Curriculum
Do you want to know more about the MScBA Accounting & Financial Management programme?
The video below will answer the most frequently asked questions about the programme.
Overview
The MScBA in Accounting & Financial Management is a 12-month programme. Core courses are compulsory and will be offered during the autumn semester (22 EC). Master electives (18 EC) are offered during the spring semester, of which one elective can be chosen from another MSc programme. During the year, you’ll also work on a master thesis (20 EC).
MSc programmes are often associated with a research group, guided by accomplished researchers making meaningful contributions in their respective fields. For a closer look at the exciting research initiatives by our academic faculty, we encourage you to explore the department of Accounting and Control under which the MScBA in Accounting & Financial Management falls.
Academic calendar
Please note that core courses and electives are subject to change each academic year. While some electives are very popular and we can place most students in the elective(s) of their choice, there are no guaranteed places.
Autumn semester - core courses
Focus on the crucial role that finance and accounting plays for companies, external stakeholders and society. In the evidence-based knowledge courses, you focus on:
Spring semester - electives
Choose your specialisation path for your career in accountancy, financial management and controlling, or financial advisory. Elective courses* cover a wide variety of topics, including:
- assurance services
- management control
- taxation
- controllership
- integrated measurement and reporting
- behavioural finance
You can also choose one elective from another MSc programme.
*Please note that certain electives may be very popular. Although we can place most students in the elective(s) of their choice, there are no guaranteed places.
For a detailed description of all of the courses including electives, please view the course catalogue (for reference only, catalogue continually updated throughout the year).
Accounting and financial management research skills
You’ll prepare for your theses with a research course which combines three elements in nine lectures: econometric theory, paper discussions, and applied econometrics using R (in-class paper replications). In the last session, assigned groups present the results of a paper replication.
Teaching methods include interactive discussions, presentations and applying econometrics by replicating state-of-the-art research papers. You’ll be expected to perform statistical analysis during the lectures with your laptop with a working version of RStudio installed (it’s free!) and be able to perform basic data operations in R.
To familiarise yourself with R programming, you can have a look at the free e-book R for Data Science. The class is taught by Dr Caspar Peter.
Learn more
Honours class
The best 20 students in the programme will be invited to follow the honours class in accounting and financial management in the third and fourth block of their master study. This is based on their grades in the four core courses. These excellent students can follow this challenging extra-curricular course focusing on latest developments in research and practice.
The honours course is taught by Dr Evelien Reusen and practitioners jointly. In four academic sessions, students explore decision-making, financial accounting, taxation and valuation. Two guest speakers from large companies will share their experience with implementing external or internal requests for accountability. These guest lectures will be prepared in class with cases and group discussions.
Although we aim to offer the course every academic year, we may not (be able to) guarantee that it will take place given the extra-curricular nature of the course.
Internship
You can get a taste of working life – from large multinationals to fast-growing start-ups – by applying your new wealth of knowledge to a real company problem during your internship, which is optional in your programme. The RSM Career Centre will support you in finding a suitable position. Many students acquire their first job after graduation from the contacts they make during their internship.
International exchange
Explore the world and broaden your study experiences by going on international study trips and exchanges at other top schools. RSM has an extensive partner school network of more than 100 business schools and universities worldwide, including top business schools such as ESADE in Barcelona and The Wharton School in the USA. An international exchange is an optional element after you’ve studied for your master for at least one year.
Career opportunities
You’ll have excellent career opportunities. Most AFM graduates found a job in auditing in one of the Big Four, others in large corporates as controllers or financial managers. There are also many other job perspectives in careers in financial management. Some examples:
- as an (external) auditor at one of the Big Four or medium-sized accounting firms
- as an (internal) auditor at a large multinational corporation
- as a finance manager and control specialist (such as financial controller, treasurer, business analyst) at a large multinational corporation
- as a financial or valuation advisor at a consulting firm or the transaction services department of the Big Four accounting firms.
Many of our graduates advance into senior management positions such as partner in an accounting firm, financial director, or senior business controller at a large company. An Accounting & Financial Management degree gives you a great start on your way to becoming a chief financial officer, a chief audit executive or senior audit partner!
When you graduate from this programme, you’ll be a specialist in the financial and non-financial information needed by managers and investors; how it is gathered, secured, checked and used in the ‘nerve centres’ of economic organisations and markets. This means you can contribute to help managers make economically sound and sustainable decisions. Such decisions range from motivating and evaluating employees, deciding on investments or mergers and acquisitions, to scrutinising new business opportunities.
Curious to see what our alumni are doing?
Explore their LinkedIn profiles. You can filter per programme and graduation year.
Good to know
Orientation year for Non-EEA graduates
Non-EEA nationals who have earned a diploma from a higher education institute in the Netherlands can apply for a special residence permit called the orientation year after completing their studies. The 'Orientation Year for Graduates Seeking Employment' is a residence permit aimed at retaining foreign talent for the Dutch labour market. During this orientation year you are free to work without a work permit. Participants who find a job during this period can change their orientation year into a residence permit for Highly Skilled Migrants under more favourable terms.
For the most up-to-date information please visit the following website.
