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Postgraduate Open Day

MSc Finance & Management

Strathclyde Business School Masters mini-lecture series - 14 & 15 October

Key facts

  • Start date: September
  • Accreditation: AACSB, EQUIS & AMBA
  • Study mode and duration: 12 months full-time

Study with us

  • gain knowledge of financial and management principles
  • understand how organisations work
  • develop technical and analytical skills
  • opportunity to study at Toulouse Business School
  • undertake a project in each subject area
  • gain invaluable practical experience of the factors that drive today’s financial markets at AmplifyME Boot Camp
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Why this course?

If you're looking to develop your knowledge of finance and management simultaneously before embarking on your first professional business role, then the MSc Finance & Management is the course for you. If you're a graduate with some business experience, this qualification will provide the opportunity for you to further progress your career in a finance and/or management related role.

Jointly developed by the Department of Accounting & Finance and & the MBA Unit, this course is designed to give you a competitive edge no matter where your future business career takes you.

The programme offers ambitious graduates a thorough grounding in both financial and management principles. This in-depth understanding of both subject areas will be applicable to roles in any organisation, where a good knowledge of finance and management is required.

Industry professionals are invited on a regular basis to deliver guest lecturers in both finance and management areas.

Ning's story

Having worked for both private and public organisations back home in Thailand, MSc Finance student Ning chose Strathclyde to further her knowledge in both accounting and finance to progress in her career.

THE Awards 2019: UK University of the Year Winner

What you'll study

You will gain a unique opportunity for acquiring knowledge on two equally fundamental and related functions in any organisation. To achieve this, this programme will give ample exposure to the essential areas in both finance and management in order to equip you with skills and knowledge in order to embark on a sustainable career in finance and management.

Semester 1 is designed to give you the fundamental understanding of finance and accounting with particular focus on international markets. You will also be introduced to management skills through the Professional Management Practice class. Semester 1 will extend your core skills, expand your knowledge of finance and accounting, expose you to a number of management and strategy related topics to deepen your understanding of how organisations pursue their goals. Finally, the third semester will you an opportunity to apply your acquired knowledge in a more practical way.

Study abroad

If you are interested in studying abroad, the ‘Managing in Europe’ elective gives you the opportunity to do attend classes taught at Toulouse Business School in France.

Research projects

During the summer, you will undertake two research projects (one in management, one in finance). This will require you to research an appropriate organisation using concepts relevant to the programme.

Guest lectures

During your study, you will have the opportunity to attend lectures delivered by guest speakers from companies such as Buffwine, Kaaliaer, Marketing Mavens and Swiss Eyewear Group.

Learning & teaching

Core and elective classes will be taught across two semesters running from September to December and January to March. Classes will be taught through a combination of lectures, workshops, case studies and problem solving activities. Research projects are undertaken during the summer months.

Assessment

Every class will either have a class test or assignment (e.g. group/individual projects and presentations) during semesters 1 and 2. Exams will take place at the end of each semester in December and April/May.

Accreditation

CQF

The Certificate in Quantitative Finance (CQF) is the largest professional qualification in quant finance and is recognized by financial companies worldwide. Strathclyde Business School is one of the few Universities recognised by the CQF Institute and our students can register as free members and have the opportunity to access the latest CQF Institute membership resources, including events, research, careers tools, workshops and thought leadership content.

CQF Institute Logo

AmplifyME Boot Camp

You can gain invaluable practical experience of the factors that drive today’s financial markets as part of your Master course. Amplify, a global financial trading and training company, in collaboration with Strathclyde Business School, delivers a week-long Boot Camp. This provides you with the opportunity to experience a real-life trading simulation, covering multiple roles in the process.

Amplify is a leading provider of training programmes to the financial industry, and they offer our students the same analyst level practical training they deliver to their clients. Amplify’s clients include Bank of China, Goldman Sachs, HSBC and Bank of America.

