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MSc Financial Economics

Start date
September
Duration
12 months
Course Type
Postgraduate, Taught
Fees
For 2024-2025:
£16,290 (UK)
£31,410 (International)
Attractive scholarships are available

Elevate your financial expertise and shape the future of the industry by pursuing our MSc Financial Economics.

In today's dynamic financial landscape, characterised by global and interconnected markets, our MSc in Financial Economics stands as the ideal stepping stone for ambitious students seeking to embark on rewarding and successful careers across various sectors of the finance industry. Designed to provide students with a profound understanding of economic principles, financial markets, and essential quantitative tools and methods, our MSc Financial Economics programme will thoroughly prepare you to navigate and excel in the complex yet highly rewarding world of finance.

Through our strong links with industry your academic study is combined with a real practical focus, leading to vast and varied job opportunities once you graduate.

By studying this programme, you can expect to develop a specialist financial economics career within the private sector, and global financial institutions. This includes employers in:

  • Investment and commercial banks
  • Financial asset management companies
  • Financial technology firms
  • Consulting firms
  • Policy-oriented organizations

Who is this course for?

The MSc Financial Economics programme is tailored for motivated and driven individuals who are passionate about the finance industry. We seek students who have a strong interest in understanding economic principles, analysing financial markets, and using quantitative tools to make informed decisions. Whether you are a recent graduate with a background in economics, finance, or a related field, or a mid-career professional aiming to elevate your financial expertise, this programme is designed to meet your needs. We welcome students who are eager to excel, contribute to the finance world, and pursue rewarding and successful careers in various sectors of the industry. 

Why study this course at Birmingham?

  • Learn from expert academics to acquire comprehensive knowledge and essential skills in key financial and economic topics, setting you on a path to a successful career.
  • Gain a significant competitive edge by developing advanced quantitative methods and analytical skills enabling you to take on a diverse range of challenges in empirical financial market and institution analysis.
  • Conduct an innovative and practical research project during the summer term, fostering valuable and transferable skills that will significantly boost your career prospects.
  • Located in the UK’s second city, the University of Birmingham is globally ranked and a proud member of the prestigious Russell Group. With a vibrant young population and a dynamic forward-looking financial sector, Birmingham and the West Midlands offer unparalleled opportunities for immersive learning and networking in both national and European financial markets.
  • Birmingham Business School belongs to the elite tier of global business schools holding the prestigious Triple-Crown accreditation from leading bodies AMBA, EQUIS and AACSB. This distinction ensures the highest standards in education and research excellence.

Discover our unique scholarship offers

Students walking on University campusAt Birmingham Business School we offer a wide variety of scholarships for our new MSc students in 2024.

These awards are available to both UK and international applicants and range in value from partial to full tuition fee support.

Find out more about our scholarship offers

Modules

Unless indicated otherwise the modules listed for this programme are for students starting in 2024.

The following modules must be taken which are worth 20 credits each unless specificed otherwise:

Semester 1

Semester 2

Summer

Optional modules 

Students will choose two of the following three optional modules to complete their second semester:


Please note: The modules listed on the website for this programme are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods. On rare occasions, we may need to make unexpected changes to compulsory modules; in this event we will contact offer holders as soon as possible to inform or consult them as appropriate.

Fees

Fees for 2024 - 2025

  • £16,290 (UK)
  • £31,410 (International)

Please note that you will be required to pay a £50 non-refundable application fee for all of the above courses.

  • For further information on programme fees and information please visit our Fees and Financing page.

Scholarships

  • For information on scholarships you may be eligible to apply for, please use our PG Funding Database.
  • Business School Scholarships may be available, find out more about our scholarships.

Additional Course Costs

  • In addition to the Tuition Fees you will need to consider accommodation, living expenses and daily costs. You can find financial advice and support on our Finance pages.
  • For information on our accommodation and services, including the support we offer to students wanting to rent privately, please visit the Accommodation pages.

How To Apply

7 May 2024 is the application deadline for international students applying through the student route who wish to study in the United Kingdom. We are not able to consider applications for 2024 made after this date. The deadline for Home students is 30 August 2024.

How to apply

To apply for a postgraduate taught programme, you will need to submit your application and supporting documents online. We have put together some helpful information on the taught programme application process and supporting documents on our how to apply page. Please read this information carefully before completing your application.

