ESSEC MiF Admissions: Master in Finance Requirements and Deadlines

What is the ESSEC Master in Finance and who is it for?

The Master in Finance (MiF) is taught in English, and French is not required. It lasts one year (Master 2 only) or two years (Master 1 and Master 2), depending on your latest degree. If you apply for one year with a strong but incomplete background, the admissions board may offer you the two-year track instead.

You choose a campus when you apply: Cergy, near Paris, or ESSEC MiF Singapore. Both lead to the same French Master's grade. In the final year you follow one of three tracks:

• Corporate Finance (France or Singapore)
• Financial Markets (France or Singapore)
• Fintech & Analytics (Singapore only)

The first year includes a six-month internship, and the programme adds study trips to London and either Hong Kong or New York. The current class is 65% economics, business or finance graduates and 35% engineering or science graduates, with an average age of 24 and 30% women.

ESSEC Master in Finance requirements

• Degree: a bachelor's or master's degree. Final-year students can apply with an enrolment certificate.
• Management test: GMAT or GRE (valid five years), TAGE MAGE (two years) or CAT for Indian applicants (one year). There is no published ESSEC MiF GMAT minimum; ESSEC advises aiming as high as you can.
• English test: TOEFL iBT 95, IELTS Academic 6.5, Cambridge B2 First 175 or TOEIC 850, unless you studied for three or more years fully in English.
• Documents: a one-page CV and a one-page motivation letter (both in English), authenticated transcripts and two references, ideally one academic and one professional.

ESSEC MiF deadlines for 2027 entry

ESSEC MiF admissions run in four rounds, with deadlines at noon, Paris time:

The application fee is €120. An admissions board of academic and professional staff reviews your hard and soft skills together. Your campus and track choice is final once you submit, and admitted students pay a €5,000 deposit within two weeks.

ESSEC MiF tuition and career outcomes

ESSEC MiF tuition appears on the programme's financing tab. According to L'Express Education's June 2026 fee survey, the programme cost roughly €47,800 to €51,100 for 2026 entry, depending on the applicant's profile. Fees change every year, so check the figure for your track and intake.

The MiF page names recruiters including Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, UBS, KPMG, EY, PwC, LVMH and L'Oréal, across corporate finance, markets, asset management, risk and fintech. Internships of four to six months are built into each year, and ESSEC's careers team reports more than 25,000 job offers a year across its programmes.

How to stand out in ESSEC MiF admissions

• Prove your quantitative ability. A strong quant score and solid finance or maths grades carry weight, especially without a business degree.
• Make your motivation letter specific. Name your track, campus and target role. "M&A in Paris" or "markets in Singapore" reads better than "a career in finance".
• Choose the campus for the career. Singapore gives you the Fintech & Analytics track and an Asian network.
• Apply in Round 2 or 3. You keep time for a retake and a later round in reserve.

If you are still deciding between finance and general management, compare this with ESSEC MiM admissions, or read our ESSEC Business School overview.

Frequently asked questions

What GMAT score do I need for the ESSEC MiF?

ESSEC publishes no minimum or average GMAT for the Master in Finance and simply advises scoring as high as possible. Given the programme's FT ranking, aim for a quant score that is clearly strong. GRE, TAGE MAGE and, for Indian applicants, CAT scores are accepted as alternatives.

Do I need work experience for the ESSEC Master in Finance?

ESSEC does not list prior work experience among the requirements. Internships do help your file, and the programme itself includes a six-month internship in the first year and a four to six-month internship or dissertation in the final year.