MSc Finance 12 months Postgraduate Program By Heriot-Watt University |Top Universities
Program Duration

12 monthsProgram duration

Tuitionfee

20,376 GBPTuition Fee/year

Scholarship

YesScholarships

Main Subject Area

FinanceMain Subject Area

Program overview

Main Subject

Finance

Degree

MSc

Study Level

Masters

Study Mode

On Campus

Overview

The MSc Finance gives you the opportunity to develop specialist expertise across the discipline to enable you to proceed to professional and managerial careers in finance, both in business and the public sector.  


Throughout this master's programme, you’ll gain relevant skills and knowledge, making you highly sought-after upon graduation, and giving you access to employment and further education and research opportunities.   


During this degree, you’ll develop a systematic understanding and knowledge in the area of finance. You’ll acquire a critical awareness of current issues in both the academic discipline and professional practice. You’ll learn to understand and evaluate a comprehensive range of research techniques used in the area of finance, and how these are put into practice, in order to create and interpret knowledge. Throughout the programme, you’ll develop critical thinking and analyses, as you evaluate relevant academic research, professional research and pronouncements and financial media articles.   


You’ll learn the core theories and concepts in finance; understand and use a range of analytical techniques, including the analysis of a company’s financial statements or the application of models to value financial assets; evaluate methods of empirical research and findings; and develop practical knowledge of financial markets and institutions, and financial decisions within companies. On top of the core learnings. you’ll have the opportunity to choose an optional course to customise your learning and develop your specific subject interests. Your Finance dissertation will allow you to build upon your subject interest, by carrying out an original research project at the forefront of knowledge.  


The programme is designed to provide the knowledge base and the analytical and research skills necessary for employment or doctoral study in finance. You’ll also develop key transferable skills, including teamwork, communication and presentation skills to prepare you for lifelong learning and personal development in the financial services sector.   


As Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University is situated on the edge of Edinburgh, you’ll have excellent links to the financial sector of Scotland’s capital city, and the UK’s second-biggest financial and economic hub. Edinburgh is a major centre for fund management and is home to two of the world’s largest banks. You’ll also benefit from our close ties to the London Stock Exchange and Bloomberg, which can provide you with excellent industry-focused learning opportunities.   


Expertise

Your learning will be informed by the expertise of our research-active academics whose work covers four key areas:  

  • Employment, Work and the Professions  
  • Logistics and Sustainability  
  • Networks and Enterprise Excellence  
  • Social and Economic Data Analysis  

Your learning environment

The MSc Finance programme is taught through a combination of lectures and tutorials, allowing you to get to know and build relationships with the teaching staff and academics. You will be assessed by coursework, exams, and your dissertation, and will receive support and feedback throughout the programme.   


During your studies, you’ll benefit from and have access to our state-of-the-art facilities, including our professional-standard Bloomberg Trading Room with 12 Bloomberg Terminals to enhance your employability with data skills. These Terminals are equipped with industry-standard software that provides live financial data and trading tools to the world’s leading banks and corporations.   


Outside of the classroom, you can join Heriot-Watt’s Business Society which holds regular social events and provides networking opportunities and insights into career prospects in Economics, Business, Finance, and other relevant industries.


Customise your learning

You’ll learn seven core courses and can focus on the area of finance that interests you the most by choosing an optional course from: Emerging Financial Markets; Coding for Social Science Applications in Python; and Advanced Valuation of Financial Markets. This gives you the opportunity to customise your degree to match your specific interests or career pathway by selecting a specialist course option.   


In semester three, you’ll explore in-depth your chosen area of Finance through your dissertation. You will be required to demonstrate your mastery of the subject area by developing new insight from the analysis of valuable primary research.  


You can choose whether to study the programme full-time, part-time, or by course. This flexibility allows you to fit your postgraduate studies around your lifestyle. You can begin the programme either in January or September, based on your availability, and the full-time course will last 12 months full-time or 24 months part-time. If you decide to study part-time, you register for two courses per semester and progress to the dissertation at the end of your second year.   


You may have the opportunity to Go Global on our Inter-Campus Transfer. Opportunities for postgraduate study abroad are assessed on a case-by-case basis and if you are interested in studying at our Dubai campus or Malaysia campus for a semester or longer, you should contact the Go Global Team.   


Industry

We work closely with the industry to ensure our course content is up-to-date and reflects the current and emerging needs of the industry and employers. You’ll gain the right blend of knowledge, practical skills, and soft skills to set you up for life after graduation.   

Heriot-Watt University is named Bloomberg Experiential Learning Partner (ELP), a programme designed by Bloomberg to recognise universities that are leaders in experiential learning.   