Apply now

Our Standard Requirements

In order to be considered, applicants will have or should be expecting to achieve an Honours degree (2:1 or higher) from a UK university (or overseas equivalent) in Economics or a related discipline. Applicants must have achieved a mark equivalent to a 2:1 at undergraduate level in Microeconomics, Macroeconomics and Econometrics or Statistics modules.

Applicants who demonstrate being able to exceed the minimum entry requirements will be given preference. 

Find out more about entry requirements

International Requirements



International Students

Standard English language requirements apply (IELTS 6.5 with no less than 6.0 in any band).


  • IELTS 6.5 with no less than 6.0 in any band
  • TOEFL: 88 overall with no less than 21 in Reading, 20 in Listening, 22 in Speaking and 21 in Writing
  • Pearson Test of English (PTE) including online: PTE Academic 67 with no less than 64 in all four skills
  • Cambridge English (exams taken from 2015): Advanced – minimum overall score of 176, with no less than 169 in any component

If you are currently studying at a Chinese university, please view our specific entry requirements including our list of acceptable universities for further study at Birmingham.

English Presessional Programmes 

If you’re looking to improve your knowledge of spoken and written English in preparation for studying at Birmingham, our pre-sessional English courses are for you. If you have a conditional offer, you can take one of these courses as an alternative to retaking IELTS or other similar qualifications. Find out more 

Students will be taught through a mixture of lectures, workshops, and seminars, and will be assessed through exams, group and individual projects and presentations, reports, essays, videos, digital artefacts, and case studies.

The world of finance is affected by the current challenges we are faced. This is why this course, in line with Birmingham Business School’s responsible business ethos, will examine issues relating to financial ethics and sustainability. 

A high-class learning environment

Students outside the Alan Walters BuildingAs a postgraduate student, you will have access to our award-winning £10 million postgraduate teaching space, the Alan Walters Building. This will provide you with access to facilities of the highest quality, including a state-of-the-art lecture theatre, dedicated computer clusters and seminar rooms as well as communal areas for studying and group work, which look out over the University's ambitious Green Heart development, which was completed in 2019.

Employability at the forefront

The programme is designed to enhance your employability by building your knowledge and skills in key areas of financial economics, such as developing expertise in economics, econometrics, and financial data analysis 

Our graduates can expect to take on a combination of specialist finance career roles in the UK and abroad, including, amongst others: 

  • Financial economist 

  • Financial risk analyst

  • Treasury and export finance analyst 

  • Financial consultant 

  • Consulting analyst 

  • Pricing and distribution analyst 

  • Financial advisor support planner 

  • Strategy consultant

 

Our graduates go on to work for industry leaders such as: 

  • Deloitte 

  • PwC 

  • KPMG 

  • JCB 

  • Amazon

  • UK Trade Remedies Authority

  • Greene King

  • BT

  • And much more!

This postgraduate course is also a great first-step towards doctoral research for those students who wish to pursue a career in academia. 

BBS Careers and Careers Network

As a Birmingham Business School student, you will benefit from two award-winning Careers teams.  

Careers Network is the University of Birmingham careers and employability team offering: career fairs, employer events with top firms across the UK, start-up and entrepreneurial activities, and support. Internships and bursaries are also available exclusively to University of Birmingham students.   

BBS Careers is a dedicated service for Birmingham Business School students. The team provides guidance, support, and work experience opportunities, tailored to business school students, to help you succeed during and after university. We offer workshops, alumni and employer events, and 1-to-1 consultations. These will help you to develop your skills and learn how to submit high-quality internship and graduate applications.  

BBS Careers is one of a few, if not the only business school career service to offer life-long support.  

We are here to support you!

Future Leaders Certificate 

The Future Leaders Certificate is an extra-curricular programme specifically designed to help you prepare for the rapidly evolving Future of Work by enabling you to: 

  • Work on a live project set by a multi-national company 

  • Better understand the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Responsible Business, including their impact on the business world and the implications for your own career 

  • Access opportunities to cultivate the vital skills you will need to succeed within this context 

You can expect: 

  • Engaging talks and workshops  

  • Online training through a comprehensive Canvas course 

  • Networking opportunities 

  • An exciting and intensive summer project where you will act as a consultant to address a live issue faced by a multi-national company