Masters degrees in Finance train students to become experts in analysing and managing the monetary practices and transactions that underpin business, economics and wealth management.
Many programmes in this discipline have clear professional and vocational applications, with popular subjects including Banking, Insurance, Taxation and Investment. These courses often award MSc qualifications.
Research degrees are also available for students wishing to explore more abstract or theoretical topics such as Actuarial Science.
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.
Businesses and governments rely on sound financial knowledge to underpin their strategies for success.
This popular course has been ranked among the world’s best, placed Top 60 worldwide and Top 15 in the UK (Financial Times Masters in Finance Pre-experience rankings 2017). The rankings also recognise the career progression of our graduates, placing us 2nd worldwide and 1st in the UK for salary increase after graduation. This course will kick-start your professional career, providing you with advanced knowledge of modern financial theories, accounting practices and controls, as well as an understanding of the organisational context.
You’ll cover fundamental topics such as corporate finance and financial analysis, and can specialise your knowledge with optional modules, from international business finance to forensic accounting or corporate governance. The course also allows you to apply your learning to practical case studies and simulations to test your knowledge in genuine business scenarios.
Academic Excellence
You’ll learn from academics who are experts in their field, with extensive teaching, research and consultancy experience of international standing. At the same time, you’ll collaborate with graduates from diverse international backgrounds for a challenging, rewarding and rounded learning experience.
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 Accounting and Finance; 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 that is relevant to the contemporary environment.
You’ll explore the essentials of corporate finance and the relationship between accounting information and organisational performance. At the same time, you’ll build advanced skills in handling quantitative data and examine how modern finance theories are applied to solve complex finance problems.
You will gain an understanding of important research methods in finance and their impact on current practice, and explore topics such as financial analysis, reporting and regulation.
Beyond these core modules, 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 Corporate Governance or Information and Organisation Design, but you could also study topics such as forensic accounting, behavioural finance or international investment.
A professional skills module runs throughout the year to help you develop the critical skills that will allow you to take your knowledge into the workplace. 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 Information and Organisation Design or Corporate Governance.
For more information on typical modules, read Accounting and Finance 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. 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.
You’ll be assessed using methods such as exams, project work, presentations, reports and essays. This diversity enables you to develop a broad range of skills as preparation for professional life.
Career opportunities for graduates of this masters course are vast. You will be able to demonstrate in-depth knowledge of core accounting and finance principles, and the numerical and analytical skills to succeed in this rapidly changing complex environment.
Graduates have gone on to work as management accountants, management consultants, audit managers, finance managers, equity managers and credit risk officers.
We help you to achieve your career ambitions by providing professional development support and training as part of the Masters programme. You benefit from our dedicated Professional Development Tutor, who will work with you to develop the important professional skills that employers value.
We’re also committed to offering a wide range of development and training events and activities. Recent activities and events 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.
Integrated financial markets and global businesses contribute significantly to modern banking, which is inseparable from international finance.
This course gives you a comprehensive overview of central issues in banking and international finance, with an understanding of the forces that sway financial markets as well as the theories underlying commercial and international banking. You’ll gain knowledge and skills that can be practically applied, and put them to the test in real-life scenarios through practical exercises.
You’ll learn from highly qualified tutors with research and consultancy expertise in credit, banking and finance. A strong research culture and excellent links with industry, commerce and professional bodies will give you the rare opportunity to gain a real understanding of the current challenges and issues facing the world’s international financial institutions.
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 Banking and International Finance; 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.
This course develops your knowledge of international finance and business to an advanced level.
You’ll develop your existing skills in quantitative data analysis, applying financial methods and theories to solve complex business problems. You’ll examine the global financial sector as you study corporate finance, international business finance and commercial banking.
You’ll be able to gain specialist knowledge with your choice of optional modules in a range of subject areas, including International Investment, Economics of Globalisation and Risk and Insurance.
To demonstrate the knowledge and skills you gain during the programme, you’ll design and carry out your own research dissertation in the final semester. This allows you to focus on a topic of your choice, developing your ability to tackle the most pressing challenges currently facing the industry.
Throughout the course we support you to develop the professional skills that will be critical for a successful career in the financial services.
Compulsory modules
You’ll study eight compulsory modules including your dissertation.
Optional modules
You'll also take two options, one of which must be either International Investment or Economics of Globalisation and the International Economy.
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.
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.
Independent study is also vital for this course allowing you to prepare for taught classes and sharpen your own research and critical 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, group and individual presentations and reflective logs.
This diversity enables you to develop a broad range of skills as preparation for professional life.
Graduates of the MSc Banking and International Finance can expect to have worldwide appeal to employers in finance, investment banking and financial services.
Many of our graduates have gone on to pursue successful careers in commercial and investment banking, corporate finance and financial analysis. Alternatively, the course can provide an excellent grounding for a career in financial journalism.
This masters is also an excellent qualification for individuals seeking to pursue a postgraduate research degree.
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.
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.
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:
Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Finance at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).
The Master's (MSc) in Finance is designed for graduates who are seeking a specialist programme to enable an accelerated start to a career in finance.
- An enhanced specialist programme that maybe completed in a single year
- All modules on the Finance programme 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
- 93% of Swansea students in employment six months after graduating
- Access to the School of Management investment and trading simulation room to support in-depth understanding of finance in practice
- 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 Finance programme combines the academic theory of finance with a strong practical perspective closely related to the world of finance. Specialist modules include: corporate finance, financial econometrics, international financial markets, derivatives and risk management, contemporary issues in finance and empirical finance.
Modules on the MSc in Finance typically include:
Corporate Finance
Financial Econometrics
International Financial Markets and Institutions
Financial Reporting and Statement Analysis
Derivatives and Risk Management
Empirical Finance
Financial Market Efficiency & Behavioural Finance
Equities & Fixed Income Securities
Corporate Governance & Ethics
Asset Management
International Financial Crises and Bank Regulation
Risk Management in Banking
Contemporary Issues in Finance
Economics of Banking
We have an excellent track record of placing our graduates including those from the Finance 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 MSc in Finance 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’
Finance students will be based in a state-of-the-art building and will benefit from the applied research, innovation and employment opportunities offered by this exceptional working environment on the Bay Campus.
Finance students will have access to high-tech teaching and research spaces, that together with collaborative working and practice areas will ensue the School is able to deliver its commitment to offer an engaging and innovative student experience.
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