Program Overview

MSc Quantitative Finance

The MSc in Quantitative Finance has been developed to address the demand for market-aware graduates who can demonstrate an understanding of mathematical models used in financial tools, products, and software. The course is an innovative cross-faculty alliance between Strathclyde Business School and the Faculty of Science.

Key Facts

• Start date: September
• Study mode and duration: 12 months full-time
• Placements: Industry placement possible during semester 3

Why this Course?

The course allows students with different degree backgrounds to learn the necessary quantitative skills to move into the financial industry. No specific knowledge of finance as an academic subject is assumed at the outset of the course, but it will build on your knowledge of related areas, and by the end of the course, you will be well-equipped to embark on careers in finance.

What You’ll Study

The curriculum provides a balance between finance and mathematical theory, computer implementations of this theory, and practical skills and knowledge. Core classes in Semester 1 address themes such as principles of finance and quantitative methods for finance, as well as foundation classes in mathematics, statistics, and computing science.

Work Placement

You may be able to undertake an industrial-based MSc project between June and September. The placement can be based in the UK or in another country.

Entry Requirements

• Academic requirements/experience: Minimum second-class Honours degree or international equivalent in engineering, science subjects, business subjects, or mathematics/statistics graduates.
• Mathematical knowledge: Prior mathematical knowledge, for example, A Level or equivalent or undergraduate classes in calculus, linear algebra, differential equations, probability, and statistics.
• English language requirements: English language minimum score of IELTS 6.0 (with no component below 5.5).

Fees & Funding

• Scotland: £19,100
• England, Wales & Northern Ireland: £19,100
• Republic of Ireland: If you are an Irish citizen and have been ordinary resident in the Republic of Ireland for the three years prior to the relevant date, and will be coming to Scotland for Educational purposes only, you will meet the criteria of England, Wales & Northern Ireland fee status.
• International: £33,450
• Additional costs: Course materials, international students may have associated visa and immigration costs.

Careers

Our graduates have gone on to find careers with companies such as Deloitte, PWC, Bank of Ireland, and BlackRock, among others. Job titles include Business Change Consultant, Advisor to CEO, Manager Transfer Pricing Economist, Risk Officer, Trainee Actuarial Analyst, and Management Trainee.

Course Content

Compulsory Modules

• Foundations of Probability & Statistics
• Principles of Finance
• International Financial Markets & Banking
• Big Data Technologies
• Financial Stochastic Processes

Elective Modules

You will take 50 credits of optional modules, choosing 20 credits of modules from each of Lists A and C and 10 credits from List B.

• List A: Behavioural Finance, Fixed Income Analysis, Equity Analysis, Portfolio Theory & Management, Derivatives & Treasury Management
• List B: Networks in Finance, Financial Econometrics, Statistical Machine Learning
• List C: Database & Web Systems Development, Machine Learning for Data Analytics, Evolutionary Computation for Finance

Quantitative Finance Research Project

The assessment will consist of both a written report and a mini-viva. Opportunities are available for you to undertake an industrial summer placement on a competitive basis, as an alternative to the university-based summer project.