Program Overview

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MSc Corporate Finance

Develop specialist knowledge for a future in corporate finance

Overview

Year of entry: 2026 (September) Start date: September 2026 Length: 1 year full-time School/department: Department of Economics and Related Studies, Department of Mathematics, School for Business and Society

Course Content

• Taught by leading experts, you'll complete modules to the value of 180 credits.
• This includes a combination of taught modules - five core and one optional - and an individual research project.
• You’ll develop knowledge of corporate finance from theoretical, applied and professional perspectives, with a robust grounding in the quantitative tools and techniques essential for modern financial management.

Core Modules

• Finance and Investment Management
• Quantitative Methods in Finance
• Corporate Finance and Governance
• Advanced International Corporate Finance
• Financial Statement Analysis and Valuation

Option Modules

You will also study one option module. Examples may include:

• Management & Sustainability
• Macro Finance
• Stock Investment and Trading

Research Project

• Individual Research Project You'll complete a piece of independent research of up to 8,000 words, carried out over three months of the summer.

Learning Outcomes

Every course at York is built on a distinctive set of learning outcomes. These will give you a clear understanding of what you will be able to accomplish at the end of the course and help you explain what you can offer employers.

• Display a systematic and critical understanding of the behaviour and operations of the finance function in major non-financial organisations, the environments in which they operate, and the role they play in the wider economic system
• Apply the main techniques used by corporate finance and investment managers, and display a critical awareness of their relevance for the operations of a range of non-financial organisations including multinational corporations, potential problems, and issues within the application of those techniques in practice, and how investors ensure that corporate managers act on their behalf (corporate governance)
• Analyse and interpret corporate financial statements for the purposes of equity, corporate bond, and overall corporate valuation
• Appraise and evaluate the major theories underlying the study of corporate finance, be able to describe the assumptions and mathematics methods behind these theories and communicate clearly to academic and managerial audiences the advantages and limitations of applying these theories to specific practical contexts
• Solve complex corporate finance problems by locating, downloading and cleaning the most appropriate financial and related data, and applying the most relevant statistical and computational techniques to these data to address the problem at hand
• Explain how sustainable and ethical corporate behaviour can co-exist with maximising shareholder wealth, and display a critical understanding of how such a balanced management approach can be implemented
• Produce well-reasoned written and oral communications based on analytical reasoning and supported, where necessary, by data-based evidence, and display other personal transferable skills including: the ability to work positively within a group; act inclusively within a diverse academic community; reflect on personal strengths and weaknesses; identify areas for growth in their own knowledge and practice by engaging in continuing professional development
• Formulate a corporate finance or related project proposal; identify the relevant academic and practitioner literature that best inform the project; identify and obtain the most appropriate data and methodologies for undertaking the project; independently carry out the project efficiently and to deadline; and effectively communicate results in a way that will persuade both expert and non-expert audiences.

Fees and Funding

Annual Tuition Fees for 2026/27

• Study mode:
  • UK (home): £17,500
  • International and EU: £34,500

Fees Information

• UK (home) or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student.

Funding Information

• Discover your funding options to help with tuition fees and living costs.
• We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2026/27 throughout the year.
• If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.

Funding Opportunities

• UK government Masters loans
• Funding for UK students
• Funding for international students
• Chevening Scholarships

Teaching and Assessment

Teaching Format

This Masters combines a variety of different teaching methods, including:

• lectures
• seminars
• problem-solving classes
• practical computer-based sessions.

Teaching Location

You'll be based in the School for Business and Society on Campus West.

Assessment and Feedback

Formal types of assessment in this course include:

• Independent research project
• Exams
• Group project
• Seminar presentation
• Essays

Careers and Skills

This course will help you acquire or develop the analytical skills in economics and finance you need for a successful career in a finance function within a private sector organisation, in venture capital, or as a corporate finance specialist for an investment bank or management consulting firm.

Career Opportunities

• Audit associate
• Business analyst
• Banker
• Economist
• Financial adviser
• Teacher in higher education

Transferable Skills

You'll develop a range of transferable skills during the course, including:

• Independent working
• Time management and people skills
• Communicating research
• Performing statistical analysis
• Analytical and technical research skills.

Entry Requirements

Qualification

• Undergraduate degree: 2.2 in a related subject, such as Management, Economics, Finance, Accounting or Maths.
• Other qualifications and experience: If you do not meet our advertised entry requirements, we may consider your application if you have a minimum of three years of relevant senior managerial-level working experience or a relevant professional qualification such as the CFA Level 1 or the ACCA.
• Other international qualifications: Equivalent qualifications from your country.

English Language

If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:

• IELTS (Academic and Indicator): 6.5, minimum 6.0 in each component
• Cambridge CEFR: B2 First: 176, with 169 in each component
• Oxford ELLT: 7, minimum of 6 in each component
• Oxford Test of English Advanced: 136, minimum 126 in each component
• Duolingo: 120, minimum 105 in all other components
• LanguageCert SELT: B2 with 33/50 in each component
• LanguageCert Academic: 70 with a minimum of 65 in each component
• Kaplan Test of English Language: 478-509, with 444-477 in all other components
• Skills for English: B2: Merit overall, with Pass with Merit in each component
• PTE Academic: 61, minimum 55 in each component
• TOEFL: 87, minimum of 21 in each component
• Trinity ISE III: Merit in all requirements

If You Haven't Met Our English Language Requirements

You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.