Career centre
What's next after your studies? The RSM Career Centre is your guide for an impactful career. Its expertise in the labour market, personal branding and connections with employers will prepare you for your business career. Get ready for some exciting job fairs, workshops, speed interviews and coaching. You may land your first internship or job before you even graduate!
Alumni network
You’re a member of the RSM community from Day 1. After you graduate, you’ll also be a member of the RSM alumni network. The countless benefits include networking events worldwide with local chapters, lifelong learning and professional development, mentoring opportunities and access to the latest business knowledge and research. Your study at RSM is the first step towards being part of this inspiring community that you’ll be part of forever.
Studying at RSM
Talk to our current students!
Chat with our student ambassadors and ask any questions you have.
Fees & scholarships
The 2024-2025 tuition fee for the MSc programmes is approximately €22,500 for non-EEA students. The Dutch government contributes towards this cost for students who hold a nationality from a country belonging to the European Economic Area(EEA). These students therefore only pay the statutory fee €2,530 in 2024-2025.
For EEA nationals who have already completed a master in the Netherlands (and obtained the diploma) the tuition fee for a 2nd master is approximately €13,200.
Please note that all these tuition fee tariffs are subject to change.
There are other costs associated with the Master programmes, for more information please review the “Other expenses” section below thoroughly.
Scholarships
The number of scholarships is limited and mainly merit based. If a scholarship covers only the tuition fees, be aware that you need to finance your own living expenses (rent, food and insurances) for the duration of your studies. RSM does not offer scholarships for the pre-master programme. We do however offer a maximum of 2 scholarships per academic year to RSM pre-master students enrolling in an MSc programme.
Scholarships offered by RSM
Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) offers multiple scholarships to prospective students from non-EEA countries who are not entitled to pay the EEA tuition fee, provided their grades are considered ‘excellent’. RSM also offers one scholarship, the Erasmus Trustfonds Scholarship, to students from EEA countries.
Other scholarships
Besides scholarships awarded by RSM, there are also scholarships awarded by the Dutch government or other organisations that are available if you meet certain criteria such as nationality, age, etc We have listed some of them below but we encourage you to use resources such as Grantfinder or the Scholarship Portal to find additional scholarships.
- StuNed
- G&D Europe Scholarship
- NN Future Matters Scholarship
- Russia: The Global Education Programme
- LPDP
- OKP
Scholarship tips
- Contact the Ministry for Higher Education in your home country to see whether there are scholarship options.
- We have virtual information session covering all you need to know about scholarships and financial aid. Watch it here.
Student loan options
For students from the Netherlands or the EU/EEA, it may be possible to apply for limited funding towards payment of your tuition fees. Find out whether you meet the nationality and age requirements and read more information about the application process here.
Other expenses
Master Application Handling fee
After having filled in all of the necessary application information on the Online Application Form (OLAF) and uploaded the required documents, applicants with a degree obtained outside the Netherlands will be asked to pay a non-refundable €100 handling fee. This fee can be paid online via the Erasmus Payment System which uses either iDEAL (for those with a Dutch bank account) or PayPal (which can be linked to any bank account or credit card worldwide). It is important that applicants complete the payment process as indicated, otherwise the system cannot register the payment.
Additional programme related expenses
The additional expenses in addition to tuition and general living costs (see below) vary per programme and may include:
- Study materials such as books, readers and business cases
- Costs involved in kick-off meetings
- Costs related to travel, international excursions and compulsory exchange semesters or internships abroad
Living expenses
For a reasonable standard of living in the Netherlands, you should have an income of between €1,000-€1,600 per month depending on your lifestyle. Further information about the costs of living in the Netherlands and related subjects can be found on this website. Below is an example of monthly expenditures:
Example of monthly expenditures
| Furnished accommodation, including gas and electricity | € 500-900 |
| Medical insurance | € 50 |
| Telephone/internet | € 15-25 |
| Food | € 200 - 300 |
| Books, recreation, clothing | € 200 - 300 |
| Public Transportation | € 50 |
| Total | € average 1000 - 1625 |
| Other potential expenses: | |
| Buying or renting a bike | € 100 - 250 (for the full 3 years) |
| In private residence (not student housing) yearly municipal and water taxes | € 100 - 300 (per year) |
Study and work - part-time jobs
Please ensure, prior to your arrival at RSM, that you have or will have sufficient funding available to finance your stay at RSM. Finding a part-time job, may be an option, but can not be guaranteed. You should therefore not rely on finding other ways to supplement your income during your studies. For additional information on obtaining a part-time job, visit the website of the Nuffic.
For EEA students there are no formal restrictions in finding work in the Netherlands, but students with a lack of Dutch language skills will find it difficult to secure employment. Non-EEA students are subject to labour regulations, which makes the likelihood of obtaining a work permit very small. We therefore ask students not to rely on this possibility. We do not encourage students to combine studies with the heavy workload from a part-time job.
Admission & application
Application for the September 2024 intake opened 1 October. This is a capped programme, which means that the maximum number of applications we accept is 330. The application form will remain open until 15 May or until the maximum number of applications has been submitted (whichever comes first).
Immigration & housing
Immigration & visas
Find out everything you need to know about entry visas & residence permits for non-EU or EEA students at RSM.
Housing
Finding housing in Rotterdam can be tricky. To help you in your search for housing, we have compiled some helpful resources
