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Admission, prerequesites, preparatory programme, elite athletes
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Admission, prerequesites, preparatory programme, elite athletes

Source: https://www.unil.ch/hec/en/home/menuinst/master/admissions.html Parent: https://www.unil.ch/hec/en/home.html

Applying for a Master's degree

Admission

The Admissions Service manages the admissions to the HEC Master’s programmes and publishes the admission requirements for the Master's programs.

For any questions regarding the recognition of your diplomas for admission to a Master's programme, please write to: immat.master@unil.ch).

You can find the specific prerequisites for each Master’s programme in the “Prerequisite Knowledge” section below. For any questions related to these prerequisites, write to : HECmasterAdmission@unil.ch).

NEW: Master in Finance

There are new admission requirements for the Master in Finance. Starting from the 2026–2027 academic year, you must have obtained a grade equal to or higher than 4.00 / 6.00 in each of the assessments corresponding to:\ 12 ECTS credits (or equivalent) in economics\ 12 ECTS credits (or equivalent) in mathematics\ 9 ECTS credits (or equivalent) in statistics\ 3 ECTS credits (or equivalent) in programming\ during the first two years (first 120 / 180 credits) of your Bachelor’s studies in Switzerland (or equivalent in other countries).

Prerequisite knowledge

Master in Economics (MScE)

Admission criteria

Bachelor's degree from a Swiss university affiliated with at least one of the following fields of study (swissuniversities): ‘political economy’, ‘management’, “finance” or ‘management information systems’ with a strong background in economics. Other degrees or academic qualifications may be considered equivalent and allow admission to the Master's programme, with or without conditions.

Prerequisite knowledge

For applicants whose native language is not English or whose Bachelor's degree was not completed in English, experience has shown that it is essential to have a C1 level of proficiency in English, which corresponds, as a guideline, to the following minimum levels:

Specific knowledge

The programme does not include revision courses, except as part of refresher programmes. We therefore strongly recommend that you ensure, before the start of the course, that you have fully understood the following topics:

Macroeconomics

You should have a good grasp of the content of a good intermediate-level macroeconomics textbook, such as Macroeconomics by Mankiw N. Gregory. On Digitaleconomist.org, you will find some additional references as well as a link to an online version of D.A. Ruby's Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory.

Microeconomics

You should be familiar with the content of a good intermediate-level microeconomics textbook, such as H. Varian's Intermediate Microeconomics: A Modern Approach. On Digitaleconomist.org, you will find some additional references as well as a link to an online version of D.A. Ruby's Intermediate Microeconomic Theory.

Econometrics

You should master the content of James Stock and Mark Watson's Introduction to Econometrics (2007); it has a good library of online resources

Mathematics

Please use this online tutorial to review the necessary mathematical knowledge, or to update your knowledge in line with what will be required for the Master's programme. Two classic mathematics books for economists that you may also find useful are Mathematics for Economists by C.P Simon and L. Blume, and Fundamental Methods of Mathematical Economics by A.C. Chiang.

For more information on mathematics prerequisites:

Masters in Finance (MScF)

Admission criteria

Bachelor's degree from a Swiss university affiliated with at least one of the following fields of study (swissuniversities): ‘political economy’, ‘business management’, “finance” or ‘management information systems’. Other degrees or academic qualifications may be deemed equivalent and allow admission to the Master's programme, with or without conditions.

Prerequisite knowledge

Proficiency in English

For candidates whose native language is not English or whose bachelor's degree was not completed in English, experience has shown that they have a good command of English. Experience has shown that it is essential to have a C1 level of proficiency in English, which corresponds, as a guideline, to the following minimum levels:

Specific knowledge

Information below available in English only.\ \ Financial accounting

For accounting courses at the Master level a working knowledge of financial accounting concepts and techniques is assumed. This should normally be obtained by graduating with a Bachelor degree in management or a comparable education. These knowledge and skills are a prerequisite and will not be taught at the Master level. At this level the focus will be on International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).\ \ An introductory financial accounting course at the Bachelor level normally encompasses:

Students who do not qualify for these prerequisites or who wish to refresh their knowledge and skills are advised to appropriately prepare themselves in advance.\ \ Most of these basic concepts and techniques are independent from legal/national backgrounds. Hence, in general any introductory financial accounting textbook, and/or online financial accounting course might be suitable insofar as it deals with the content as described above.\ \ For online courses students could consult Harvard Business Online: Financial Accounting Online Course - Introductory Section (Paul M. Healy, David F. Hawkins).\ \ For accounting textbooks students could consult e.g Libby R., Libby P.A., Short D.G., 2010, Financial Accounting, 6th edition, McGraw-Hill International Edition (Chapters 1-3). However, students could check their local university library for relevant textbooks.\ \ Mathematics for Economics and Finance

Modern economics and finance rely profoundly on mathematics. It is therefore essential for incoming Master students to be familiar with some basic concepts of mathematics used in economics and finance applications. When starting their graduate studies, students should have a working knowledge of the material covered in the following basic textbook:

There are numerous advanced textbooks available on mathematics for economics and finance. No single book is comprehensive. The advanced textbooks recommended for the course are as follows:

In order to refresh and broaden your knowledge, working through some exercises before the semester is a useful preparation. We strongly encourage all incoming MScF students to prepare written solutions to the following set of exercises (at varying levels of difficulty).

Econometrics

Knowledge of the following basic concepts is necessary:

A textbook dealing with all those issues is for instance: Greene "Econometric Analysis", latest issue. See the Appendix to that book.

