Studying with us in 2021/22
It is possible that the 2021/22 academic year may be affected by the ongoing disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Any arrangements put in place by the University for the 2021/22 academic year will be in accordance with the latest government public health advice, pandemic-related/health and safety legislation, and the terms and conditions of the student contract.
With an array of contradictory information, the financial world and the capital markets specialists provide critical and innovative analysis of business and financial data to make short and long-term financial decisions.
Thus at postgraduate level the study must be integrative, blending economic, mathematical and financial theory with analytical approaches to solve complex problems and implement solutions. Finance must also be treated as international in context to ensure its relevance in the global economy. Our MSc Finance will provide you a career in the finance industry or a finance- related role more broadly such as business, major international organisation or government.
The MSc Finance degree at Birmingham City University represents an ideal choice if you wish to pursue a career in financial institutions, private equity or corporate financial management. The course is designed to ensure you gain a well-balanced understanding of modern finance theories and apply your knowledge to practical case studies throughout your learning journey. You will gain a strong command of analytical techniques, computing and research methods for problem solving and develop confidence in the use and presentation of finance arguments in your professional role.The course will give you the core knowledge, skills and confidence necessary to sift through diverse and often complex information, derived nationally and internationally, to make key decisions.
For our MSc Finance degree, you will have the opportunity to take the Professional Placement version of the course, which is offered as an alternative to the standard version of the course.
This will allow you to complete a credit bearing, 20 week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability and transferable skills. The placement experience will allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market.
You will be responsible for finding and securing your own placement. The University, however, will draw on its extensive network of local, regional and national employers to support you in finding a suitable placement to complement your chosen area of study, with support from our Careers+ team as well as advice and guidance from your School.
Please note that placements will only be confirmed following a competitive, employer-led selection process, therefore the University will not be able to guarantee placements for students who have registered for the ‘with Professional Placement’ course.
For full details, please click here.
In the first stage, you will focus on examining the role of risk management in investment decisions and the need for ethical and regulatory frameworks governing finance. You will also focus on developing a deeper and systematic understanding on how corporate and financial markets work around the world.
During the second stage, you will acquire the quantitative skills to analyse and interpret data. You will have a solid understanding on advanced financial strategy and the applications. The necessary analytical, quantitative, communication, and information technology skills will be developed in a process that is expected to enable you to apply those skills in real-life situations by modelling economic relations, and by interpreting finance theories, decisions and business behaviour.
The final core Research Skills and Dissertation module will strengthen your research skills and apply your developed analytical and numeracy skills, and contribute to providing efficient and effective solutions to business problems.
To help you develop the skills that leading employers ask for, and let you see how traders work, we can access Thomson Reuters Eikon in our iCITY Trading room. Moreover, the course also enables you to be confident in the application of industry-specific skills, for example, with the use of platforms such as DataStream with problem-solving approaches having been exposed to real-life scenarios through industry guest-speaker workshops. These skills enrich your experience and provide an added advantage in your endeavours to pursue their future professional careers in a highly competitive industry.
Based at the University’s new campus in the UK’s second city, you will live and study in a vibrant environment and engage with local, national and international businesses. You will be taught by highly-qualified, research-active academics with industrial and professional experience.
Our Open Day for this course will take place in Spring 2021. Register now and we will contact you when the booking form goes live.
You may be able to take advantage of the government’s plans to make loans of up to £11,222 available for postgraduate study.
This course is in the final stages of approval to ensure it meets the very highest standards of quality, creativity and applied learning.
You are required to meet one of the following options:
Typical Offers (UK Students) | ||
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An honours degree from a UK University (minimum 2:2) in a Finance related discipline. |
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An equivalent graduate level qualification from an overseas university or equivalent institution (minimum 2:2) in a finance related discipline. |
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Successful passing a Pre-Master's course approved by Birmingham City University |
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Successful passing a Pre-Master's course at another UK university/institution with a minimum of 55 per cent average |
Other qualifications will be considered on a case by case basis.
Please note that even if your application fully meets the entry criteria, you may be required to further demonstrate your suitability via an interview or submission of a course proposal before being offered a place.
Interviews may be conducted in your country of residence, over the telephone or by Skype.
