MSc Finance and Investment

This programme is ideal if you are looking to pursue a career in investment analysis or portfolio management. Established in 1973, this was the very first Master's degree in finance in the UK and over the past 40 years has gained an international reputation for providing excellent training and academic knowledge.

The programme has been accredited by the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI) since 2008 and we are proud to also be a CISI Centre of Excellence. This means you have the opportunity to work towards a qualification from the CISI in addition to your MSc.

Your employability is the main focus for us so we include a range of additional activities to help to develop your transferable skills including:

A non-assessed intensive financial database training course delivered by the data specialists from well-known financial data providers such as Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters, Bureau Van Dijk, the Standard, and Poor’s Global Market Intelligence

Intensive company analysis workshop run by a practitioner to help develop practical investment understanding, augment presentation skills and provide an insight into current real-world information sources and techniques

This programme is designed to be flexible and is offered in either a nine or 12-month format:

The 9-month programme comprises 12 taught modules, five of which are compulsory modules that are taken in term one, and seven of which are selected from optional modules, and are taken during terms two and three.

The 12-month programme comprises nine taught modules, six of which are compulsory modules that are taken during terms one and two, and three of which are selected from optional modules, and are taken during terms two and three. Students also undertake a dissertation in term three.

The only difference between the 9-month and 12-month courses is that the 12-month course includes a dissertation. Students on the 9-month course take additional taught modules to make up these learning credits. Both programmes have exactly the same entry requirements and result in exactly the same award.

Enhance your degree with Study Abroad opportunities

QTEM Programme*

After your first year of studies at Exeter, eligible students can progress onto the QTEM Programme. QTEM aims to prepare students with excellent quantitative and analytical skills to support their future careers as decision-makers leading the global business environment.

Students accepted onto the QTEM Programme will spend an additional semester studying at one of the academic partners following the completion of their Exeter Masters. This additional semester is followed by a 1.5-month internship and participation in the QTEM Data Challenge.

Students will be selected and nominated to QTEM by the University of Exeter Business School following a competitive internal application process. Places are limited so we recommend you register your interest before applying for your Masters.

*Open to high achieving students enrolled in the following University of Exeter Business School programmes: MSc Financial Analysis and Fund Management, MSc Finance and Investment, MSc Economics, MSc Economics and Econometrics, MSc Financial Economics

Double Degree

Spend your first year at Exeter and a second year at another world-class international institution, resulting in two Masters degrees and the opportunity to expand your knowledge even further. We offer three fantastic Double Degree options with:

• Grenoble Ecole de Management in France
• EBS University of Business and Law in Germany
• Fudan University School of Economics in China

The opportunity to study with Fudan is specific to MSc Economics, MSc Economics & Econometrics, MSc Financial Economics and MSc Money, Banking and Finance.

Programme structure

Programme structure (9 months)

The 9 month variant of this programme is available for study nine months full-time over three terms from September to June and is University-based throughout this time.

During the programme, you will study modules totalling 180 credits.

Please note that programme structures may be subject to change.

The programme is divided into units of study called modules which are assigned a number of 'credits'. The credit rating of a module is proportional to the total workload, with 1 credit being nominally equivalent to 10 hours of work.

Programme structure (12 months)

The 12 month variant of this programme is available for study twelve months full-time from September to September and is University-based throughout this time.

During the programme, you will study modules totalling 180 credits.

Please note that programme structures may be subject to change.

The programme is divided into units of study called modules which are assigned a number of 'credits'. The credit rating of a module is proportional to the total workload, with 1 credit being nominally equivalent to 10 hours of work.

Learning and teaching

Our postgraduate taught programmes utilise a range of teaching methods including lectures, seminars and tutorials.

Lectures

The aim of lectures is to give you information on ideas that are central to the module and to help you in developing your understanding of complex ideas. Many of the teaching materials for lectures are made available to you electronically to accompany the notes you take during the lecture. Lectures are given by a range of staff members, including leading professors, who integrate their latest research findings into the teaching that you receive. Guest lecturers, including members of industry, also contribute to some modules.

Seminars and tutorials

Seminars and tutorials involve an in-depth exploration of the issues covered in lectures as well as giving you the opportunity to discuss various concepts and theories and receive feedback on your written assignments.

Assessment

Modules are assessed through a mixture of group work, coursework, project work and examinations; the weighting of each of these components will vary according to the academic requirements of the module. Examinations are normally held at the end of the module, in January and May/June.

Entry requirements 2020

• A mid 2:2 degree (55%+) with honours in Accounting, Finance, Investment, Economics or related discipline from a recognised university. Evidence of mathematical/quantitative* ability is essential.
• IELTS (Academic) Overall score 6.5. No less than 6.0 in any section.
• TOEFL IBT* Overall score 90 with minimum scores of 21 for writing, 21 for listening, 22 for reading and 23 for speaking.

Prerequisites

In order to apply for the MSc Finance and Investment applicants must have passed at 2:1 level at least one module in a mathematical/quantitative subject and one accounting module in their undergraduate degree and must offer at least three more modules at 2:1 level in any of the following: Accounting, Economics, Finance and Mathematics.

*Mathematics modules may include, for example, Algebra, Calculus, Econometrics, Statistics, Probability or Optimisation.

International students

If you are an international student, please visit our international equivalency pages to enable you to see if your existing academic qualifications meet our entry requirements.

Careers

Our Master's programmes are designed to prepare you for a successful career, wherever in the world you plan to work. Employers expect advanced communication and technical skills, team-working and independent research, project-management and the very latest specialist knowledge from their postgraduate recruits.

An MSc in Finance & Investment enables you to develop the professional and financial skills and subject expertise that makes you a valuable asset from day 1 of your career.

Careers in Finance and Investment

This degree programme can prepare you for a variety of roles, two of the most popular being:

• Investment Analyst (market research, analysis of funds, trends for strategic planning).
• Investment/Portfolio Manager (dealing with client’s portfolio & completing transactions).

By carefully selecting the research topic for your dissertation and your optional modules such as corporate finance, corporate governance, derivatives, international financial management, mergers or financial economics, you can start to develop a specialisation to enhance your employability.

Developing applied IT skills through using Thomson Reuters Datastream and other financial databases and software systems as part of your modules, you will also have the latest technical know-how to kick-start your career.

Potential employers include:

• Investment management companies where analysts provide information to in-house fund managers
• Stockbrokers and investment banks, where the analysts' research assists clients of their company, usually fund managers but sometimes also company executives and directors
• Wealth management divisions of investment banks
• Institutional investors, such as large charities, pension funds and life assurance companies
• Hedge funds
• Government or public organisations
• SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises)

Multi-nationals such as Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Barclays, HSBC, Vanguard Asset Management, Credit Suisse, Citibank, Amundi and Deutsche Bank have graduate training routes in many countries in which they are based. Country-specific banks like China Construction Bank and Bank of China (Hong Kong) and smaller organisations across the world also offer graduate training routes and employment opportunities with specific recruitment cycles appropriate to their local employment market.

Previous graduates from this programme have secured roles like financial analysts with a range of organisations including Coutts (UK), KPMG (Vietnam), HSBC (Vietnam), J.P. Morgan First Capital, Ernst & Young (India), Bank of China and Ford Motor Company.

Our Careers & Employability team will help you identify your career path and support your route to a fulfilling global career.

Developing your skills and career prospects

The University of Exeter Business School provides a range of support to help you develop skills attractive to employers.