The MSc in Finance and Private Equity is ideal for those seeking a generalist finance master’s with an integrated specialisation in private equity. This unique programme, supported by private equity firm Abraaj Group, offers unparalleled access to leading private equity researchers and practitioners who actively participate in the development of the field.
The programme is built upon the highly successful MSc Finance (full-time) programme, with the addition of a dedicated course taught by the School's Abraaj Group Chair in Private Equity. You will focus on topics including the structure of private equity (PE) funds and how PE can be used in start-ups, in scaling-up cash flow businesses, and in restructuring firms facing financial distress.
As well as lectures, discussion and case studies, you will benefit from regular practitioner-led teaching. You will have the opportunity to gain deeper practical insight and links to the City, and will enjoy close interaction with LSE's Financial Markets Group and the Systemic Risk Centre, which attract leading finance researchers from across the world to their numerous research seminars and conferences.
Graduates of this highly-respected programme benefit from excellent career prospects in investment banks, consultancies, and a variety of financial institutions.
A significant proportion of graduates join either investment banks or boutique corporate finance firms as analysts as a first step in their careers into the world of private equity. However, some have been hired directly upon graduation by private equity or venture capital firms. Following a similar structure to the generalist MSc Finance, the programme also prepares you for various roles in investment banks, consultancies, hedge funds and asset management firms, or to pursue further study. In addition, having met on the programme, students have worked together on entrepreneurial ventures and start-ups.
This programme is not intended as suitable preparation for the PhD Finance at LSE (if you are interested in PhD study, please see MSc Finance and Economics.
Further information on graduate destinations for this programme
Knowledge of corporate finance law is essential for lawyers, bankers and financiers who are keen to develop professional skills in corporate fundraising, deal structures and transactional management. This course offers an enhanced qualification for professionals working or planning to work in a technically demanding and dynamic global industry. It will appeal to both recent graduates and practitioners considering various fields of work, including law, investment banking, corporate finance, private equity, securities, investments, financial regulation, government agencies and international financial authorities.
You will focus on learning how the financial markets work, from the primary markets involving the issuance of equity, debt and derivatives, to the secondary markets involving trading and investments, as well as very large financial transactions in the international capital markets. Importantly, you will also learn how to take account of legal and regulatory risks facing financiers and bankers, and structure financial instruments to suit commercial priorities and social welfare policies.
This course aims to give you a comprehensive understanding of the practical processes and innovative products of the international corporate finance market, including equity and debt capital, derivatives, structured finance, risk management and investment portfolio products. It also develops the soft skills you will need in this area of practice, including negotiations and network building, with meetings with senior lawyers and directors of major companies.
The following modules are indicative of what you will study on this course.
The option modules are recommended if you are looking to specialise in the financial industry. If you opt for the dissertation you must select four option modules. If you opt for the project you must choose five option modules.
Please note that option modules are subject to student demand and staffing availability, therefore not all modules will be offered in the same academic year.
Core modules
Option modules
This course will be of benefit if you are seeking to work in any of the range of disciplines involved in corporate finance law, including accountancy, corporate banking, corporate finance, corporate law, investment banking, private equity and venture capital, as well as in related fields.
This highly specialised degree is designed to provide a practical understanding of a wide range of corporate finance services and corporate transactions. Both, corporate financial management and investment banking is at the core of the programme which is highly regarded in the City of London.
Through hands-on sessions and extensive use of case-studies and financial analysis simulations, participants will be fascinated by the exciting world of venture capital, private equity, corporate governance and mergers and acquisitions. You will specialise in corporate investment and capital budgeting decisions, IPOs, payout policy, capital structure, enterprise valuation, financial analysis and risk management. You will also gain an in-depth understanding of financial markets, securities trading and quantitative techniques, and be able to further specialise on a wide range of additional elective topics.
MSc Corporate Finance graduates have the advantage of exemption from the Corporate Investment exam of its CFC qualification.
