- Level: Postgraduate Taught
- Starting: September 2021
- Study mode: Full Time
- Location: City Centre
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.
Looking for a Masters in finance and investment? Work towards a career in the finance and investment industry with our MSc Finance and Investment course that is focused on the practical application of finance in the investment world.
Designed to equip you with technical knowledge and skills in line with the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute* qualification, as well as a range of employability attributes, the course will encourage your development and commitment in becoming an investment professional. As you progress, you will become more effective and creative in problem solving, as well as being able to critically advise individuals and companies in the UK and abroad.
Professional Placement option
For our MSc Finance and Investment 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.
What's covered in the course?
The first semester of the course will provide a solid grounding in finance and supporting practices and its importance in business, ensuring you are fully prepared to make informed decisions as your study route in semester two and three.
During the second semester of the course, there will be more flexible learning opportunities that will enable you to specialise in particular subject areas, as well as allowing you to tailor your course to a specific career aim.
Based at the University’s new campus in the UK’s second city, you’ll live and study in a vibrant environment and engage with local, national and international businesses. You will be taught by highly-qualified academics with industrial and professional experience.
Why Choose Us?
- You will gain a thorough understanding of finance and investment practices, equipping you for a career as a fund manager, financial analyst, investment banker or financial manager.
- You will have the opportunity to work in the University’s ‘CITY Trading Room’ using the same investment analysis software as traders, financial analysts and decision makers in the investment industry.
- Real case studies will be used in your studies enabling you to apply the skills and knowledge you learn within the classroom to the real world, as well as aiding your employability.
Find out more
*Trademark Disclaimer: CFA Institute does not endorse, promote or warrant the accuracy or quality of the products or services offered by Birmingham City University. CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute
Open Days
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.
Register your interest
This course is open to International students
Discover Birmingham City Business School
Visit our School site for more student work and extra information.
Campus Tours - Postgraduate
Didn't make it to an Open Day? You still have the opportunity to come and see what our postgraduate courses have to offer. If you would like to enquire about campus tour availability, just drop us an email.
New £10,906 postgraduate loans
You may be able to take advantage of the government’s plans to make loans of up to £10,906 available for postgraduate study.
Entry Requirements
You are required to meet one of the following options:
Essential Requirements
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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 |
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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.
Additional information for EU/International students
| 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 | |
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No English certificate is required for applicants from countries that appear on our English exemption list. Please contact the International Office for this list.
International Students
Don't meet our entry requirements? You could apply for courses at our International College.
- UK students
- International students
Award: MSc
Starting: Sep 2021
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 1 Year
- £8,800 per year
- Full Time
- 18 Months (Professional Placement)
- £9,700 per year
Award: MSc
Starting: Sep 2021
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 1 Year
- £13,200 per year
- Full Time
- 18 Months (Professional Placement)
- £14,600 per year
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.
Personal statement
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:
Your passion and motivations
Studying a postgraduate course usually means you want to specialise in something. So what’s driving you?
Why this course?
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.
What makes you a good postgraduate candidate?
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.
Relevant academic or work experience
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.
Additional costs
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
Accommodation and living costs
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.
Financial Support
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?
Modules
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete at least 60 credits from the following indicative list of OPTIONAL modules:
All modules will mix face-to-face lectures with online activities. As a practice-based course, sessions will usually involve the application of academic concepts to real-world scenarios. Online delivery will also be provided via the University’s virtual learning environment, and modules will also require you to engage with online study to prepare for, participate in and further develop your skills.
Due to the professional alignment of the course, examinations will be a common feature when it comes to assessments. However, a variety of methods will be used, and you’ll be required to deliver reports, presentations, essays and project plans, both individually and within a group.
You will regularly engage with tutors, working together to identify any gaps in your knowledge and finding appropriate learning activities to suit your individual needs. A variety of learning activities will be used, whether it be a short written piece or a reflective journal, and you’ll be given regular feedback by your personal tutor.
Trips and Visits
You will have the opportunity to go on relevant trips such as visiting the Bank of England and the London Stock Exchange.
Further Study
After completing your MSc, you could progress onto studying at PhD level, a full CFA qualification, or an accountancy qualification.
The finance specialism and professional alignment of the programme enables fast-track progression into a career as a fund manager, financial analyst, investment banker or financial manager.
We boast partnerships with businesses across the globe, including AXA Insurance, HSBC, Lloyds Bank and PwC.
OpportUNIty
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.
Welcome to the Birmingham City Business School, home to students from over 70 countries all around the world!
Birmingham City Business School is one of the UK’s largest, most established and most respected business schools. Our programmes are practice based and many have an international focus, which means your course will be entirely relevant to today’s business world. Almost all of our courses, both at undergraduate and postgraduate level, are open to international students.
We also have links with universities across the world, including Europe, the USA, China, India and Malaysia.
Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:
- Explore some of the good reasons why you should study here
- Find out how to improve your language skills before starting your studies
- Find all the information relevant to applicants from your country
- Learn where to find financial support for your studies
The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.
Birmingham City University International College (BCUIC)
International students who have a serious interest in studying with us but who perhaps cannot meet the direct entry requirements, academic or English, or who have been out of education for some time, can enter Birmingham City University International College (BCUIC) and begin their degree studies.
BCUIC is part of the global Navitas Group, an internationally recognised education provider, and the partnership allows students to access the University’s facilities and services and move seamlessly through to achieving a Bachelor’s degree from Birmingham City University.
Our Facilities
We are constantly investing in our estate and are currently in the process of spending £340 million on new learning facilities.
The Curzon Building
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.
The Curzon Building also features:
- An impressive new library with access to over 65 million full text items and stunning views of Eastside City Park
- Your Students’ Union which is located in a beautifully restored 19th century pub, The Eagle and Ball
- A modern 300-seat food court with space to study and socialise
- Brand new, accessible IT facilities with full Office365 for all students for free
- Shared facilities with the wider campus including the recently opened Parkside Building and Millennium Point
Staff
All of our teaching staff for this course hold relevant academic and/or professional qualifications, along with years of relevant working experience, ensuring you receive a comprehensive, contemporary education.