Programme
Topics per semester
- Semester 1 (September – January, year 1) focuses on the controller’s core role: Control, Comply & Lead.
- Semester 2 (February – July, year 1) focuses on measurement and reporting: Measure, Explain & Forecast.
- Semester 3 (September – January, year 2) situates the controller within the wider organisation: Value, Decide & Develop.
Lectures alternate between VU (semesters 1 and 3) and the UvA (semester 2). Assessments take the form of exams and practice-oriented papers. Throughout the programme, you’ll also work in groups on a Business Project, which is the final assignment that completes your degree.
Curriculum
The curriculum focuses on optimally supporting business operations and guiding organisational transformations. The programme is organised into 3 semesters of 6 months each. Each semester covers a coherent set of topics and examines the interrelationships between them.
-
Finance Function Excellence
Explore the organisation of the finance function and the business controller’s role as strategic and operational business partner.
-
Financial Planning & Analysis
Discuss planning, forecasting and performance measurement tools and evaluate how your own organisation’s finance function employs them.
-
Tax Law
Understand when and how national and international tax considerations can influence operational choices so as to effectively advise tax specialists.
-
Financial & Sustainability Reporting
Expand your insight into financial and sustainability reporting requirements and the controller’s role in this process.
-
Corporate Governance
Understand the legal and statutory frameworks governing organisations, from the role of the works council to that of financial regulators.
-
Leadership
Develop your personal and professional leadership skills and explore your own leadership style, strengths and areas for development.
-
Performance Management
Develop performance-measurement systems to fit specific organisational operating models and understand the utility of data analytics and AI.
-
Data Analytics & AI
Apply data analytics and AI to complex datasets and learn how they can support performance management.
-
Business Case Analysis
Prepare business cases and learn how to translate project proposals into valuation models.
-
Information, Technology & Control
Understand how technology, accounting information systems and internal control support business processes to ensure their effective management.
-
Business Project
Working under supervision, design and conduct research at your own organisation as the final project of your degree.
-
Business Valuation & Finance
Develop a conceptual framework to support organisational investment and financing decisions and use this information to understand how investors, analysts, banks and other users evaluate organisations.
-
Treasury Management
Examine the added value of corporate treasury activities and departments for an organisation.
-
Strategy & Stakeholder Management
Understand how interests, culture, leadership and governance influence organisational decision-making processes.
-
Strategy Realization
Learn how management control systems support the implementation of strategy.
Courses and assignments are consistently linked to real-world practice, making it easy to apply what you learn directly to your own work from the start.Hein van Schie, business controller at KLM Read Hein's testimonial
Accelerated RC track for RAs
Are you a Registered Accountant (RA – theoretical) with a strong business-controller profile? Then you can do an accelerated 14-month track of the UvA-VU joint programme. On completing this track, you will hold an Executive Master of Finance & Control (MSc). The accelerated track starts in September only.
Business Project
The EMFC incorporates a Business Project for which you’ll research a practical challenge at your own organisation using the practical and theoretical knowledge acquired through the programme. Findings are reported in the form of a thesis. You’ll have a series of introductory sessions explaining literature review and research methods, and our academic team will supervise you throughout the project. This research component offers tangible added value for you and your organisation.
Strong foundation
The Amsterdam Business School offers a wide range of outstanding executive degree programmes, including an MBA, MBA in AI, Data & Analytics, MBA in Finance and several Lean Six Sigma programmes. Collaboration and exchange across these programmes ensure that the core competencies of the contributing disciplines are firmly embedded in the EMFC curriculum.
The programme is updated annually to reflect the latest developments as well as student feedback.Marjolein van Hage, Chief Financial Officer at Omnimap Read Marjolein's testimonial