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 80 (60) credits of electives from the following list
A minimum of 40 of those credits must be chosen from the following:
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.
There is a demand for professionals who combine an understanding of the financial markets with knowledge of the financial decisions facing companies in their day-to-day operations. Such professionals also need a clear insight into related fields including accounting, risk management, capital budgeting, debt and equity finance, financial planning, venture capital and mergers and acquisitions.
As a MSc Corporate Finance graduate, you will be well equipped to join careers in investment banks in the City of London and other international financial centres, professional services firms, including management consultancies and accountancy practices, and small, entrepreneurial ventures where an in-depth knowledge of finance will be of direct benefit to the owner/managers seeking to build their business.
CISI Diploma
The ICMA Centre is a Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment (CISI) Centre of Excellence. Centres of Excellence are a select group of UK universities, recognised by the CISI as offering leadership in academic education on financial markets. Students who are on a financially-related masters course recognised by the CISI are eligible for exemptions and membership.
ICMA Centre students who register and successfully complete two CISI Diploma in Capital Markets modules (Securities and Bonds & Fixed Interest Markets) are eligible for an exemption from the third module (Financial Markets).
NDRCTC CFC Certificate
Students are eligible for exemption from the Corporate Investment exam. This will apply to graduates from 2011 entry onwards. (The CFC qualification comprises 3 exams: Overview and fundamentals of corporate finance; Corporate investment; Corporate financing)
Knowledge of corporate finance law is essential for lawyers, bankers and financiers who are keen to develop professional skills in corporate fundraising, deal structures and transactional management. This course offers an enhanced qualification for professionals working or planning to work in a technically demanding and dynamic global industry. It will appeal to both recent graduates and practitioners considering various fields of work, including law, investment banking, corporate finance, private equity, securities, investments, financial regulation, government agencies and international financial authorities.
You will focus on learning how the financial markets work, from the primary markets involving the issuance of equity, debt and derivatives, to the secondary markets involving trading and investments, as well as very large financial transactions in the international capital markets. Importantly, you will also learn how to take account of legal and regulatory risks facing financiers and bankers, and structure financial instruments to suit commercial priorities and social welfare policies.
This course aims to give you a comprehensive understanding of the practical processes and innovative products of the international corporate finance market, including equity and debt capital, derivatives, structured finance, risk management and investment portfolio products. It also develops the soft skills you will need in this area of practice, including negotiations and network building, with meetings with senior lawyers and directors of major companies.
The following modules are indicative of what you will study on this course.
The option modules are recommended if you are looking to specialise in the financial industry. If you opt for the dissertation you must select four option modules. If you opt for the project you must choose five option modules.
Please note that option modules are subject to student demand and staffing availability, therefore not all modules will be offered in the same academic year.
Core modules
Option modules
This course will be of benefit if you are seeking to work in any of the range of disciplines involved in corporate finance law, including accountancy, corporate banking, corporate finance, corporate law, investment banking, private equity and venture capital, as well as in related fields.
This cutting-edge programme comprises newly designed modules in trading strategies, the business of wealth management and advanced portfolio management. MSc Investment & Wealth Management is unique in offering a full range of modules in asset and wealth management, private equity and banking.
In September, you will study five foundation modules to introduce the tools of modern finance and enhance your career development skills. These modules include:
• Markets and Securities
• Financial Modelling
• Application of Matlab to Finance
• Introduction to Project Valuation
• The Finance Industry
You’ll then take seven core modules which are the backbone of our programme, providing you with a solid knowledge base in each subject area. Each module builds on previous experience while introducing new and challenging disciplines. Core modules include:
• Asset Allocation and Investment Strategies
• Derivatives
• Financial Econometrics
• Investment and Portfolio Management
• Macroeconomics
• Mathematics for Finance
• Ethical and Professional Standards in Finance
You will also be given the opportunity to choose from a variety of electives and undertake a final project. Electives include:
• Advanced Financial Statistics
• Advanced Options Theory
• Behavioural Investment Management
• Corporate Strategy and Dynamic Competition
• Credit Risk
• Fixed Income Securities
• International Elective: Macro and Finance for Practitioners
• International Finance
• Insurance
• Private Equity and Venture Capital
• Quantitative Methods in Asset Management
• Real Estate Investment
• Structured Credit and Equity Products
• Wealth Management and Alternative Investments
• Topics in FinTech Innovation
The MSc in Finance combines a rigorous, research-based curriculum with extensive real-world applications and operational skill building.
