Finance MSc
Key information
Duration: 12 months
Attendance mode: Full-time
Location: Bunhill Row
Start of programme: September 2025
Application deadline: Rolling applications
Entry year: Showing course information for 2025
A unique blend of theory and practice to prepare you for a range of professional careers in finance
Overview
Finance MSc Who is it for?
MSc Finance is one of the most sought-after courses at Bayes Business School, consistently ranking among top 5 in the UK and top 30 in the world (Financial Times rankings). The course is designed for recent graduates interested in deepening their understanding of key areas of finance. Successful combination of academic rigour and practical relevance underpins this popular programme.
This course will prepare you for a range of careers in finance, in fields such as investment banking, portfolio/asset management, private equity, sustainable finance, financial consulting, and hedge funds, among others. The programme attracts high calibre applicants with ambition to excel in the financial industry.
"I found that Bayes Business School had a lot to offer and was very welcoming to students with diverse backgrounds. A quick research of the Financial Times Masters in Finance ranking page finally convinced me to apply. I believe than on top of all the practical knowledge, and understanding the global capital markets better; Bayes taught me how to position myself best in a workplace including how to go through interviews and build relationships with people from many different backgrounds."
Iryna Vushko
MSc Finance is ranked 1st in the UK for its alumni network (Financial Times ranking, 2024)
You will have the opportunity to regularly connect with industry professionals in the heart of the City of London.
Course objectives
You will gain a comprehensive grasp of the principles and applications in various areas of finance, coupled with enduring technical skills. During the first two terms, the course aims to build or expand upon your knowledge of core areas of finance:
- financial markets
- corporate finance
- asset management
- accounting
- risk management
- international finance
- data analysis.
The final term allows you to tailor the degree to suit your own competencies, interests, and career aspirations by either opting for a range of elective modules or a combination of electives and a research project.
You will develop new skills essential for modern workplace, such as Python coding and data visualisation; explore new areas such as behavioural finance and ethics; and enhance skills relevant for teamwork and networking.
You will have the opportunity to extend your study experience beyond the UK, by choosing an international elective, study tour and/or participating in academic exchange during your research project.
You will learn from established finance academics as well as industry professionals, gaining a practical understanding of current issues alongside theories, tools and techniques that will equip you for your chosen career.
Teaching staff
Together our MSc Finance teaching staff have a variety of practical experience in the financial services sector and many are active researchers in their field.
This knowledge and experience inform the highly interactive lectures that make up the MSc in Finance.
Course director:
Accreditation and Affiliations details
Successfully obtaining the MSc allows exemption from the exams of CIMA and ACCA.
CIMA
CIMA is the world’s leading, and largest, professional body of management accountants.
Students successfully completing the MSc Finance will be awarded exemptions from the following modules:
- BA3: Fundamentals of Financial Accounting
- F3: Financial Strategy
ACCA
ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is the global body for professional accountants.
Students successfully completing the MSc in Finance will be awarded exemptions from the following modules:
- F1: Accountant in Business
- F2: Management Accounting
- F3: Financial Accounting
Affiliation
CFA University Affiliate
The Certified Financial Analyst (CFA) is esteemed qualification for investment professionals, awarded by the CFA Institute. The CFA Institute recognises the rigour and the relevance of our MSc Finance course and has awarded it the CFA Program Affiliate status. The Affiliate status is granted to a select number of courses around the world that incorporate at least 70% of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge. Given its CFA affiliation, the MSc in Finance gives you a strong preparation for these professional exams.
Each year a number of CFA scholarships are available to Bayes students, offering financial assistance with the CFA exam registration fees.
Course content
We are committed to innovating and updating the content of our modules to ensure their practical relevance in the dynamic world of finance.
On the MSc Finance degree you will:
- Develop comprehensive knowledge in key areas of finance in Terms 1 and 2.
- Tailor the course to match your career goals and preferences, choosing from an exceptionally rich offering of options in Term 3.
- Learn from one of the largest and most-respected faculties in the world, from senior academics who advise leading policy-making institutions.
- Benefit from our researchers’ and guest speakers’ expertise in corporate finance, investment management, risk management, alternatives and more.
