cost reduction and continuous improvement.
Relationship between information systems and business processes.
Budgeting and management process: effective budgeting systems in practice.
Review of the most recent research in budgetary management.
Management control system techniques.
Performance measures.
Strategic planning and management system and the balanced scorecard.
Management control system techniques: long and short range planning.
Case studies in management control systems.
Financial system and strategies for mobilizing funds for investment.
Macroeconomic factors affecting business environment.
Review of most recent research in Spanish, European, and international financial systems.
Methods used to analyse securities and make investment decisions: fundamental analysis and technical analysis.
Fundamental analysis and the determination of the underlying health of a company by examining financial statements.
Technical analysis involving the use of charts for forecasting the direction of stock prices.
Stock Market and financial markets.
Latest trends in qualitative techniques in financial statement analysis.
Review of the most recent research on consolidated financial statements.
Latest trends in qualitative techniques in financial statement analysis.
Insolvency prediction models.
Credit scoring and credit rating models.
Analysis of individual corporations with aggregates and sectoral ratios.
You can also undertake curricular internships in companies, which are validated as two elective subjects (6 ECTS credits).
You must demonstrate and put into practice the knowledge you have acquired throughout each of the modules of the master's degree.
In addition to the core curriculum, this master offers a range of complementary activities and resources that enhance your learning, strengthen your professional profile, and connect you with a valuable international network.
International Certifications
The program includes targeted preparation and fast-track access to the following professional credentials:
These are two globally respected certifications in financial and management accounting.
In addition, the content of the program also prepares you to take the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) exam, one of the most highly regarded credentials worldwide in financial analysis and investment management.
Supplementary training
International experience
Once students have completed the course they will obtain the Màster Universitari en Direcció Financera i Comptable de l’Empresa / Master in Accounting and Financial Management en l’especialitat en Finances Corporatives. Specialization in Corporate Finance - Máster Universitario en Dirección Financiera y Contable de la Empresa / Master in Accounting and Financial Management en la especialidad en Finanzas Corporativas. Specialization in Corporate Finance issued by Pompeu Fabra University.
Issuance of official Master's Degrees: The amount stipulated in the DOGC (Official Gazette of the Government of Catalonia) must be paid for the rights to issue the degree. This rate varies annually and the rate in force at the time of application for the degree will be applied.
The faculty of the master combines professors from the UPF-BSM department with active professionals from the financial sector.
You’ll learn from academics with strong research backgrounds and experts who apply what they teach in real companies. The perfect balance between academic rigor and practical experience, so you understand not just the concepts, but how to apply them in real-world decision-making.
The master’s methodology is designed with a hands-on approach. Sessions are highly participative and combine concept-based lectures with real case analysis, teamwork, and the use of tools applied to today’s business reality.
You’ll work on real, up-to-date case studies that allow you to apply what you’ve learned and tackle scenarios similar to those you’ll face as a professional. Each case is an opportunity to strengthen your decision-making skills.
You’ll learn not only from your professors but also from your peers. Group work encourages the exchange of ideas, experiences, and perspectives, helping you develop key skills such as collaboration, leadership, and the ability to manage diverse teams.
You’ll have the option to take part in an academic experience in Frankfurt, where you’ll visit leading financial institutions and attend sessions delivered by top-tier professionals in the sector. An immersive experience in one of the world’s financial hubs.
You’ll conclude the program with an applied group project that brings together everything you’ve learned. A collaborative challenge that requires strategic thinking, structured problem-solving, and delivering results with real-world impact.
Evaluation in the master’s program is continuous. Throughout the course, several components will be assessed, including:
Project-oriented learning and the combination of lectures and active methodologies such as case studies, flipped learning, solving real problems and professional simulations allow the student to connect theory and practice, acquire advanced skills and achieve learning which is transferable to work.
You will have:
This official master is built to turn theory into action, helping you take the next step in your career: whether that means changing roles, taking on greater responsibility, or accessing new professional opportunities.
It offers cross-functional training that integrates accounting, auditing, taxation, corporate and international finance, data analysis, and management control. Throughout the program, you’ll develop essential skills to work in areas such as accounting, corporate finance, risk analysis, or consulting — all with a practical, applied focus.
Everything is centered on employability: giving you the confidence to perform in real-world environments, make well-informed decisions, and deliver value from day one.
Each year, the program brings together young professionals from various countries with academic backgrounds in accounting, finance, economics, or business administration.
All of them share the same goal: to prepare themselves to stand out in the international financial market through a solid, applied, and recognized education.
Average age
Average number of years of working experience
International Students
The program is designed to help you break into the financial sector with real international projection. If your goal is to grow in accounting, corporate finance, or consulting, this is where you prepare to take that leap with confidence.
Curricular internships
During the program, you’ll complete a mandatory internship at a national or international company. From day one, you’ll be supported by an internship coordinator who will help you find the right placement, handle the logistics, and be your go-to contact throughout the experience.
We’re talking about companies like Danone, Nestlé, DKV, Mango, Everis, Henkel, or Hewlett-Packard — internships that can lead to real job opportunities.
What roles will you be ready for?
After completing the program, you’ll be prepared to take on positions such as: