MSc Finance

Program Overview

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Finance (MSc)

About this course

Our MSc Finance master's has a unique emphasis on quantitative and analytical techniques. You’ll develop and use real industry skills and gain a competitive edge with employers. There’s a strong focus on the latest practices and research that you’ll learn with essential theory. Prepare to succeed in rapidly changing and complex financial environments.

Through this course, you'll learn insights into the future of finance from our academics who have extensive professional experience. They are also leading and active researchers. This will help you develop skills that employers want, and will advance your career in industry, government, or research.

You'll cover:

• complex financial products
• assessing and managing financial risk
• management decisions and value creation
• econometric modelling
• forecasting
• leading econometric and statistical software

On our master of finance UK we’ll teach you advanced stock market analysis, corporate finance, and portfolio management. You'll also have an unusual opportunity to study behavioural finance. This will let you explore the behavioural biases that can affect financial decision making in uncertain environments.

You’ll also use your skills and have real industry experience through:

• trade simulation workshops
• access to industry software
• using live company data
• weekly research update seminars

We regularly review our courses to ensure and improve quality. This course may be revised as a result of this. Any revision will be balanced against the requirement that the student should receive the educational service expected. Find out why, when, and how we might make changes.

Our courses are regulated in England by the Office for Students (OfS).

Course lead

The course leader, Dr Mohamed Bakoush, is an expert in financial economics and a member of several professional associations. He teaches a wide range of banking and finance modules. Find out more on Dr Bakoush staff profile.

Accreditations

• Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)

Entry requirements

You’ll need a 2:1 degree in a subject which includes quantitative study such as:

• finance
• sciences
• maths
• engineering
• computer science
• economics
• quantitative business or management

Find the equivalent international qualifications for your country.

We do not accept the following subjects:

• Language Studies – degrees that focus on learning a language or how to translate, such as 'Business English', 'Applied English', or 'Translation', are not acceptable. However, this restriction does not apply to ‘English’ and ‘English literature’ degrees of the kind taught in the UK.
• Art/Design/Vocational Studies – degrees that focus on learning a particular form of art, craft or vocation. These include degrees in art, graphic design, photography, television broadcasting, script writing, or performance/dance.

English language requirements

If English isn't your first language, you'll need to complete an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) to demonstrate your competence in English. You'll need all of the following scores as a minimum:

• overall score: 6.5
• reading: 6.0
• writing: 6.0
• speaking: 6.0
• listening: 6.0

If you do not meet the English language requirements through a test or qualification, you may be able to meet them by completing one of our pre- sessional English programmes before your course starts.

If you don’t meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

Pre-masters

If you don’t meet the academic requirements, you can complete a pre-master's programme through our partnership with OnCampus. Learn more about the programmes available.

Recognition of professional experience

If you don't have the exact entry requirements, but you have significant work experience in this sector we’ll assess your relevant professional experience, your subject knowledge and your aptitude for learning.

Your application will be considered on individual merit and you may be asked to attend an interview.

Course structure

This is a full-time 1 year course, running from October to October. The first 9 months involves taught study, divided into 2 semesters.

In semester 3 (final 3 months) you’ll complete an individual research project as part of your dissertation.

Modules

The modules outlined provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. As a research-led University, we undertake a continuous review of our course to ensure quality enhancement and to manage our resources. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand. Find out why, when and how we might make changes.

Year 1 modules

You must study the following modules:

• Advanced Corporate Finance
• Advanced Time Series Modelling
• Banking, Finance and Risk Dissertation
• Introduction to Finance
• Portfolio Theory and Asset Pricing
• Quantitative Finance

You must also choose from the following modules:

• Behavioural Finance
• Computational Finance
• Derivative Securities Analysis
• Fixed Income Securities Analysis
• Management of Financial Risk
• Stock Market Analysis
• Sustainable Finance

Learning and assessment

You’ll develop and enhance your knowledge through:

• seminars, lectures and workshops
• individual and group assignments
• practical exercises
• case studies and reading (textbooks or academic journals)
• databases such as Bloomberg, Reuters/Datastream
• statistical software such as E-views, STATA and Matlab

Assessment methods involve:

• exams
• in-class tests
• group assignments
• independent research

Dissertation

You'll need to write a 15,000-word dissertation as part of this finance master's. This will involve an extended, independent investigation of a topic of your own choice.

Academic Support

We offer plenty of support to help you succeed. You'll be allocated a personal academic tutor who will be your first point of contact for any course-related matters. They can also direct you to other sources of support and advice within the Business School and the University if you need them.

Careers and employability

This degree will allow you to develop and evidence subject-specific and targeted employability skills. This includes the required skill set for a range of future careers, further study, or starting your own business.

The skills you can expect to focus on and gain from this course include:

• Research
• Critical thinking
• Teamwork
• Problem solving

The employability and enterprise skills you'll gain from this course are reflected in the Southampton skills model. When you join us you'll be able to use our skills model to track, plan, and benefit your career development and progress.