Essential | ||
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Applications from international applicants with equivalent qualifications are welcome. Please see your country page for further details on the equivalent qualifications we accept. In additional to the academic entry requirements listed above, international and EU students will also require the qualifications detailed in this table. |
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English language requirements 2020/21 | ||
IELTS |
6.0 overall with 5.5 minimum in all bands If you do not meet the required IELTS score, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English courses. Please note that you must have a Secure English Language Test (SELT) to study on the pre-sessional English course. More information. |
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Other accepted qualifications | Visit our English language page |
Award: MSc
Starting: Sep 2021
Award: MSc
Starting: Sep 2021
If you're unable to use the online form for any reason, you can complete our PDF application form and equal opportunities PDF form instead. The University reserves the right to increase fees in line with inflation based on the Retail Prices Index or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament up to a maximum of five per cent.
Students are required to submit a personal statement as part of their application for this course.
Your postgraduate personal statement is going to shine a light on your personal experience, academic success, personal skills and any other factors that will support your application for further study.
Here are the key areas you’ll need to address:
Studying a postgraduate course usually means you want to specialise in something. So what’s driving you?
Show that you’ve researched the course offering. What is it about this particular course that appeals to you? Is it the lecturers? The modules? Etc.
Tutors want to know that you can handle postgraduate study, so show them how your undergraduate experiences or work life has equipped you for a more advanced level of study. Key areas to address are research and group work but this can vary depending on your chosen course.
Add anything relevant that relates back to your chosen course and shows how your skills will contribute towards your learning. What extra-curricular activities have you taken part in? What awards have you won? What employment or voluntary experience do you have that has helped you develop transferable skills? How do these specifically relate to the course you are applying for?
You should also mention your future plans and how a postgraduate qualification fits in. Try to look beyond your postgraduate study – do you plan to jump straight into a specific career or follow your studies with a research degree? Lastly, use plain, professional English and, where possible, utilise the language of your chosen industry.
Get more information on writing personal statements.
While there are no additional costs associated with purchasing text books, there may be other costs to you. If you are joining the course which has a professional body accreditation you may be required to pay membership or examination costs. For details of these costs, please click on the link below.
Based on the past experience of our students, you might find it helpful to set aside about £50 for each year of your studies for your personal stationery and study materials. All our students are provided with 100 free pages of printing each year to a maximum total value of £15.
Find additional costs for your course
The cost of accommodation and other living costs are not included within your course fees. More information on the cost of accommodation can be found in our accommodation pages.
We offer further information on possible postgraduate financial support. This includes the type of loans, grants and scholarships available both from the government and from Birmingham City University.
Did you know that you will soon be able to apply for a postgraduate loan of up to £1,222 for some courses and options?
Please note that the following modules are indicative, and may change before the course is finalised.
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following core modules (totalling 160 credits):
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete at least 20 credits from the following indicative list of OPTIONAL modules:
OpportUNIty: Student Jobs on Campus ensures that our students are given a first opportunity to fill many part-time temporary positions within the University. This allows you to work while you study with us, fitting the job around your course commitments. By taking part in the scheme, you will gain valuable experiences and employability skills, enhancing your prospects in the job market.
It will also allow you to become more involved in University life by delivering, leading and supporting many aspects of the learning experience, from administration to research and mentoring roles.
We are constantly investing in our estate and are currently in the process of spending £340 million on new learning facilities.
This course is based at our City Centre Campus – and specifically The Curzon Building, alongside other Social Sciences, Law, Business and English students.
The £63m building offers students a unique social learning space, including a dedicated student hub incorporating student support services, in the heart of Birmingham’s Eastside development.
The Business floors house an extensive number of IT facilities, breakout areas, and specialised rooms. The Marketing Link Agency is designed to replicate a modern marketing firm, allowing students to get real-life experience of working in the marketing sector. There is also the City Trading Room, which features state of the art stock market tracking equipment, keeping you up to date with all the financial comings and goings of the London Stock Exchange and Wall Street.
The Curzon building is also conveniently close to Birmingham’s business and financial centre, allowing for strong links between your studies and the real world.
Dr Navjot Sandhu is Finance subject group lead, managing undergraduate and postgraduate Finance programmes in the department. She has a wide range of experience of developing, delivering higher education courses programmes, modules at the undergraduate and postgraduate level.