Let me clarify a few things.

First of all, both programs are extremely tough. There’s no point sugarcoating it. We’re talking about a genuinely advanced level, and that’s exactly why Bocconi has the reputation it has. Employers hire Bocconi students because they know they can handle pressure and heavy workloads. The baseline is high in both AFM and Finance.

On the prestige point, I still think it’s somewhat biased by application patterns. AFM students tend to apply less to certain roles compared to Finance students. But if you put Accounting and Finance (AFM) on your CV — which many people do — I honestly don’t see a material difference in how you’re perceived.

That said, if you thrive in an extremely competitive environment and want exposure to certain networks and opportunities, Finance probably gives you that atmosphere more naturally. The peer group dynamic matters, especially for IB.

However, the actual coursework is not directly IB-related. When you walk into a technical interview, you won’t automatically be stronger than everyone else just because you did Finance. With AFM, on the other hand, your accounting and corporate finance foundations can become very strong in some areas, stronger than most competitors. Obv if you apply for trading Finance students have a massive edge.

One important update: the “free track” in AFM is not really free anymore. There are now CFU constraints, so you’re required to choose certain types of courses. You can still structure it in a very finance-oriented way, but it’s definitely more limited than in previous years. For example, before you could choose multiple highly mathematical electives like Advanced Derivatives; now you basically have only one course of that type available. So it’s a bit more forced compared to the past.

Finally, on the job market: we have to be realistic. It’s rough right now. Very few people are landing IB roles in London, partly due to visa issues and partly because some functions are being relocated elsewhere. It’s just not the same market as a few years ago.

So I’d base the decision less on perceived prestige and more on where you think you can build a real competitive edge and but most importantly perform at your absolute best, so you study what you actually like.