The Bloomberg Trading Room at Heriot-Watt University is unique in Scotland and enables:  

  • Performance comparison between different companies or industries using financial reports, company valuations, company news/portfolios, and key changes/trends  
  • Supply chain analysis through a company's supply chain relationships that include suppliers, customers and competitors. This enables managers to refine their supply chain strategy 
  • Market share analysis by providing key industry data, interactive charting and commentary by Bloomberg industry experts.  It also provides industry fundamental statistics, market share and other key industry-specific metrics (retailers, airlines, and global auto manufacturing)  
  • Strategic portfolio analysis through creating portfolios against market positions, allocation of assets and performance attribution analysis 
  • Accounting and financial analysis by providing the financial history of companies and indices including current and historical income statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements, and ratio analysis

Program overview

Main Subject

Finance

Degree

MSc

Study Level

Masters

Study Mode

On Campus

Overview

The MSc Finance gives you the opportunity to develop specialist expertise across the discipline to enable you to proceed to professional and managerial careers in finance, both in business and the public sector.  


Throughout this master's programme, you’ll gain relevant skills and knowledge, making you highly sought-after upon graduation, and giving you access to employment and further education and research opportunities.   


During this degree, you’ll develop a systematic understanding and knowledge in the area of finance. You’ll acquire a critical awareness of current issues in both the academic discipline and professional practice. You’ll learn to understand and evaluate a comprehensive range of research techniques used in the area of finance, and how these are put into practice, in order to create and interpret knowledge. Throughout the programme, you’ll develop critical thinking and analyses, as you evaluate relevant academic research, professional research and pronouncements and financial media articles.   


You’ll learn the core theories and concepts in finance; understand and use a range of analytical techniques, including the analysis of a company’s financial statements or the application of models to value financial assets; evaluate methods of empirical research and findings; and develop practical knowledge of financial markets and institutions, and financial decisions within companies. On top of the core learnings. you’ll have the opportunity to choose an optional course to customise your learning and develop your specific subject interests. Your Finance dissertation will allow you to build upon your subject interest, by carrying out an original research project at the forefront of knowledge.  


The programme is designed to provide the knowledge base and the analytical and research skills necessary for employment or doctoral study in finance. You’ll also develop key transferable skills, including teamwork, communication and presentation skills to prepare you for lifelong learning and personal development in the financial services sector.   


As Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University is situated on the edge of Edinburgh, you’ll have excellent links to the financial sector of Scotland’s capital city, and the UK’s second-biggest financial and economic hub. Edinburgh is a major centre for fund management and is home to two of the world’s largest banks. You’ll also benefit from our close ties to the London Stock Exchange and Bloomberg, which can provide you with excellent industry-focused learning opportunities.   


Expertise

Your learning will be informed by the expertise of our research-active academics whose work covers four key areas:  

  • Employment, Work and the Professions  
  • Logistics and Sustainability  
  • Networks and Enterprise Excellence  
  • Social and Economic Data Analysis  

Your learning environment

The MSc Finance programme is taught through a combination of lectures and tutorials, allowing you to get to know and build relationships with the teaching staff and academics. You will be assessed by coursework, exams, and your dissertation, and will receive support and feedback throughout the programme.   


During your studies, you’ll benefit from and have access to our state-of-the-art facilities, including our professional-standard Bloomberg Trading Room with 12 Bloomberg Terminals to enhance your employability with data skills. These Terminals are equipped with industry-standard software that provides live financial data and trading tools to the world’s leading banks and corporations.   


Outside of the classroom, you can join Heriot-Watt’s Business Society which holds regular social events and provides networking opportunities and insights into career prospects in Economics, Business, Finance, and other relevant industries.


Customise your learning

You’ll learn seven core courses and can focus on the area of finance that interests you the most by choosing an optional course from: Emerging Financial Markets; Coding for Social Science Applications in Python; and Advanced Valuation of Financial Markets. This gives you the opportunity to customise your degree to match your specific interests or career pathway by selecting a specialist course option.   


In semester three, you’ll explore in-depth your chosen area of Finance through your dissertation. You will be required to demonstrate your mastery of the subject area by developing new insight from the analysis of valuable primary research.  


You can choose whether to study the programme full-time, part-time, or by course. This flexibility allows you to fit your postgraduate studies around your lifestyle. You can begin the programme either in January or September, based on your availability, and the full-time course will last 12 months full-time or 24 months part-time. If you decide to study part-time, you register for two courses per semester and progress to the dissertation at the end of your second year.   


You may have the opportunity to Go Global on our Inter-Campus Transfer. Opportunities for postgraduate study abroad are assessed on a case-by-case basis and if you are interested in studying at our Dubai campus or Malaysia campus for a semester or longer, you should contact the Go Global Team.   


