This programme will help you develop an excellent understanding of statistics, along with advanced practical knowledge of financial markets. It will provide you with an enquiry-led understanding of interconnected subject areas in statistics and finance. It is ideally suited for graduates in mathematics, statistics, engineering, or a related discipline who wish to use their skills to pursue a career in finance.
You will take eight core courses and one optional course, and complete a substantial independent piece of work, normally in the form of a dissertation, on a finance-related theme. Teaching is through a combination of methods including lectures, seminars, tutorials and practical programming and data analysis classes. You will also have the opportunity to attend practitioner seminars so you can learn from leading experts.
Financial Modelling prepares you for a rewarding career in the financial sector for example as a quantitative financial analyst, equity analyst or risk analyst. Recent graduates have gone on to work for KPMG, Deloitte and Citic Securities. We have a dedicated careers and employability team who provide 1-2-1 support and advice, group workshops, employer events on campus and networking opportunities throughout the year to help you with your career prospects.
This programme gives you a flexible syllabus to suit the demands of employers that use modern financial tools and optimization techniques in areas such as the financial sector and energy markets.
We will give you sound knowledge in financial derivative pricing, portfolio optimization and financial risk management.
We will also provide you with the skills to solve some of today’s financial problems, which have themselves been caused by modern financial instruments. This expertise includes modern probability theory, applied statistics, stochastic analysis and optimization.
Adding depth to your learning, our work placement programme puts you at the heart of financial organisations such as Moody's Analytics, Standard Life Investment and Lloyds Banking Group.
This programme involves two taught semesters of compulsory and option courses, followed by a dissertation project. You must obtain a total of 180 credits to be awarded the MSc. Over semesters 1 and 2, you will take a number of compulsory courses and optional courses. Successful performance in these courses (assessed through coursework or examinations or both) allows you to start work on a three-month dissertation project worth 60 credits, possibly with one of our industry partners, for the award of the MSc degree.
Compulsory courses:
Optional courses:
We work closely with the Scottish Financial Risk Academy (SFRA) to offer a number of short courses led by industry (part of our Research-Linked Topics) and to provide the opportunity to our best students to write their dissertations during placements with financial services companies.
At the end of this programme you will have:
Graduates have gone on to work in major financial institutions or to continue their studies by joining PhD programmes.
The theoretical application of mathematics to the world of finance allows you to make good, informed decisions in the face of uncertainty. With the growth and progression of business across the globe, the need for those who can understand quantitative financial methods are becoming increasingly lucrative, sought-after individuals. For those with a strong mathematical background, and a wish to pursue a finance career, this programme is the ideal introduction to this exciting and expanding field.To understand, apply and develop these sophisticated methods requires a good understanding of both advanced mathematics and advanced financial theory. By combining the financial expertise in the University of Exeter Business School with our internationally respected Mathematics department, this comprehensive MSc programme will prepare you for careers in areas that require expert skills in mathematical and financial modelling, computational analysis and business management.
You will gain essential, complementary skills in multiple areas of study such as probability and stochastic analysis, option pricing, risk analysis and extremes, computational methods using MATLAB/C++, financial management and investment analysis. In addition, you will branch into a specialist area of study as you conduct a substantial project in a field of your choosing. The project will allow you to develop your research, computational and modelling skills with support from staff who have extensive experience working in multiple financial services and insurance industries.
The programme prepares you for a career in financial modelling within financial institutions themselves and within other sectors. It builds upon the success of Exeter’s well-established range of Masters programmes in Finance and related areas, many of whose graduates now hold senior positions in areas such as corporate financial strategy, financial planning, treasury and risk management and international portfolio management.
With the strong links between the College and the Met Office, the course also prepares you for career opportunities within reinsurance and credit risk management, especially in the development of financial models that rely on weather/climate systems.
The taught element of the programme takes place between October and May and is arranged into two 12-week teaching semesters.
Recent examples of compulsory modules are as follows; Methods for Stochastics and Finance; Analysis and Computation for Finance; Mathematical Theory of Option Pricing; Fundamentals of Financial Management; Research Methodology; Advanced Mathematics Project.
