Finance and Investment Management (with CFA Level 1 Examination), MScEcon

Finance and Investment Management (with CFA Level 1 Examination), MScEcon

Introduction

The Finance and Investment Management MSc provides a thorough grounding in this major growth area, enhancing your skills and expertise, and your appeal to employers. You will benefit from our world-leading facilities, including access to our trading platform, and gain hands-on practical experience to support an in-depth understanding of finance.

Study Information

Study Options

Learning Mode
On Campus Learning
Degree Qualification
MScEcon
Duration
12 months
Study Mode
Full Time
Start Month
September or January
Location of Study
Aberdeen

This programme covers a comprehensive mix of the theoretical and practical aspects of finance and investment for both early career finance professionals and those keen to enter a finance profession. You’ll acquire significant theoretical and practical knowledge in a wide range of finance disciplines. The course will equip you with a solid background in finance, enhanced quantitative and analytical skills, and a strong understanding of financial modelling and investment decisions.

Our MSc is founded on years of financial and investment expertise within the Business School. It offers an excellent combination of academic rigour and specialist skills and runs in parallel with the globally recognised qualification CFA Level 1, so you’ll have the opportunity to take this leading professional qualification as part of the MSc. We are also home to a Bloomberg trading room which streams up-to-the-minute data, to enable would-be traders and fund managers to 'practice' investing. This is a hands-on opportunity for you to react instantly to live news feeds and gain practical skills required to work productively in the global financial sector before graduation.

Available Programmes of Study

MScEcon

Finance and Investment Management (with CFA Level 1 Examination)

Qualification Duration Learning Mode Study Mode Start Month Location  
MScEcon 12 months On Campus Learning Full Time September Aberdeen More

Programme Fees

Fee information
Fee category Cost
UK £15,700
Tuition Fees for 2024/25 Academic Year Students are also required to pay a CFA exam fee, which is not included in the tuition fee. CFA regulations require students to pay this directly to CFA. CFA fees are available at this website, and will change each year. https://www.cfainstitute.org/programs/cfa/exam/fees
EU / International students £27,000
Tuition Fees for 2024/25 Academic Year Students are also required to pay a CFA exam fee, which is not included in the tuition fee. CFA regulations require students to pay this directly to CFA. CFA fees are available at this website, and will change each year. https://www.cfainstitute.org/programs/cfa/exam/fees

Stage 1

PD5006 Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen

Compulsory Courses

Quantitative Methods (BU5025)

15 Credit Points

This course develops a mathematical and statistical ‘toolbox’ for PGT students in the Business School. These tools will be useful in understanding and implementing research in business- and economics-related fields both during a student’s academic career as well as after graduation. The first part of the course covers basic mathematical models common across these fields. The second part of the course develops standard data analysis methods, including multivariate regression. The final part of the course examines shortcomings in the standard model and describes ways of overcoming those shortcomings.

Accounting (BU5031)

15 Credit Points

Students will gain an understanding of what financial information is for and how it is controlled by government, the stock exchanges and other institutions. Students will explore financial accounting assumptions and conventions. They will develop their technical knowledge and skills to enable them to record business transactions and prepare financial statements. Finally, students will be introduced to financial statement analysis and the calculation of key metrics. This will allow them to explore how accounting information is used by stock market participants and the impact on users of current developments and issues in accounting practice, governance and standards.

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.

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.

Stage 2

Compulsory Courses

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.

Empirical Methods in Finance Research (BU5565)

15 Credit Points

This course aims to provide students with the quantitative skills to undertake extended investigation of financial data and assist in financial decision making. It introduces various standard time series techniques such as univariate and multivariate time series modelling, unit root tests, and volatility modelling. Particularly emphasis is on intuitive discussions of the methods, and practical examples and applications are also included.

Financial Analysis and Markets (BU5575)

15 Credit Points

Like football, this course is a game of two halves. The first half is financial analysis and builds your ability to analyse companies and think about the implications of financial performance for investors. We will be using Datastream and Bloomberg software. In the second half we will think about how stock markets work and how they are regulated.

Optional Courses

BU5849 Professional Finance (15 credit points)* Compulsory for CFA Route
Or
BU5848 Studies in Finance (15 credit points)* Compulsory for non-CFA Route

Stage 3

Compulsory Courses

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!

MScEcon 12 months On Campus Learning Full Time January Aberdeen More

Fees for individual programmes can be viewed in the Programme(s) above.

We will endeavour to make all course options available; however, these may be subject to timetabling and other constraints. Please see our InfoHub pages for further information.

