This multidisciplinary programme will provide students with an in-depth understanding of the interrelationships between areas of finance and the global economy as they play out in a rapidly evolving international environment.
This programme examines key issues from both a business and economic perspective, including how multinational corporations leverage financial markets when seeking to exploit international business opportunities, the management challenges presented, and the relevance of these to financial and capital markets.
Students will gain an understanding of the international business environment and its competitive and investment climate. Using frameworks and methodologies, students will also investigate the interaction between firm strategies, economic policies and the changing international environment.
Module descriptions are correct for modules taught in the academic year 2017/18. Optional module listings are indicative, and may be subject to change.
Compulsory Modules
Optional Modules
In addition students must choose optional modules up to the value of 60 credits. Students must choose at least 20 credits from section B and section C from the lists below and a further 20 credits from either section B or C.
Section B:
Section C:
Exams, applied project and individual and group assignments
Graduates of the MSc International Business and Finance follow a variety of career paths upon graduation. These include roles in finance or general management, working for a range of employers such as large corporations or multinational enterprises, financial institutions, banks, securities companies or government agencies.
Our graduates tell us that the programme gives them the key skills and knowledge required to build a career in finance in multinational enterprises, financial institutions or government agencies.
MSc Climate Change, Management & Finance is a challenging programme based on the increasing range of issues faced by business leaders. The programme focuses on the area of climate change and sustainability, such as energy efficiency, risk management and insurance, financing future ventures and innovation or reducing carbon emissions.
You will gain technical expertise in finance, economics, innovation, management, marketing and strategy to help you develop an understanding of the challenges and opportunities raised by climate change and the interrelations between these two areas. Armed with deep quantitative and technical knowledge, you will be an asset for successful organisations from a wide variety of sectors, whether large corporations or SMEs, established industrial firms or technological ventures, either in sustainability focused roles or broader business management roles.
The programme comprises core modules from a range of subject areas. Given the need to understand the relationship between its two components, the programme has been designed to embed within each module both the business and the sustainability/climate change/ carbon aspect of a topic.
These core modules include:
• Business Economics, Climate Change and the Environment
• Change Management and Leadership
• Clean Tech Innovation and Investment
• Climate Change and Governance
• Climate Finance
• Corporate Finance and Carbon Finance
• Energy Economics and Strategy
• Financial and Carbon Accounting and Reporting
• Impacts and Adaptation to Climate Change
• Marketing and Sustainability
• Mitigating Climate Change
• Quantitative Methods
• Risk Management and Climate Change
• Sustainable Strategic Management
• The Science of Climate Change
These modules are taught over three academic terms, and you will benefit from a balance between teaching and learning through a mix of lectures, seminars, external speakers, discussions group exercises and case studies. Assessment will combine examination, group and individual reports and presentations.
In addition to the core modules, you will have the choice during the summer to undertake either a Group Consultancy Project for a real client or a Work Placement. In both cases, you may also choose to do your project or work placement abroad.
Your final assessment will consist of a 5,000 word Capstone Individual Report. This report will help you put the theory taught in the programme modules into practice, linking your experience on the Group Consulting Project or Work Placement.
The challenge of responding and adapting to climate change will drive trillions of dollars of new investment over the coming decades, with major changes required across the economy, in energy production and consumption, industry, buildings, transport, infrastructure, forests and agriculture. Delivering this investment will require greatly enhanced capacity in all aspects of carbon finance. In addition, following the Paris Agreement both developed and developing countries now have increased commitments for addressing climate change which is driving increased demand for skills and knowledge in carbon and climate finance.
This programme is the world's first MSc in Carbon Finance, dedicated to professionals in the climate change investment field and focussed on the business opportunities and financial flows driven by society's response to climate change (carbon finance).
The MSc in Carbon Finance will appeal to graduates with significant work experience in business, government or the NGO sector.
Typically students will not have had an opportunity to specialise in climate change but will want to move into a career in climate change investment, carbon markets, consulting or carbon accounting.
Likely future roles include carbon credit development, low carbon portfolio management, renewable energy investment, climate find management, carbon trading, carbon consulting, carbon accounting and related policy or regulatory roles (e.g. with government or NGOs).
Very few business schools in the world have a similar depth of expertise in carbon finance.
Learning will primarily be through lectures, set reading, class discussions, exercises, group-work assignments, problem solving in tutorials and case studies. Assessment methods include examinations, assignments, presentations or continuous assessment.
Students who follow this programme will gain an understanding of:
Africa is ripe for growth – but there is a shortage of good people who have the right financial skills to to help the market grow and improve the overall investment climate. The Master of Commerce Degree (MCom) in Development Finance will give you the expertise to turn ideas into financially sound, long-term development solutions that improve lives, uplift communities and place Africa on the global stage. This is your opportunity to build an exciting career in the cutting-edge discipline of development finance.
The Masters of Commerce Degree in Development Finance is designed to develop people and institutions that can help provide optimum financial outcomes that enhance the design and implementation of reforms and capacity-building programmes adopted by development finance institutions, governments, the private sector, NGOs and the wider emerging markets.
