MSc in Finance (2019 entry)

Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings

Start of programme: September intake only

Mode of Attendance: Full-time or Part-time

The MSc Finance programme is designed to give students a thorough grounding in finance, covering the most important analytical tools used by professional practitioners in banking, investments and financial market analysis. In addition, students who take the MSc in Finance will acquire a sound understanding of theories of 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 and will be able to employ them in a professional capacity. 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. The comparative approach of the courses will prove attractive to students from both emerging and advanced economies.

The MSc in Finance is convened by Professor Victor Murinde, who is AXA Professor of Global Finance and Director of the Centre for Global Finance. He combines academic experience, involving teaching and research across many areas of finance, with practitioner experience in finance at the global level.  For further details, click here.

Students must take 180 credits. These are composed of 120 taught credits comprising core and optional modules and a 60 credit dissertation.

The MSc in Finance has three components, each composed of 60 credits:

1. Four core modules
2. Four option modules
3. Dissertation of 10,000 words on an approved topic

The 10,000-word dissertation is worth 33% of your final mark. During term 2 you will submit your dissertation proposal and be allocated an academic supervisor. Over the ensuing months you should meet with your supervisor at least three times before the end of term 3 for guidance. The bulk of your dissertation will be written over the summer to meet the mid-September deadline.

Not all option modules are offered every year; please check your preferences with the Programme Convenor. Also note that where 15 credit modules are selected, these should be balanced between term 1 and term 2.

Part-time Study

Students can take this programme part-time over 2 or 3 years.
Part-time students over two years usually complete their core modules in the 1st year and their options in the 2nd year with their dissertation. Those studying over 3 years will usually complete their core modules in year 1, option modules in year 2 and their dissertation in year 3.

In addition to the Core and Option modules, you will also study the following Preparatory module in September.

Mathematics and Statistics for Finance

Dissertation

Dissertation in Finance: 60 credits

Taught Component

Pre-sessional

Core Modules

• PLUS choose modules to the value of 60 credits from the list below:

List of modules (subject to availability)

IM Options

FFL Options

Programme Specification

• MSc in Finance Programme Specifications 2019/20 (pdf; 84kb)

Important notice

Teaching & Learning

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. At SOAS, most postgraduate modules have a one hour lecture and a one hour seminar every week, but this does vary.

More information is on the page for each module.

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 2019/20 entrants. The fees below are per academic year. Please note that fees go up each year. 

Scholarships

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

Graduates from the MSc in Finance will be well equipped for a career in finance, banking, consultancy or business.

• How to Apply
• Online Application
• Request a prospectus
• Got a question - use our enquiry form (opens a new window)
• Funding options
• English language requirements
• Tuition Fees
• Admissions Contacts