Much of the terminology and essential conceptual frameworks needed to understand important financial documents come from years of prolonged academic study. Executive finance programs often seek to condense this information, providing the skills and understanding necessary to process and react to technical reports.

Officially known as the Italian Republic, the country is found in southern Europe. The official language is Italian and the cultural rich capital is Rome. Many of the world's oldest universities are located in Italy, in particular the University of Bologna (founded in 1088). There are three Superior Graduate Schools with "university status", three institutes with the status of Doctoral Colleges, which function at graduate and post-graduate level.

A masters is earned after students complete an undergraduate degree program. To obtain a masters, you usually need to complete 12 to 18 college courses that often involve completing comprehensive tests and/or a thesis.