Centro de Estudios Financieros

• Name — Centro de Estudios Financieros (CEF) • Established — 1977 • Type — Private business school • Parent — Universidad a Distancia de Madrid • Founders — Roque de las Heras • City — Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia • Country — Spain • Campus — Urban • Faculty — 900 (full-time and part-time) • President — Arturo de las Heras • Website — cef.es

The Centro de Estudios Financieros was founded in 1977 by economist Roque de las Heras to prepare students for public administration examinations for the Tax Agency. In 1978, training was extended to other areas of the State Administration. The Editorial Estudios Financieros was then created. In 1979, distance education was initiated. In 1985, the institution began preparing students for regional administration examinations and in 1998 for European Union examinations. Since 1984, postgraduate courses in fiscal matters have been offered, later extending specialized education to other areas of economic, legal, and digital training. In 1986, the Centro de Estudios Financieros opened in Barcelona; in 1987, a second center in Madrid; in 1997, the Valencia center; and in 2019, a center in the Dominican Republic. In 1990, the Centro de Estudios Financieros established the Premio Estudios Financieros (Financial Studies Award), which has since recognized research and creative work in the business world. In 2006, the group CEF established the Universidad a Distancia de Madrid (UDIMA). The CEF-UDIMA group has incorporated various digital methodologies into teaching and management. Artificial intelligence (AI) has been applied to study plans for the labor market integration of students. In 2026, the education group purchased a property on Paseo del General Martínez Campos in Madrid to serve as its future headquarters.

The Specialized Institute of Higher Education known as CEF.- Santo Domingo was created in 2019 by the CEF.-UDIMA group in the Dominican Republic for training in the areas of business management and administration, banking, and digital education. It was approved in 2019 by the National Council of Higher Education (CONESCyT) and inaugurated in 2021. The center in Santo Domingo offers seven official master's degrees, and various diplomas in fiscal matters, entrepreneurship, and management, as well as corporate training.