Finance (Finance and Investment)

Our MSc in Finance (Finance and Investment) is designed to immerse you in a challenging and exciting subject that has the potential to create life-changing opportunities for people and institutions across the globe.

You will develop essential skills and knowledge in finance and investment that employers around the world are constantly seeking and you will also build an understanding of the advanced analytical and technical capabilities required by world-leading PhD programmes. This knowledge will be delivered within the context of our core values of fairness in how we experience the financial world and equality of access to financial services.

The 12-month full-time programme comprises a combination of core and optional modules, culminating in a practice-based business project or a research-based dissertation depending on the learning direction you choose.

Core modules include derivative markets, portfolio management, financial risk management, security analysis, econometric methods and advanced financial theory. The option modules give you the opportunity to tailor the course to your specific interests and career goals.

This course is taught by specialist academics and is affiliated with the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute (CFA), the leading global association for investment professionals and the accepted benchmark around the world for technical excellence in financial markets.

The School has made a significant investment in database resources, giving you access to live and historical data from providers including Bloomberg, Capital IQ, Thomson Reuters, DataStream and Orbis. These state-of-the-art databases give you the opportunity to interrogate the financial records of millions of companies worldwide and add valuable insight to your research.

Participation in our MSc in Finance (Finance and Investment) will set you on the road to a stimulating and fulfilling career in finance or financial research by equipping you with the necessary skills and experience taught to the highest academic standards within an exciting learning environment.

World-class Business Education

• 11th (UK) 39th (Europe) 66th (Global) - QS World University Rankings: Masters in Finance 2024

Course structure

Core modules:

Derivative Markets develops your ability to critically review this specialist subject in preparation for deeper study in the area of risk management. It will also enhance your knowledge and understanding of the nature and uses of financial derivatives.

Portfolio Management develops your knowledge and understanding of the subject and its key features including asset allocation and portfolio composition. The module covers current theoretical and empirical research in the field of portfolio theories and its implications on alternative portfolio composition and management strategies.

Financial Risk Management develops your understanding of how risk can be managed by financial derivatives and about the issues that surround their use. You will develop skills in analysing academic literature relating to risk management, these skills will be crucial for dissertation research.

Econometric Methods is designed to provide you with the knowhow to carry out empirical research in economics or finance and to understand the more advanced econometric techniques that will be taught in the second term.

Advanced Financial Theory offers stimulating and rigorous training in modern financial theory and in the most important current research with an emphasis on application of finance principles. You will also develop an advanced understanding of normative and positive research in financial theory together with the related descriptive and empirical evidence.

The Dissertation, on a finance topic of your choice, develops your ability to plan and manage your own learning. It provides an opportunity to conduct an in-depth investigation at an advanced level and present your findings and conclusions. To add a further international dimension to the course you can apply for the international route where you undertake research abroad at a partner university. There is also the option to develop a more applied business project in conjunction with an appropriate organisation.

Plus one from:

Security Analysis examines areas including investment banking and companies, common stocks, accounting information, earnings estimations and analyst forecasts. You will also develop skills in analysing academic literature relating to security analysis, these skills will be crucial for dissertation research.

or 

Python for Finance explores general principles and specific techniques of programming in the Python software and its applications in finance, including portfolio management, algorithmic trading, risk management and asset pricing. You will learn to use Python packages for financial data analysis and solving problems in the above-mentioned fields in finance.

In recent years, optional modules have included:

• Bank Management
• Banking and Financial Intermediation
• Behavioural and Neurofinance
• Capital Market Development
• Climate Finance
• Corporate Finance
• Financial Modelling and Business Forecasting
• Financial Technologies I
• Financial Technologies II
• Fintech Regulations
• International Study Tour
• Islamic Capital Markets
• Market Microstructure
• Python for Finance
• A language module

Careers and employability

Entry into the world of finance and investment with all its specialisms is challenging but we have the structure in place to support you and help you to establish a rewarding career where you can make the difference.

Our global links with more than 380 partners in 68 industry sectors across the world benefits the University, its students, and partners alike. This network is not only vital in maintaining our reputation as a business school that shapes innovative researchers and alumni who have made a significant contribution in the finance sector, it also opens up potential employment opportunities for our graduates.

The Business School holds a careers weekend and career insight events featuring experts in their fields, and we will ensure you get the most out of your participation in business projects and placements and in any international opportunities.

This course will prepare you to embark on a stimulating career in finance or in research across the world, underpinned by our core values of equality of access to financial services and fairness in how we experience the financial world.

Take a look at some of the roles taken up by recent finance graduates from the Business School:

• Business Analyst Consultant at Infosys
• Management Trainee at the Bank of China
• Tax Consultant at KPMG
• Marketing Manager at GF Security
• Market Risk Analyst at Bangkok Bank
• Consultant at EY