Program Overview

Finance and International Relations, MA

Introduction

Finance and International Relations at Aberdeen brings the strong competitive advantage of your solid grounding in business, management and organisations in the wide context of world events. This programme will increase your understanding of how organisations, states and governments interact against a constantly changing global and economic scene. This will give you an added international dimension to your excellent career prospects.

Study Information

At a Glance

• Learning Mode: On Campus Learning
• Degree Qualification: MA
• Duration: 48 months
• Study Mode: Full Time
• Start Month: September
• UCAS Code: NLH2

What You'll Study

Year 1

• Compulsory Courses:
  • Academic Writing for Business (AW1003)
  • Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen (PD1002)
  • The Economics of Business and Society (EC1006)
  • Finance 1: Finance, Risk and Investment (FI1004)
  • Politics & International Relations 1: Democracy and Governance (PI1018)
  • Accounting and Entrepreneurship (AC1517)
  • The Global Economy (EC1506)
  • Politics & International Relations 2: Power and Conflict (PI1518)
• Optional Courses: Select a further 30 credit points from level 1 courses of choice.

Year 2

• Compulsory Courses:
  • Finance 2: Business Finance (FI2004)
  • Ideas and Ideologies in Politics and International Relations (PI2009)
  • Financial Markets and Regulation (FI2501)
  • Understanding Statistics (PO2508)
  • Global Politics: Equality and Inequality (PI2508)
  • Building Skills and Experience for Career Success (PD2002)
• Optional Courses: Select 15 credit points from courses of choice.

Year 3

• Compulsory Courses:
  • Finance 3: Corporate Finance (FI3004)
• Optional Courses: Students are required to undertake either International Finance Management (FI3503) or Advanced Corporate Finance (FI3505). These courses run in alternate years, with FI 3505 running in Academic Year 2025/26. Plus one second-half session level 3 Politics and International Relations course.

Year 4

• Optional Courses: Select one of the following:
  • Empirical Methods in Finance (FI4003)
  • Financial Strategy and Investment Management (FI4002)
• Select one of the following dissertation options:
  • Option 1: Dissertation (International Relations) (IR4031), 30 credit points from level 4 Finance courses, and one second-half session level 4 Politics and International Relations course.
  • Option 2: Dissertation in Finance (FI4501), one first-half session level 4 Politics and International Relations course, and one second-half session level 4 Politics and International Relations course.

How You'll Study

Learning Methods

• Individual Projects
• Lectures
• Research
• Tutorials

Assessment Methods

Students are assessed by any combination of three assessment methods:

• Coursework such as essays and reports completed throughout the course.
• Practical assessments of the skills and competencies they learn on the course.
• Written examinations at the end of each course.

Why Study Finance and International Relations?

Why Finance

• An excellent teaching environment, committed to the needs of industry, which integrates research into teaching, enables transferable skills and develops intellectual skills on a range of contemporary financial challenges.
• The spectacular, award-winning Sir Duncan Rice Library, with brilliant study facilities, state-of-the-art learning technology, and an extensive collection of reference books, journals and other media for finance and business studies.
• A packed campus programme of student, public and business events, and the annual May Festival which attracts public figures, politicians, business leaders, and broadcasters to discuss and debate critical challenges in our world today.
• Enterprise Campus, a new initiative to nurture entrepreneurial skills and support students wanting to progress their own business ideas.
• Our location in the main European centre for the oil and gas industry, where multinational firms and financial services all have offices in the city, and close links to our teaching programmes.
• Experience the Bloomberg Terminal, a software platform that provides real-time and historical data, market-moving news and analytics to help leading business and financial professional make better informed investment decisions.

Why Politics and International Relations

• A core curriculum with topical themes of conflict and security, representation and democracy, comparative politics and policy.
• Special focus on the Middle-East, Latin America, North and South Asia, the Nordic Countries, Central and Eastern Europe – as well as Scotland, the UK and the EU.
• Staff with specialist expertise in political parties and elections, democracy, energy politics, European integration and regionalism, human rights and development issues, interest groups, nationalism, conflict resolution and more.
• Opportunities to take advantage of spending your second year studying abroad, in Europe, Japan, Hong Kong or North America.
• The spectacular, award-winning Sir Duncan Rice Library, combining a top-class study environment with state-of-the-art technology, and extensive reference collections for your studies.
• A packed campus programme of events, seminars, invited speakers and the annual May festival, engaging prominent influencers, interest groups and public in debating major political issues such as Scottish independence and EU membership.
• All the history and legacy of being part of a university developed over 500 years of national and international political turbulence, social change, and emerging democracy.

Entry Requirements

Qualifications

• SQA Highers: Standard: AABB, Minimum: BBB, Adjusted: BB
• A LEVELS: Standard: BBB, Minimum: BBC, Adjusted: CCC
• International Baccalaureate: 32 points, including 5, 5, 5 at HL.
• Irish Leaving Certificate: 5H with 3 at H2 AND 2 at H3.

English Language Requirements

• IELTS Academic: OVERALL - 6.0 with: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 5.5; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0
• TOEFL iBT: OVERALL - 78 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 18; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21
• PTE Academic: OVERALL - 59 with: Listening - 59; Reading - 59; Speaking - 59; Writing - 59
• Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency: OVERALL - 169 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 162; Speaking - 162; Writing - 169

Fees and Funding

• England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland: £9,535
• EU / International students: £20,800
• Self-funded international students commencing eligible undergraduate programmes in 2025/26 will receive a £6,000 tuition waiver for every year of their programme
• Home Students: £1,820

Careers

• There are many opportunities at the University of Aberdeen to develop your knowledge, gain experience and build a competitive set of skills to enhance your employability. This is essential for your future career success. The Careers and Employability Service can help you to plan your career and support your choices throughout your time with us, from first to final year – and beyond.