Finance MSc
Why choose this course?
This course is ideal if you aspire to a career in financial and treasury management with a role to manage financial resources and control financial risks in a business.
You will gain an in-depth understanding of corporate finance and the analysis and valuation of companies from both an accounting and financial perspective.
This Finance MSc will give you well-integrated knowledge of management accounting and financial accounting, finance and investment; whilst developing your ability to relate these areas to the wider issues of management and corporate strategy. It produces graduates who are prepared for high-level jobs in the financial industries.
This course has been developed in consultation with professionals at RBS Capital Markets, Commerzbank AG, Standard Chartered Bank and NatWest Bank. As part of this course you may apply for Bloomberg certification, often a huge advantage in the job market.
| Mode | Duration | Attendance | Start date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full time | 1 year | 1–4 days per week |
September 2023 September 2024 |
| Full time | 2 years including professional placement | 1–4 days per week plus placement year |
September 2023 September 2024 |
| Location | Kingston Hill |
Reasons to choose Kingston University
- Kingston Business School is one of only 5% of the world's business schools to be accredited by AACSB International.
- This course is taught by research active staff and provides cutting-edge knowledge regarding the latest developments in the finance sector.
- Access to a Bloomberg trading room, offering hands-on skills and the opportunity to apply for Bloomberg certification. You may also use other databases, such as Thomson DataStream Advance.
- Kingston is one of only a few UK universities to offer exemptions from professional exams of the Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT). This programme offers exemptions for four of the five units required for the Certificate in Treasury qualification from the ACT.
- Free car parking at the Kingston Hill campus is available for students of this course. The campus can also be easily accessed by public transport. Halls accommodation is just a walk away from the classrooms.
Kingston Business School Accreditations
Kingston Business School holds the prestigious international accreditation by the AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) in recognition of the excellence of its business education. This accreditation has been earned by just 5% of the world's business schools and recognises the high quality and standard of our business degree offerings.
Accreditation
Association of Corporate Treasurers
This course is accredited by the Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT).
Upon completion of module International Money & Finance (BA7020) you will gain exemptions from the Certificate in Treasury units:
- Unit 1: The context of treasury;
- Unit 2: Cash and liquidity management;
- Unit 3: Corporate finance and; Unit 5: Risk analysis and management.
You would then be required to complete one further unit to complete the CertT. This accreditation is renewed on an annual basis.
Specialist careers support
You will take part in an Assessment Centre Experience, providing the opportunity to experience the pathway to employment with tailored feedback to help develop your employability skills for the world of graduate employment.
- Develop your understanding of the jobs market, including current trends and opportunities, different recruitment processes and how to identify relevant roles
- Receive personalised feedback reports to help you to improve and progress
- Access additional webinars on top tips, employer expectations and best practice
At Kingston Business School we lead
What you will study
In this research-led masters, you will learn from recent journal articles and research papers, live data and up-to-the-minute theories and models. You will learn from real-life examples and case studies during the taught sessions. The programme has a balanced approach between quantitative and qualitative methods, and it provides candidates with the computer and research skills required by employers in this highly competitive sector.
You will develop your understanding of the purpose and nature of financial accounting and reporting, and look at how theoretical and conceptual issues integrate with operational and practical activities.
You will also look at the political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors that influence an organisation's social responsibilities, and how these integrate with a company's strategic decision-making processes. You will examine the core theories of finance and investment, and how they can be used in practical decision-making contexts.
This course is underpinned by the latest research and best practice. Modules have been developed to provide you with up-to-date and relevant knowledge of accounting, finance and research methods.
Year 1 is made up of five core modules, one optional module and a research project.
Year 2, the Professional Placement Year, is optional and offers a full year of work experience.
Year 1
Year 2 (optional placement year)
Core modules
Financial Modelling and Research Methods
30 credits
The Financial Modelling and Research Methods module is a core module for the postgraduate modular finance scheme. The module has two parts. The first part provides an underpinning and understanding of numerical techniques used in the business and finance world to aid strategic decision making. It aims to provide students with the accounting, mathematical and statistical foundations that are necessary in the areas of accounting and finance. The second parts deals with an understanding of research methodology and the research methods and skills that the students will need to complete their research project successfully during the summer period.
Corporate Finance and Financial Statement Analysis
30 credits
The module is designed to offer knowledge of a unique combination of major cotemporary theoretical and empirical developments in the area of corporate finance and the analysis and valuation companies both from an accounting and financial perspective. The corporate finance part allows students to develop a critical knowledge and understanding of the core theories and concepts in the field of corporate finance. It further develops their skills and ability to apply their knowledge and understanding in real corporate life cases. The Financial statement analysis part allows students to develop a critical knowledge and understanding of the accounting principles and enable them to analyse financial statements and reports using financial ratios and other metrics. It also equips students with the knowledge to assess corporate profitability and financial stability and to critically evaluate the corporate reporting choices. This module adds value and it is relevant to those who are interested in a career in the corporate or in the financial services sector, as well as those who are interested in working as financial advisors and consultants or as financial analysts. Other professional such as accountants and corporate lawyers can also benefit and enjoy broader career development opportunities through the skills that the knowledge of the subjects covered in this module offers.