The program is taught by experienced faculty with outstanding expertise across financial topics. Topics covered include modern Capital Markets, Valuation (including options), Fixed Income, and Capital Structure. Electives include Value Investing, Restructuring, Mergers and Acquisitions, Private Equity and International Finance.
Every student chooses one of two specializations: Corporate Finance and Investment Management. The choice of specialization is made at the end of the first semester of the program.
SSE's MSc in Finance has been one of the most popular master programs in Europe, thanks to a great learning environment and outstanding career opportunities offered after graduation. Finance graduates pursue careers in investment banking, corporate finance, private equity, investment management, consulting, as well as non-finance positions.
The MSc program in Finance is consistently one of the top ranked programs across various rankings. For example, the Financial Times ranking of the world's best masters programs (2017) have ranked the SSE Finance masters as no. 16 in the world, the top Nordic school represented.
1. Bachelor's degree
with at least 60 ECTS in Social Sciences (including but not limited to Finance, Business Administration and/or Economics) and with a minimum of 30 ECTS in quantitative fields, including but not limited to Finance, Accounting and Financial Management and Economics. The quantitative fields may be outside Social Sciences.
2. GMAT or GRE test result
- GMAT (total score) of 600 or more
- GRE score (quantitative) of 155 or more
3. Proof of proficiency in English
We accept the following options as proof of your proficiency in English:
- IELTS Academic score at least 7
- TOEFL iBT total score at least 100
- English as native language
- Bachelor’s degree from a program conducted completely in English
- Qualifications “English B/6” from Swedish upper secondary school
4. Motivation & supporting attachments
October 1 - application opens
November 15 - early application deadline. You may apply by this deadline if you have all the complete documents and test results ready by that date. We will start assessing the applications and if your candidacy is selected you will receive the decision from us by the end of December.
January 15 - application deadline. Your complete application should be submitted by this date. This is also the last date to sit all the tests.
March 15 - notification regarding the results of the selection.
More information can be found here!
The Global Banking and Finance MBA is designed for professionals who aspire to a career in global banking and finance. It will guide you through management and technical skills, and develop you into a broadly knowledgeable professional, capable of performing at the top of the international banking and finance industry.
Birmingham Business School is accredited by the AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), AMBA (Association of MBAs) and EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System).
This MBA programme has been specifically designed for graduates who aspire to develop careers in global banking and finance. The programme aims to improve management and technical skills by focusing on key areas such as international banking, banking and finance regulation and supervision, risk and asset and liability management, strategic management of financial institutions, financial markets, and private equity and venture capital finance.
Many of our graduates are working at senior positions in banks and financial institutions, and in the investment industry worldwide. The programme is delivered by University faculty and industry practitioners to cater to the current and future needs of global financial services industry. MBA (GBF) attracts highly qualified and experienced students from a variety of cultures and nationalities and is highly rated by students wanting to specialise in banking and finance.
Programme content
The programme includes core modules and optional modules. Apart from the taught element of the programme, students have the opportunity to attend talks delivered by practising managers and senior executives from some of the world’s leading banks and finance houses. Students will have opportunities to interact, discuss their career-related issues and gain valuable insights into the working of these prestigious institutions.
This MBA programme has been specifically designed for graduates who aspire to develop careers in global banking and finance and aims to improve management and technical skills by focusing on key areas such as international banking, banking and finance regulation and supervision, risk and asset and liability management, strategic management of financial institutions, financial markets, private equity and venture capital finance.