- Get international exposure by selecting international electives in locations such as Lisbon, Madrid, and New York in Term 3, opting for a study tour in Term 2 or an academic exchange during your research project in Term 3.
- Start building your own professional network, by engaging with the alumni of the MSc Finance programme and taking advantage of our well-established links with the City of London financial institutions.
- Work on an ‘industry-sponsored project’ and get exposure to top firms in the financial industry we collaborate with.
Course structure
Programme content is subject to change. We regularly review our module offering and amend to keep up to date and relevant.
Induction weeks
All of our MSc courses start with two compulsory induction weeks which include relevant refresher courses, an introduction to the careers services and the annual careers fair.
Term 1
Compulsory modules:
Corporate Finance and Valuation
- 15 credits
- 3 hours per week in lectures
- 12 hours per week self directed study
The aim of this course is to introduce you to the field of corporate finance. This is achieved by familiarising you with the core theoretical principles and equipping you with the basic and most commonly used practical finance tools.
The material covered in this course is crucial for professional work in the area of corporate finance as well as for further study of more advanced or specialised corporate finance-related courses.
It is relevant for financial officers, economists, investment bankers, analysts and other decision makers.
Financial Reporting
- 15 credits
- 3 hours per week in lectures
- 12 hours per week self directed study
The aim of the course is to provide you with an understanding of the principles and practices of accounting, the characteristics and limitations of accounting data. The course will make it possible for you to:
- Prepare and interpret financial statements
- Comment on accounting policies and to discuss its implication for the financial performance of the business
- Use accounting information to assess the financial situation of a company.
Data analysis for Finance
- 15 credits
- 3 hours per week in lectures
- 12 hours per week self directed study
Finance theory often makes convenient assumptions that facilitate predictions. However, some of those assumptions may be questionable in practice.
A good grounding in Statistics will enable you to formulate and estimate econometric models that can be used to develop empirical tests for such assumptions. The development of empirical models that are coherent with stylised facts, in turn, indicates directions in which financial theory can be improved.
To facilitate efficient analysis of financial data, a variety of statistical methods are introduced as a necessary tool in today’s information-driven financial landscape.
Financial Markets and Securities.
- 15 credits
- 3 hours per week in lectures
- 12 hours per week self directed study
The aim of this module is to provide you with an understanding of the structure and functioning of capital markets, an appreciation of the valuation methods for securities and to introduce the principles of portfolio theory.
Term 2
Compulsory modules
Asset Management
- 15 credits
- 3 hours per week in lectures
- 12 hours per week self directed study
The aim of this module is to provide you with an understanding of the structure and functioning of the asset management industry and to develop the principles of portfolio theory relevant to professional fund managers.
Derivatives and Risk Management
- 15 credits
- 3 hours per week in lectures
- 12 hours per week self directed study
This course examines derivatives, which are a key part of modern finance.
An understanding of how they are structured, priced and used to hedge financial risks is vital for those considering careers in equity, fixed income or currency portfolio management or trading.
Study Trip in Frankfurt - International Student Experience.
The study trip is an exciting two day seminar including possible visits and talks to some of the following: ECB, Deutsche bank, Frankfurt Stock Exchange (If remodelling has been completed) Frankfurt Main Tower, Bundesbank, Money Museum Frankfurt, East End & Banking Walking tour as well as a drinks reception in a traditional venue and free time to explore Frankfurt! It usually takes place in Week 6 of Term 2.
Elective modules
Two of the following:
Advanced Corporate Finance
- 15 credits
- 3 hours per week in lectures
- 12 hours per week self directed study
The aim of this course is to develop an understanding of modern corporate finance so that the corporate manager, the investment banker and the financial analyst will have the conceptual foundations for making informed corporate assessments of key financial decisions. The course puts significant emphasis on the interactions between capital markets and the value of the underlying real assets.
Fixed Income
- 15 credits
- 3 hours per week in lectures
- 12 hours per week self directed study
The overwhelming majority of all financing is raised in the form of fixed income instruments.
Understanding such instruments is therefore key for all aspects of modern financial practice, whether they relate to fund raising, risk management or investment and speculation.