Portfolio Theory and Investment Banking
30 credits
During this module, you will gain a thorough understanding of modern portfolio theory and its implications for asset pricing, asset management, and investment decisions associated with risk management. The main topics covered include:
- portfolio diversification;
- optimal portfolio construction;
- expected utility theory;
- capital asset pricing model;
- arbitrage pricing theory with application;
- the formulation and implementation of various active and passive investment strategies; and
- the analysis and management of risks associated with particular strategies.
This module also looks at the different types of investment banks and the strategies they employ. You will cover:
- investment banks;
- private equity investment - types and techniques;
- debt and equity underwriting by investment banks;
- trading techniques;
- mergers and acquisitions;
- securitisation;
- hedge funds;
- mutual funds and other funds; and
- wealth management, and clearance and settlement.
You will construct and manage investment portfolios for a specific period and present the results. You will use the dedicated Bloomberg Trading Room and software packages to develop your practical experience of industry standard systems and use real, live data.
Financial Accounting and Financial Management
30 credits
This module introduces financial accounting and financial management in a business context. It will provide you with a mix of practical know how as well as a theoretical underpinning. The module explains the principles for constructing the key financial statements that will allow you to produce financial statements from transaction records using double entry principles. You will also learn how to conduct an appraisal of an organisation's financial statements and look at companies' financial statements and their regulation.
The lectures for this module take an active learning approach that involves informal feedback through discussion and practice questions. The financial management section of this module gives you the skills to take a senior financial management position in a modern organisation.
Market-based Accounting
15 credits
Market-based accounting deals with the interrelationship between capital markets and accounting information. This module familiarises students with important issues in empirical accounting research and applies the concepts underlying accounting and finance, as applicable in capital market settings. The module builds on the knowledge gained in both ‘Financial Accounting' and ‘Corporate Finance' and provides skills necessary in both the accounting and finance profession.
Optional modules
International Money and Finance
15 credits
This module offers an intuitive analysis of the international financial management environment. It studies the role and functions of international financial markets (FX, capital markets) and institutions, and assesses the tools that can be employed by firms' managers to assess and control for risk in these markets. Moreover, it provides students with an understanding of international economic linkages, international monetary systems, and parity conditions in international financial markets. Several real world examples and journal articles are employed to bring together theoretical considerations and practise. This module is assessed with a combination of an exam and a coursework and is delivered by weekly seminars.
Fixed Income Analysis
15 credits
This module focuses on the issues involved in managing a fixed income portfolio. It gives you a broad understanding of the nature of fixed income securities and how they can be used by banks and other financial institutions. You will start by examining fixed income securities markets, then move on to look at the valuation and pricing methods available and the mathematics behind them. You will also cover term structure analysis and the use of derivative instruments in bond portfolio management.
Research project
Research Project
30 credits
This module will begin in semester two, and is completed over the summer. It is an independent research project that you will work on with the supervision of an academic staff member with expertise in your chosen area. To complete this module, you will need to identify an issue to investigate, analyse the issue and structure your approach. You will need to:
- examine relevant source material;
- carry out your own research (including collecting an analysing original data, or analysing existing data in an original way); and
- produce an action-oriented report based on your findings.
The professional placement year is optional. It takes place after the full-time year. It allows students to do a 12-month work placement as part of their course. The work placement is an assessed part of the course and is therefore covered by a Student Route visa.
Find out more about the postgraduate work placement scheme.
Core module
Professional Placement
120 credits
The Professional Placement module is a core module for those students following a Master's programme that incorporates an extended professional placement that follows completion of the first 180 credits of taught modules and project or dissertation. It provides students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills in an appropriate working environment, and to develop and enhance key employability skills and subject specific skills in their chosen subject.
It is the responsibility of individual students to locate and secure a suitable placement opportunity; this will normally involve one placement which must be completed over a minimum period of 10 months and within a maximum of 12 months. The placement must be approved by the module leader prior to commencement to ensure its suitability.
Please note
Optional modules only run if there is enough demand. If we have an insufficient number of students interested in an optional module, that module will not be offered for this course.
After you graduate
You will be ready for careers in both financial and non-financial institutions, and for paths in corporate financial management. Roles include finance controller, corporate treasurer and financial analyst. This course can typically help lead to careers in banking and finance, treasury, fintechs, credit control areas and sectors.
Graduates have gone on to work for fintech companies and start-ups, for example Exate Technology, Mazars UK, Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Limited and Funding Circle.
Entry requirements
Teaching and assessment
Who teaches this course
You will be taught by an experienced teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on this course. The team includes senior academics and professional practitioners with industry experience. The following group of staff members are currently involved in the delivery of different elements of this course. This pool is subject to change at any time within the academic year.
Fees for this course
Additional costs
Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs that are not covered by tuition fees which students will need to consider when planning their studies. Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessment and operating University facilities such as the library, access to shared IT equipment and other support services. Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees.
Where a course has additional expenses, we make every effort to highlight them. These may include optional field trips, materials (e.g. art, design, engineering), security checks such as DBS, uniforms, specialist clothing or professional memberships.
Course changes and regulations
The information on this page reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. To improve your student experience and the quality of your degree, we may review and change the material information of this course. Course changes explained.
Programme Specifications for the course are published ahead of each academic year.
Regulations governing this course can be found on our website.
