Economics and Finance MSc — 2027 entry

The financial services sector is a crucial part of the modern economy. It employs more than one million people in the UK alone. Financial professionals need to develop an in-depth knowledge of both economics and financial markets to solve complex problems. This masters will place you in a strong position to be a major player in the financial industry.

Key course information

Typical offer
2:2 minimum
Start date
September 2027
Attendance
Full-time
Duration
1 year
Scholarships
Funding available
UK fees
拢11,800
Overseas fees
拢22,800

Why choose this course?

  • Our MSc in Economics and Finance will engage you with a transformative curriculum that promotes advanced knowledge in both subjects and offers many opportunities to develop skills that are relevant to the modern world.
  • Build the advanced analytical expertise and critical thinking skills to succeed in finance, economics and a wide range of global careers. Graduates of this programme are also well placed to pursue further study in economics and/or finance.
  • Graduates of our economics postgraduate courses are highly successful in securing quality jobs. Recent economics graduates have gone on to work with well-known employers, such as KPMG, Barclays, Wood Mackenzie, Capital Economics, Aviva Investors and Lloyds Banking Group.
  • This masters degree is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), fast-tracking your career by giving you exemption from some professional examinations.
  • We鈥檙e preparing you for the future by integrating AI into every course, building digital skills, confidence and creativity that employers value in tomorrow鈥檚 workplace.
Find out more information

Statistics

Top 10 in UK

Economics achieved an overall ranking of 6th鈥痜or real-world impact, 8th鈥痜or research environment and 10th for world-leading research in REF 2021*

14th in the UK

And 100th in the world for business and economics in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2026

Accreditation

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Course details

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What you will study

As a student on this programme, you will gain exposure to advanced economic concepts while mastering the complexities of the financial system. In the first semester you will develop a systematic understanding of the core principles in high-level microeconomics, macroeconomics, econometrics, and finance.

The second semester offers great optionality that will allow you to shape your programme according to your strengths, preferences and/or career aspirations. Several aspects of finance are covered together with opportunities to enhance your econometric modelling skills or explore aspects of economics at more depth.

The MSc Economics and Finance programme features a series of lectures and workshops in research methods that will allow you to build the skills you need to carry out independent research in economics/finance and complete your dissertation in the summer.

Professional recognition

MSc - Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) for the purpose of exemption from some professional examinations through the Accredited degree accelerated route.

Facilities

The University provides our students with leading facilities, including our recently renovated Library and Learning Centre and a range of computer labs across campus.

For students on this course, a designated computer lab is available. You will have access to specialist software and have the chance to work and learn together with your peers in a vibrant research-focused environment.

Course structure

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The structure of our programmes follows clear educational aims that are tailored to each programme. These are all outlined in the which include further details such as the learning outcomes:

Modules

Modules listed are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Modules are subject to teaching availability, student demand, and/or class size caps.

The University operates a credit framework for all taught courses based on a 15-credit tariff, meaning all modules are comprised of multiples of 15 credits.

Please note that modules are listed by the academic calendar and are reflective of a September start date. For students that start a programme in February, the modules listed as semester two will take place in the spring term and modules listed as semester one will take place in the autumn term.

Course options

Year 1

Semester 1

Compulsory

MICROECONOMICS

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This module provides an in-depth introduction to the building blocks of graduate-level microeconomics. It introduces students to the modelling of economic behavior under certainty and uncertainty and the interplay among economic agents in markets.

MACROECONOMICS

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This module provides an in-depth review of the building blocks of macroeconomic theories and introduces macroeconomic datasets at the graduate level. 

ECONOMETRICS 1

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This module is an introduction to the methods of specification, estimation and testing of econometric models in a general multivariate setting. The techniques are applied to real data making use of the econometric packages.

PRINCIPLES OF FINANCE AND INVESTMENT

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The module provides the theoretical underpinnings of our MSc Accounting and Finance programme. It introduces the pivotal concepts which form the basis of theoretical finance under three broad headings; Portfolio Theory and Practice, Equilibrium in Capital Markets and Introductory Analysis of Asset Classes. Core concepts include the relationship between risk and return, the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) and the Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) but the module also extends this analysis into new theoretical areas such as Behavioural Finance.

Semester 2

Optional

ECONOMETRICS 2

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This module introduces students to microeconometric models for limited dependent variables, panel data methods, and causal inference techniques. A strong emphasis is placed on the empirical applications of these techniques and their intuition.

DERIVATIVES SECURITIES

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This module is targeted at students interested in understanding the pricing of derivative securities, specifically options. Applications are used to reinforce a rigorous development of arbitrage theory that underpins the pricing of derivative securities.

