International Finance and Political Relations (MSc)
Introduction
This programme combines the strengths of the School of Social Science and the Business School to explore the intersection between money, politics and power and the relationship between international finance and policymaking at the transnational level.
This course has both January and September start dates. Apply Now.
Study Information
Study Options
- Learning Mode
- On Campus Learning
- Degree Qualification
- MSc
- Duration
- 12 months or 24 months
- Study Mode
- Full Time or Part Time
- Start Month
- September or January
- Location of Study
- Aberdeen
This programme is designed to train specialists for careers in the international finance or in the government/non-government (NGO) sectors, where an understanding of global flows of money, trade and labour, and the global distribution of wealth they engender, is required.
Over the last few decades, there has been a steady increase in cross-border financial flows, as a result of the globalisation of financial markets. At the same time, we have witnessed fundamental societal and political changes and how nation-states behave and interact with one another, as well as technological advances and financial innovation.
As a result, businesses, governments, and investors therefore face an ever-growing need to understand the relationship between political relations and international markets.
By combining the key theories and themes in the study of international political economy with corporate finance and investments, this Masters programme addresses the need, by teaching the advanced skills needed to gather, analyse and evaluate information on the politics of international finance and to enable you to communicate how international finance, banking, and stock markets intersect with national and international political events.
The MSc International Finance and Political Relations programme is designed to train specialists for careers in the international finance or in the government/non-government (NGO) sectors, where an understanding of global flows of money, trade and labour, and the global distribution of wealth they engender, is required.
We welcome applications from students from across a wide range of academic backgrounds. You do not need a degree in business or politics to be considered for this programme.
Available Programmes of Study
- MSc
-
International Finance and Political Relations
- Qualification
- MSc
- Duration
- 12 months or 24 months
- Learning Mode
- On Campus Learning
- Study Mode
- Full Time or Part Time
- Start Month
- September
- Location
- Aberdeen
- Qualification
- MSc
- Duration
- 12 months or 24 months
- Learning Mode
- On Campus Learning
- Study Mode
- Full Time or Part Time
- Start Month
- January
- Location
- Aberdeen
Programme Fees
- UK
-
- Tuition Fees for 2026/27 Academic Year
- £11,100
- Tuition Fees for 2026/27 Academic Year (University of Aberdeen Graduates *)
- £7,000
-
University of Aberdeen graduates are eligible for the Alumni Postgraduate Scholarship, reducing tuition fees to £7,000 - matching the current SAAS tuition loan - See full terms and conditions
- EU / International students
-
- Tuition Fees for 2026/27 Academic Year
- £23,000
- Tuition Fees for 2026/27 Academic Year (Self-funded Students *)
- £15,000
-
The above fee includes the £8,000 Aberdeen Global Scholarship provided to self-funded international students. Full terms and conditions apply.
Stage 1
Information for part-time students: This route will run over two years. Students can take up to 120 credit points in a single year. BU5093 or IR5905 (dissertations) must be taken in year 2. Between January and August, students must take PD5506 and 30 credits worth of courses from the following: BU5526 (15 credits), BU5575 (15 credits), or SO5512 (30 credits). From September to the following August, alongside their dissertation, students must take the following:
- BU5033 (15 credits) and BU5034 (15 credits) OR IR5007 (30 credits)
- BU5526 (15 credits) and BU5575 (15 credits) OR SO5512 (30 credits)
Following this, from September through to December, students must take 30 credits from the following list: IR5007 (30 credits), BU5033 (15 credits), BU5034 (15 credits).
Stage 1: Compulsory Courses
- Dimensions of Globalization (SO5512)
-
30 Credit Points
This interdisciplinary course focuses on substantive dimensions of globalization by considering recent changes occurring in the economic, political, social, and cultural realms of society. These themes are analysed by considering recent empirical studies, which seek to clarify our theoretical understanding of globalization through advanced social scientific research. The substantive themes covered include global capitalism, the global division of labour, global governance, the changing role of the nation state, transnational social change, and cultural homogenization and heterogenization. Interconnections between these aspects of globalization are highlighted.
- Portfolio Analysis (BU5526)
-
15 Credit Points
This course examines theories and issues relevant to portfolio analysis. Themes include: risk and return; investment motives; the application of modern portfolio theory (including the Capital Asset Pricing Model); information and market efficiency; portfolio analysis and asset pricing; bonds and equities; real estate and derivative markets.
