Overview and entry requirements

Our MSc Finance (Financial Sector Management) programme is designed to advance a career in management within banks and other financial firms, this programme enables you to deepen your understanding of the principles, applications, and context underlying decision making in financial sector management.

Students who take the MSc in Finance will acquire a sound understanding of theories in finance and of the workings of financial markets, for a career in finance or for further research at the PhD level.

Students will also become acquainted with the main issues and methods in Corporate Finance, Risk Management, Banking, and Financial Econometrics. The programme will present Finance as a scientific discipline with a rigorous methodology, but at the same time will describe the way financial markets and institutions actually work in a variety of contexts.

Our teaching offers you exceptional insights into financial institutions and markets in the world. You will develop an excellent understanding of key issues shaping international business strategy in a global financial environment.

See School of Finance and Management

Why study MSc Finance (Financial Sector Management) at SOAS

Learn from world-class financial experts

• we are 5th in UK for graduate employability (Guardian League Tables 2021)
• we have the Centre for Global Finance (CGF), a world-leading research centre in finance, which hosts cutting-edge research projects that involve students and a global network of experts in generating innovative solution to real-time challenges

Obtain real-world skills in the global financial hub – London

• you will be equipped with strong quantitative and analytical skills to undertake professional tasks such as: financial analysis, risk management, investment appraisal and portfolio allocation
• SOAS is in close proximity to the City of London, a leading financial centre in the world with 75% of the top global companies based in the city, 100% of leading financial institutions represented, and 200 + foreign banks

To find out more about this programme, including module details, please visit the MSc Finance (Financial Sector Management) section of the Centre for Financial and Management Studies website.

Start of programme: October / January / April / June

Mode of Attendance: Distance Learning

Structure

You will study six modules: four core modules and two elective modules selected from the lists below.

If you wish to complete the Dissertation you must study Research Methods.

Core modules

• Bank Financial Management
• Banking and Capital Markets
• Banking Strategy
• Corporate Finance
• Finance in the Global Market 

Elective modules

• Advanced Topics in Valuation
• Bank Regulation and Resolution of Banking Crises
• Corporate Governance
• Derivatives
• Dissertation
• Econometric Analysis and Applications
• Econometric Principles and Data Analysis
• Financial Econometrics
• Introduction to Valuation
• Macroeconomic Policy and Financial Markets
• Microeconomic Principles and Policy
• Modelling Firms and Markets
• Research Methods
• Risk Management: Principles and Applications

Find out more

To find out more about this programme, including module details, please visit the MSc Finance (Financial Sector Management) section of the Centre for Financial and Management Studies website.

Important notice

Teaching & Learning

The MSc is made up of six modules. Each module is studied in one for four 10-week sessions. You can only take one module at a time, but each module is typically available in at least two of the year's study sessions. This gives you the flexibility to plan how you study during the year, enabling you to fit your study in with your professional, family and personal commitments.

Online academic tutor

You will be individually assigned an online academic tutor for the duration of each module with whom you can discuss academic queries at regular intervals during the study session. You will also have a named administrator providing you with help and advice throughout your studies.

For each module, students will be provided with access to all necessary materials from a range of appropriate sources.

Virtual Learning Environment

To make your experience as a distance learning student more complete and rewarding, we provide access to the Virtual Learning Environment, which is a web-accessed learning environment.

Via the VLE, you can communicate with your assigned academic tutor, administrators and other students on the module using discussion forums. The VLE also provides access to the module Study Guide and assignments, as well as a selection of electronic journals available on the University of London Online Library.

Exams

For each module, you will sit a three-hour examination, held on a specified date in September/October, and complete two assignments during the module study session. Assignments are submitted and feedback given online. Examinations and assignments are weighted 70:30.

Fees and funding

Pay as you learn

Our distance learning programmes can be paid in full at the time of enrolment or on a pay as you learn basis. Pay as you learn means you only pay for the module you are enrolling on.

Postgraduate loans

If you have been a resident in England for 3 years you may be eligible. Learn more

Scholarships

See our list of postgraduate scholarships

Alternatively, we recommend students approach their local British Council, British High Commission or British Embassy, for information on local funding.

Dependent on nationality, employment circumstances and other factors, funding and sponsorship sources can include:

• United Nations (UNESCO, FAO, UNDP, UNEP etc)
• Bilateral Aid Agencies (SIDA, GTZ, etc)
• European Union
• British Council
• UK Department for International Development / Foreign & Commonwealth Office
• NGOs
• Educational and other charitable trusts

Scholarships

For further details and information on external scholarships visit the Scholarships section

Employment 

Graduates from the Centre for Financial and Management Studies (CeFiMS) will leave SOAS with advanced skills in communication, analysis, problem solving, and technical proficiencies required in the finance sector.

Our programmes are respected by employers all over the world, who value graduates’ knowledge and understanding of how the finance sector is tackling the major challenges facing global business.

Recent CeFiMS graduates have been hired by:

• Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ
• Citi
• Deloitte
• Ernst & Young
• Euro Monitor International
• Financial Times
• HM Treasury
• Huaxia Bank, China
• International Rescue Committee
• Investec
• JP Morgan, Chase & Co
• KPMG
• Nomura
• Oxfam
• Publicis Media
• Santander
• UBS
• University of Oxford
• Western Securities Co. Ltd
• White & Case LLP
• World Food Programme

Find out about our Careers Service

How to Apply

Online application

Apply now using our online application form. For more information about the application procedure and deadlines, and the supporting documentation required, please visit the admissions section of the Centre for Financial and Management Studies website.