A bespoke learning environment
As a Birmingham MBA student, you will have exclusive access to the second floor of our new postgraduate teaching space, the Alan Walters Building. This will provide you with access to facilities of the highest quality, including a Harvard-style lecture theatre, dedicated computer cluster and seminar rooms as well as breakout rooms and communal areas for studying and group work, which will look out over the Green Heart when completed in 2019.
From the very start of your MBA, you receive bespoke advice from our employment consultants. Through one-to-one coaching, our industry experienced they work with you to clarify your aspirations and support you in your future career, jointly developing a winning employment strategy to take you to the next level and to open doors to a range of potential employer.
Employer engagement
Whilst on your MBA you will have the opportunity to engage with top international companies. Our MBA students have participated in a range of activities with employers including BP, GE, IBM, Accenture, Capgemini, Unilever, Deloitte and HSBC.
Group and individual activities to enhance your skills
Throughout the programme, you will have the opportunity to be involved in group and individual activities all aimed at helping you to develop the skills and techniques which lead to highly successful employment outcomes.
A few examples of these activities that you will undertake throughout your MBA programme include online profile building, Careers in Consultancy networking event, Distinguished leaders alumni seminar series, mock assessment centre, skills coaching, and video recorded interview practice.
Careers in Business
Careers in Business is a dedicated service for postgraduate Business School students. We’ll help you in all aspects of your career management, from planning your job-seeking strategies, applying for jobs, preparing for interviews and assessment centres and developing your essential employability skills. At the start of your programme you will receive an email from our team, giving details of how you can access Careers in Business Online. Please get in touch to find out how our Careers in Business team can support you.
Does the world of finance attract you like no other? Do you aim for a career in which you address challenges like private equity, corporate governance and asset management? The Financial Economics specialisation covers it all.
In one of three tracks - Corporate Finance, Investments or International Finance - you will acquire deep and systematic knowledge of the driving force behind companies, markets and economies. You will learn to analyse and explain complex financial and business problems and, including setting up and executing a scientifically sound research project based on a financial problem of your own choice. In the process, you will learn how to effectively communicate and be critical, self-directed and original in your approach.
This Financial Economics programme attracts students from around the world for a great number of reasons. Which ones triggers you the most? Is it our renowned experience-based teaching methods? Our close connections to the international business world? Or maybe the fascinating guest lectures, company and study trips?
Where do you want your knowledge and skills to take you? Be it in the Netherlands or internationally, the formidable reputation of the Financial Economics specialisation here will open doors for you everywhere, for instance at:
Are you highly motivated to be trained in financial economics? Do you have sufficient prior knowledge of economics and finance and mathematical skills? Then this specialisation brings the challenges you seek with the best advanced education.
Download the brochure here.
The Melbourne Law Masters is a graduate law program of the highest quality, available to law and non-law graduates.
Melbourne Law School’s specialisation in private law offers an opportunity to develop a deep understanding of core areas of law that are fundamentally important to commercial practice. The subjects cover current issues and developments in areas that are vitally important to lawyers involved in commercial litigation and commercial transactions, including contract law, the law of torts, equity, restitution, trusts and remedies.
Graduates of the Master of Private Law will:
Intensive subjects are ideal for busy professionals and provide an excellent opportunity to immerse in the subject content.
Subjects are typically taught over five days, either from Monday – Friday or Wednesday – Tuesday, excluding the weekend. This format enables students from interstate or overseas to fly to Melbourne to attend class.
Semester-length subjects are generally taught for two hours in the evening each week during the semester.
Comprehensive reading materials are provided approximately four weeks prior to the commencement of an intensive class. It is expected that students undertake substantial reading before classes begin. Teachers and students are likely to be in contact with each other electronically from the time reading materials are released to the time assessment is due.
