Our Masters in Finance course gives you a thorough grounding in the theory and analytical techniques used by finance professionals, allowing you to understand how financial decision-making influences the world we live in.
Established in 2004, our MSc Finance has produced alumni who now occupy senior roles in hedge funds, major financial institutions and universities around the world.
The course provides a thorough grounding in the latest theory and analytical techniques used by finance professionals, allowing you to understand how money influences the world we live in.
You’ll gain hands-on experience of the process of financial decision-making and practical knowledge of the workings and role of financial markets in the allocation of capital. The course also gives you an understanding of the qualitative and quantitative techniques needed to interpret market reactions to geopolitical events such as Coronavirus, Brexit, oil-price shocks and financial crises.
In our Financial Statement Analysis module, you’ll work as part of a team to develop an investment buy or sell recommendation. In your dissertation, you’ll identify and answer a real-world question, or extend your company analysis skills developed in Financial Statement Analysis.
The course also includes an innovative week-long global financial trading and training boot camp run by our partner, Amplify. This won the CFA Institute Innovative Delivery of Education (IDEA) global award and gives you the chance to trade futures contracts on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. By letting you trade in real time, but with virtual money, the boot camp bridges the gap between an academic understanding of financial markets and how they function in practice.
Our students have established a Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF), with support of our academics within the Accounting and Finance Division. The SMIF allows you to gain practical
Preparing business leaders of the future
Postgraduate education at the University of Stirling Management School goes beyond text books and lecture rooms, we also focus on your personal and professional development.
Our unique Flying Start Leadership Programme equips you with the awareness, knowledge and techniques essential for building a successful career. These range from practical skills, like effective public speaking, to developing ways to work under pressure in difficult situations and manage conflict. Find out more about Flying Start.
Postgraduate education at the University of Stirling Management School goes beyond text books and lecture rooms, we also focus on your personal and professional development.
Our unique Flying Start Leadership Programme equips you with the awareness, knowledge and techniques essential for building a successful career. These range from practical skills, like effective public speaking, to developing ways to work under pressure in difficult situations and manage conflict. Find out more about Flying Start.
You’ll develop skills in critical thinking, analysis, synthesis and interpretation of large amounts of complex financial information. This includes developing arguments and communicating them both in written reports and via oral presentations with textual and visual aids.
Key areas which you will focus on the analysis of, include:
The course covers much of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) programme, helping you progress towards obtaining CFA Charterholder status.
In REF 2021, 80% of our research impact in Business and Management Studies was classed as world leading or internationally excellent.
A minimum of a second class Honours degree or equivalent. Applicants without these formal qualifications but with significant appropriate/relevant work/life experience are encouraged to apply.
If you don’t currently meet the academic requirements for this course, INTO University of Stirling offers a variety of preparation programmes that can earn you the qualifications and skills you need for direct entry.
Explore INTO Stirling programmes to see the pathway and pre-masters routes available for this course and others at the University of Stirling.
View the entry requirements for your country.
If English is not your first language you must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of your English language skills:
Last updated: 23 August 2022
For more information on ways that you can meet our English language requirements, including options to waive the requirement, please read our information on English language requirements.
If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this course, our partner INTO University of Stirling offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for entry to this degree.
Find out more about our pre-sessional English language courses.
The MSc Finance is a one-year, full-time course. You’ll undertake up to ten taught modules over two 15-week semesters, followed by a supervised dissertation.
The module information below provides an example of the types of course module you may study. The details listed are for the current academic year (September 2022). Modules and start dates are regularly reviewed and may be subject to change in future years.
Teaching is carried out through lectures, seminars, problem solving lectures, computer workshops and practical case studies.
Many of our staff are publishing research in leading international journals and engaged in developing new policy and practices within the finance profession, as well as delivering innovative teaching.
Assessment is through a combination of multiple choice and written class tests, written assignments, presentations including group assignments and written exams.
Professor David McMillan
+44 (0)1786 467455
MScFinance@stir.ac.uk
Students from the UK
Fees shown are for a full-time, one-year Masters course.
If you need to extend your period of study or repeat study, you will be liable for additional fees.
If you are studying part time, the total course fee will be split over the years that you study. The total fee will remain the same and will be held at the rate set in your year of entry.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
Students from the Republic of Ireland
Fees shown are for a full-time, one-year Masters course.
If you need to extend your period of study or repeat study, you will be liable for additional fees.
If you are studying part time, the total course fee will be split over the years that you study. The total fee will remain the same and will be held at the rate set in your year of entry.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
European Union students
Eligible EU students will automatically receive our EU Postgraduate Scholarship, which provides a 40% fee discount on full-time, on-campus postgraduate degrees at the University of Stirling.