- Financial Markets and Regulation (BU552H)
-
15 Credit Points
This course provides students with an understanding of the financial system by introducing students to the reasons for, and nature of, financial markets and financial institutions, before moving on to explore the need and importance of regulation, investigate the causes and consequences of the recent 2008 Global Financial Crisis, and discuss future reform.
- Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen (PD5506)
-
This course, which is prescribed for all taught postgraduate students, is studied entirely online, takes approximately 5-6 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across a number of weeks.
Topics include orientation overview, equality and diversity, health, safety and cyber security and how to make the most of your time at university in relation to careers and employability.
Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Enhanced Transcript as ‘Achieved’.
Stage 2
Stage 2: Optional Courses
Students must take either one of the two courses listed below (Available only for MSc students)
- Master's Dissertation in Accountancy & Finance (BU5903)
-
60 Credit Points
The capstone of your programme. A significant individual piece of work showing your ability to think, research, organise and analyse. You will work with a member of faculty to develop a proposal that you will then turn into 10,000 words of reality!
- Dissertation in International Political Economy (IR5905)
-
60 Credit Points
​The dissertation in IPE enables students to develop in-depth knowledge of a topic of interest. Under close supervision by an expert on the topic selected, students have an opportunity to frame, develop, research and write a substantive and original thesis on a topic of their choosing.
Stage 3
Stage 3: Compulsory Courses
- International Political Economy: Theories and Themes (IR5007)
-
30 Credit Points
Introduces students to the key theories and themes in the disciplinary study of International Political Economy. Topics covered include global inequality and wealth distribution; financialization and crisis; precarization of work; global regulation of trade, labour, and money; gender, and the environment in the international political economy.
- Issues in Corporate Finance (BU5034)
-
15 Credit Points
This course introduces students to basic financial concepts before moving on to introduce students to a number of areas of corporate finance including investment appraisal decisions, examining capital structure theory, the financing decisions of the firm, and corporate restructuring. The main aim of the course is to equip students with good analytical skills in order to understand the implications of corporate financing decisions by understanding why companies behave the way they do with respect to financing choices and how this interacts with the real world financial markets, and to enable students to understand the theoretical underpinnings of corporate finance theory.
- Economic Analysis (BU5033)
-
15 Credit Points
The course will cover the main elements of Microeconomic Theory together with how this underpins the macro economy, covering consumer theory, how consumers choose under constraint of a budget, to generate demands. How this theory can be used to consider the welfare effects of price changes will be considered. The problem of production will be examined to understand the supply, and the demand and supply side will be drawn together to consider market structure. How the theory can be used to identify market supplies and demands from empirical data will be examined.
Programme Fees
- UK
-
- Tuition Fees for 2026/27 Academic Year
- £11,100
- Tuition Fees for 2026/27 Academic Year (University of Aberdeen Graduates *)
- £7,000
-
University of Aberdeen graduates are eligible for the Alumni Postgraduate Scholarship, reducing tuition fees to £7,000 - matching the current SAAS tuition loan - See full terms and conditions
- EU / International students
-
- Tuition Fees for 2026/27 Academic Year
- £23,000
- Tuition Fees for 2026/27 Academic Year (Self-funded Students *)
- £15,000
-
The above fee includes the £8,000 Aberdeen Global Scholarship provided to self-funded international students. Full terms and conditions apply.
We will endeavour to make all course options available. However, these may be subject to change - see our Student Terms and Conditions page. In exceptional circumstances there may be additional fees associated with specialist courses, for example field trips.
Fee Information
Scholarships
All eligible self-funded international Postgraduate Masters students will receive an £8,000 scholarship. Learn more about this Aberdeen Global Scholarship here.
To see our full range of scholarships, visit our Funding Database.
Why Study International Finance and Political Relations?
- The Business School is EQUIS accredited, placing it among a select group of globally recognised institutions. Out of over 15,000 business schools worldwide, less than 300 schools across 45 countries have attained this distinction.
- The University of Aberdeen has been ranked 18th in the UK in the Guardian University Guide 2026.
- Aberdeen is ranked 6th in the UK for Accounting and Finance (Guardian University Guide 2026) and 1st in the UK for Student Positivity in Business Studies (National Student Survey 2025).
