MSc Financial Economics
Cardiff, United Kingdom
MSc
DURATION
1 year
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
GBP 29,200 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for overseas | for home: £13,200
Key Summary
Our MSc Financial Economics programme is designed for students with a basic knowledge of economics who wish to develop specialist skills and insights for a career as a professional financial analyst in fund management, stock-broking, investment banking, corporate treasury and other financial sector roles.
The programme will help you understand how financial institutions make their decisions based on microeconomic principles and the dynamics of the macroeconomic environment. It will enable you to make informed decisions that take into account a range of stakeholder interests.
The programme provides training in the numerical and quantitative techniques applicable to the financial industry. You will be exposed to cutting-edge trading simulations in our flagship Trading Room. This 56-seat capacity trading floor is one of the largest in the UK and provides you with the opportunity to gain the practical skills required for life in the financial industry. You can obtain Bloomberg Certification and there are opportunities for additional training in financial market trading strategies provided in cooperation with external agencies.
Why Study this Course
Gain the analytical, qualitative and quantitative skills to respond to economic problems faced by government agencies, central banks, financial institutions and industry.
Hone Your Trading Skills
Our 56-seat capacity trading room is fully equipped with Global Investor Simulations, TRETS, Bloomberg and Refinitiv Datastream.
Skills for Career Success
Enhance your professional decision-making skills with computational methods like E-views.
A New Generation of Economists
Prepare for doctoral study or research-oriented careers with independent research under academic supervision.
Socially Responsible
As the world's first Public Value Business School, we're committed to delivering social improvement alongside economic development.
We are committed to investing up to a total of £500,000 in this high-value competitive scholarship scheme to support UK students who are planning to start an eligible Master’s programme in 2024/25.
Each Scholarship is worth £3,000 and will be awarded a tuition fee discount.
Eligibility
UK students are eligible to apply for the Scholarship. You normally need to have achieved at least a 2.1 or equivalent in your first degree to be eligible. You need to submit an application to study at Cardiff University and be made an offer to study before your fee status can be confirmed.
First-semester modules provide a foundation for the programme. Three modules consolidate and extend your existing understanding of micro and macroeconomics in preparation for your specialist study of financial economics.
In the second semester, you will study one additional core module as well as two optional modules reflecting your particular career interests.
After successful completion of the taught stage, you will progress to the individual research project. The research project is designed to enable you to apply the knowledge, understanding and skills learnt in the taught modules to an individual piece of independent research under academic supervision. This is supported by one of the core modules focusing on the tools and techniques of quantitative research.
Core Modules for Year One
- Research Dissertation (FE)
- Principles of Finance
- Macroeconomics
- Microeconomics
- Quantitative Methods
Optional Modules for Year One
- Financial Theory and Corporate Policy
- The Financial Economics of Investments and Pensions
- International Finance
How Will I Be Assessed?
A variety of formal assessment tasks provide the opportunity for you to apply concepts and skills related to the complex work undertaken by finance professionals. For example, in-class tests and exams reflect realistic workplace timescales for problem-solving. Other assessment activities include essays and individual projects.
The programme provides plenty of opportunities for you to reflect on your learning and development informally. Short knowledge/skill review activities are built into each module to help you check your progress and improve your approach to learning. This will build your confidence and enhance your approach to formal assessment tasks.
What Skills Will I Practise and Develop?
The Learning Outcomes for this Programme describe what you will be able to do as a result of your study at Cardiff University. They will help you to understand what is expected of you.
The Learning Outcomes for this Programme can be found below:
Knowledge & Understanding
On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to:
- Explain how knowledge from relevant models, frameworks, and schools of thought can be used to design solutions to complex economic and financial problems
- Critically evaluate different models and arguments and their implied policies and utilise them in different situations
- Critically evaluate the effectiveness of different research techniques and make appropriate choices to investigate a given economic and financial problem
- Demonstrate a systematic understanding of how financial markets operate and how financial products are priced
- Critically analyse how financial instruments and corporate governance can be used to manage risk
Intellectual Skills
On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to:
- Propose innovative solutions to financial and economic problems
- Develop and communicate evidence-based. recommendations for theory and practice
- Evaluate the application of theory into practice
- Critically analyse and synthesise information
- Analyse data and draw appropriate conclusions
Professional Practical Skills
On successful completion of the Programme, you will be able to.
- Undertake research to address economic and financial problems
- Identify and obtain data from professional databases and use and apply them to practical financial problems
- Utilise empirical and technical methods in building evidence-based arguments
- Apply modern quantitative skills to draft professional financial reports
- Use financial instruments to manage risk
Transferable/Key Skills
On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to:
- Solve problems
- Work independently
- Use digital technology
- Work collaboratively
- Communicate clearly, concisely and persuasively in written form and speech
At Cardiff Business School, you’ll receive a career-changing education from world-leading academics who have different points of view. They’ll challenge your thinking as you consider the world of business from a range of alternative perspectives.
On our MSc in Financial Economics, you’ll benefit from the knowledge and expertise of our Career Enhancer Team. They’re ready and waiting to identify events and opportunities to help you achieve your future aspirations.
We’ve developed relationships that range from the largest multinationals to the smallest micro-businesses, and include a wide variety of social enterprises and cooperatives. We use these networks to deliver value for our students through:
- Real-world case studies and insights
- Guest lectures
- field trips and workshops.
This wide-ranging and varied learning experience will help enhance your career and demonstrate how you can make a difference along the way.
Our graduates find employment as specialists in financial institutions, corporate treasury departments, central banks and local government.
How will I be Taught?
Your exploration of new knowledge and skills will be supported by a series of lectures and small-group teaching in tutorials and workshops.
The lectures will provide an opportunity to understand the relevance and principles of new topics, as well as to reflect on models and theories in action. Small group activities will then give you the opportunity to practice techniques, discuss ideas, apply concepts and consolidate your understanding of the topic by working individually and collaboratively.