Program Overview

Birkbeck's MSc Finance combines academic rigour with a solid grounding in the practical, problem-solving skills that employers value. The course will give you excellent, specialist knowledge and training in finance and financial economics, including basic portfolio theory, corporate finance, and pricing theory applied to derivatives and government bond markets. You will also learn the latest econometrics and numerical analysis skills. All of these skills are increasingly valued in the marketplace, banks, commercial firms and government, so this course could help you stand out in a competitive job market.

Birkbeck's postgraduate finance courses are built around our long-running experience in research-led evening teaching. Many of our students work in the finance industry, which generates a lively atmosphere in class and ensures that you'll be studying alongside committed, enthusiastic students with a wealth of experience.

Our students appreciate the flexibility of this course and the valuable support and direct interaction (face-to-face or online) with experienced lecturers who are also active researchers at the forefront of their discipline. They are also experienced professional practitioners, giving specialist advice and in-house training to government departments and banks and firms in the City of London. This course is challenging and demanding, so you should demonstrate strong intellectual ability in your application and be willing to work hard.

Whichever route you decide to take with our MSc Finance, you will gain access to resources for each module via our Moodle virtual learning environment, for example, typed lecture notes with worked examples and practice exercises, recordings of lectures, opportunities for interaction with lecturers and classmates via discussion forums or through our online teaching platform, Blackboard Collaborate. You will also have access to electronic textbooks and other digital resources via the library. In the past we have had students successfully complete our modules remotely from as far away as Antarctica!