Master of Financial Economics in Financial Economics

COURSE CURRICULUM

The Master of Financial Economics at Australian National University is a 96-unit advanced postgraduate program that combines rigorous training in economics, finance, mathematics, and econometrics to prepare students for highly analytical careers in financial and economic fields. The degree is structured around 78 units of compulsory coursework that build a strong theoretical and technical foundation. These core courses include optimisation for economics and financial economics, microeconomic analysis, advanced microeconomic theory, financial economics, mathematical techniques for economic analysis, econometric methods and modelling, applied finance, corporate finance, investments, advanced corporate finance, advanced investments, and an applied finance project, along with introductory statistics for business and finance. Together, these subjects ensure students develop deep expertise in both the theoretical and applied aspects of modern financial economics. In addition, students complete 12 units of elective courses from a broad selection covering international economics, public sector economics, industrial organisation, labour economics, game theory, computational methods, behavioural economics, microeconometrics, macro and financial econometrics, forecasting, and advanced econometric techniques. A further 6 units are chosen from finance electives such as applied portfolio construction, derivatives, Asian capital markets, international finance topics, and trading and markets. This flexible structure allows students to tailor their studies to specific career interests while maintaining strong analytical depth. Overall, the program equips graduates with advanced quantitative, modelling, and empirical skills needed for careers in investment banking, policy institutions, consulting, and financial research.