Students take five core modules in Macroeconomics, Statistical Research Techniques, Financial Systems and Economic Development, International Finance, Theory of Financial Institutions and Policy. They are given the choice of three options and they have to write an 10,000 word dissertation on an approved topic relating to finance and development.

All students are required to complete the compulsory preliminary course in Mathematics and Statistics (including Computing) prior to commencing this programme. This course is taught over a three week period from the beginning of September, for further information on this course please here: Preliminary maths and Statistics Course

Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings

Start of programme: September intake only

Mode of Attendance: Full-time or Part-time

Who is this programme for?: This progamme replaces the MSc Finance and Development Programme. This programme combines political economy of international finance with development economics. It is unique in Britain and draws on the specific strengths of SOAS, namely in development economics, political economy and area specialisation. It also draws on the international reputations of SOAS specifically in the political economy of finance.

Students registered for this MSc must take all the core courses listed below. The only possible exception is that students who have already an adequate maths and stats background may drop the Statistical Research Techniques module and take instead Econometrics, this requires the written permission of the course convenor for Econometrics.  Students who wish to apply for this alternative quantitative structure, which includes the option of taking Advanced Macroeconometrics, must contact the convenor of Econometrics prior to the taking of the Preliminary examination.  

Dissertation

Taught Component

Core Modules

All students will take the following five compulsory modules:

Guided Options

All students will take modules to the value of 45 credits from the list of options (below)

List of Modules (subject to availability)

Programme Specification

• MSc International Finance and Development Programme Specification (pdf; 76kb)

Important notice

Teaching & Learning

The modules are taught in seminar groups and lectures. The degrees are awarded on the basis of assessed coursework, examinations and the dissertation.

The MSc degrees are taught over a period of twelve months of full-time study within a structured programme. In the case of part-time study, the degrees will be taught over two years. Four modules are studied each year, with the dissertation normally being completed in the second year.

Contact Hours

All Masters programmes consist of 180 credits, made up of taught modules of 30 or 15 credits, taught over 10 or 20 weeks, and a dissertation of 60 credits. The programme structure shows which modules are compulsory and which optional.

As a rough guide, 1 credit equals approximately 10 hours of work. Most of this will be independent study, including reading and research, preparing coursework, revising for examinations and so on. It will also include class time, which may include lectures, seminars and other classes. Some subjects, such as learning a language, have more class time than others. In the Department of Economics, most postgraduate modules have a two hour lecture and a one hour seminar every week, but this does vary.

More information is on the page for each module.

Lectures

Most modules involve a 2-hour lecture as a key component with linked seminar or tutorial classes.

Seminars

At Masters level there is particular emphasis on seminar work. Students make full-scale presentations and are expected to write papers that often require significant independent work.

Dissertation

Students are required to complete an 10,000-word dissertation on an approved topic relating to finance and development.

Learning Resources

SOAS Library

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

Pre Entry Reading

Preliminary Mathematics and Statistics Course

Our MSc programmes attract students with a wide range of backgrounds including many who have worked for a few years before coming to SOAS. Our popular quantitative courses are designed to be accessible to all of our students including those with a relatively small quantitative component in their first degree. Our well-received quantitative courses focus on applying basic methods used in empirical research. They equip students to carry out their own high quality empirical work and critically evaluate research, with relatively little emphasis on advanced econometric theory and mathematical proofs.

Our quantitative methods teaching begins with a three-week preliminary course in mathematics, statistics and computing.
The objective of the course is to review the basic quantitative skills assumed once formal teaching commences. This course is compulsory. Visit the Preliminary mathematics and statistics page for further details.

Tuition Fees

Full details of postgraduate tuition fees can be found on the Registry's Postgraduate Tuition Fees page.

This is a Band 4 tuition fee.

Fees for 2021/22 entrants. The fees below are per academic year. Fees go up each year, therefore, your tuition fee in your second & subsequent years of study will be higher. Our continuing students, on the same degree programme, are protected from annual increases higher than 5%.

Scholarships

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

A postgraduate degree in Finance and Development from SOAS equips students with a range of important skills to continue in the field of research as well as a portfolio of widely transferable employability skills valued by a wide range of employers.

These include numeracy, analytical thinking and general skills such as organisation and effective communication skills. Graduates will develop their regional expertise and understanding of issues of development and the international financial market. In addition the study of Economics gives students particular problem solving skills including: abstraction, analysis, quantification, strategic thinking and adaptability.

Graduates are expected to follow successful careers in the private sector, in national policy making in developing countries, in international development agencies and in a range of non-governmental organisations. Continuing a SOAS tradition, they are also expected to be successful in gaining highly competitive Overseas Development Institute (ODI) fellowships.

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website.

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