MSc Impact Finance & Fintech Management

The MSc Impact Finance & Fintech Management  is an engaging yet rigorous 11 months online (with IMT-Ghaziabad) and 13-months on-campus (ESDES Business School, France) program designed for students to develop practical knowledge and skills, establish a professional network, and accelerate entry into the field of financial data analysis, ESG project modeling and sustainable organizational management with Fintech. The students, as part of this program, will receive dual certification - an Advanced General Management Program from IMT Ghaziabad and a Master’s degree in MSc Impact Finance & Fintech Management from ESDES Business School, France.

The MSc Impact Finance & Fintech Management program equips students with the skills needed to meet the high demand in the field of finance & fintech management. The curriculum focuses on essential areas such as impact finance product creation, inclusive finance strategy, sustainable organizational management with Fintech, and a research project. With diverse options, students can tailor their studies to align with their interests and career goals. Additionally, the program facilitates the development of a strong professional network, allowing students to connect with industry leaders. Graduates of the program can pursue rewarding careers as financial analyst, private equity investor, financial consultant, and compliance officer. Upon program completion, students also have the opportunity to apply for PSW in France, and receive support from ESDES Business School’s Career Services to kick start their careers in France.

The programme will be delivered on a new technology platform to create a superior learning experience for participants who want to be on the cutting edge of the management. With this programme, IMT-G & ESDES Business School together seek to develop the next generation of leaders. The topics that are going to be covered in the initial online program are Marketing Management, Business Communication, Accounting & Finance, Decision Sciences, Business Economics, OB, HR Legal, Sales & Distribution, Business Strategy and Supply Chain Management.

The online learning experience will be a mix of interactive lectures from industry leaders as well as world-renowned faculty. Additionally, the program comprises live lectures dedicated to solving your academic queries and reinforcing learning. The on-campus learning experience will offer students the opportunity to engage directly with faculty.

Post successful completion of the online program, an Advanced General Management Program certificate would be awarded from IMT Ghaziabad and upon completion of the on-campus degree program, a Master's degree in MSc Impact Finance & Fintech Management  shall be conferred upon by ESDES Business School.

No, the program is designed to be completed in its entirety, and cannot be taken as standalone modules.

Here are some compelling reasons why students should pursue MSc in Impact Finance & Fintech Management at ESDES:

• ESDES Business School is in a collaboration with CFA to prepare students who aspire to take the certificate in ESG Investing.
• Experts provide firsthand insights into the competencies and knowledge required, enabling students to acquire practical skills applicable to real-world scenarios.
• The program introduces an innovative learning experience that aligns with the latest industry trends and advancements, preparing students for the ever-evolving landscape of impact finance and fintech.
• Incorporating a hands-on approach, 60% of the classes are led by industry experts and professionals.
• The program offers students a 4-month internship, ensuring students gain vital professional experience. 
• As an added advantage, the program is entirely taught in English.

International students can work in France up to 964 hours per year, which is equivalent to 60% of the standard working week. This means that you can work up to 20 hours per week during the academic year and full-time during breaks. The minimum wage in France is €10.57 per hour, so you can earn a decent amount of money by working part-time in France. Working in France is a great way to supplement your income and help pay for your education. It is also a great way to experience French culture and make some new friends. If you are considering studying in France, we encourage you to look into the possibility of working part-time while you are there.

Yes, upGrad will help you prepare for the English proficiency test to establish your current English proficiency to be eligible for the Master's program in France.

ESDES Business School offers only one intake for students coming through the accelerator route. The intake will be September (Fall) and December (Winter) intake. Though the application process for ESDES Business School will start during the IMT Ghaziabad online program, you will be able to go to ESDES Business School in the nearest intake which is at least 3 months away from completion of your IMT Ghaziabad program.

upGrad will apply for you to ESDES Business School once all the documents are provided by you (as given in the offer letter issued to you by upGrad). Apart from the documents mentioned in the offer letter of ESDES Business School, you will have to give proof of English proficiency for application of admission in ESDES Business School. upGrad will support you to get your English proficiency scores within 3 months of the start of the batch to accelerate this process.

• A solid academic foundation is advantageous, offering a head start in the MSc Impact Finance & Fintech Management program.
• The curriculum is tailored for those with ambitions spanning various career paths, including roles like financial analyst, private equity investor, financial consultant, and compliance officer.
• Through its forward-thinking approach to education, the program acquaints students with groundbreaking learning encounters that harmonize with the most recent shifts and progressions within the industry. This equips them to confidently navigate the constantly evolving terrain of impact finance and fintech.