Note: the provider of this boot camp may be subject to change.

Finance simulation boot camp

Amplify logo: Amplify Me - Experience Management

Triple-accredited business school

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Course content

Core classes

Accounting & Financial Analysis

The aim of this class is to provide you with an understanding of the basic principles of financial accounting and financial analysis, the ability to interpret financial statements and their use in assessing the financial position and performance of companies.

This class provides an introduction to the principles of accounting and the analysis of financial statements. It will enable you to prepare financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and to interpret and analyse these statements. Particular emphasis is placed on the accounting concepts and information employed in financial analysis and decision taking.

You'll develop the ability to prepare and interpret financial statements and construct cash forecasts. In addition, you'll develop an understanding of the demand and supply for accounting information; an appreciation of the role of financial analysis and analysts; and an awareness of the statistical characteristics of accounting numbers.

Find out more in the class outline of Accounting & Financial Analysis.

International Financial Markets & Banking

20 credits

The aim of the class is to provide you with an understanding of the financial system and the roles and functions of financial markets and institutions. A particular emphasis is placed on understanding the roles of intermediaries such as banks and investment firms.

You'll develop an understanding of the various characteristics and roles of fixed income, equity, and foreign exchange markets. While some attention will be given to the UK financial markets, the global nature of financial markets will be widely discussed. This class aims to equip you with an awareness and understanding of financial markets and institutions in the context of the global economy. Particular emphasis will be placed on the role and contribution of the banking sector.

This class covers the reasons for, and nature of, of financial markets and institutions with a particular focus on banking, the global nature of these markets and their regulation.

Find out more in the course outline for International Financial Markets & Banking.

Principles of Finance

20 credits

This class will provide an introduction to financial decision-making, and much of the relevant analysis will be developed from the standpoint of corporate finance. It'll explain how a company should decide on the investments to be undertaken to meet its objectives, generally assumed to be the maximisation of its value. It will be demonstrated that this will require a rate of return on its investments in excess of the return available in the capital market on equally risky financial investments. As a result, it will be necessary to develop an understanding of the capital market risk-return relationship. This will require an appreciation of the nature of risk and how this can be managed by the development of portfolios.

Even though the focus of the class will be on corporate finance, it'll also require an appreciation of how the risk-return tradeoff is determined in the capital market.

Find out more in the class outline for Principles of Finance.

Professional Management Practice

This class develops your awareness and capabilities as a manager using a Personal Development Plan (PDP) process to help you critically evaluate the skills and attributes needed to be effective. Over the course of the year, workshops and exercises will help you identify and move towards fulfilling your potential.

Business Strategy

This class provides opportunities to explore, understand and apply the language of strategy and strategic management. By examining real-life organisations, you will develop your understanding of the forces within their contextual and transactional environments that influence their strategy, and by applying different strategic frameworks, develop the ability to critically analyse the strategic direction being adopted.

Finance classes

Choose at least one:

Behavioural Finance

10 credits

The aim of the class is to provide you with an understanding of the main ideas of behavioural finance. A particular emphasis is placed on understanding the roles of non-rational actions and the development of new financial models that incorporate these ideas.

You'll engage with up to date research and develop a critical view of existing and new finance theories and models. It aims to introduce you to the rapidly evolving area of behavioural finance. You'll develop an understanding of behavioural finance and an appreciation of its possible implications and applications.

This class introduces you to behavioural finance and provides you with an understanding of the main flaws of 'traditional' finance theory from a behavioural finance viewpoint. It will allow you to develop the ability to discuss issues arising from violations of the rationality assumption and will enable you to evaluate new theoretical models based on research in psychology.

The course will allow you to appreciate the role of new developments in finance and their possible implications for established views of the functioning of financial markets.

Find out more in the class outline for Behavioural Finance.

Derivatives

This class will provide you with a strong grounding in derivatives that may be used to manage the financial risks faced by individuals, financial institutions and business corporations.

