master thesis manual rsm

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The Embedded Filter A Machine Learning Approach to Nonlinear Filtering Master Thesis

Stevens, S. (Sjoerd)

Identification of climate disclosures in European bank reports using Large Language Models Master Thesis

Tecuci, A.M. (Ana-Maria)

The Senselessness of Reason On the similitude between Theodor W. Adorno's Critical Thinking and the Ethos of Early German Romanticism in Schiller and Novalis Bachelor Thesis

Alexander Legebeke

Mutual funds’ preference for high-volatility stocks as a driver for low-risk anomaly within and across equity market sectors Master Thesis

Vainio, Akseli

Impacts of financial market frictions on dynamic asset mispricing Master Thesis

Kozian, Luca

Private Equity Impact on Healthcare Accessibility: A Cross-Continental Analysis of the U.S. and Europe Master Thesis

Švecovas, Germantas

Does Private Equity Investment Spur Innovation in the Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industry? Evidence From Advanced Economies Master Thesis

Beckeringh, Jannes

Has the European Emissions Trading System significantly disrupted the allocation of sustainable assets in investment portfolios within the European Union? Master Thesis

Dittmar, Murray

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MScBA Accounting & Financial Management

Master the language of business, accounting and finance so you can become a financial expert and positive impact agent to address current and future business and societal needs.

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Programme highlights

• Programme details
• Student experience

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• Admission & Application

Application deadline

Applications for the 2025 intake will open on 1 October.

This is a capped programme with the maximum number of applications (330), which is subject to change.

Starting date

September 2025

Introduction events take place in August.

Full-time | 12 months

€2,601 (EEA) | €24,600 (non-EEA)

Find more information below.

Deep dive into essential accounting and financial management knowledge and competencies, including topics associated with important societal developments such as data analytics and sustainability. There’s a close connection between state-of-the-art academic knowledge and business practice. 

You’ll learn the crucial role that accounting and (non-)financial information plays for managers, external stakeholders and society at large. You can choose electives to specialise for your career in accountancy, financial management and controlling, or financial advisory. 

• 120 average number of students in cohort 
• 36% international students in programme 
• 92% of graduates employed within 6 months after graduation
• Examples of your future job title: auditor, financial analyst, controller/CFO 

This programme is offered by Erasmus University Rotterdam. For more information about the legal structure of Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, visit this page .

Real business experiences

Connect academic theory and practice with real-world business cases, guest lecturers, and hands-on learning experience in-company and on campus – you’ll design a research project in a business context and ultimately prepare for your career. 

Core models for business and society

Investigate the crucial role that accounting and financial information plays for managers, organisations, external stakeholders, and the environment and society at large – you’ll learn economic and behavioural theory, analytical methods and core models in the field. 

Ethical responsibility and leadership

Reflect on your ethical responsibility and influence, abilities and limitations while understanding the managerial implications, and generate sustainable solutions for complex accounting and financial management problems. 

Excellent career opportunities

Prepare yourself for a career in accountancy, financial management and controlling, or financial advisory.*

*The programme is accredited by the Association of Chartered Accountants ( ACCA ) and aligned with post-graduate education programmes to become a certified auditor (Register Accountant/ CPA / ACA ) or certified management accountant (Register Controller/ CMA ).

More about the programme

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.

Q&A with students

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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 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: 

• Financial Decision-Making
• International Financial Reporting
• Presentation and communication
• Reporting, Analysis and Valuation
• Analytics in Accounting and Financial Management

Data & Coding

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
• Controllership
• Integrated Measurement and Reporting
• Behavioural Finance
• Advanced Business Analysis and Valuation
• M&A & Corporate Governance

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).

Can students from outside RSM take our electives?

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 . 

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.

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

An alumnus talks about rsm’s msc in accounting & financial management.

A recruiter talks about RSM’s MSc in Accounting & Financial Management

The Accounting & Financial Management Master prepares you for a broad range of career opportunities . Accounting & Financial Management graduates generally start their careers in one of the following functional areas:

• 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. 

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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

A student on the rsm msc in accounting & financial management programme.

Student life at RSM

• Opportunities during your studies
• Student organisations
• Contributing to positive change
• Life in Rotterdam

Student support and Safe@EUR

The wellbeing and safety of our students is very important for EUR, and therefore we have multiple initiatives to support personal development, provide mental health resources and enhance overall student experience.

