Postgraduate study
Edinburgh: Extraordinary futures await.

Advanced Technology for Financial Computing MSc

Awards: MSc

Study modes: Full-time

Funding opportunities

This programme will provide you with a critical and practical appreciation of how data, computing and artificial intelligence technologies can be used and developed. You will learn how this delivers value in organisations with finance, risk and decision-making-related digitalisation from both technology and business perspectives.

The move towards digital organisations offers great potential for small and large, public and private enterprises. As the UK's second largest financial centre after London, Edinburgh is leading cutting-edge, data-driven innovation to become Europe's data capital.

This programme is taught by world-class researchers and educators. It is based on full-time cross-disciplinary study and has strong links to existing centres of research excellence within three world-class academic schools within the University:

  • School of Informatics
  • Edinburgh Business School
  • School of Mathematics

This MSc consists of approximately seven months of taught courses across two semesters and up to four months of project work. This leads to a dissertation focused on both academic and real-world industry challenges.

It provides a unique blend of advanced technical courses, including finance-related sectors and digital business skills with an emphasis on finance elements (minimum 30 credits) from Edinburgh Business School.

The programme provides you with tailored interdisciplinary training such as computing courses to build your technical skills and maths and finance-related courses to develop your ability to understand the finance system challenges associated with the development, implementation and exploitation of technical solutions.

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

AwardTitleDurationStudy mode
MScAdvanced Technology for Financial Computing1 YearFull-timeProgramme structure 2023/24

Graduates will be equipped with the strong technology knowledge and background to keep up with developments in computing technologies and business awareness.

Typical areas in which to pursue a career might include:

  • quant developer
  • financial system architect
  • application engineer
  • financial system consultant
  • software developer
  • data scientist (in academia or industry)
  • financial system engineer in IT firms, banks, investment, or finance sectors
  • government and public sector positions

You will be based in the School of Informatics’ main teaching building, Appleton Tower. The building provides purpose-built facilities and dedicated learning and teaching spaces, all located in the University's Central Area.

IT facilities include computer labs with more than 250 high-spec machines and comprehensive support provided by dedicated computing staff.

The Informatics Student Experience Team is based within the Student Services in Appleton Tower.

If you take courses from other Schools, these might be delivered in the Nucleus building, on the University's Kings Buildings Campus.

Take a virtual tour

Take a closer look at all our facilities on the University’s Virtual Visit site:

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in informatics, artificial intelligence, cognitive science, computer science, electrical engineering, linguistics, mathematics, physics, or other numerate degree.

Competence in programming is essential. During your degree you must have completed a programming course in at least one of the following: C/C++, Java, Python, R, Matlab, Haskell, ML.

During your degree you must have completed the equivalent of 60 SCQF credits or 30 ECTS credits of mathematics that have typically covered the following subjects/topics: calculus (differentiation and integration), linear algebra (vectors and multi-dimensional matrices), discrete mathematics and mathematical reasoning (e.g. induction and reasoning, graph theoretic models, proofs), and probability (concepts in discrete and continuous probabilities, Markov chains etc.)

Students from China

This degree is Band B.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

  • IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
  • Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
  • PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 62 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

Deposit

If you receive an offer of admission you will need to pay a deposit to secure your place.

  • £1,500 (this contributes towards your tuition fees)

Find out more about tuition fee deposits:

Living costs

You will be responsible for covering living costs for the duration of your studies.

AwardTitleDurationStudy mode
MScAdvanced Technology for Financial Computing1 YearFull-timeTuition fees

School of Informatics scholarships

Scholarships and student funding

You can find funding opportunities, tuition fees and costs of living for prospective UK and international postgraduate students on the University website.

You are also encouraged to undertake your own research into the range of potential scholarships and other funding outside the University for which you may be eligible.

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

  • School of Informatics
  • 11 Crichton Street
  • Central Campus
  • Edinburgh
  • EH8 9LE
Programme start date Application deadline
9 September 2024 31 March 2024

Due to high demand on our programmes, the School of Informatics operates an application deadline of 31 March.

We will make a small number of offers to the most outstanding candidates on an ongoing basis, but will hold the majority of applications until the advertised deadline.

Decisions will be made as soon as possible once the deadline has passed. We expect to make the majority of decisions within eight weeks of the deadline.

The deadline may be extended if there are any places remaining on the programme.

Selection Deadlines

Programme start date Application Deadline Expected Decision date
9 September 31 March 31 May

(Revised 20 October 2023 to update the programme start date)

You must submit one reference with your application.

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

Further information

  • School of Informatics
  • 11 Crichton Street
  • Central Campus
  • Edinburgh
  • EH8 9LE