Through in-depth study of topics such as financial risk management and stock market analysis, this highly specialised International Financial Markets Masters degree will give you the theoretical knowledge and practical experience to forge a successful career as a trader or financial manager anywhere in the world.
This highly specialised MSc in International Financial Markets offers advanced study in the areas of international financial markets and portfolio management, with an emphasis on equity, bonds, foreign exchange and their various derivatives markets. You’ll examine effective strategies for managing portfolios of these assets and analyse the impact of world events on global financial markets. Innovative practical exercises, such as trading floor simulations and portfolio management assignments, will enhance your professional skills. And our academics’ research and sector expertise, combined with input from guest lecturers from leading financial institutions, will ensure you are up to date with the latest thinking in the sector.
Southampton was one of the first UK universities to offer a specialised masters course in international financial markets, and remains at the leading edge of research and education in this field today. On this course you’ll gain an in-depth understanding of the workings of global financial markets and how they are affected by political and economic events worldwide.
This course is ideal if you are looking to specialise following your undergraduate studies or gain expertise to further your career in the financial sector. It offers an advanced level of study and is therefore suitable for those who have already undertaken some quantitative study, or those with relevant professional experience.
This degree will prepare you for a career as a trader or financial manager in a wide range of settings. These include mutual funds, hedge funds, pension funds, insurance funds, investment analysis and advice, trading in equities, bond, foreign exchange, commodities and a wide variety of derivatives markets, investment banking, private equity, and private wealth management. You could become an investment consultant, corporate treasurer or rating agency analyst, or choose to work in financial journalism, policy, training or regulation. Alternatively, you could further your studies by doing a PhD and become a researcher in academia.
Former students have gone on to work for PwC, Mackenzie, HSBC and Bank of Shanghai.
This one year MSc Finance & Accounting programme appeals to students from a range of business and scientific backgrounds looking to move into the finance industry.
Taught by outstanding academics and leading practitioners, students are provided with a thorough grounding in the theory of finance. Built on this solid technical foundation is an understanding of the practical elements of the finance and accounting industries which include advanced techniques in corporate financial strategy, project management and company valuation.
If you aspire to work in areas such as management consulting, equity research analysis, sales in investment banking, the treasury department of a large corporate company, or at one of the big four, then this programme is suitable for you.
MSc Finance & Accounting ensures students benefit from a unique blend of rigour and relevance, providing an understanding of the financial basics, more specialist knowledge in a chosen area and a practical experience through electives and project work.
You will begin by studying five compulsory foundation modules to introduce the tools of modern finance and enhance your career development skills. These include:
• Accounting and Valuation
• Application of Matlab to Finance
• Financial Modelling
• Markets and Securities
• The Finance Industry
Core modules are the backbone of the programme and provide you with a solid knowledge base in each subject area. The core modules include:
• Advanced Corporate Finance
• Financial Accounting
• Corporate Finance
• Corporate Financial Management & Strategy
• Fundamentals of Derivatives
• Applied Econometrics
• Investments and Portfolio Management
• Management Accounting
Each module builds on previous experience while introducing new and challenging disciplines. You are also given the opportunity to choose from a variety of electives and undertake a final project. The selection of electives includes:
• Advanced Financial Statistics
• Banks, Regulation and Monetary
• Corporate Law and Corporate Tax Strategy
• Corporate Strategy and Dynamic Competition
• Enterprise Risk Management
• International Elective: Macro and Finance for Practitioners
• International Finance
• Insurance
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Real Estate Investment
• Structured Credit and Equity Products
• Venture Capital and Private Equity
• Topics in FinTech Innovation
You are an ambitious recent graduate looking to develop a full range of skills to help launch your career in finance or accounting. This is a highly practical course so you’ll need to possess a high level of quantitative skills. Your coursework will involve you in examining accounting and finance from the perspective of those who use financial reports to evaluate company and managerial performance.
