Postgraduate study

Finance MSc

Awards: MSc

Study modes: Full-time

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Finance

Combining up-to-the-minute theory with practical application, our MSc in Finance will prepare you for a great number of career options.

This masters programme has been devised in order to give you the opportunity to tailor your learnings to your career aspirations.

The second semester of our masters programme is flexible allowing you to select courses which either combine different areas of finance or which allow you to tailor your studies to suit your career ambitions in one of the three following areas:

  • Corporate Finance
  • Energy Finance and Markets
  • Finance & Investment

Industry connections

The School's location in the UK's second largest financial centre allows us to attract visiting speakers including a range of analysts from the key financial institutions and fund management houses.

You are able to interact with leading figures from many major companies; this is particularly evident in the dissertation, which offers an invaluable opportunity to collaborate on a topic that has real, of-the-minute industry relevance.

The School is a recognised partner institution by the Chartered Financial Analysis (CFA) Institute.

Learning will primarily be through:

  • lectures
  • set reading
  • class discussions
  • exercises
  • group-work assignments
  • problem-solving in tutorials
  • case studies

Assessment methods include examinations, assignments, presentations or continuous assessment.

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
MScFinance1 YearFull-timeProgramme structure 2023/24
  • Apply and critically evaluate finance and investment theory with particular reference to the operation of global financial markets.
  • Apply and critically evaluate corporate finance techniques.
  • Apply and critically evaluate theories of financial statements and related analysis.
  • Identify, define and analyse problems and identify or create process to solve them.
  • Exercise critical judgement in creating new understanding.
  • Demonstrate advanced numeracy and quantitative skills.
  • Identify and evaluate social, cultural, global, ethical and environmental responsibilities and issues.
  • Engage and work effectively within diverse groups.

The practical, theoretical and numerical skills learnt through the programme, as well as the global perspective that will be gained through classroom learning and discussions, will leave you well qualified for a range of finance related professions.

We expect graduates to take up positions with companies like the Big 4, with investment and commercial banks; market and consumer research centres; fund management firms; energy utilities and consultancies, as well as with public sector departments responsible for the finance sector, energy and climate-change policy.

Potential roles are varied and include for example:

  • equity analyst
  • portfolio manager
  • financial statement analyst
  • product manager
  • commodity/specialist fund manager
  • business analyst
  • strategy consultant

2023/24 entry requirements

These entry requirements are for the 2023/24 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2024/25 academic year are published below.

Entrance to our MSc programmes is strongly competitive. You can increase your chances of a successful application by exceeding the minimum programme requirements.

Academic requirements

A UK first-class or 2:1 honours degree in one of the subjects below, or an equivalent overseas qualification.

  • An undergraduate degree in finance, accounting, business or economics is normally required.
  • Applicants with an Honours degree in a non-related subject will also be considered, but will need to demonstrate a high standard of ability and motivation for the programme.
  • You will need to have taken and passed at least one course with significant statistical analysis and/or programming as part of your undergraduate degree or be able to demonstrate that you have relevant work experience in the use of statistical and/or programming software packages.

Supporting your application

You may increase your chances of success by considering ways in which you can support your application:

  • Relevant work experience is not required but may increase your chances of acceptance.
  • Preference will be given to those with grades above the minimum requirements due to strong competition for places on this programme.

Students from China

This degree is Band A.

2024/25 entry requirements

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 11 July 2024.

Entrance to our MSc programmes is strongly competitive. You can increase your chances of a successful application by exceeding the minimum programme requirements.

Academic requirements

A UK first-class or 2:1 honours degree in one of the subjects below, or an equivalent overseas qualification.

  • An undergraduate degree in finance, accounting, business or economics is normally required.
  • Applicants with an Honours degree in a non-related subject will also be considered, but will need to demonstrate a high standard of ability and motivation for the programme.
  • You will need to have passed at least one quantitative-based module such as linear algebra, calculus, probability, or statistics. Preference will be given to applicants who have passed more relevant modules. If you haven’t passed relevant modules you must be able to demonstrate that you have relevant work experience with a significant quantitative element (e.g.a key part of your role was analysing and manipulating statistical data).

Supporting your application

You may increase your chances of success by considering ways in which you can support your application:

  • Relevant work experience is not required but may increase your chances of acceptance.
  • Preference will be given to those with grades above the minimum requirements due to strong competition for places on this programme.

Students from China

This degree is Band A.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

English language requirements

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

English language tests

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

  • IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.0 in each component.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 20 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 169 in each component.
  • Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
  • PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 59 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 three and a half years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

Application fee

This programme requires a non-refundable application fee.

  • £60

Deposit

You will need to pay this deposit within 28 days of receiving your offer of admission (either unconditional or conditional).

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

Additional programme costs

See the programme website for more information on additional costs, as well as application fees and deposit payment.

Living costs

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

Tuition fees

AwardTitleDurationStudy mode
MScFinance1 YearFull-timeTuition fees

Featured funding

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

  • your programme
  • the duration of your studies
  • your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

  • University of Edinburgh Business School
  • 29 Buccleuch Place
  • Central Campus
  • Edinburgh
  • EH8 9JS
Programme start date Application deadline
9 September 2024 31 August 2024

Due to high demand, the School operates a number of selection deadlines. We will make a small number of offers to the most outstanding candidates on an ongoing basis, but hold the majority of applications until the next published selection deadline when we will offer a proportion of the places available to applicants selected through the competitive process described on the School website.

Full details on the admissions process and the selection deadlines are available on the Business School website:

Deadlines for applicants applying to study in 2024/25:

Round Application deadline Decisions by
1 18 October 2023 7 December 2023
2 13 December 2023 22 February 2024
3 14 February 2024 25 April 2024
4 24 April 2024 6 June 2024
5 12 June 2024 25 July 2024

(Revised 19 September 2023 to add in the staged admissions deadlines for the 2024/25 academic year)

You must submit one reference with your application.

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

Further information

  • University of Edinburgh Business School
  • 29 Buccleuch Place
  • Central Campus
  • Edinburgh
  • EH8 9JS