To be eligible for the program, the following criteria need to be fulfilled: 
For IMT Ghaziabad:

• A minimum of 50% marks in Bachelor’s degree is required with at least one course at undergraduate level in Fundamentals of Finance. 

For ESDES Business School:

• An aggregate score of 50% and above in the Advanced General Management Program by IMT Ghaziabad with a minimum of 50% marks in each course.
• English Proficiency Requirements are B2 level in English: TOEFL >= 72 or IELTS score >= 5.5.

A relevant professional work experience is recommended but not mandatory.

You can start the application process by submitting the application. Applications have already started for the next cohort. 

• Class 12th transcripts
• Official Undergraduate degree transcript, semester marksheets and certificate
• Copies of passport
• Statement of Purpose
• Two letters of recommendation  (Academic/Professional)
• Resume
• Proof of English Proficiency (TOEFL iBT, IELTS, PTE, etc.)

There are 4 simple steps in the Admission Process which is detailed as.
Step 1- Complete Application -Complete your application and submit the required details. The Admissions Committee will then review your application - which include your work experience & educational background.
Step 2- Apply for the Scholarship- Submit your Statement of Purpose to join an IMTG program.
Step 3- Get Shortlisted & Receive the Offer Letter- Upon qualifying, an Offer Letter will be sent to you confirming your admission to the course.
Step 4- Block your Seat - Block your seat with an initial payment of INR 25,000 to enroll into the Program. Begin your leadership journey.

At least 12-15 hours per week of time commitment is expected to be able to complete this program.

Peer-to-peer discussion forum where you can post your queries and your peers/faculty/teaching assistants answer your queries within a day. Regular Q&A sessions with faculty to get clarification on conceptual doubts. 

0% EMI with Finance partners /Credit card option availability will vary program wise.

1. Which banks allow using 0% Credit card EMI or Credit card EMI?

No cost EMI is available on credit cards from all major banks (American Express, Bank of Baroda, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, RBL Bank, Standard Chartered, Axis Bank, Yes Bank, State Bank of India, CITIBANK and HSBC)

2. Is there any minimum transaction limit ?

Yes. 50000 is the minimum.

3. Standard Chartered Bank offers 18 or 24 months No Cost EMI ?

No. ONLY 12 months is available irrespective of the Program enrolled.

4. Will I have to pay any extra amount for EMI transaction?

If you are availing 0% credit card EMI, upGrad will not charge any processing fees or down payment for these transactions. Your bank may levy GST or other taxes on the interest component of the EMI.

5. Are there any fees or down payment?

Certain banks charge nominal processing fees between INR 99 - 500 on 0% Credit Card EMI transaction. If charged, will be billed in the first repayment installment.

6. Can I use my International credit card for 0% credit EMI or Credit Card EMI?

Only the Indian bank credit cards can be used. But you can pay the amount using the Credit card option in one shot / part payments, and later you can convert into EMI from your respective bank. The tenures and interest charged will depend on your bank. upGrad will not charge any processing fees or down payment for these transactions, this will be purely between you and your bank.

7. Are there any charges in case I opt for cancellation/refund from the course after paying balance with no cost EMI ?

Yes, there will be additional charges to the extent of interest paid by the upGrad to the bank, you will be refunded only Principal amount, i.e. the amount actually deducted/blocked from your card. This deduction will be in addition to the amount mentioned in the refund policy shared with your offer letter.

8. Can I Pay Using Multiple Credit Cards ?

Multiple cards can be used to complete the payments using Part payment option make sure to inform the learner, minimum transaction is INR 50000 to opt for 0% CC EMI E.g. Amount to be paid: 150000. I can pay using 2 Credit cards. Yes, Example :

HDFC Card – Part payment – INR 100000

ICICI Card – Part payment – INR 50000

9. How can I opt for Credit card EMI if my bank is not listed in the 0% Credit card EMI or Credit card EMI?

You can pay the amount using the Credit card option in one shot / part payments, and later you can convert into EMI from your respective bank. The tenures and interest charged will depend on your bank. upGrad will not charge any processing fees or down payment for these transactions.