While Development Finance is typically known for its use by people working in development finance and other related institutions, it is also widely used by people in other banking and financial services institutions. It provides the expertise to start initial investments that act as the right catalyst, and demonstrate that enterprises can thrive in economically challenging markets. It is also used to ensure that funds channelled through development projects provide sustainable outcomes that can sustain the development agendas of developing countries.
Why this Degree?
As a professional discipline, Development Finance is widely practised today by all central governments; major development finance institutions including the World Bank, the IMF, the UN; as well as public and private sector organisations, international foundations and NGOs.
However there is a shortage of Development Finance experts in Africa, where the expertise is needed most. It's for this reason the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business (GSB), has partnered with Africagrowth Institute (AGI), to create the Master of Commerce Degree in Development Finance.
The MCom (Development Finance) programme aims to ensure that Africa produces enough development finance experts to meet the growing needs of the growing continent.
Who Should Apply?
Development finance is for people and institutions that can influence development trends in an emerging context and make large-scale changes that can impact positively on the quality of life of people around the world. The GSB MCom in Development Finance brings with it a wide range of benefits including the following:
Climate change is one of the greatest challenges humanity currently faces. The transition to a sustainable energy system will rely heavily on law for effective implementation. The LLM in Climate & Energy Law will equip you with the skills needed to play a leading role in meeting this challenge.
This Masters level degree is aimed at professionals working in the international climate and energy field. It is completed fully online allowing you to gain a specialised qualification without the need to relocate or interrupt your daily work.
The content of this degree is equally relevant to those working in the public, private or civil society sectors. It will also appeal to recent graduates looking to move into the climate change and energy law field.
The content of this degree is designed to equip graduates with the knowledge needed to understand rapidly evolving energy markets and implement policy efforts such as those adopted under the Paris Agreement.
You’ll learn from leading experts in the field of climate change and energy law, stemming from a wide range of academic and professional backgrounds. Key areas of study include:
Individual and collective behaviour – including the conduct of nation states – will need to fundamentally evolve if the transition to a low-carbon, sustainable global economy is to succeed. Participants in the LLM in Climate & Energy Law will have the opportunity to study the legal frameworks governing this transformation.
Climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well as the regulation of evolving energy systems, are approached from an international and comparative perspective, including the roles of finance and investment, litigation, and interlinkages with biodiversity protection, land use, international trade, human rights, and other issue areas.
Depending on the number of credits accrued students can achieve different qualifications:
The curriculum is delivered fully online through Strathclyde's virtual learning environment. Classes will be taught through a combination of podcasts, lectures, forums and tutorials.
You will have extensive opportunities for engagement with fellow students and with members of the teaching faculty. Where necessary Skype meetings can be arranged to further support you through any elements of the programme or classes.
The course will be assessed through a mix of forum participation, practical exercises and research-based coursework.
The skills you will acquire through completion of the LLM will allow you to confidently move into an exciting and expanding area of law. Career paths open to graduates may be in the public and private sector, both in international and domestic environments.
You'll be well prepared to apply for positions in climate/energy think-tanks, research centres and non-governmental organisations. Your analytical skills and knowledge of both general climate change law and specific areas thereof, the latter developed in particular through your dissertation, will be very useful assets.
You may consider jobs in the private sector in climate change consultancy firms, in the ever-growing field of carbon trading and in specialised law firms. Finally, and very importantly, those who will join the programme from their own governments will be able to return to their own country and provide increased capacity in the field of climate and energy law. This will lead to better participation in international climate and energy negotiations and improved domestic climate and energy law in countries whose civil servants will be attending the LLM in Climate and Energy Law.
Actuaries evaluate and manage financial risk. They apply advanced mathematical and statistical techniques to solve financial problems, assess the likelihood of a particular event and the possible financial costs. The role of the actuary is increasingly important in the current economic climate, where volatile markets are contributing to financial uncertainty.
Our MSc Actuarial Finance will introduce you to essential business topics and enable you to apply your quantitative skills to solve complex business problems, such as risk management, insurance and derivatives. You’ll gain comprehensive knowledge in business areas such as accountancy, corporate finance and economics, as well as key analytical techniques, processes and models that have significant applications in actuarial finance.
The Business School has strong links with the actuarial profession and the insurance and pensions industry, giving you the opportunity to interact with practising actuaries and industry experts.
Academic excellence
This course is delivered in partnership with the University’s School of Mathematics. You’ll learn from leading academics based in both schools, giving you access to world-class expertise in both areas.
As a student, you will be able to access the knowledge of our advanced specialist research units, which also have strong links with leading institutions in the US, Europe and Asia. These include the Centre for Advanced Study in Finance (CASIF), the Institute of Banking and Investment (IBI) and the Credit Management Research Centre (CMRC).
You will also benefit from our strong relationships with the actuarial profession. This provides a connection to the latest developments in the industry and gives you a masters degree that is relevant to the contemporary environment.
