Finance in Practice

Course Directors: Anders Anderson, Lucy Swinburn

An experiential learning course designed for students to apply academic knowledge to real-world challenges in financial economics through independent work in academic, private, or government organizations.

Course overview

The course offers an alternative to writing a 30 ECTS thesis (course TM4350) as part of the MSc degree. The Business Project course constitutes 15 ECTS and needs to be complemented by a shorter 15 ECTS thesis (course M04353). Students need to have successfully completed the Business Project course to register for the shorter thesis (course M04353).

To qualify for the internship course, students are required to have completed at least 30 ECTS of courses1 and have been offered an internship of a minimum of 8 weeks at a host organization. During the internship, students will acquire practical knowledge and hands-on experience by working at the host site, focusing on areas such as banking, finance, economic analysis, and related fields.

While internships will be unique for each student, common objectives will be achieved. As part of the internship experience, students will be assigned specific responsibilities by the host site that is of importance to the organization and consistent with the student’s study focus.

To be considered for the course, students must submit their internship proposals to the internship coordinator via FullFabric. Admission is determined by the course director based on prior grades, whether the proposed internship meets the relevant criteria, and intended learning outcomes. Please note that your own start-ups, family businesses, and previous employers do not qualify as eligible internship placements for this course.

Students are expected to have completed 30 ECTS by the course start date.

Procedure

Internships can be done at any point during a semester (or break), but students submitted complete applications before the internship takes place and will be examinated the same semester as the internship takes place (no re-takes). Examination is in the form of a written report to be presented in a final seminar. Students who fail this course must write a 30 ECTS thesis to obtain their degree.

STEP 1:

Due to the nature of this course, the student needs to take a greater responsibility in making sure that the arrangement is in place to be allowed to take the course. Specifically, the student needs to:

• Apply and arrange the internship by themselves, without assistance by the SSE.
• Make sure that the company/institution offering the internship can designate a mentor. The mentor is asked to submit a Registration Form and Feedback Form (at the end of the internship).
• Ensure that the mentor provides their contact details and confirms their agreement to the responsibilities outlined by the student in the registration form submitted to the Internship Coordinator.
• Any major changes to the internship plan, before or during the internship, need to be communicated with no delay to, and be approved by, the Internship Coordinator.

STEP 2:

• The course director assigns the student to an academic advisor who will have an initial meeting to discuss the internship and the written report.

STEP 3:

The student turns in assignments during the course and is expected to comment on their peers’ assignments.

• The student provides a written report before the deadline, but after having completed the internship.
• The student is responsible for ensuring that the mentor from the internship organization submits the Feedback Form to the Internship Coordinator.
• The student presents and discusses the report in a final, in-person course seminar.
• The academic advisor grades the internship based on the written report, presentation, and the Feedback Form.

Application Deadline: Complete applications (including mentor confirmation) must be submitted on Canvas. Date will be announced.

Admission Notification: Applicants can expect to hear from us first week of June.

Questions: Regarding internships and application procedure, Lucy Swinburn. Regarding course content, seminars and examination, Anders Anderson.

Q&A

Q: I have an internship running over the summer. When do I apply?

A: You apply for the fall semester course in the spring.

Q: Can read the Condensed Thesis at the same time as the Business Project course?

A: Yes, you may if you ask for a pre-approval from the Course Director. You should be aware that failing the Business Project course automatically disqualifies you from the “Condensed Thesis” of 15 ECTS, which means that you will have to convert the thesis to a regular 30 ECTS thesis.

Q: Can I go on an exchange after having completed my internship, but still pass the course?

A: I would check with the Academic Advisor. I have no objections, but you must still participate in the final examination.

Q: What happens if my internship was cancelled, or I for some reason failed to complete my internship?

A: The requirement of completion is a key and mandatory part of the course. So is to meet the report requirements and passing the examination. Failing any of these parts results in failing the course.

Course Administrator: Kirandeep.Saini@hhs.se

After the successful completion of the course students are expected to:

Knowledge and understanding

• Have enhanced their knowledge of the tasks, practices and roles of finance professionals, in specific areas within banking and finance, by performing these tasks, practices and roles themselves.
• Have developed an understanding of real-life work environments and contemporary working conditions, in the field of banking and finance.

Competence and skills

• Apply theoretical knowledge and skills in relation to planning, implementing, and evaluating financial activities, for the accomplishment of specific tasks, in real-life work environments.
• Have enhanced the skills and competences that are related to high-standard professional performance (e.g., teamwork, collaboration, assuming responsibility, and taking initiative).
• Demonstrate a developed ability to work independently, for the accomplishment of various financially related professional tasks.
• Have developed and refined further oral and written communication skills, for professional purposes.

Judgment and approach

• Critically assess the tasks and roles of finance professionals, as well as self-reflexively and thoroughly consider one’s own performance and the ethical dimensions of these tasks and roles.
• Demonstrate an in-depth awareness of and ability to make ethically informed decisions in professional practice.

Completion of at least 30 ECTS is required for internship course registration (not at the point of application). Registration is completed digitally via FullFabric, where students provide details and proof of their accepted internship. Within the same form, students must also identify a mentor, who will digitally sign to confirm their willingness to serve as a mentor and accept the responsibilities associated with the role.

No textbook is required.

The only grade granted is Pass

Written report

The written report must include a summary and address all points listed below, show requisite analytical depth to demonstrate achievement of the intended learning outcomes, and be written with quality. The report should have the following format:

Cover page

• Your Name, Course number, Internship Site, Mentor and Academic Supervisors’ Name, Start/End Date of the Internship
• A one page Executive Summary of the report

Introduction (Assignment 1)

• Provide a background on your employer/industry.
• Describe the search process for your internship.
• Describe your internship role and core responsibilities.
• Describe the main objective(s) during your internship, as well as your results/accomplishments.

Analysis (Assignment 2)

• Describe how your prior course work connects to the internship.
• Discuss how your internship enhanced your knowledge and understanding of practices in the industry in addition to your course work.
• What key competence and skills have you developed?
• Reflect on the tasks and roles of the firm/industry you have been working in a broader perspective.

Conclusion (Assignment 3)

• Reflections on how this internship has impacted your career goals.
• What core lessons did you learn within the workplace?
• What can be improved (from your own as well as from an employer perspective)?

Format: A standard-sized font (e.g., 12 pt), 1.5 line spacing, and justified alignment. Use standard fonts such as Times New Roman or Calibri.

Deadline: At the end of each semester. The report should be submitted on Canvas where also announcements and deadlines will be communicated. There is no formal page limit, but a reasonable length is 15-20 pages.

Seminars

There will be three or four online seminars related to writing the report in the second period of the semester. You are asked to hand in parts of your report and expected to give feedback on your peer's work.

Examination Dates: There will be mandatory on-campus final seminars taking place in June 2027. Students must attend in-person.

Find the course schedule in TimeEdit

Have you been granted educational support because of a documented disability? If so, please contact the course director as soon as possible so that adequate accommodations can be made.

Contact specialneeds@hhs.se if you have questions about being granted educational support or need a copy of your educational support certificate.

For more information, visit the Specific Educational Needs page on the Student Hub (login required).