EIT Digital Master School can boost your future in FinTech // EIT Digital

The EIT Digital Master School programme in FinTech is helping students get into a fascinating, rapidly growing field.

FinTech is opening the door to exciting new ways of handling finance.

"Traditionally dominated by big banks offering a wide variety of services, the financial sector is being disrupted by FinTech companies that focus on the development of one simple service with a great user experience," says Prof. Alvaro Pina Stranger, Associate Professor at University of Rennes.

The EIT Digital Master School is opening the door to FinTech. It offers training from stand-out faculties like the Computer Science Department at University of Rennes and the advantages of EIT Digital education: a focus on innovation and entrepreneurship, an association with two schools, and connections with EIT Digital's world-leading network.

Prof. Alvaro Pina Stranger notes that FinTech ranges well beyond banking and can involve pretty much any kind of business.

"No matter from what industry, companies need to oversee their finances. FinTech offers solutions to automate compliance tasks, monitor financial transactions, identify suspicious patterns and analyse large amounts of data to detect potential violations of law," he says. "Fintech is a growing market with plenty of potential development areas, in both B2B and B2C models."

FinTech professionals are therefore in high demand, says Pina Stranger, who helps develop these professionals in the EIT Digital FinTech course, a unique European master’s programme involving six top universities from four countries.

Entrepreneurship training

As with all EIT Digital Master School programmes, this one not only offers top-notch specialised training, but it also provides innovation and entrepreneurship skills.

In disruptive fields like FinTech, practitioners need to understand the challenges and benefits of developing and supporting new ideas, according to Pina Stranger.

"Students with a background in data science and a specialisation in innovation and entrepreneurship can provide a great contribution," he says.

The "minor" in innovation and entrepreneurship offered by the course empowers students to develop their own businesses and pursue their own innovative ideas, Pina Stranger says, adding: "While the technology major allows students to get recruited by a company, it is the acquisition of entrepreneurship skills that will allow them to boost their professional career."

As Pina Stranger explains, these skills are useful for more than simply launching a new business.

"Innovation and entrepreneurship courses provide students not only with the required skills and expertise in business and startup, but also with the skills to develop critical thinking, which is definitively an added value for an employee or an entrepreneur."

Two schools, two degrees

Another feature that makes all EIT Digital Master courses, including the one in FinTech, unique is the double degree.

"The FinTech programme offers a two-year course that allows students to study at two world-class universities located in two different European countries," Pina Stranger says.

International students in Europe — EIT Digital Master School students at the 2022 kick-off in Tallinn.

The students spend their first year at one university, laying the groundwork with a broader overview in FinTech, and then go to another university for a second year of training with more specialisation. Upon completion of the programme, students receive two master's degrees - one from each of the universities.

"Attending two universities means students have a diversity of academic, cultural, and personal experiences," Pina Stranger notes. "They can create their own social and work networks by meeting other classmates, business partners and professionals through kick-off events and specialised summer schools."

Each of the top-notch schools involved bring their own unique strengths to the programme. For example, the University of Rennes offers a different approach to FinTech, which often tends to be taught in economics faculties.

"In our case, the FinTech diploma is offered by the Computer Science Department, where the major is in Data Science, with a specialisation in FinTech," he explains. As a result, "it is inter-disciplinary. Our program attracts students not only from economics departments but also from informatics units. The interaction between students with different academic backgrounds is a precious opportunity to feed curiosity as well as innovation skills!"

A powerful community

A further advantage enjoyed by all EIT Digital Master School programmes is the way they bring students into the powerful EIT Digital community, Europe's largest digital innovation ecosystem. The network of more than 350 European corporations, SMEs, start-ups, universities, and research centres, provides valuable connections, during and after their study.

Students prepare their master's thesis in collaboration with a company, developing a business plan for the commercial exploitation of their project - essentially a roadmap they could use to launch their own startup. They work in an internship with an EIT Digital company partner, gaining practical experience and making connections that often lead to a job.

There are many opportunities for students to leverage the EIT Digital network, even after graduation. For example, all alumni get exclusive access to the EIT Digital Job Portal - a one-stop-shop of curated job opportunities. And as a member of the alumni community, students join a global family of entrepreneurs, business executives, top researchers, and thought leaders.

With all these advantages, according to Pina Stranger, "studying Fintech in the EIT Consortium is a great opportunity to develop the necessary skills to build your professional career in this exciting trans-sectoral field."

Learn more about EIT Digital Fintech master’s programme and other EIT Digital Master School opportunities!

Would you like to develop with us attractive classes, programmes and courses for the EIT Digital Master School, Professional School and Summer School? Contact us and join our ecosystem of world class entrepreneurial digital education providers!

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EIT Digital Master School can boost your future in FinTech

Entrepreneurship training

Two schools, two degrees

A powerful community

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