You’ll take compulsory modules in corporate finance and economics allowing you to put your work into context and understand the importance of the role played by actuaries. At the same time, you’ll build your mathematical skills with classes in applied statistics and probability, as well as discrete time finance.
Building on this, you’ll study continuous time finance and gain an understanding of how different stochastic processes and survival models are applied to actuarial science. This will compliment your studies in topics such as accounting, professionalism and ethics, international investment and portfolio risk management.
Throughout the year you’ll build your professional skills with a core module focussing on critical practical skills that will prepare you for the workplace. At the end of the course, you’ll bring together your business, mathematical and professional knowledge to complete an independent project on a topic of your choice, which will demonstrate your ability to apply the skills you’ve gained.
Compulsory modules
For more information on typical modules, read Actuarial Finance MSc in the course catalogue
Our tutors come from highly respected professional and academic backgrounds. We use a range of teaching methods so you can benefit from their expertise including lectures, workshops, seminars, computer simulations and tutorials.
In addition to the assessed modules and research dissertation, you benefit from professional training activities and employability workshops.
Independent study is also an important part of the course, allowing you to prepare for taught classes and sharpen your own research and critical thinking skills.
Assessment methods emphasise not just knowledge, but essential skills development too. They include formal exams, group projects, reports, computer simulation exercises, essays and written assignments, presentations and reflective logs. This diversity enables you to develop a broad range of skills as preparation for professional life.
As a graduate of this course you will be able to demonstrate in-depth knowledge of core actuarial principles, and the numerical and analytical skills to succeed in this rapidly changing complex environment.
Graduates have entered successful careers in insurance, pensions, accountancy, risk management and consultancy. Job prospects are wide ranging and include careers as accountants, consultants, scheme and insurance actuaries, and employment in investment banking and risk management.
As a result of the high level of quantitative skills developed, you also gain an excellent grounding for PhD study in accounting, finance and economics.
We help you to achieve your career ambitions by providing professional development support and training as part of the Masters programme. You benefit from the support of a Professional Development Tutor, who will work with you to develop the important professional skills that employers value.
We’re committed to offering a wide range of development and training opportunities. Recent activities have included CV building and interview sessions, professional risk management workshops and commercial awareness networking events.
Read more about our careers and professional development support.
The University of Leeds Careers Centre also provides a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate.
Combining up-to-the-minute theory with practical application, our MSc in Finance will prepare you for a great number of career options. This masters programme has been devised in order to give you the opportunity to tailor your learnings to your career aspirations. The second Semester of our masters programme is flexible allowing you to select courses which either combine different areas of finance or which allow you to specialise in one of the three following areas:
This MSc will be the one that is put forward for the FT MSc in Finance rankings in the future replacing our previously ranked Finance and Investment MSc (ranked 38th by the Financial Times in 2016).
The School's location in the UK's second largest financial centre allows us to attract visiting speakers including a range of analysts from the key financial institutions and fund management houses. Students are able to interact with leading figures from many major companies; this is particularly evident in the dissertation, which offers an invaluable opportunity to collaborate on a topic that has real, of-the-minute industry relevance.
The practical, theoretical and numerical skills learnt through the programme, as well as the global perspective that will be gained through classroom learning and discussions, will leave you well qualified for a range of finance related professions. We expect graduates to take up positions with companies like the Big 4, with investment and commercial banks; market and consumer research centres; fund management firms; energy utilities and consultancies, as well as with public sector departments responsible for the finance sector, energy and climate-change policy. Potential roles are varied and include for example: equity analyst, portfolio manager, financial statement analyst, product manager, commodity/specialist fund manager, business analyst, strategy consultant.
The School is a recognised partner institution by the Chartered Financial Analysis (CFA) Institute. Equally the School is recognised as a Centre of Excellence in the provision of postgraduate education in finance and investment by the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI).
Learning will primarily be through lectures, set reading, class discussions, exercises, group-work assignments, problem solving in tutorials and case studies. Assessment methods include examinations, assignments, presentations or continuous assessment.
This programme caters for those interested in law generally but who have not yet identified a particular area of speciality. Thus, this programme allows for flexibility and choice.
Students can construct their own programme of law studies drawn from the full range of courses on offer. Students will have the opportunity to enjoy masterclasses from guest speakers/lecturers.
At Master’s-level, there will be two compulsory elements, five electives and a dissertation. The compulsory classes are: Legal Research (20 credits) (already taught in the Law School) Dissertation (60 credits) (again, a standard element already provided for in the school).
Because of the general nature of the course, there will be no requirement for designated core modules.
It's expected that students will elect to take modules from the existing LLM/MSc within the Law School.
Compulsory classes
Elective classes
Classes are subject to availability year on year.
The course is taught through a mix of the following:
Assessment will be through a mix of exams and assessments that may be written or practical, depending on the subject.
Tackle climate change using world-class online learning from the MSc in Carbon Management programme at the University of Edinburgh
The Graduate School - work across subject boundaries, with an emphasis on the development and application of practical skills