CORPORATE FINANCE

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This module further develops finance for students interested in corporate finance. The module is to demonstrate the link between those various decisions and areas. In particular, we will explore how the firm鈥檚 financing, investment, capital structure and payout policies interact with each other and how those decisions have implications for corporate bankruptcy and takeovers.

RISK MANAGEMENT

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Risk management focuses on the following types of financial risk that arise for a business: market risk, credit risk and liquidity risk. A brief introduction to non-financial risks is also given, but is not the main focus. This module considers financial risk management strategies; how risk is evaluated; the methods that are available to hedge against risk and the strategies that are employed to mitigate risk. This is complemented by consideration of key risk management issues for financial institutions including bank capital adequacy. The lessons to be learned from the Financial Crisis of 2007-08 are also investigated. Understanding risk and how to identify and deal with it provides a key input for students of finance, accounting or banking.

THEORY AND APPLICATIONS IN FINANCE

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This module introduces the core building blocks of modern finance theory and examines how financial markets operate in practice. It explores the functioning of capital markets, options markets, and foreign exchange markets, and covers key topics including investor behaviour, asset pricing, and financial trading. The module emphasises the application of financial models to interpret market outcomes and understand the mechanisms that drive prices and trading in global financial markets.

FIRMS AND MARKETS

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This module looks at the firm and the industrial environment in which it operates. It asks why the firm exists and how it chooses to organise itself, before considering some of the factors that affect its performance and how these are related to the market structure in which it operates. An important influence on the firm is the structure of the market in which the firm works. This will affect the products and the process that the firm selects and the profits it earns. At the same time, of course, the firm may take actions that affect this market structure to its advantage. Thus, we want to ask how the firm驴s performance is affected by the market it is in. This has important competition and industrial policy implications.

INTERNATIONAL FINANCE

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The course is mainly aimed at reviewing modern theories of international finance, with special reference to developing economies. This module starts with micro foundation of macroeconomics, that is, intertemporal optimization. Then it exposes students fundamental topics of international finances such as risk sharing, exchange rate, and currency crises. It also emphasizes the importance of empirical analysis with recent econometric methods.

MACHINE LEARNING METHODS AND BIG DATA

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The module equips students with the recent machine and statistical learning toolkit for modern empirical economics and quantitative finance analysis. It is practical in orientation and rigorous in execution, developing the professional competence to implement state-of-the-art methods, interpret their output critically, and communicate findings to both technical and non-technical audiences - skills of direct relevance to careers in asset management, central banking, economic consultancy, and policy institutions.The core techniques are introduced in sequence, each grounded in statistical theory and connected to professional practice.  For instance, students will study dimension reduction, encompassing regularisation methods such as ridge regression, the LASSO, the elastic net, and factor models. They will learn how these tools are used in asset management to select pricing factors and in central banks and forecasting institutions to handle large macroeconomic datasets. Students will study tree-based ensemble methods, including random forests and gradient boosting, and learn how they are applied in credit risk departments,  quantitative hedge funds, and policy research to capture non-linear relationships that standard econometric models miss. Students will also study kernel methods, including support vector machines and generalised additive models, and learn how these are used wherever an economic relationship requires a flexible, interpretable specification that does not impose an arbitrary functional form. Finally, students will study rigorous model evaluation - cross-validation, multiple-testing corrections, and model confidence sets - and understand why these procedures are a professional requirement in any setting where analytical findings inform decisions.Throughout, statistical foundations are developed carefully alongside applications, so that students understand not only how to use each method but when it will fail and at what cost.

Semester 1 & 2

Compulsory

RESEARCH METHODS

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This module provides an overview of research methods employed in economics, laying the foundations for the dissertation, and guides students on how to carry out independent research.

Module selection for Year 1 (full-time) - FHEQ Level 7

Students must select two modules from ECOM043, ECOM071, ECOM075, ECOM079; and two modules from ECOM070, MANM137, MANM199 and MANM279.

General course information

Contact hours

Contact hours can vary across our modules. Full details of the contact hours for each module are available from the 黑料社's module catalogue. See the modules section for more information.

Timetable

New students will receive their personalised timetable during Welcome Week. In later semesters, at least one week before the start of the semester.

Scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week (Monday 鈥� Friday), with part-time classes normally scheduled for one or two days. Wednesday afternoons tend to be for sports and cultural activities.

View our code of practice for the scheduling of teaching and assessment (PDF) for more information.

Location

This course is based at Stag Hill campus. Stag Hill is the University's main campus and where the majority of our courses are taught. 