Starting from an assumption of minimal existing knowledge, the module provides a unified way to think about the theoretical and practical issues related to fixed income instruments.
It introduces some of the main fixed income instruments and explains their practical relevance to asset managers, treasurers, investment bankers, financial analysts, traders and other professionals who work in financial markets.
International Finance.
- 15 credits
- 3 hours per week in lectures
- 12 hours per week self directed study
In recent years there has been a trend towards globalisation. That has impacted on all financial decisions and has necessitated the understanding of international financial markets.
Term 3
You may choose from the two following options in your final term.
- Option 1: You can undertake an 5,000 word General Research Project (30 credits) and take three specialist elective modules (3 x 10 credits).
- Option 2: You can take two compulsory modules and three elective modules, plus Career Management Skills and Research Methods (6 x 10 credits).
Compulsory modules
Mergers and Acquisitions
This module aims to provide you with a detailed understanding of the strategic, regulatory, financial and organisational issues within mergers & acquisitions from an international perspective, but focussed on the UK. At the end of the module you should have the ability to form your own views about M&A and should be prepared to make your own creatively strategic and analytically supportable recommendations regarding potential M&A transactions
Trading and Market Microstructure.
This module focuses on:
- the mechanisms by which securities are traded in modern financial markets, and the implications of them for efficiency and liquidity of markets
- the design of quantitative and algorithmic trading systems.
It touches on all major asset classes (equities, FX, bonds, cryptos and derivatives) and examines both theoretical and practical trading scenarios. It aims to prepare you for work which would involve quantitative trading or trade quality evaluation or for graduate work in this area.
Project and research skills
General Research Project
Any business needs key research and professional skills and, to be successful, methodologically sound and rigorous research. This module allows you to demonstrate your ability to integrate and apply concepts and techniques you have learned in an in-depth study of a topic of your choice.
This module will enable you to demonstrate the results of your learning through the development of a final project. There is no single prescribed method. For example, you may choose to complete more traditional academic desk research, complete a business plan, or carry out a consultancy project.
Career Management Skills and Research Methods
Strong research is a key element of development strategy for companies and institutions large and small.
This module will provide a grounding in research methods, targeted to your particular degree requirements. You will be able to use these skills to support your learning, substantiate your arguments and make assessments about the nature of the evidence you are using.
Career and employability skills development will help you develop your aspirations, take a planned and efficient approach to your job search and / or entrepreneurial plans, and help you create a strong base from which to manage your career in the longer term. It will also help you understand how to apply your learning in the wider context of your career.
Throughout this module you will also be encouraged to reflect on your learning through a sustainable and ethical lens. This will help you understand how to take an ethical approach to your research and taking an ethical, sustainable and forward-looking approach to your career development.
Electives offered in 2024
- Advanced Company Valuation
- Corporate Restructuring
- Digital Finance
- Ethics, Society and the Finance Sector
- Hedge Funds
- Intro to Python
- Investment Strategy
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Private Equity Investment
- Trading and Market Microstructure
- VBA with Application for Finance.
International electives
- FinTech (taught in Italy)
- Project Finance and Infrastructure Investment (taught in Madrid, Spain).
Please note that electives are subject to change and availability.
Download course specification:
Finance MSc [PDF]Assessment methods
Term dates
Term dates 2025/26
- Induction: 15th September 2025 - 26th September 2025
- Term one: 29th September 2025 - 12th December 2025
- Term one exams: 5th January 2026 - 16th January 2026
- Term two: 19th January 2026 - 3rd April 2026
- Term two exams: 20th April 2026 - 1st May 2026
- Term three - international electives: 4th May 2026 - 15th May 2026
- Term three: 18th May 2026 - 3rd July 2026
- Term three exams: 6th July 2026 - 17th July 2026
- Resits: 10th August 2026 - 21st August 2026
- Additional resit week - tests only: 24th August 2026 - 28th August 2026.
Fees & funding
UK/Home/International fee
2025 entry
£35,700
Tuition fees are subject to annual change.
Deposit: £2,000 (paid within 1 month of receiving offer and non-refundable unless conditions of offer are not met).
First installment: Half fees less deposit (payable during on-line registration which should be completed at least 5 days before the start of the induction period).