Advanced Programming

Advanced Data Analytics

Master in Information Systems (MScIS)

Admission criteria

Bachelor of Science degree from a Swiss university in management information systems; in economics, business administration or finance, provided that you have earned at least 12 ECTS credits in computer science; in computer science or communication systems, provided that you have earned at least 12 ECTS credits in humanities and social sciences. Other university degrees or qualifications may be deemed equivalent and allow admission to the Master's programme, with or without conditions.

Prerequisite knowledge

Proficiency in English and French

For applicants whose mother tongue is not French or whose Bachelor's degree was not completed in French, experience has shown that it is essential to have a B1 level of proficiency in French, which corresponds, as a guideline, to the following minimum levels: Diplôme approfondi de langue française (DALF) level B1 or B2 or Diplôme de langue de l'Alliance française. More info

In addition, proficiency in written and spoken English at level B2 is strongly recommended.

Specific knowledge

The minimum training in information systems is as follows:

Master in Management (MScM)

Admission criteria

Bachelor's degree from a Swiss university affiliated with at least one of the following fields of study (swissuniversities): ‘political economy’, ‘management’, “finance” or ‘management information systems’. Other degrees or academic qualifications may be deemed equivalent and allow admission to the Master's programme, with or without conditions.

Prerequisite knowledge

Proficiency in English

For applicants whose native language is not English or whose Bachelor's degree was not completed in English, experience has shown that it is essential to have a C1 level of proficiency in English, which corresponds, as a guideline, to the following minimum levels:

Specific knowledge

No refresher courses are offered. The references below represent the level required before the start of the programme:\ \ Accounting

Finance

Marketing

Math

Microeconomics

Economics

Master in Actuarial Sciences (MScAS)

Admission criteria

Bachelor's degree from a Swiss university affiliated with at least one of the following fields of study (swissuniversities): ‘political economy’, ‘management’, “finance” or ‘management information systems’, ‘mathematics’. Other degrees or academic qualifications may be deemed equivalent and allow admission to the Master's programme, with or without conditions.

Prerequisite knowledge

Proficiency in English

For applicants whose native language is not English or whose Bachelor's degree was not completed in English, experience has shown that it is essential to have a C1 level of proficiency in English, which corresponds, as a guideline, to the following minimum levels:

Specific knowledge

\ Minimum Mathematical skills:

Master's degree in Accounting, Controlling and Finance (MScCFF)

Admission criteria

Bachelor's degree from a Swiss university in economics, management or finance. Other degrees or qualifications may be considered equivalent and allow admission to the Master's programme, with or without conditions.

Prerequisite knowledge

Proficiency in French

For applicants whose mother tongue is not French or whose Bachelor's degree was not completed in French, experience has shown that it is essential to have a C1 level of proficiency in the language, which corresponds, as a guideline, to the following minimum levels: Diplôme approfondi de langue française (DALF) level C1 or C2 or Diplôme de langue de l'Alliance française. More info

Specific knowledge

As a specialised programme, the Master's in Accounting, Control and Finance (MScCCF) was designed on the assumption that participants have a solid foundation of knowledge acquired during their Bachelor's studies in the areas of financial accounting and group accounts, management accounting and control systems, corporate finance, company law and taxation.

Admission to the MScCCF is open to candidates who meet the enrolment and registration requirements of the university in which they are enrolled and who hold a Bachelor's degree from a Swiss university in Economics, Business Administration or Finance, or a qualification deemed equivalent by the Master's programme management. These individuals must also have earned a total of at least 30 ECTS credits in the following subjects during their bachelor's studies or thereafter:

with at least 6 ECTS credits acquired in each of these four subjects. Admission is granted by the Dean of the faculty of enrolment on the recommendation of the Master's programme management.

Master in Law and Economics (MDE)

Admission criteria

Bachelor's degree from a Swiss university in law; Bachelor's degree from a Swiss university in information systems, management, finance or political economy. Other degrees or academic qualifications may be considered equivalent and allow admission to the Master's programme, with or without conditions.

Certain optional courses (particularly in business administration or taxation) have prerequisites that are indicated in the study plan. A basic knowledge of Swiss taxation is desirable in all cases.

Proficiency in French

For applicants whose native language is not French or whose Bachelor's degree was not completed in French, experience has shown that it is essential to have a C1 level of proficiency in the language, which corresponds, as a guideline, to the following minimum levels: Diplôme approfondi de langue française (DALF) level C1 or C2 or Diplôme de langue de l'Alliance française. More info

If you need to improve your language skills in order to be admitted to the Master's programme, a B1 level in French is also required. Please refer to the following page for more details: French exam.

Specific knowledge

The Master's in Law and Economics (MDE) is offered jointly by the Faculty of Business and Economics and the University of Lausanne Law School, and is open to individuals who wish to specialise in both law and management.

Candidates who meet the enrolment and registration requirements for a Master's degree at the University of Lausanne and who hold either a Bachelor's degree in Law from a Swiss university affiliated with the field of study (swissuniversities) ‘law’, or a Bachelor's degree in Management or Economics from a Swiss university linked to at least one of the following fields of study (swissuniversities): ‘management information systems’, ‘business management’, “finance”, ‘political economy’.

Preparatory programme

Some applicants, such as those from universities of applied sciences or universities outside Switzerland, must successfully complete a bridging programme in order to be admitted to the Master's programme. Below you will find the courses from our Bachelor's programme that you must pass in order to be admitted.

Proficiency in French for admission to the preparatory programme. Candidates admitted to a bridging programme taught in French must pass a French exam before they can enrol in the bridging programme. For more information, please refer to this page: French exam.

Elite athletes

Candidates wishing to benefit from the support scheme for elite athletes during their studies must submit their application to the Elite Student Athletes Selection Committee, in addition to the application they send to the Registration and Enrolment Office. Visit this website: Special conditions for elite student athletes