• Student advisor team - RSM has a dedicated student adviser team which serves as a point of contact where you can access professional help, advice and guidance during your studies.
• EUR student wellbeing platform - From workshops, events, and courses to empathetic ears and personalised help, the platform helps students fully develop their talents and focus on personal growth.
• Safe@EUR - Safe@EUR is the central contact point at EUR, offering support for issues such as bullying, intimidation, and harassment through specially trained case managers.

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 €24,600 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 €2,601 in 2025-2026.

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 €14,400.

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. 

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. 

• RSM Non-EEA Scholarship of Excellence
• Erasmus University Holland Scholarship
• Erasmus Trustfonds Scholarship

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.

• G&D Europe Scholarship
• NN Future Matters Scholarship
• Russia: The Global Education Programme  

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 .

IM/CEMS is a program that - if you are still eligible - entitles you to a maximum of 1 year's use of your DUO entitlements. Students who have received a basic grant and possibly a supplementary grant from DUO in the first year of IM/CEMS and meet the following additional conditions may be eligible for an additional half year (6 months) of financial support, which is equal to the grant received in the last month during the program. Please contact the student counselors for more information.

Conditions Financial Support Fund Students eligible for financial support due to extended master programmes are those who:  a) are enrolled full-time in a public funded Erasmus University Rotterdam degree programme, which is extended on the base of article 7.4, paragraph 8 of the Dutch Higher Education and Research Act;  b) are enrolled as first enrollment (hoofdinschrijving) in the study programme as referred to under a, for which the student pays statutory tuition fee;  c) for this program, is or was entitled to study finance (prestatiebeurs hoger onderwijs) as referred to in the Wet Studiefinanciering 2000, and during the period corresponding to the study load that exceeds 60 ECs, and is no longer eligible for student finance in the form of an additional grant.

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

Approximately € 300 - 500 (per year), these costs differ per programme.

Living expenses

For a reasonable standard of living in the Netherlands, you should have an income of between €1,235-€1,735 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

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

Applications for the 2025 intake will open on 1 October. This is a capped programme with a maximum of 330 applications, which is subject to change.

Immigration & housing

Immigration & visas.

Find out everything you need to know about entry visas & residence permits for non-EU or EEA students at RSM.

Finding housing in Rotterdam can be tricky. To help you in your search for housing, we have compiled some helpful resources

Upcoming events

Bsc international business administration: student for a day.

Information session

Master (MSc) Programmes: Admission & Application

Online session with Gartner

Presentation

Meeloopdag Bedrijfskunde

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Hear from our current students

Rotterdam is a vibrant, international city full of life and lights. The first time I set foot on campus, I was surprised by its big size, and how each building had hidden studying spaces. I was also pleasantly surprised by the relationship between students and teachers. I can approach teachers during and after classes with questions. They act as an equal who want to teach me something. I always feel challenged and engaged by the content. I’m stimulated to ‘productively struggle’ and learn. You must learn how to manage your time so you can get the most out of your studies and student experience.

Cristian Cojocea, Romanian (MSc Accounting & Financial Management 2024)

MSc Finance & Investments

Learn to master the theoretical foundations of finance and investments as well as practical applications.

Online course on Sustainable Finance

Start learning how sustainable finance can be used as a tool to steer the sustainability transition.

Are you still in doubt?

Would you like extra information or support? We are here to help!

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Master Services

Frequently asked questions about the conditions to graduate (summa) cum laude for rsm (pre-experience) master students. print.

Modified on: Thu, 5 Sep, 2024 at 2:36 PM

As a RSM Master student you can find the conditions to graduate (summa) cum laude in Article 7.3, Paragraph 2 of the Rules & Guidelines pre-experience MSc degree programmes 2023-2024 . Please note that you can find the Rules & Guidelines for the part-time Master in Management on our Dutch webpage Examenreglementen .

In the table below we have summarized the differences between the classification ‘cum laude’ and ‘summa cum laude’ for the RSM pre-experience Master programmes:    

*The ‘Grade Point Average’ (GPA) is the weighted average grade for all the Master courses (including the thesis trajectory) under the Dutch grading system. This only concerns the final grade for each course and thus not the partial grades. The final grade per course is rounded off to one decimal for the GPA calculation (a 5.45 will be rounded to a 5.5 for instance).