Find out more in the course outline for Derivatives .

Fixed Income Analysis

While fixed income securities (bonds) have been traded for a far longer time than equities, it's only recently that the trading volume of these instruments has exceeded that of equities in many of the economies with highly developed capital markets. The bond markets for the last 25 years or so have been characterised by rapid innovation and the range of bonds now being traded is quite diverse. Any graduate of an MSc programme in Finance is expected to be familiar with the nature of the valuation of bonds.

This class will put the MSc courses at Strathclyde in a position to provide students with the opportunity to analyse bonds and the markets in which they are traded in more depth than is possible at the moment.

Find out more in the class outline for Fixed Income Analysis class outline.

 

Equity Analysis

This class focuses on equity valuation. The aim is to equip students with the knowledge and tools required for analysing the financial performance of firms and measuring their value. Students will be skilled in reviewing financial statements, estimating and assessing financial ratios and relevant accounting and economic data, and use this data for making forecasts and performing equity valuations. In addition, the module will cover the theoretical background for each valuation method and its application with real-life examples and case studies. Also, the module will examine the advantages and disadvantages of the main valuation models. Finally, the ultimate goal is for students to be able to perform and deliver an equity analysis report for any publicly listed firm.

Find out more in the class outline for Equity Analysis class outline.

Topics in Corporate Finance

The aim of this class is to discuss the different ways in which companies can raise funds, internally and externally, the role of capital markets in determining the terms on which funding will be available, the costs and risks of different sources of financing, and the role of taxation.

The class will cover the capital structure decisions of companies, the weighted average cost of capital, the dividend policy of companies, and share repurchases. This class builds on the introductory investment appraisal, risk, return and cost of capital material covered in the first-semester class Principles of Finance.

Find out more in the course outline for Topics in Corporate Finance.

Management classes

Core:

These classes are chosen from a wide portfolio of elective subjects, which are revised annually to reflect the latest business thinking. In the past students have chosen from these classes. Choose at least one:

Managing in Europe

This class gives you the skills involved in managing people in Europe with a focus on cultural and knowledge issues as well as managing cross-cultural differences.

You'll be able to understand the European context in terms of human resource management and employment relations and manage effectively in this context. You'll also be able to adapt to different cultural environments and to manage effectively in an intercultural European context as well as a global context.

Marketing Management

The nature of how we think about ‘markets’, and the activities involved in trying to understand and communicate with customers, is changing rapidly. This class examines contemporary international practice, exploring the major concepts and techniques involved in the marketing planning process. It'll help you analyse what companies are offering, how customers behave, and ultimately identify what they need to do next to deliver on their objectives.

Project Management

This module aims to provide students with skills and knowledge relating to the use of practices in Project Management with particular respect to the project triple constraint: time, cost and quality.

New Venture Creation

This elective focuses on the investigation of the processes involved in creating a new business venture. This elective is very interactive in nature, requiring a high degree of involvement and commitment from students. It is multidisciplinary, requiring students to work to strict deadlines. It has a range of individual, group and plenary activities interspersed with short “taught” inputs that introduce different aspects of business planning will be presented in short taught inputs. Business plans, case studies, exercises, presentations and scenarios will be used to demonstrate the sequence of processes involved in business planning and associated issues. Participants will draw heavily on their functional business knowledge, applying it within the new venture context. The core activity will be a group project in which groups of 4-5 students will develop a plan for a new business.

Brand Management & Strategy

The mission of this elective is to provide a solid understanding and application in the strategies of global brand management. Key skills and theories of brand management will be presented and discussed in order to equip the learner to operate effectively in a global brand management environment. Students will gain a clear appreciation of the role of brand strategy within the corporation’s operating plan.  This will entail consideration of environmental factors causing changes to the structure and composition of the brand portfolio as well as discussion of conceptual issues surrounding the strategic roles of brand management.