Download skills overview

Career pathways

Graduates commonly work in a range of organisations or sectors including:

• Finance
• Banking
• Accountancy
• Business consultancy
• Public Sector

Careers directly related to this course:

• Financial analyst
• Business analyst
• Accountant
• Company secretary
• External auditor
• Forensic accountant
• Stockbroker
• Risk manager
• Financial risk analyst
• Investment analyst

See more

Wider career opportunities:

• Actuary
• Business development manager
• Data analyst
• Economist
• Management consultant
• Mortgage adviser
• Retail banker
• Tax adviser

See more

Example job titles of Southampton MSc Finance graduates*:

• Customer manager
• Financial analyst
• Auditor
• Business process consultant
• Finance manager
• Investment analyst
• Teacher
• Client manager
• Finance consultant
• Senior compliance officer

See more

Job prospects for MSc Finance graduates

• Average professional salary: £33k
• In a skilled profession or further study: 81%
• Graduate employment rate: 95%

Source

*Example graduate job titles and job prospect statistics taken from The Graduate Outcomes Survey, which gathers information about the activities and perspectives of graduates 15 months after finishing their course.

Work experience opportunities

Choosing to do work experience is a great way to enhance your employability, build valuable networks, and evidence your potential. Learn about the different work and industry experience options at Southampton.

Read more

Careers services and support

We are a top 20 UK university for employability (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022). Our Careers, Employability and Student Enterprise team will support you. This support includes:

• work experience schemes
• CV and interview skills and workshops
• networking events
• careers fairs attended by top employers
• a wealth of volunteering opportunities
• study abroad and summer school opportunities

We have a vibrant entrepreneurship culture and our dedicated start-up supporter, Futureworlds, is open to every student.

Your career ideas and graduate job opportunities may change while you're at university. So it is important to take time to regularly reflect on your goals, speak to people in industry and seek advice and up-to-date information from Careers, Employability and Student Enterprise professionals at the University.

More about careers support

Fees, costs and funding

Tuition fees

Fees for a year's study:

• UK students: £19,100
• EU and international students: £35,200

Check fees for other versions of this course.

Deposit

If you're an international student on a full-time course, we'll ask you to pay £2,000 of your tuition fees in advance, as a deposit.

Your offer letter will tell you when this should be paid and provide full terms and conditions.

Find out about exemptions, refunds and how to pay your deposit on our tuition fees for overseas students page.

What your fees pay for

Your tuition fee covers the full cost of tuition and any exams. The fee you pay will remain the same each year from when you start studying this course. This includes if you suspend and return.

Find out how to pay your tuition fees.

Accommodation and living costs, such as travel and food, are not included in your tuition fees. There may also be extra costs for retake and professional exams.

Explore:

• accommodation costs
• living costs
• budgeting advice
• fees, charges and expenses regulations

10% alumni discount

If you’re a graduate of the University of Southampton, you could be eligible for a 10% discount on your postgraduate tuition fees.

Postgraduate Master’s Loans (UK nationals only)

This can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate master's course. Find out if you're eligible.

Southampton Business School Postgraduate UK Scholarship

A scholarship is available to home fee paying students studying an eligible postgraduate master's at Southampton Business School.

Find out more about the Southampton Business School Postgraduate UK Scholarship, including eligibility and conditions.

Southampton Business School Deans Postgraduate Scholarship

A scholarship of £9,000 is available to international students studying for an eligible postgraduate master’s at Southampton Business School.

Find out more about the Southampton Business School Deans Postgraduate Scholarship, including eligibility and conditions.

Southampton Business School Postgraduate International Scholarship

A scholarship is available to international students studying for an eligible postgraduate master’s at the Southampton Business School.

Find out more about the Southampton Business School Postgraduate International Scholarship, including eligibility and conditions.

Other postgraduate funding options

A variety of additional funding options may be available to help you pay for your master’s study. Both from the University and other organisations.

Funding for EU and international students

Find out about funding you could get as an international student.

How to apply

1. Use the blue 'apply for this course' button on this page to take you to our postgraduate admissions system.
2. Create an account which gives you access to your own application portal.
3. Search for the course you want to apply for.
4. Complete the application form and upload any supporting documents.
5. Pay the £50 application assessment fee, (there are some exemptions, check terms and conditions).
6. Submit your application.

For further details of our admission process, read our step by step guide to postgraduate taught applications.

Application deadlines

• UK students: Tuesday 9 September 2025, midday UK time
• International students: Tuesday 26 August 2025, midday UK time

We advise applying early as applications may close before the expected deadline if places are filled.

Application assessment fee

We’ll ask you to pay a £50 application assessment fee if you’re applying for a postgraduate taught course.

This is an extra one-off charge which is separate to your tuition fees and is payable per application. It covers the work and time it takes us to assess your application. You’ll be prompted to pay when you submit your application which won’t progress until you've paid.

If you're a current or former University of Southampton student, or if you’re applying for certain scholarships, you will not need to pay the fee. PGCE applications through GOV.UK and Master of Research (MRes) degree applications are also exempt. Find out if you’re exempt on our terms and conditions page.

Supporting information

When you apply you’ll need to submit a personal statement explaining why you want to take the course.

You’ll need to include information about:

• your knowledge of the subject area
• why you want to study a postgraduate qualification in this course
• how you intend to use your qualification

References are not required for this programme.

Please include the required paperwork showing your first degree and your IELTS English language test score (if you are a non-native English speaker) with your application. Without these, your application may be delayed.

What happens after you apply

You'll be able to track your application through our online Applicant Record System.

We receive a high volume of applications for this course. This means you may not receive a response to your application for up to 12 weeks.

If we offer you a place, you will need to accept the offer within 30 working days. If you do not meet this deadline, we will offer your place to another applicant.

Unfortunately, due to number of applications we receive, we may not be able to give you specific feedback on your application if you are unsuccessful.

Equality and diversity

We treat and select everyone in line with our Equality and Diversity Statement.

Got a question?

Please contact us if you're not sure you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.

Email:
Tel:+44(0)