MSc in Finance
Online United Kingdom
MSc
DURATION
3 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
GBP 11,190 *
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning
* total cost
Key Summary
MSc in Finance qualification is designed to support professional development and practice in a wide range of roles in finance – whether you are developing in your career or aspiring to enter the sector. It provides a thorough grounding in areas such as the financing of companies and other organisations, instruments and structures of financial markets, financial decision-making, valuation, mergers and acquisitions, and financial reporting.
It develops competencies in applying statistical and econometric techniques and equips you with knowledge of the fundamentals of Islamic finance, ethics, as well as corporate financial strategy and governance. You can choose to specialise either in derivatives and financial risk management or in investment and portfolio management.
You will also develop research skills and techniques relevant to higher academic qualifications by completing a dissertation on a finance topic of your choice which will be relevant to your interests or career development.
Key features
- Provides an up-to-date perspective on both theory and practice in national and international contexts
- Acquire and apply the most important tools for financial, statistical and econometric analysis and decision support
- Develops your ability to evaluate published research, use relevant theory, and apply research methods and techniques to new situations
- Develops your skills in data collection and modelling using databases, such as Refinitiv Eikon, and statistical software, such as Stata.
The MSc in Finance has been accepted into the CFA University Affiliation Program. This status is granted to institutions whose degree programmes incorporate at least 70% of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge (CBOK), which provide students with a solid grounding in the CBOK and positions them well to sit the exams to become CFA charterholders.
How long it takes
Most students study this qualification in three years by studying 60 credits a year. The minimum time to complete this qualification is two years. This can be achieved by studying 120 credits in your first year, which is the equivalent of full-time study, and the 60-credit dissertation module during your final year. The maximum time to complete is seven years.
The qualification provides opportunities for you to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas:
Knowledge and understanding
On completion of this degree, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of :
- Scope of financial knowledge and its application within a wide range of national and multinational organisations
- Fundamentals of financial analysis and corporate finance theory
- Implications of corporate governance, agency theory and the related role of stakeholders.
- Core features of Islamic finance
- Organisational performance in terms of return on investment, investment risk and capital structure management.
- Links between corporate finance theories underpinning the cost of capital, dividend policy and efficient markets
- Quantitative finance and its practical applications to project appraisal, company valuation, methods and risk management, history of investment and investment management
- Various financial risks faced by corporations and financial institutions and ways to manage those risks and become aware of the trends in finance theory and its applications.
Cognitive skills
On completion of this degree, you will be able to:
- Critically assess alternative methods for valuing companies, prepare and evaluate financial projections of projects and carry out sensitivity analysis
- Calculate cost of capital using different methods, evaluate capital structures that may be applied by companies and the implications of these structures for cost of capital and valuation
- Construct a portfolio of assets comprising financial securities and manage portfolio risk
- Value various types of derivative securities and use financial risk management techniques and hedge risks
- Select, access and evaluate relevant published research and information across a range of areas relevant to finance theory and its application accessed digitally through the OU library and other web-based resources
- Carry out supervised research in finance areas drawing on the published empirical finance research and doing a dissertation.
Practical and/or professional skills
On completion of this degree you will be able to:
- Demonstrate sound understanding of financial theory and its application in strategic decision making; appreciate the governance and ethical issues encountered in the finance profession
- Identify the financial data and present the same in an analytical way, prepare financial appraisal of projects and comment and advise on the mergers and acquisition valuation
- Devise risk management strategies.
- Manage time effectively, plan a research project
- Develop as an independent and reflective learner
- Use Excel to solve problems related to investing and financial analysis, to conduct data visualisation, statistical tests, and basic regression analysis
- Practise conducting data visualisation, statistical tests and regression analysis in R.
Key skills
On completion of this degree, you will be able to:
- Carry out financial calculations for use in corporate finance decisions (for example, investment analysis), including the use of computer spreadsheets, risk and return calculations for individual securities and portfolio of securities
- Analyse and interpret financial statements and carry out valuation of companies
- Carry out a review of finance literature, identify themes and apply research skills in a selected area of finance.
- Show evidence of digital scholarship by finding, using, managing and sharing information and literature using digital resources.
To gain this qualification, you need 180 credits with:
60 credits from the following:
Compulsory module
- Financial markets and the financing of organisations (B815)
- Financial strategy and governance (B816)
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued modules B858, B859.
plus 30 credits from the following:
Compulsory module
- Research methods for finance (B817)
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued module B860.
plus 30 credits from the following:
Optional modules
- Investment and portfolio management (B818)
- Derivatives and risk management (B819)
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued modules B861, B862.
plus 60 credits from the following final:
Compulsory module
- Dissertation (Finance) (B895)
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued module B805.
This postgraduate qualification offers knowledge in a wide range of finance areas that include the corporate finance function, investments, banking and financial institutions and risk management. You will gain both theoretical and practical insights into the working of financial markets, valuation of securities, understanding financial statements, risk management and portfolio management.
You will develop the skills and capabilities required by investment analysts, finance managers, finance directors and chief financial officers. You will be equipped with knowledge and skills to support decision making at the higher levels of organisations by exploring issues related to ethics and corporate governance, reporting and disclosure, financing and investment in uncertain and global business environments.
Prudent practice of finance is relevant across all sectors – public, private and voluntary. This qualification will therefore prepare you to work in the corporate sector, financial services, the banking industry, multinational organisations and other sectors where analytical and decision tools in treasury, investment and financing decisions are required.
The dissertation offers the chance to explore financial issues in greater depth and may enhance your prospects in a career specialism. This qualification will also provide sound training in research and academic skills for those wishing to pursue a PhD and develop academic careers in finance.