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Studies & Degrees in Financial Markets

Financial markets are the places, physical or electronic, where shares, bonds, currencies and other financial assets are bought and sold. The Bank of England puts it simply: financial markets match buyers and sellers to set a price for financial assets. Companies issue shares to raise money so they can invest and grow, governments and large companies raise money by issuing bonds, and currencies are exchanged in the foreign exchange market.

As a subject, financial markets is a specialisation within finance. Students learn how the stock, bond, currency and derivatives markets work, how assets are valued, how portfolios are built and how risk is measured. Programmes also cover financial mathematics and statistics, technical and fundamental analysis, macroeconomics and financial regulation. Some use trading simulations or professional data terminals so that students practise with market data.

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's degree. Financial markets is seldom a first degree of its own. Students usually meet it as courses within a degree in finance, economics or business administration. In Spain an official bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits.
  • Master's degree. This is the level where most specialised programmes sit. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. Universities and business schools also offer their own programmes, including the Máster de Formación Permanente, a lifelong-learning qualification of 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits that is distinct from an official master's degree. Ask each school which kind of qualification it awards.
  • Professional certifications. The CFA Program of CFA Institute consists of three exams; to obtain the charter, candidates must also document 4,000 hours of work experience in the investment field. In Europe, some master's programmes prepare students for the European Financial Advisor (EFA) exam.
  • Short courses. Stock market and trading courses, summer schools and study abroad courses in finance are common. They are an introduction, not a professional qualification.

Where to study it

SpainExchange lists 16 active schools for financial markets. Ten are in Spain; Italy, the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, the United States and Japan have one each. Most of the Spanish schools are in or near Madrid.

  • Universidad CEU San Pablo, in Madrid, offers the Máster Universitario en Mercados Financieros y Gestión de Patrimonios: 60 ECTS credits, taught on campus in Spanish, with 30 places and a start in October 2026. The university states that it is an official degree recognised by the Spanish securities regulator (CNMV) for providing investment information and advice.
  • CUNEF Universidad, in Madrid, offers the Máster Universitario en Finanzas, which it describes as an official full-time programme with specialisations that include investment banking, and investments and financial markets.
  • EAE Business School lists the Máster en Bolsa y Mercados Financieros at its Madrid campus: 60 ECTS credits, full time, in Spanish, starting in October 2026. Applicants need a prior university degree, preferably in finance, and at least two years of work experience. The school says the programme prepares students for the EFA exam.
  • The Universidad Europea Miguel de Cervantes (UEMC), in Valladolid, lists a Máster de Formación Permanente en Sistema Financiero, Bolsa, Bancos y Cajas de Ahorros among its own qualifications (enseñanzas propias).

The list also includes the economics and business faculty of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, the Universidad Camilo José Cela and ADEIT, the university-business foundation of the Universitat de València. Outside Spain it includes AEP Academic Experience in Prague, Susquehanna University in the United States and Tokyo Business School.

The Spanish programmes described above are taught in Spanish. Study abroad programmes such as AEP in Prague teach in English. Check the language of each programme before applying.

Careers

Graduates work as financial analysts, portfolio and fund managers, traders, private bankers, financial advisers and risk specialists, in banks, asset managers, brokers, insurers and the finance departments of companies.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) describes two of the main occupations. Financial analysts research and evaluate financial data, forecast trends and prepare recommendations for businesses and investors; they typically need a bachelor's degree, and employment is projected to grow 7 percent from 2025 to 2035. Securities, commodities and financial services sales agents connect buyers and sellers in financial markets; they also typically need a bachelor's degree, and employment is projected to grow 1 percent over the same period. Giving investment advice is a regulated activity in the European Union, so check which qualifications the regulator of your country accepts.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a finance degree to study a master's in financial markets?

Often, but not always. EAE Business School, for example, asks for a prior university degree, preferably in finance. Entry requirements differ between schools, so check each programme.

How long does a master's in financial markets take?

The Spanish programmes described here have 60 ECTS credits, which is one academic year of full-time study. Official master's degrees in Spain can have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits.

Is the CFA a university degree?

No. It is a professional certification made up of three exams, plus 4,000 hours of documented work experience in the investment field.

Can I study financial markets in English in Spain?

The programmes described on this page are taught in Spanish. Some universities and business schools on the list teach other finance programmes in English, so ask each school.