Strategic Financial Management

The class will consider a number of financial decisions of strategic importance, ranging from capital expenditure decisions to those concerned with the evaluation of the terms of a merger. These decisions will be explored through lectures, exercises and most importantly, case studies. The preparation of the case studies and the discussion of the analysis will provide the focus of the class.

Service Operations Simulation

This class provides MSc students with insights into ‘Service’ Operations Management, an area of study that is increasingly relevant to our graduates as compared with traditional/manufacturing operations management. Emerging concepts such as ‘services science’ emphasize the need to understand operations management within the service sector as a whole, while providing specific examples from different service sectors to illustrate the wide range of challenges within service industries. Aiming to be as practically useful as possible, the class provides both conceptual and technical perspectives on services. The technical perspective utilises discrete event simulation (DES) as a powerful tool to analyse service operations and facilitate decision making for service operations managers.

Games of Strategy

Games of strategy are ubiquitous throughout the corporate world, political environments, and in everyday life. Game theory provides a framework within which such strategic situations can be modelled and analysed. Through studying game theory and learning how to think strategically you can better optimize your well-being by trying to outmanoeuvre your adversaries by recognizing the fact that they are trying to outmanoeuvre you. A world of strategic thinking awaits that will transform the way you think about making decisions!

 

Global Business Environment

Business organisations and management decisions and actions exist in a complex, dynamic and often turbulent environment. This class will develop your understanding of the many dimensions and layers of the global business environment. It'll encourage you to recognise, understand and reflect upon the challenges and opportunities that various aspects of the business environment present to businesses, organisations and managers operating in an international context. The class will also introduce you to a range of useful theories, concepts and tools for analysing the business environment and give them an opportunity to apply these to ‘real world’ and hypothetical management scenarios.

Commercial Management in Projects

The module starts by looking at the main types of business vehicle that are used in the modern commercial environment. It goes on to explore how commercial contracts are formed and how the concept of agency can affect contracts. An exploration of common contractual problems follows.

The module then turns to examine practical skills: goal setting, time management and risk management (all of which are set in a theoretical context for participants). Finally, participants learn about the theory of negotiation and have the opportunity to bring all of their theoretical legal knowledge and practical skills to bear during a negotiation simulation.

 

Digital Transformation

The mega-trend of digital transformation is first examined to familiarise the student with the environmental drivers – social and technological – behind the rise of digital transformation.

Key technological advances powering digital transformation as a global phenomenon are introduced, including:

  • elastic cloud computing
  • big data & analytics
  • the internet of things (IoT)
  • artificial intelligence (AI)
  • machine learning

Social implications for work and life are examined, and examples explored as to how digital transformation is already reshaping nations, sectors, organisations and individuals.

 

Strategic Thinking for Global Challenges & Opportunities

The principal aim of this course is to provide students with the ability to understand how changes in the global economic environment could impact upon future business models – and to gain experience in identifying the strategies that best respond to different situations. Learn about major ‘grand challenges’ and how they might impact upon your business model.

To provide students with a strong understanding of how an economy operates (and can impact upon individual businesses), and the role of policy in shaping economic outcomes, and in turn inform business strategy.

The Game Changer

This elective provides an understanding of how sports management practice can help any type of organisation. This is very different from other classes that we currently have for electives offerings. The key objective of MBA and MSc education to develop effective business leaders.

The aim of this class is to introduce the strategies, tools and techniques utilised by organisations in business and sport who not only improved performance over a sustained period of time – they changed the rules of the game in their industry or sector.

Prior to the start of the work on the projects classes are provided on research methodology for each project. These compulsory classes will provide the basis for the project work, the nature of research work in finance or accounting and the writing and structuring of research reports. The classes will not be assessed but attendance is compulsory.

Research projects

Project Methodology

This class introduces you to a range of different methodological approaches to conducting research and key issues researchers are commonly faced with (eg relevance of practitioner engagement, ethics). You'll be provided with a broad overview of research choices and issues from the perspective of Strathclyde staff representing each department in the Business Faculty who will present vignettes from their own research projects.