Fees shown are for a full-time, one-year Masters course.
If you need to extend your period of study, you will be liable for additional fees.
If you are studying part time, the total course fee will be split over the years that you study. The total fee will remain the same and will be held at the rate set in your year of entry.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
Overseas students (non-EU)
We offer a range of funding options for overseas students.
Fees shown are for a full-time, one-year Masters course.
If you need to extend your period of study, you may be liable for additional fees.
If you are studying part time, the total course fee will be split over the years that you study. The total fee will remain the same and will be held at the rate set in your year of entry.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
This course is eligible for a postgraduate tuition fee loan from one of the UK’s governments. See the Scholarships and funding section, below, for more details.
There are some instances where additional fees may apply. Depending on your chosen course, you may need to pay additional costs, for example for field trips. Learn more about additional fees.
Scottish students may be eligible to apply to the Students Award Agency for Scotland (SAAS) for loans of up to £10,000 to cover tuition fees and associated living costs.
English students can apply for a loan of up to £11,570 each year as part of the Postgraduate Masters Loan Scheme.
Welsh students can apply for financial support of up to £18,025 as a combination of grant and loan from Student Finance Wales.
Northern Irish students can apply for a postgraduate tuition fee loan of up to £5,500 from Student Finance NI.
These are available for seven MSc Investment Analysis students each year and are awarded on the basis of academic performance during the course. The scholarships allow those students to sit levels I, II or III of the CFA exams at a significantly reduced fee.
A full set of CFA study materials is available at the University. Students also receive a daily CFA Institute newsletter and are invited to local CFA society events.
If you have the talent, ability and drive to study with us, we want to make sure you make the most of the opportunity – regardless of your financial circumstances.
Learn more about available funding opportunities or use our scholarship finder to explore our range of scholarships.
If you’re domiciled in the UK, you can typically apply to your relevant funding body for help with living costs. This usually takes the form of student loans, grants or bursaries, and the amount awarded depends upon your personal circumstances and household income.
European Union and overseas students won’t normally be able to claim living support through SAAS or other UK public funding bodies. You should contact the relevant authority in your country to find out if you’re eligible to receive support.
Find out about the cost of living for students at Stirling
We aim to be as flexible as possible, and offer a wide range of payment methods – including the option to pay fees by instalments. Learn more about how to pay
Our MSc Finance graduates have enjoyed worldwide success within different organisations, ranging from multinational banks to asset management companies. By taking this course you will benefit from an innovative week-long global financial trading and training boot camp run by Amplify. You’ll also have networking opportunities through our guest lecturer programme.
The financial decision-making process is becoming increasingly automated. As technology advances, we wish to ensure that our graduates have the opportunity to remain employable and relevant as finance professionals. This course opens up a range of exciting career opportunities which include fund management, security dealing, financial market regulation, treasury management, financial engineering and corporate finance work within investment banking firms. This MSc also provides you with a highly transferable knowledge and skill set that is valuable if you subsequently decide to diversify into other careers, including further study.
Recent graduates of the University of Stirling MSc Finance have been appointed to posts such as business manager in futures trading and senior assistant assessing country risk for an investment bank. Working in locations across the world, our graduates can be found in major financial organisations such as Morgan Stanley, Standard Chartered Bank, Bank of China and HSBC.
The degree is recognised internationally and prospects for career advancement are excellent, with many of our alumni to be found in senior positions around the world.
As a Management School student, you’ll have access to the HigherEd Global Talent Portal where you’ll find internship, trainee positions, apprenticeships and graduate positions from companies around the world. It helps international students looking for placements back at home and local students that want to explore an international experience.
The global talent portal is in addition to all other existing initiatives and resources available for you through the Careers and Employability Service, and the Target Connect vacancy and events system.
Stirling Management School has a dedicated Employability Manager and from the very beginning of the course your career is our focus.
Everything you do while studying here is designed to help you build the personal skills that will make you stand out to future employers. You’ll start your MSc course on our Flying Start leadership programme which will challenge your perspective of culture and develop your self-awareness, as well as team-working, problem-solving and presentation skills.
You also have the chance to take part in real work experience opportunities through our week long masterclass in trading.
As a student on the MSc Finance you’re given the chance to participate in regular guest lectures. These are typically held on a Wednesday afternoon and are delivered by eminent speakers from leading financial institutions, think tanks, regulatory and professional bodies. Previous speakers include:
MSc Finance
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