Industry

We work closely with the industry to ensure our course content is up-to-date and reflects the current and emerging needs of the industry and employers. You’ll gain the right blend of knowledge, practical skills, and soft skills to set you up for life after graduation.   

Heriot-Watt University is named Bloomberg Experiential Learning Partner (ELP), a programme designed by Bloomberg to recognise universities that are leaders in experiential learning.   

The Bloomberg Trading Room at Heriot-Watt University is unique in Scotland and enables:  

  • Performance comparison between different companies or industries using financial reports, company valuations, company news/portfolios, and key changes/trends  
  • Supply chain analysis through a company's supply chain relationships that include suppliers, customers and competitors. This enables managers to refine their supply chain strategy 
  • Market share analysis by providing key industry data, interactive charting and commentary by Bloomberg industry experts.  It also provides industry fundamental statistics, market share and other key industry-specific metrics (retailers, airlines, and global auto manufacturing)  
  • Strategic portfolio analysis through creating portfolios against market positions, allocation of assets and performance attribution analysis 
  • Accounting and financial analysis by providing the financial history of companies and indices including current and historical income statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements, and ratio analysis

Admission requirements

6.5+
2.7+
  • A good Honours degree (first or second class), or its non-UK equivalent, in a relevant subject from a recognised British or overseas university.
  • Work or project experience in the area of finance will be of further advantage.
1 Year
Sep
Jan

Tuition fee and scholarships

Domestic Students

9,152 GBP
-

International Students

20,376 GBP
-

One of the important factors when considering a master's degree is the cost of study. Luckily, there are many options available to help students fund their master's programme. Download your copy of the Scholarship Guide to find out which scholarships from around the world could be available to you, and how to apply for them.

In this guide you will find:
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How to apply to scholarships relevant to you

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A list of available scholarships around the world

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More programs from the university

From top 10 rankings to opportunities to study abroad, there are many reasons to choose Heriot-Watt.  Here are just a few of them.

A rich heritage
We are proud that since our foundation in 1821 we have been outward-looking pioneers of education, in pursuit of knowledge to the benefit of society and the world.

Become a global student
Heriot-Watt provides you with the opportunity to become a global student both at our UK campuses and internationally. On our Edinburgh Campus you’ll find that about one-third of our students are from countries outside the UK, bringing a real international flavour to our community. This mix of people provides a great opportunity to learn about other cultures and build friendships that stretch across the globe.

We also encourage students to take part in our global student programme, Go Global, by participating in an Inter-Campus Transfer, Exchange or Erasmus+ for a semester or year of their degree.

A world-class reputation
We are world-renowned for excellence in teaching and research. We are ranked 235th in the world and 32nd in the UK (QS World University Rankings 2024), and almost 90% of our research outputs are classed as world-leading and internationally excellent (REF 2021). View our rankings.

Strong links to business and industry
Our taught programmes and research are informed by the needs of business and industry. We actively facilitate collaborations and partnerships, building strategic alliances and promoting knowledge transfer.

Globally employable graduates
Global companies actively seek out our graduates as they are work-ready. Our programmes are designed to ensure that students receive a relevant, careerorientated education. As a result, more than 95% are in employment or further study six months after completing their programme.

Worldwide network
When you join Heriot-Watt you become part of a global family. We have around 123,000 alumni worldwide. The Watt Club was founded in 1854 and is the oldest graduate club in the UK. Lifetime membership is automatic upon graduation from Heriot-Watt and is free to all graduates of the University.

Heriot-Watt is one of the world’s leading universities with strong links to international business and industry driven by our established reputation as a top research-led institution. Heriot-Watt is world-renowned for conducting ground-breaking research which is relevant to business and industry. We aim to find radical innovations and solutions to real world challenges for the benefit of society.

We offer over 180 Postgraduate courses that will provide you with the knowledge to solve real world challenges. There are around 2,400 postgraduate students studying at our Edinburgh Campus. It is a friendly, welcoming place, where you will have the opportunity to meet with students from all over the world.

Heriot-Watt is regarded as a top UK university across a range of subject areas. The QS World’s University Rankings ranked Heriot-Watt 302nd in the world, 39th in the UK and 7th in Scotland. 

The international outlook of our university has been ranked 37th in the world, 13th in the UK and 3rd in Scotland by Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2019.  This is based on the percentage of the university's international staff, the level of international co-authorship of academic papers and the percentage of international students studying with the university.  The Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide named Heriot-Watt University ‘International University of the Year 2018’.

REF 2014 named Heriot-Watt in the top 25% of UK universities, with 82% of our research ranked as world-leading or internationally excellent. We ranked 9th university in the UK and 1st in Scotland for research impact. View our rankings.

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