This one-year, full-time, expertly structured programme will provide you with the real world accounting and finance expertise that leads to a wide range of rewarding international roles.
You will acquire a sound knowledge of the theoretical foundations that underpin modern investment and risk management techniques. These principles are applied in practice via case studies and the use of online databases such as Bloomberg and simulators. The practical aspect is delivered with extensive input from City of London institutions. Many leading practitioners teach on the course, providing a vital link between theory and practice.
The MSc in Investment Management is a demanding course. During the course you will cover the traditional syllabus of a general Masters degree in finance and develop extensive expertise in a range of specialised areas such as the management of equity and bond portfolios; trading techniques; asset-liability management; risk management; alternative investments; venture capital and management of foreign exchange.
An advisory panel of senior practitioners ensures that the course remains at the forefront of developments within financial markets and reflects topical and technical developments in the marketplace.
We review all our courses regularly to keep them up-to-date on issues of both theory and practice.
To satisfy the requirements of the degree course students must complete:
and either
Assessment of modules on the MSc in Investment Management, in most cases, is by means of coursework and unseen examination. Coursework may consist of standard essays, individual and group presentations, group reports, classwork, unseen tests and problem sets. Please note that any group work may include an element of peer assessment.
The MSc in Investment Management course starts with two compulsory induction weeks, including:
Graduates are prepared for pursuing careers in asset management, wealth management, investment and private equity. Our dedicated Careers Team will help you identify your ideal career path and work with you to maximise the potential of accomplishing your professional goals.
The opportunity to tailor-make your master degree to your career aspirations is facilitated through a wide range of electives, and the possibility to undertake faculty-supervised applied research projects that blend the latest academic developments and current market practice.
Our Graduate Destination Survey of the MSc in Investment Management class of 2014 shows that 70.7% of graduates are now either in work (64%) or not job seeking as they are in further study, military service etc. (6.7%)
Some examples of where graduates from the MSc in Investment Management class of 2014 are working are:
Our MSc Finance is a challenging one year programme that prepares recent high calibre graduates and young professionals for a wide range of careers in the highly competitive, yet rewarding, financial services sector. Covering a broad range of topics, this programme not only offers a solid quantitative foundation, but underpins it using the latest research and practical applications.
MSc Finance is celebrating its 20th anniversary and has developed a reputation as one of the most intellectually rigorous quantitative finance programmes in Europe. The programme is consistently ranked among the best in London and is a CFA Programme Partner, giving students access to high-profile events, online resources and discounts on CFA exams.
This programme prepares recent high calibre graduates for a wide range of careers in the financial services sector. It is an intellectually rigorous quantitative finance programme covering a broad range of topics. To introduce you to the tools of modern finance and enhance your career development skills you will study five compulsory foundation modules, including:
• Application of Matlab to Finance
• Business Valuation
• Financial Modelling
• Markets and Securities
• The Finance Industry
You’ll take six core modules which are the backbone of our programme, providing you with a solid knowledge base in each subject area. Each module builds on previous experience while introducing new and challenging disciplines. Core modules include:
• Corporate Finance
• Derivatives
• Empirical Finance: Methods and Applications
• Financial Econometrics
• Investment and Portfolio Management
• Mathematics for Finance
• Ethics and Professional Standards in Finance
The spring term begins with an International Experience. This two day trip to a European country offers students the opportunity to consider finance on an international field and strengthen their networks.
You will also be given the opportunity to choose from a variety of electives and undertake a final project. Electives to select from include:
• Advanced Corporate Finance
• Advanced Options Theory
• Behavioural Investment Management
• Corporate Strategy and Dynamic Competition
• Credit Risk
• Fixed Income Securities
• International Elective: Macro and Finance for Practitioners
• International Finance
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Private Equity and Venture Capital
• Quantitative Methods in Asset Management
• Real Estate Investment
• Structured Credit and Equity Products
• Wealth Management and Alternative Investments
• Topics in FinTech Innovation
• Big Data in Finance
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