Career opportunities

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We offer careers information, advice and guidance to all students whilst studying with us, which is extended to our alumni for three years after leaving the University.

Some of our masters graduates have recently embarked on careers in roles such as:

  • Financial analysts
  • Economists
  • Audit managers
  • Consultants
  • Economic advisors
  • Regulatory advisors.

Others have gone on to study towards PhDs at 黑料社 and in other top schools.

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Entry requirements

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UK qualifications

A minimum of a 2:2 UK honours degree in accounting, business, chemistry, computer science, economics, engineering, finance, mathematics, physics or statistics.

Alternatively, another degree subject including 60 per cent (UK or equivalent) in macroeconomics and microeconomics and 60 per cent (UK or equivalent) in one module from algebra, calculus, mathematics, probability, quantitative methods or statistics.

Applicants not meeting the above requirements but have substantial work experience in the field of their desired specialisation will also be considered.

Country-specific qualifications

International students in the United Kingdom

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English language requirements

IELTS Academic: 6.5 overall with 6.0 in each element.

These are the English language qualifications and levels that we can accept.

If you do not currently meet the level required for your programme, we offer intensive pre-sessional English language courses, designed to take you to the level of English ability and skill required for your studies here.


Credit Transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning

We recognise that many students enter their course with valuable knowledge and skills developed through a range of ways.

If this applies to you, the recognition of prior learning process may mean you can join a course without the formal entry requirements, or at a point appropriate to your previous learning and experience.

There are restrictions on some courses, and fees may be payable for certain claims. Please with any queries.

Fees and funding

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Fees per year

Explore  website for more information if you are unsure whether you are a UK or overseas student. View the list of fees for all postgraduate courses.

Fee options

UK
拢11,800
Overseas
拢22,800
UK
拢5,900
Overseas
拢11,400
  • Fees for part-time routes are applicable in each year of the course
  • These fees apply to the academic year 2027-28 only. Fees are reviewed annually, and tuition fees may increase for courses running over more than one year.

Read our tuition fees guidance to find out more about payment schedules and how to pay.

Additional costs

  • From 拢35/拢75 + VAT - STATA software licence (6 or 12 months)
  • From 拢35 - Eviews student software license for 6 months (free lite version available).

Total: 拢70 - 110.

Find out more about additional costs that may be incurred during your time at 黑料社.

Funding

You may be able to borrow money to help pay your tuition fees and support you with your living costs. Find out more about postgraduate student finance.

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Apply

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Apply online

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  1. Select your course

    Choose the course option you wish to apply for.

  2. Sign in

    Create an account and sign into our application portal.

Apply options

UK applications

Economics and Finance MSc

Full-time, 12 months, September 2027

UK status

UK applications:
open
Closing date:
Tuesday 31 August 2027
Select

Please note that we may have to close applications before the stated deadline if we receive a high volume of suitable applications. We advise you to submit your application as soon as it is ready.

Overseas applications

Economics and Finance MSc

Full-time, 12 months, September 2027

UK status

Overseas applications:
open
Closing date:
Friday 23 July 2027
Select

Please note that we may have to close applications before the stated deadline if we receive a high volume of suitable applications. We advise you to submit your application as soon as it is ready.

UK applications

Economics and Finance MSc

Part-time, 24 months, September 2027

UK status

UK applications:
open
Closing date:
Tuesday 31 August 2027
Select

Please note that we may have to close applications before the stated deadline if we receive a high volume of suitable applications. We advise you to submit your application as soon as it is ready.

Overseas applications

Economics and Finance MSc

Part-time, 24 months, September 2027

UK status

Overseas applications:
open
Closing date:
Friday 23 July 2027
Select

Please note that we may have to close applications before the stated deadline if we receive a high volume of suitable applications. We advise you to submit your application as soon as it is ready.

Admissions information

Once you apply, you can expect to hear back from us within 14 days. This might be with a decision on your application or with a request for further information.

Our code of practice for postgraduate taught admissions explains how the Admissions team considers applications and admits students. Read our postgraduate applicant guidance for more information on applying.

Need more information?

Contact our Admissions team or talk to a current 黑料社 student online.

Terms and conditions

When you accept an offer to study at the 黑料社, you will be agreeing to follow our policies and procedures, student regulations, and terms and conditions.

We provide these terms and conditions at the offer stage. You will be asked to accept these when you accept the offer made to you. You will be provided with these terms and conditions again at registration by way of reminder.

Disclaimer

This online prospectus has been published in advance of the academic year to which it applies.

Whilst we have done everything possible to ensure this information is accurate; some changes may happen between publishing and the start of the course.