**For cum laude no more than one  examination or test (i.e., an officially recorded grade – including pass/fail assessments – in Osiris) may have been taken more than once. For summa cum laude zero examinations or tests may have been taken more than once. Only the thesis proposal  is excluded from this rule, so if you have to re-sit the thesis proposal then this does not count as a re-sit with respect to the (summa) cum laude regulation. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

I have failed my thesis and need to take the thesis re-sit in August to complete the thesis. Will this count as a re-sit?

Yes, this will count as a re-sit. Only the thesis proposal  is excluded from the rule of maximum allowed number of re-sits (maximum one for cum laude and zero for summa cum laude). A re-sit for the thesis proposal does not have any consequences for the (summa) cum laude classification. 

Do grades that I have obtained for a Master Free Elective (MFE) outside RSM or for an International Exchange also count towards my GPA?

The result obtained for a Master Free Elective at a Dutch university counts towards the calculation of your GPA because a grade will be registered in Osiris. However, results obtained for a Master Free Elective or Exchange at a foreign university are registered in Osiris with a ‘pass’ (or ‘fail’) and therefore do not count towards your GPA.

I cannot or do not want to participate in the regular written test  or assignment of a course and am planning to do only the re-sit. Does this then count as a first attempt or as a re-sit with respect to the (summa) cum laude regulation?

Only if a grade result, including pass/fail assessments, is officially recorded in Osiris this will be considered an official test attempt. If you don’t participate in the regular written test or assignment for a course a No Show (NO) will be registered in Osiris. In that case, participation in the test or assignment in the resit round counts as a first attempt and therefore not as a resit with regard to the (summa) cum laude regulation. For more information about the results in Osiris see the article Explanation Osiris grades . Please note that you always must check beforehand in the Course Manual of the course concerned whether it is allowed to do only the re-sit, because in some courses you are only allowed to participate in the re-sit when you have also done the first regular written test or assignment.

I want to improve my GPA. Can I re-sit an examination of a course that I have already passed to achieve a higher grade? And which result will then count: the highest grade or the last obtained grade?

It is possible to retake a written test that you have already passed within the same Academic Year if a re-sit opportunity has been scheduled in the official exam timetable. As long as you have not yet passed all courses of the Master degree programme you can also try to improve your grade in a following Academic Year , but in that case you have to redo the whole course – including all tests and assignments. In both cases the highest-grade counts. Please note that this does count as a re-sit with respect to the (summa)cum laude regulation! For more information see Article 4.1 paragraph 6 of the TER pre-experience MSc degree programmes 2024 – 2025 .

I  want to  re-sit  a written test or assignment that I have already passed to obtain a higher grade. Does this count as a re-sit with respect to the (summa) cum laude regulation? 

Yes, if you want to re-sit an already obtained written test this also counts as a re-sit with respect to the (summa) cum laude regulation. This also applies to other types of tests, such as an assignment, presentation, or oral exam. An improvement option usually doesn’t count as a re-sit unless the result (grade or pass/fail) for the improvement option is officially recorded in Osiris.    

Does an exempted course also count towards the GPA?

RSM policy is that in our Master and pre-Master programmes no exemptions are granted. The only exception is for students who are following a second RSM Master programme, and who can apply for exemption for the Your Future Career* (BMMEYFC, 1 EC) course if they have already passed this course in their first RSM Master programme. If you have received an exemption for the Your Future Career course an EXEMPT will be registered in Osiris instead of a grade. This means that the result of this course does not count towards your GPA. Once granted an exemption cannot be withdrawn. 

*This also applies to the courses Personal Career Narrative BM04GBS (1 EC) and Building My Career BM20MIM (1 EC).

Does the resit of an examination that is assessed with a pass/fail also count as a re-sit  with respect to the (summa) cum laude regulation ? 

Yes, also examinations that are assessed with a ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ instead of a grade count towards the maximum number of re-sits that are allowed for the (summa) cum laude classification, for example examinations taken as part of an international exchange programme at a foreign university. 

I am registered for an (elective) course, but I haven’t yet have made any tests or assignments for this course. If I unregister for this course does this then count as a first attempt?

This does not count as a first attempt if you didn’t participate in any test or assignment for this (elective) course. However, if you did participate in any test or assignment for this course for which an official result for this test or assignment is registered in Osiris, then this does count as a first attempt for the (summa) cum laude classification.  

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