- This is an interdisciplinary programme that combines the strengths of the School of Social Science and the Business School
- There is a strong emphasis on providing a grounding in theoretical foundations of international finance and politics but combined with the key practical analytical skills and knowledge required by businesses, governments, and other organisations
- Learn about the operation of international financial markets in the context of globalisation, global capital flows, and the interconnections between international business and social and political change to understand how the international financial system is affected by contemporary events and changes in international political systems
- Learn from experts actively involved in research. The University of Aberdeen is home to several research centres and institutes, including the Centre for Global Development; the Centre for Global Security and Governance; the Institute for Conflict, Transition, and Peace Research; and more.
- In a recent Harvard Business Report, 76% of respondents identified skills such as communication, conflict management, and empathy as essential skills for the modern workforce. All of our postgraduate Business students develop these soft skills, valued by employers across sectors, with our Soft Skills Development Programme.
- Access world-leading facilities such as our Bloomberg Terminal. This in-house stock exchange provides the opportunity to work with a real trading platform used by more than 300,000 banks, government agencies, and corporations around the world, and develop the practical and analytical financial skills in high demand from employers.
- With a community of over 130 nationalities at the University of Aberdeen, students are immersed in an environment that enables international discourse creating truly global exchanges, generating deep insights that spark innovative change.
Interested in this programme?
Entry Requirements
Qualifications
The information below is provided as a guide only and does not guarantee entry to the University of Aberdeen.
Applicants for admission will normally be expected to hold a relevant Honours degree with a 2:2 standard (or equivalent) from a recognised university or body.
We welcome applications from students from across a wide range of academic backgrounds; you do not need a degree in business or politics to be considered for this programme.
Applicants without this qualification may be admitted subject to having an alternative qualification, or an approved level of work experience appropriate to the field of study. Also taken into careful consideration is the trajectory of results, an applicant without an overall 2:2 but with 2:2 results in their final two years of study may be admitted.
Please enter your country or territory to view relevant entry requirements.
English Language Requirements
To study for a Postgraduate Taught degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read, and write English fluently. The minimum requirements for this degree are as follows:
IELTS Academic:
OVERALL - 6.5 with: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 5.5; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0
TOEFL iBT:
OVERALL - 90 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 18; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21
PTE Academic:
OVERALL - 62 with: Listening - 59; Reading - 59; Speaking - 59; Writing - 59
Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency:
OVERALL - 176 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 162; Speaking - 162; Writing - 169
Read more about specific English Language requirements here.
Document Requirements
You will be required to supply the following documentation with your application as proof you meet the entry requirements of this degree programme. If you have not yet completed your current programme of study, then you can still apply and you can provide your Degree Certificate at a later date.
- Degree Certificate
- a degree certificate showing your qualifications
- Degree Transcript
- a full transcript showing all the subjects you studied and the marks you have achieved in your degree(s) (original & official English translation)
- Personal Statement
- a detailed personal statement explaining your motivation for this particular programme
- Reference x 2
- two reference letters, one of which should be from your university discussing your academic ability. If you have been out of education for a long time you may wish to use your current or most recent employers, or other professional individuals
Careers
This programme is aimed at training highly qualified specialists for careers in the international business and finance sector or in government or the non-government (NGO) organisations, where an understanding of global flows of labour, trade and finance, and the global distribution of wealth and poverty they engender, is required. Graduates are well-equipped for diverse paths in the global marketplace, a research career, or continued studies at PhD level.
Career Opportunities
- Business Consultant
- Civil Servant
- Energy Finance Consultant
- Financial Manager
- Government Official
- International Business and Organisations
- Market Researcher
Accreditation
The Business School is EQUIS accredited, placing it among a select group of globally recognised institutions. Out of over 15,000 business schools worldwide, less than 300 schools across 45 countries have attained this distinction.
Our Experts
- Programme Coordinator
- Prof John Bone
Information About Staff Changes
You will be taught by a range of experts including professors, lecturers, teaching fellows and postgraduate tutors. However, these may be subject to change - see our Student Terms and Conditions page.
World Class Facilities
The University of Aberdeen, established in 1495, is Scotland’s third oldest and the UK’s fifth oldest University. The university’s ancient campus reflects its long-standing academic tradition, with historic buildings such as King's College, which dates back to the 15th century. This blend of ancient architecture and modern facilities creates a unique atmosphere where students can experience the best of both tradition and innovation.
Get in Touch
Contact Details
- Address
-
Student Recruitment & Admissions
University of Aberdeen
University Office
Regent Walk
Aberdeen
AB24 3FX