Some recent examples are as follows; Topics in Financial Economics; Investment Analysis 1; Banking and Financial Services; Derivatives Pricing; Domestic and International Portfolio Management; Investment Analysis II; Financial Modelling; Advanced Corporate Finance; Alternative Investments; Quantitative and Research Techniques; Advanced Econometrics; Dynamical Systems and Chaos; Pattern Recognition; Introduction to C++; Level 3 Mathematics Modules.
Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Financial Management at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).
The Master's (MSc) in Financial Management is designed for students from any background who are interested in moving into a career in finance. Modules on the Financial Management programme include: corporate finance, financial modelling, international financial markets, quantitative methodologies, and corporate governance and ethics. Financial Management graduates will also develop a sound understanding of the role and importance of accounting information in the financial management of complex organisations.
- A full conversion programme that may be completed in a single year
- Does not require accounting, finance or any quantitative study to be completed at undergraduate level
- All modules are taught by our world-class faculty who have a breadth of industrial and academic knowledge
- Swansea is 1st in Wales for world-leading impact - 60% at 4-star level (REF 2014)
- A wide range of professional accreditations to accelerate your career depending on the optional modules you take
- Access to the School of Management investment and trading simulation room to support in-depth understanding of finance in practice
- 93% of Swansea students in employment six months after graduating
- High contact time – our modules come with a lecture (in class sizes capped at approximately 150 students) and seminar/tutorial (in class sizes capped at 30) every single week
- Fully refurbished facilities – we have invested half a million pounds in a recent refurbishment to our student facilities
- Scholarships available for outstanding students
- Swansea is 3rd in the UK for international ranked research outputs (REF 2014)
The Financial Management programme combines the academic theory of finance with a strong practical perspective closely related to the world of finance, facilitating a sound understanding of finance and associated areas.
Modules on the Financial Management programme may include:
Principles of Finance
International Financial Markets
Financial Statement Analysis
Quantitative Financial Analysis
Principles of Law for Accounting and Finance
Financial Modelling
Corporate Governance & Ethics
Contemporary Issues in Finance
Project Management
Principles of Corporate Finance
Contemporary Issues in Finance
Advanced Corporate Finance
Financial Market Efficiency & Behavioural Finance
Development Finance
Business Planning and Theory of Entrepreneurship
International Management
Business Analytics
Data Mining
The MSc Financial Management has been awarded the following ACCA exemptions:
F1 - Accountant in Business
F2 - Management Accounting
F3 - Financial Accounting
This means that graduates of our MSc Financial Management will be exempt from three out of nine of the ACCA ‘Fundamentals’ examinations. Financial Management students graduating from this programme can now leave Swansea as part-qualified accountants and just have to sit the remaining eleven.
We have an excellent track record of placing our graduates including those from the Financial Management programme with major multinational companies and our graduate employment rate is 92%.
From the moment you arrive at the School of Management as a student on the Financial Management programme we will work with you to help you build your skills and experience to enhance your career prospects. During your time with us you’ll have the chance to:
- Undertake a work placement or internship through the Swansea Paid Internship Network (SPIN) or ‘Week of Work’ initiative
- Work and network with employers from a range of national and multi-national companies through our visiting speaker programme
- In conjunction with the International Development Office, undertake an Internship in India, with a company such as GE, Thomson Reuters, 3M, Private Equity or Kanvic Consulting
- Boost your skills and meet employers during our biannual Employability Week
- Complete the Swansea Employability Award
- Participate in one of our student challenges and competitions, such as the Branding Challenge, and CIM student competition ‘The Pitch’
The School of Management at Swansea University is building on long-established foundations as one of the UK's top providers of Management, Accounting & Finance and Economic education.
The School of Management's vision is to make a difference to society and the economy locally and globally through excellence in research-led teaching that has resulted in the School being ranked 17th in the UK for research impact* and 26th in the UK for research excellence, all working towards continuing our trend of becoming one of the top business schools in Wales and the UK.
Environment:
The School of Management comprises over 150 staff and more than 2000 students studying at the new £450million Bay Campus, with the School of Management building itself providing truly world-class facilities with an impressive communal Atrium, new teaching rooms, meeting room and IT equipment.