10. Why is the entire amount blocked on my credit card?

Initially your bank will block the entire amount from your available purchase limit and from your next billing cycle, you will be charged the EMI amount. As you start paying your EMI, your credit limit will be released accordingly. For example, if you have made a payment of ₹100000 on 6-months EMI and your credit limit is ₹200,000 then initially your bank will block your credit limit by ₹100000. After payment of your first month EMI of Rs.15000, the blocked amount will come down to ₹85000.

11. Why is interest getting charged on No Cost EMI?

Your bank will charge you interest. However, this interest charge has been provided to you as an upfront discount at the time of your payment, effectively giving you the benefit of a No cost EMI. The total amount paid during the entire EMI tenure to the bank will be equal to the amount to be paid to upGrad.

Eg. Amount payable to upGrad: INR 405000

Let's say Amount deducted at the time of transaction: INR 379850 (Principal amount) Bank charges interest of 12-15% per annum on INR 379850

[Note: Interest factor is reducing rate and not Flat rate]

EMI AMOUNT = INR 33750 x 12 = INR 405000

Effectively, you have taken loan on 379,850 instead of 405,000

Is there any deferral or refund policy for this programme?

Refund Policy: (Programs with prep-session component)

Students must pay applicable caution money for the enrolment in the Program. This caution amount will be adjustable against the total Program fee payable by the student. You can claim a refund for the amount paid towards the Program at any time, before the Cohort Commencement Date, by visiting www.upgrad.com and submitting your refund form via the "My Application" section under your profile. Processing fee of INR. 20,000/- will be levied. If less than INR. 20,000/- have been paid in total, the student shall not be eligible for any refund in such case. The student shall not be eligible for any refund under any circumstances if any such refund requests are raised post Cohort Commencement Date and the student will continue to pay the EMI for a loan (if applicable) and such loan cannot be cancelled. This is also applicable for those students who could not complete their payment and could not be enrolled in the cohort opted for. However, the student can raise a request for Pre-Program deferral as per the policy defined below for the same. In case of a refund, the student will be solely responsible for any cancellation of the loan, including but not limited to applicable loan cancellation charges levied on the total cancelled loan amount. Students must pay the full fee within 7 days of payment of Caution Money or Cohort Commencement Date, whichever is earlier, otherwise, the admission letter will be rescinded. Requests for refund must be sent via e-mail in the prescribed Refund Request Form. The refund will be processed within 30 working days of commencement of the program after being duly approved by the Academic Committee.

Deferral Policy: (Pre-Program Commencement)

If a student, due to unavoidable circumstances is unable to commence with the cohort and requests for a deferral before the cohort starts, we provide the opportunity for the student to defer to another batch. However, the student will be required to pay 50% of the total course fee amount (inclusive of taxes) before the deferral can be approved. Till this is completed, the student will be assumed to be continuing in the same cohort. A student can request for deferral only once and to either of the scheduled cohorts to start in the next 1 year from the batch start date of the initial batch the student enrolled for. The student has time till the current cohort launch date to make the payment of the 50% program fee, post which the deferral request will expire. Once the deferral window expires and the student now asks for a refund, the above-mentioned applicable refund policy will apply. The fee applicable to the deferred student will be as per the prevailing fee for the batch student as opted to defer to (No additional deferral fee is required to be paid).

Deferral Policy: (Post Program Commencement)

If a student is facing severe issues in dedicating time to the course, we provide the opportunity for the student to defer to another batch. A student can request for deferral only once and to either of the scheduled cohorts to start in the next 1 year from the batch start date of the initial batch the student enrolled for. The student will be required to pay a deferral fee of 10% of the total course amount fee + Taxes if any along with the differential program fees between the two cohorts The deferral request will be approved once the deferral fee is paid. Till this is completed, the student will be assumed to be continuing in the same cohort. The student has 7 days (including holidays and weekends) from the date of deferral request to make the payment of the deferral fee post which the deferral request will expire, and the student will continue as part of the current cohort. If the student completes the deferral payment, the student’s login will be disabled, the student will leave the deferred cohort and the student will start learning on the new cohort from the point of the last assignment that was graded in the deferred cohort. All grades and progress till that point will be carried forward as it is to the new cohort. For clarification, the grades of the graded assignments will be carried forward, whether the student had submitted these grading during the initial stage. The deferral can only be requested during the batch for which the student has enrolled is ongoing. Once the batch has been completed, deferral requests shall not be entertained. For clarification, the batch completion here shall mean the “last grace deadline” as communicated by upGrad.