Project 1: Finance & Project 2: Management

These projects provide you with a valuable opportunity to apply what you have learned through the taught modules to a more practical situation. Working under the supervision of a faculty member, you'll spend time working individually on a topic of central interest in these areas. You'll learn the skills needed to develop a proposal and conduct an effective enquiry into your topic areas, producing reports that are both informed and practical.

Project subject matters are diverse, with a vast array of industries and topics to consider. While many projects can be subject specific, increasingly, many projects are undertaken with organisations, which allow you to learn more about a specific industry or work with a particular company.

Our experience shows that such interactions often act as a catalyst for future career opportunities. While you'll be encouraged to put forward your own suggestion of a company, we do have client projects on offer, so are more than happy to assist you in identifying appropriate clients and partnerships.

Picture of Shayan Anwar at graduation
The University of Strathclyde and Glasgow are great places to come and study. I would highly recommend you pursue MSc Finance & Management if you want to explore different avenues in the financial and managerial world.
Shayan Anwar

Strathclyde Business School

Strathclyde Business School was founded in 1948 and is a pioneering, internationally renowned academic organisation with a reputation for research excellence.

One of four faculties forming the University of Strathclyde, SBS is a triple-accredited business school (AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA) and was the first business school in Scotland to achieve this accolade in 2004. The Business School is home to seven subject departments and a number of specialist centres, all of which collaborate to provide a dynamic, fully-rounded and varied programme of specialist and cross-disciplinary courses.

Strathclyde Business Network

As a postgraduate student at Strathclyde Business School, you may choose to join the Strathclyde Business Network, a student-led initiative that facilitates interaction with business and industry leaders.

The Network aims to foster knowledge sharing, facilitate discussion and enable networking opportunities with the very best business professional in industry. Every year the Network organises Glasgow Business Summit, which is the first-ever student-led business conference in Scotland and brings together students with leading businesses from across the UK.

The finance courses were impeccably structured, with insightful lectures and supplementary workshops that provided a comprehensive understanding. On the other hand, the management classes were interactive and project-focused, presenting real-life scenarios for us to tackle. This approach enhanced my problem-solving skills and allowed me to practically apply what I've learned.
Palak Jain
MSc Finance & Management

Chat to a student ambassador

Want to know more about what it’s like to be a Strathclyde Business School student at the University of Strathclyde? A selection of our current students are here to help!

Our Unibuddy ambassadors can answer all the questions you may have about their course experiences and studying at Strathclyde, along with offering insight into life in Glasgow and Scotland.

Chat now!
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Entry requirements

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Academic requirements/experience

Second-class Honours degree, or overseas equivalent (view the entry requirements for your country) in:

  • economics
  • accounting
  • business studies
  • maths
  • statistics
  • computing
  • related subjects
  • an equivalent professional qualification
English language requirements

Students whose first language is not English must have a minimum of 6.5 IELTS score, with no individual score lower than 5.5. Get more information about the English language requirements for studying at Strathclyde.

Pre-Masters preparation course

The Pre-Masters Programme is a preparation course held at the University of Strathclyde International Study Centre, for international students (non-UK/Ireland) who do not meet the academic entry requirements for a Masters degree at University of Strathclyde.

Upon successful completion, you'll be able to progress to this degree course at the University of Strathclyde.

Please note: Previous Maths & English qualifications and your undergraduate degree must meet GTCS minimum entry requirements as well as the pre-Masters course and an interview will be conducted before an offer can be made.

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Fees & funding

All fees quoted are for full-time courses and per academic year unless stated otherwise.

Fees may be subject to updates to maintain accuracy. Tuition fees will be notified in your offer letter.

All fees are in £ sterling, unless otherwise stated, and may be subject to revision.