Fee Information

Additional Fee Information

  • Fees for individual programmes can be viewed in the Programmes section above.
  • In exceptional circumstances there may be additional fees associated with specialist courses, for example field trips. Any additional fees for a course can be found in our Catalogue of Courses.
  • For more information about tuition fees for this programme, including payment plans and our refund policy, please visit our InfoHub Tuition Fees page.

Funding Opportunities

The University of Aberdeen provides an Alumni Discount Scheme:

The University of Aberdeen is very pleased to offer a 20% discount on postgraduate tuition fees for all alumni who have graduated with a degree from the University of Aberdeen. More Information can be found here.

Scholarships

Eligible self-funded international Masters students will receive the Aberdeen Global Scholarship. Visit our Funding Database to find out more and see our full range of scholarships.

How You'll Study

This programme combines the expertise of the University’s Business School with the professional insights of finance practitioners from the city. You will learn through a stimulating mixture of traditional lectures, tutorials, projects, research and seminars, and assessments will include essays, exams and a summer dissertation.

Learning Methods

  • Group Projects
  • Individual Projects
  • Research
  • Seminars
  • Tutorials

Assessment Methods

The programme assesses the competency and skills that you will need in the financial world in a number of ways. You will give individual and group presentations, prepare reports, sit traditional exams, write academic essays and complete the Dissertation over the summer period.

Why Study Finance and Investment Management (with CFA Level 1 Examination)?

With a highly practical approach to learning, topics cover a wide range of finance discipline areas, such as Corporate Finance, Portfolio Management, Empirical Methods in Financial Research, Economic Analysis, and Accounting and Financial Reporting. This course will help you to:

• Expand your knowledge of financial modelling and investment decisions


• Employ advanced analytical tools and quantitative techniques relevant to the financial world
• Ranked 7th in the UK for Accounting and Finance in the Guardian University Guide 2023
• Experience world-leading facilities with access to our trading platform
• Develop a well-rounded skillset to enhance your career

Entry Requirements

Qualifications

The information below is provided as a guide only and does not guarantee entry to the University of Aberdeen.

This programme is open to graduates from any discipline, and does not require business or management study to be completed at undergraduate level.

Our minimum entry requirement for this programme is a degree at 2:2 (lower second class) UK Honours level (or a degree from a non-UK institution which is judged by the University to be of equivalent worth).

Please enter your country to view country-specific 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 - 6.0; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0

TOEFL iBT:

OVERALL - 90 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 21; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21

PTE Academic:

OVERALL - 62 with: Listening - 59; Reading - 59; Speaking - 59; Writing - 59

Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency:

OVERALL - 176 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 169; 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 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

Careers

Finance graduates are in high demand worldwide and careers with a top finance qualification are diverse and often lucrative. Graduates of this programme typically aim for positions in the global corporate and financial sector as business analysts, asset managers, traders, brokers, hedge fund or investment advisors, credit controllers, treasurers, bankers, market specialist or accountants.

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, only around 200 schools across 45 countries have attained this distinction.

This degree holds accreditation from

Your Insight Leads to Investment Opportunity

We have professional trading platforms in house so that you can grow your knowledge and professional and academic qualifications in the investment world.

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1st in the UK for Business Studies

Our results speak for themselves, ranked 1st in the UK for Business Studies in the National Student Survey 2023.

What our Alumni Say

Michael Melluso

Michael Melluso

Michael Melluso

Graduated 2017

I think the CFA level 1 class adds a critical professional component to the course and has given me an extremely strong basis on which to base my career.

Our Experts

Programme Leader
Fotios Papadimitriou

Information About Staff Changes

You will be taught by a range of experts including professors, lecturers, teaching fellows and postgraduate tutors. Staff changes will occur from time to time; please see our InfoHub pages for further information.

World Class Facilities

  • 24 hour access to our online Learning Support provided via our Virtual Learning environment MyAberdeen.
  • Membership of the University Library, learning materials including access to core text books.
  • Access to international networking and continuing professional development.
  • Join our business societies such as the Entrepreneurial Society.
  • Access to the Internet.
  • Access to all campus facilities.
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Sir Duncan Rice Library

Sir Duncan Rice Library

The University’s award winning Sir Duncan Rice Library is listed in the “Top 20 spellbinding University libraries in the World”. It contains over a million volumes, more than 300,000 e-books and 21,000 journals.

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Get in Touch

Contact Details

Address
Business School
University of Aberdeen
MacRobert Building
King Street
Aberdeen
AB24 3FX