Students who take the MSc in Finance will develop a sound understanding of theories of finance and of the workings of financial markets, and will acquire the main analytical tools for a career in finance or further research at PhD level. They will 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.
Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings
Start of programme: September intake only
Mode of Attendance: Full-time or Part-time
Entry requirements
- A Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics or other appropriate discipline, from a UK university or other institution acceptable to the University, or an equivalent international qualification (qualifications in other subjects will be assessed on their merits). Candidates who do not have an undergraduate degree in Finance, Economics or a related discipline may take the GMAT or GRE test.
GMAT code: CS-291217-F5P8-0000
- duration:
- One calendar year (full-time) Two or Three calendar years (part-time)
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:
- Four core modules
- Four option modules
- 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
AND
Guided Options
Choose modules to the value of 60 credits from the list below:
List of modules (subject to availability)
IM Options
FFL Options
Programme Specification
Important notice
The information on the programme page reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session. If you are a current student you can find structure information on the previous year link at the top of the page or through your Department. Please read the important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules.
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.
Graduates from the MSc in Finance will be well equipped for a career in finance, banking, consultancy or business.
A Student's Perspective
The friendly research atmosphere, extensive library resources and academic training courses will help to stimulate your inspiration, promote your talent, and push yourself to new academic heights.
Boying Xu