Second installment: Half fees (paid in January following start of course).
Scholarships & bursaries
Scholarships, sponsorships, loans and other funding could support your education at Bayes Business School.
Learn about the cost of living as a Bayes student in London.
View our scholarships and fundingCareers
The MSc in Finance prepares you for a wide range of careers in finance and related areas, in the UK and around the world. Recent graduates are now working as hedge fund managers, investment bankers, financial analysts and consultants for major financial services organisations. If you’re heading for accountancy, obtaining your UK Finance MSc allows exemption from your CIMA and ACCA exams.
Over the last 12 months, our Finance students have had the opportunity to attend sessions such as industry overviews by a leading finance training provider and finance alumni panels, all designed to give students an overview of the wide range of career paths our alumni have taken.
There has also been the opportunity to visit the offices of Revolut, Intesa Sanpaolo, and Tikehau Capital, as well as a range of opportunities to engage with industry professionals through our annual careers fair and corporate events, which can take the form of workshops, business simulations, company presentations, or industry talks.
Graduate roles
Previous graduates have gone on to work in consulting and financial services across the UK, the EU, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
- Investment Banking Analyst
- ETF Index and Smart Beta Sales
- Client Relations Associate
- Portfolio Analyst
- Assistant Portfolio Manager
- Corporate Banking Relationship Officer
- Credit Analyst
- Relationship Manager
- Equity Research Intern
- Corporate Finance Analyst
Download our latest MSc Employment Report
Dedicated to your success
From the moment you accept your offer, you'll have access to our dedicated Postgraduate Careers Service, tailored to support your career journey. Our Career Accelerator module, launched over the summer, provides early access to valuable resources, employer insights, and career planning tools to prepare you for the job market.
Our expert Postgraduate Careers Team, made up of experienced recruiters and career coaches offers personalised one-to-one guidance, covering everything from networking and CV building to job offer management and mock interviews. Whether you’re pursuing a new career path, seeking an entry-level role, or launching your own business, you'll receive support to develop the skills and knowledge needed to succeed.
You'll also benefit from exclusive events such as Careers Fairs, panel discussions, and networking opportunities with industry professionals and alumni, helping you explore career options and make valuable connections.
Workshops led by our Careers Team and industry experts cover essential professional skills, including presentation techniques, personal branding, and assessment centre success, ensuring you stand out in the job market.
Additionally, Bayes Careers Online (BCO) offers career planning tools, guidance leaflets, access to job postings directly from employers and key career events, helping you stay on track with your career goals.
Recent employers
Alumni stories
Entry requirements
- A UK upper second class degree or above, or the equivalent from an overseas institution
- An ideal candidate would be a recent graduate with a background in finance, economics, or a related field who has an adequate level of numerical ability
- In addition, we encourage applications from those with quantitative undergraduate degrees, such as engineering, mathematics, econometrics, statistics, or sciences, who demonstrate a strong interest in finance. Applications from other fields are welcome, but candidates must have an adequate level of existing quantitative skills.
GMAT
- GMAT is not required for application, but may be requested as a condition of offer at the discretion of the Admissions Panel.
English language requirements
If you have been studying in the UK for the last three years it is unlikely that you will have to take an English language test.
If you have studied in the UK at degree level for less than three years (e.g. 3+1, 2+1, 2+2, etc.) you will be required to provide the results of an approved English language test and possibly resit the test to meet our academic entry requirements.
Full list of approved English language tests/qualifications and minimum requirements.
Apply
Please see our Application Guide for details of the documents you will need to supply as part of your application, and other useful information.
We cannot comment on individual eligibility before you apply. We can only make a decision on your application once it is fully complete, with all requested information received.
Frequently asked questionsIndividual Appointments
If you would like to arrange an individual appointment to discuss the application process and be given a tour of the facilities, please complete this form.
Please note - these are subject to availability.
Terms and conditions
Students applying to study at Bayes Business School are subject to City, University of London's terms and conditions.
Student life
We are located right in the heart of London. Being a student at City allows you to take advantage of all that London has to offer.
London is ranked first as 'Best Student City' in the world to study in (QS, 2025).
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