School of Management, alongside the Great Hall, also proudly offers high quality conferencing and event capacity all within half a mile of the M4 corridor, that has already attracted several high profile and key events during the short time that the Bay Campus has been open.
Ambition:
Through its enterprise and innovation activities of business engagement the School plans to focus on three global challenges: Health & Wellbeing, Digital Society and Sustainable Economies. The School of Management's aim is to deliver world-class education through collaboration, innovation and fresh thinking, and we pride ourselves on the outstanding student experience on offer here at the School of Management ensuring a rich learning environment, while also developing our staff in line with Swansea University's wider ambition to anchor and underpin everything we do with a core set of values.
Opportunity:
School of Management aspires to be known globally as a centre for educational excellence, working in partnership with other Swansea University departments and organisations to create joint programmes that reflect the skillsets required by an evolving workplace.
*THE Research Excellence Framework 2014: Institutions ranked by subject
Global capital and money markets are rapidly evolving and critical expertise is highly sought after. If you’re interested in a professional career in finance and investment, this Masters will equip you to apply your problem-solving skills to the financial markets.
You’ll be introduced to advanced concepts and practices in essential topics including international investment, financial modelling, corporate finance and security investment analysis.
Thanks to our excellent links with industry, commerce and professional bodies, you’ll gain a practical understanding of how essential financial theory is applied in practice. Case study exercises and simulations test your knowledge in real business scenarios, connecting you with the latest challenges and issues in the financial markets.
You’ll learn from leading academics with research and consultancy expertise to gain a qualification valued worldwide in the finance and investment industry.
Academic excellence
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). This research makes an important contribution to your learning on the MSc Finance and Investment; you will benefit from a curriculum that is informed by the latest knowledge and critical thinking.
You will also benefit from our strong relationships with the finance, credit and accounting professions. This provides a connection to the latest practitioner and policy developments, giving you a masters degree that is relevant to the contemporary environment.
Throughout the course we support you to develop the professional skills that will be critical for a successful career in the financial services.
You’ll build knowledge of key topics in finance and investment such as financial modelling, corporate finance, security investment analysis and international business finance. You’ll apply this knowledge of financial theory to solve real problems and explore international investment in depth.
Your choice of optional modules will allow you to gain specialist knowledge in areas that suit your career plans. You’ll be expected to take at least one of Corporate Governance or Behavioural Finance, but you could also study accounting, financial derivatives, forensic finance and more.
The programme will improve your understanding of research methods in finance, during a dedicated module led by experts currently involved in cutting-edge research. You’ll apply this knowledge to design and carry out your own research dissertation on a related topic of your choice, developing your ability to tackle the most pressing challenges currently facing the industry.
Compulsory modules
You’ll take eight compulsory modules including your dissertation.
Optional modules
You’ll also take two optional modules, one of which must be either Behavioural Finance or International Business Finance.
For more information on typical modules, read Finance and Investment MSc in the course catalogue
We use a variety of teaching and learning methods to help you make the most of your studies. These will include lectures, seminars, workshops, online learning and tutorials. Independent study is also vital for this course allowing you to prepare for taught classes and sharpen your own research and critical skills.
In addition to the assessed modules and research dissertation, you benefit from professional training activities and employability workshops. Thanks to our links with major companies across the business world, you can also gain a practical understanding of key issues.
For example, students have developed their knowledge of financial markets through a one-week trading simulation delivered in partnership with Amplify Trading. Read more about professional development activities for finance students.
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, group and individual presentations and reflective logs.
As a graduate of this course you will be able to demonstrate in-depth knowledge of core finance and investment principles, and the numerical and analytical skills to succeed in this rapidly changing complex environment.
Graduates have a broad appeal to employers in the worldwide finance sector. Many have gone on to careers such as traders, risk managers, portfolio managers and security analysts.
Our unique combination of business and mathematics modules enables you to perform successfully in a business environment by making the best use of your analytical and programming skills.
We help you to achieve your career ambitions by providing professional development support and training as part of the course. 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 field trips, 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.
