Program Overview

Master of Applied Finance Programme

The Master of Applied Finance programme at the University of Auckland includes a ten-week industry project that provides New Zealand organisations with an excellent opportunity to tap into the academic and professional skills of the university's masters' students.

About the Master of Applied Finance Students

The programme attracts well-qualified, highly motivated graduate students who generally hold prior degrees in areas other than finance, such as Economics, Engineering, Social Sciences, Sciences, and Technology. Some students have several years of work experience, and many speak multiple languages.

What Do Master of Applied Finance Students Study?

The MAppFin is a 15-month masters programme designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills to get work-ready as a finance professional. The programme has two parts:

• In Part I, students cover fundamental topics including corporate finance, investments, accounting, economics, and risk management.
• In Part II, students develop more specialised skills in financial analytics, including best practice Excel modelling and Python-based coding skills.

How Does the Applied Finance Industry Project Work?

The Industry Project is an important component of the MAppFin. In their final quarter, students work in small teams to solve a real-life finance challenge together with a sponsoring organisation. Each student team is guided by an academic supervisor who will be the students' first point of contact.

What Makes a Suitable Industry Project?

The project must be related to finance, and the scale of the project must allow it to be completed over a period of about eight weeks. Beyond this, a very wide range of projects is possible. Academic staff will work with the sponsoring organisation to ensure the nature and scope of the project are appropriate.

What Role Does the Organisation Play?

The sponsoring organisation will:

• Provide the topic for the Industry Project (and data or other information if needed)
• Nominate a suitable key contact to communicate with the student team and have regular progress meetings as needed
• Receive a report and presentation of the project findings by the student team

What Are the Benefits for the Student?

These industry projects provide a unique opportunity for Master of Applied Finance students to:

• Apply new skills and capabilities gained through study in a work environment
• Build connections
• Gain exposure to new and exciting challenges in the field of finance, aligned to career aspirations
• Prepare for the transition from academic study to the world of work
• In some cases, to be successfully employed by their host organisation after the project

Timeline

The timeline for the industry project is as follows:

• 2 July 2025: Sponsoring organisations and project topics finalised
• 8 August 2025: Student teams assigned to projects
• 18-29 August 2025: Introduction meetings
• 15 September 2025: Projects commence
• 10-21 November 2025: Presentation and delivery of outputs

Related Information

For more information about the Master of Applied Finance programme and the industry project, please refer to the university's official resources.