My program

If you want to work as a CFO in the near future, the MSc in Financial & Business Performance will allow you to build the right career path to acquire the necessary technical and soft skills to become an ethical and responsible partner of the business. The MSc in Financial & Business Performance designed by emlyon business school is based on a strong belief that finance is the best ally and the necessary counter balance in strategic business decisions to ensure a sustainable development of the company.

The MSC in Financial & Business Performance is built on 3 pillars :

• Finance
• Strategy & organization
• Technology & Data analytics.

In this program you will acquire strong technical skills in these 3 fields in order to be able to collect, analyze and present business and financial datas for the board to make strategic decisions and proper follow the impact of their decision.

You will also be trained to crucial soft skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, communication and team work in order to become a real partner of the business.

Discover the program content for the 2025-2026 academic year:

📅 October to March 📍 Lyon

Module 1: Financial environment :

• Economics
• Financial accounting
• Strategic analysis

Module 2: Management and professional project :

• Geopolitics
• Career modules
• International seminar

Module 3: Mathematics, IS and digital tools :

• Basics of mathematics
• Applied statistics
• Digital tools for Finance

Module 4: Introduction to specialization :

• Operations and decisions
• Information Systems and RDBMS
• Cross-field projects

📅 April to August
📍 France or International

Optional professional experience :

An optional internship (maximum 6 months) is possible during the first year of the MSc in Financial & Business Performance.
The professional experience is an excellent opportunity to put your academic knowledge to the test and gain practical experience in the sector of your choice.

Optional Modules :

📅 August to September 📍 Lyon (mainly online)

Optional preparatory modules are available to help students strengthen their skills and knowledge in preparation for direct entry in the second year of the MSc in Financial & Business Performance

📅 October to April 📍 Lyon

Module 1: Coporate Finance :

• Corporate Finance
• Advanced accounting
• Budgeting process
• Reporting & Controlling
• Corporate valuation
• Financing strategies
• Forecasting methods
• Non-financial reporting

Module 2: Strategy and communication :

• Financial communication
• Risk management (HR, legal…)
• ESG & climate change
• Fundamentals of negotiation
• CSR e-summer school

Modules 3: Technology & organization :

• Modelling
• Corporate organization and optimization
• BI & Data vizualisation

Modules 4: Management and professional project :

• Management and team building
• Career modules
• Corporate Finance global case
• International period
• Methodology research

📅 April to September 📍 Anywhere in the world

Study Trip: This is an opportunity for you to discover another culture and have courses in a prestigious university outside of France. You will be confronted to a new international business environment where you will complete your technological acculturation.

A 4 week immersion in a partner university either in Europe or in North America.

Professional experience and Master dissertation :

Professional mission
The a mandatory internship (minimum 4 months) or professional experience is a great opportunity to put your academic knowledge to the test and acquire tangible experience within the industry.

Thesis
The thesis is an analytical work on a topic related to the industry and to the professional experience gained during your internship. This is a great opportunity for you to research a subject which is not only of particular interest, but which has the potential to contribute powerfully to your personal and professional development.