Demand is growing worldwide for experts who have the technical skills to measure and manage financial risk. This masters degree prepares you to meet these requirements, equipping you to respond to emerging developments in the global capital and money markets.
You’ll gain comprehensive knowledge of essential topics including the dynamics of financial markets, the causes and effects of financial risk and professional practices for measuring and managing portfolio risk. You can also choose optional modules allowing you to specialise in areas such as accounting, international banking and security investment analysis.
Learning from highly qualified teaching staff involved in world-class research in financial risk management, you’ll test your knowledge in genuine business scenarios during practical case study exercises and simulations. Thanks to our excellent links with industry and commerce, you’ll gain an understanding of the latest challenges in financial markets worldwide.
Academic excellence
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). This research makes an important contribution to your learning on the MSc Financial Risk Management; you will benefit from a curriculum that is informed by the latest knowledge and critical thinking.
You will also benefit from our strong relationships with the finance, credit and accounting professions. This provides a connection to the latest practitioner and policy developments, giving you a masters degree that is relevant to the contemporary environment.
The course builds your understanding of essential topics such as corporate finance and applies financial theory to practical problems. You’ll study financial modelling, risk and insurance, managing portfolio risk and derivatives. You’ll also undertake professional skills training throughout the year to help you develop the critical skills to apply your knowledge into the workplace.
Beyond these core areas of study, you’ll be able to specialise in areas that suit your career plans with your choice of optional modules. You’ll take at least one of Behavioural Finance or Discrete Time Finance, and can choose from topics such as forensic accounting and finance, international banking and finance or information and organisation design.
You’ll also develop your knowledge of research methods in finance and by the end of the year, you’ll be prepared to design and carry out your own research dissertation on a related topic of your choice, developing your ability to tackle the most pressing challenges currently facing the industry.
Compulsory modules
You’ll study eight compulsory modules including your dissertation.
Optional modules
You’ll also take two optional modules. One of these must be either Behavioural Finance or Discrete Time Finance.
For more information on typical modules, read Financial Risk Management MSc in the course catalogue
We use a variety of teaching and learning methods to help you make the most of your studies. These will include lectures, seminars, workshops, online learning and tutorials. Independent study is also vital for this course allowing you to prepare for taught classes and sharpen your own research and critical skills.
In addition to the assessed modules and research dissertation, you benefit from professional training activities and employability workshops. For example, students have developed their knowledge of financial markets through a one-week trading simulation delivered in partnership with Amplify Trading. Read more about our professional skills activities for finance students.
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, group and individual presentations.
This diversity enables you to develop a broad range of skills as preparation for professional life.
Graduates of this course are equipped with the skills and knowledge to pursue a range of career options within finance, including risk management, credit risk analysis, derivatives, insurance and finance research.
Previous graduates have gone on to work for a variety of financial institutions, investment banks, regulators and standard setters, international insurers, asset managers, underwriters and investment funds.
This degree is also an excellent qualification for individuals seeking to pursue further postgraduate research.
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 field trips to corporate headquarters, 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.
The ICMA Centre’s financial engineering degree is highly respected by quantitative analysts and their employers. The credit crunch and subsequent events have emphasised the need to develop better pricing and better hedging models for all complex products. The practical and quantitative skills that you will develop on the programme will equip you to meet this challenge.
Our compulsory modules provide a firm grounding in probability theory, stochastic calculus, derivatives pricing, quantitative and numerical methods, structuring products, volatility analysis, and the modelling of credit, equity, foreign exchange and interest rate derivatives. We also provide a thorough training in C++ and other programming tools.
Optional modules will allow you to focus on risk analysis, portfolio management, designing trading strategies or econometric analysis. This newly structured degree aims to further enhance the strong reputation of its precursor – the MSc in Financial Engineering and Quantitative Analysis, which was established back in 1999. A good background in mathematics is required for acceptance to this programme (see entry requirements below).