Annual revision of fees

Students on programmes of study of more than one year (or studying standalone modules) should be aware that tuition fees are revised annually and may increase in subsequent years of study. Annual increases will generally reflect UK inflation rates and increases to programme delivery costs.

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Scotland

£16,650

England, Wales & Northern Ireland

£16,650

Republic of IrelandIf you are an Irish citizen and have been ordinary resident in the Republic of Ireland for the three years prior to the relevant date, and will be coming to Scotland for Educational purposes only, you will meet the criteria of England, Wales & Northern Ireland fee status. For more information and advice on tuition fee status, you can visit the UKCISA - International student advice and guidance - Scotland: fee status webpage. Find out more about the University of Strathclyde's fee assessments process.
International

£31,900

Additional costs
Course materials

Textbooks do vary in price from around £40 to £100. The majority are provided free in the library or via the Virtual Learning Environment platform. For budgeting purposes, we recommend allowing £200 per academic year for books.

International students

International students may have associated visa and immigration costs. Please see student visa guidance for more information.

Other costs
  • students are required to print and soft bind their project submission. An average cost would be in the region of £10.
  • graduation gown hire
Available scholarships

Take a look at our scholarships search for funding opportunities.

Please note: the fees shown are annual and may be subject to an increase each year. Find out more about fees.

International students

We've a thriving international community with students coming here to study from over 140 countries across the world. Find out all you need to know about studying in Glasgow at Strathclyde and hear from students about their experiences.

Visit our international students' section

How can I fund my course?

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Scottish postgraduate students

Scottish postgraduate students may be able to apply for support from the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS). The support is in the form of a tuition fee loan and for eligible students, a living cost loan. Find out more about the support and how to apply.

Don’t forget to check our scholarship search for more help with fees and funding.

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Students coming from England

Students ordinarily resident in England may be to apply for postgraduate support from Student Finance England. The support is a loan of up to £10,280 which can be used for both tuition fees and living costs. Find out more about the support and how to apply.

Don’t forget to check our scholarship search for more help with fees and funding.

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Students coming from Wales

Students ordinarily resident in Wales may be to apply for postgraduate support from Student Finance Wales. The support is a loan of up to £10,280 which can be used for both tuition fees and living costs. Find out more about the support and how to apply.

Don’t forget to check our scholarship search for more help with fees and funding.

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Students coming from Northern Ireland

Postgraduate students who are ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland may be able to apply for support from Student Finance Northern Ireland. The support is a tuition fee loan of up to £5,500. Find out more about the support and how to apply.

Don’t forget to check our scholarship search for more help with fees and funding.

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International students

We've a large range of scholarships available to help you fund your studies. Check our scholarship search for more help with fees and funding.

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Careers

As a graduate, you will be well equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to develop your career in both the finance and management sectors. Students recently graduating from the course have secured jobs including:

  • Financial Analyst
  • Personal Financial Advisor
  • Financial Manager
  • Management Consultant
  • Risk Manager
  • Security Analyst
  • Corporate Credit and Business Analyst
  • Credit Analyst
  • Financial Researcher
  • Investment Associate
  • Project Manager

Recent employers

Our recent graduates have joined the following companies:

  • Deloitte
  • Morgan Stanley
  • PwC
  • Aviation Power & Marine
  • Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (BTMU)
  • Kasikorn Bank
  • Ric Capital
  • Shanghai Jiangshi Investment
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Apply

For information and guidance on the application process, take a look at our How to Apply web page.

Start date: Sep 2024

Finance and Management

MSc
full-time
Start date: Sep 2024

Start date: Sep 2025

Finance and Management

MSc
full-time
Start date: Sep 2025

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Contact us

SBS Postgraduate Admissions

Telephone: +44 (0)141 553 6105 / +44 (0)141 553 6116

Email: sbs.admissions@strath.ac.uk

Strathclyde Business School, University of Strathclyde
199 Cathedral Street
Glasgow
G4 0QU

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