Charting the future of finance: BI redefines business education for the AI era

Artificial intelligence is transforming corporate finance, banking, and asset management faster than any previous technological shift in history. Recognising the industry’s rapid adoption of artificial intelligence, BI’s Department of Finance is executing an ambitious update across its entire curriculum at both bachelor’s and master’s levels.

"When financial institutions hire new talent, they look for the complete package," says Professor Dagfinn Rime, Head of the Department of Finance. "Simply adding an elective course on AI is not enough. AI changes how financial analysis is conducted at every level, which is why we are taking a holistic approach to ensure AI is integrated into the core of how finance is taught, learned, and practised."

A market-driven curriculum revision

The driver behind this initiative stems from a fundamental shift in the job market: because the industry is adopting AI tools faster than previous technological innovations, the criteria for producing relevant finance candidates have changed dramatically.

To adapt quickly and build a coherent strategy, all faculty members in the department are actively involved in the revision. The process focuses on three core pillars:

• Redefining core competencies by reviewing essential financial theory and quantitative skills needed by graduates in light of AI, while utilising technology to strengthen student mastery of these fundamentals.
• Training students to leverage AI critically, effectively, and ethically in financial modelling, risk analysis, and decision-making.
• Rethinking evaluation methods to test how effectively students apply their combined financial competence and AI tools to real-world business scenarios.

This structural redesign directly reflects the demands of major employers in the financial sector. Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM) highlights the necessity for this skill set. 

“At NBIM, AI is part of how we work across the whole company, so we increasingly look for candidates who pair a solid grounding in finance with hands-on experience in AI,” says Fabienne Lucq, Head of Talent and Business Partners at NBIM. “Our summer internship and graduate programme reflect this, and a curriculum that develops both skill sets aligns closely with the talent we are looking for.” 

The updated curriculum is currently being developed and will be fully implemented across all finance programmes in time for the autumn semester 2028.

Collaborating with industry

As a top-ranked European finance department, BI relies on close interaction with its corporate partners, alumni, and students to ensure its programmes remain aligned with operational realities and future talent needs.

To anchor these academic updates in market practice, the Department of Finance is inviting its corporate network to share concrete examples of how their organisations are using or testing AI today, ranging from everyday workflows and automated reporting to advanced risk modelling and quantitative deal screening.

"Our students learn best from real-world applications, and industry input will directly shape how we train future finance professionals," says Rime. "We are building on our strong foundation of top-tier research and popular degree programmes to produce finance graduates who are fluent in AI and ready to add value from day one."