October – December: Part 1 Autumn Term
January: Part 1 Exams
January-April: Part 2 Spring Term
May – June: Part 2 Exams
June – August (12 month programme only): Part 3
August/Sep (12 month programme only): Part 3 Coursework deadlines
Part 1 compulsory modules
Part 2 compulsory modules
Part 2 optional modules
Students on the 9-month (12-month) programme can select 40 (20) credits from the following modules:
Part 3 optional modules
Students on the 12-months programme should take 20 credits from the following:
Full-time: 9 months Full-time: 12 months
Students will be resident and undertake full-time study in the UK. Under both, the 9 and 12-month programmes students take compulsory and/or elective modules in Part 2.
The 12 month option involves taking an elective 20 credit module between July and August, which would also mean a 20 credit reduction in the number of taught modules taken in the spring term.
Many of our financial engineering graduates are now working as Quants in large London banks and other financial institutions. Others have pursued PhDs and have successful academic careers. Financial instruments are becoming ever more sophisticated, so graduates that understand complex modelling techniques are always in great demand. The high quantitative content of this programme opens many doors to a wide range of careers. You could structure and develop new debt or equity solutions to meet clients funding and hedging needs, or you could become a proprietary trader in exotic derivatives, or a software specialist or a quantitative analyst supporting the traders.
There are excellent opportunities on the buy-side, with hedge funds and investment institutions, as well as in investment banking and in software analytics. Opportunities in quantitative research, or with a rating agency, are among the many other attractive alternatives. Outside of mainstream banking and investment, you might also consider firms involved in commodity and energy trading, or the treasury divisions of leading multinationals and management consultancies.
ICMA Fixed Income Certificate
To obtain the requisite knowledge to pass the rigorous FIC exam, students are required to take the ICMA Centre Fixed Income Cash and Derivatives Markets module at Part 2. In order to receive the FIC certificate, students will need to register and pass the FIC exam through ICMA.
The Master of Financial and Actuarial Engineering programme provides students with up-to-date, sound and advanced financial, actuarial and statistical skills. It is an intensive, advanced, one-year programme for university graduates interested in a career in risk management, financial and/or actuarial engineering within financial institutions. The discipline focuses on the application of quantitative methods to problems involving risk or uncertainty. You will gain an understanding of current and future problems and solutions in insurance and banking and be equipped with fundamental and conceptual knowledge of the mathematical and economic aspects of financial theory and insurance techniques.
The programme provides advanced insights into the actuarial aspects of life insurance, general insurance and risk theory as well as financial mathematics and the inter-relationship and integration of actuarial sciences and finance. The programme draws on over sixty years of experience and international recognition. The research team for risk theory, finance and statistics has a strong research profile and is ranked among the world top in terms of actuarial research productivity. The programme is jointly offered by the Faculty of Business and Economics and the Faculty of Science at KU Leuven, in collaboration with Université Catholique de Louvain.
The main goal of the programme is to provide the students with an sound knowledge of finance and actuarial science. They develop the capabilities to understand current and future problems and solutions in the actuarial and financial context. They will be equipped with fundamental and conceptual knowledge of the mathematical and economic aspects of financial theory and insurance techniques. Graduates holding both the degree of Master of Financial and Actuarial Engineering and 'Master in de verzekeringen' (Dutch-language initial master at KU Leuven) are eligible for membership in the professional body of actuaries in Belgium (IA|BE), and the international actuarial professional body (IAA).
At the end of the programme students will:
The programme addresses the rapidly-changing needs resulting from the accelerating globalisation of the banking and insurance sector. As such, it provides a sound basis for a career in various areas of risk management, financial and actuarial engineering and insurance. Most graduates find employment in insurance companies, whose financial stability depends on actuarial calculations (e.g. premiums, provisions, capital requirements, reinsurance policy).
As an expert in the field of risk and uncertainty, you can also play an important role in banking and finance. The increasing convergence between the insurance and financial markets as well as the use of mathematically based instruments, such as options and futures, offers excellent career prospects. Graduates are well placed to find employment in banks, pension funds, reinsurance companies, consulting and audit companies.
Some graduates go to work in government, for instance in social security or economic affairs departments. Graduates holding both the degree of Master of Financial and Actuarial Engineering and 'Master in de verzekeringen' (Dutch-language initial Master's programme at KU Leuven) are eligible for membership in the professional body of actuaries in Belgium (IA|BE).
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