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Finance

MSc

Find out more about our courses by joining a live master's webinar

Start dates: September 2025

Full time: 1 year or 2 years in sandwich mode which includes one year's full-time paid supervised work experience (a work placement). Sandwich mode is only available for September entry.

Part time: 24 months

Location: Headington

School(s): Oxford Brookes Business School

Overview
Course details
Careers
Entry requirements
How to apply
Tuition fees

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Overview

How are business decisions made from a financial perspective? Do we need banks and stock markets to support economic growth? How do different financial markets operate? These are just some of the questions you’ll explore in our MSc Finance.

As well as gaining technical knowledge, you’ll develop practical skills in financial modelling and mathematical techniques. And you’ll gain an understanding of the broader issues of finance from our leading researchers in corporate social responsibility.

Don’t worry if you haven’t studied mathematics as your first degree. Our MSc Finance is for anyone who wants to move into this industry. We accept any subject from history to Japanese literature.

Our focus is on preparing you for the real world. You’ll be taught by experts from industry who will help hone your professional and digital skills. Plus, you’ll gain insights from high-profile guest speakers from companies like KPMG and Jaguar Land Rover.

Attend an open day or webinar Ask a question Order a prospectus

Student studying on laptop in class

Why Oxford Brookes University?

  • Industry and academia

    Our experienced team is made up of leading researchers and financial experts with real world insights. This means you get an ideal mix of theory and practice.

  • Bloomberg Trading Suite

    Develop your skills by using our interactive Bloomberg Terminals. Access data and analytics from companies, industries and markets in real time.

  • Small, interactive groups

    We believe in active learning, so you’ll be involved in workshop activities, discussions and problem-solving initiatives.

  • Impact

    Your learning about finance is set in the wider context of the impact that financial decisions have on individuals, society and the environment.

  • Enhanced employability

    Our course focuses on giving you the edge in business. We’ll work on your professional development, not just the technical side. That’s what employers are looking for.

Course details

Course structure

You’ll develop finance skills, including mathematical and statistical tools, analysing accounting statements, understanding financial securities and instruments, and exploring financial theories. The course emphasises three key perspectives on financial decision-making: corporate finance, which focuses on internal firm decisions; the investor perspective, which involves fund allocation across securities using tools like the Bloomberg Terminal; the global economy perspective, examining the role of markets, institutions, and regulators in driving economic growth and development.

You’ll engage in a 1-year personal and professional development programme, refining your skills and preparing a career pitch for potential employers. You can tailor your studies by selecting modules based on your interests, such as data analytics skills. You’ll also undertake an accounting and finance project, which may involve working with a real client or exploring a personal topic of interest.
 

Student studying financial graph on screen

Learning and teaching

The teaching and learning methods include:

  • Lectures & seminars led by individual members of Faculty and visiting specialists;
  • Workshops for teaching a range of research and quantitative skills including appropriate research methodologies and on-line research skills;
  • The use of case study and practical exercises;
  • Student-led seminar activities facilitated by members of Faculty.
  • Support for independent research 

You will develop critical enquiry skills and a firm grounding in practice. And gain confidence so you can take on graduate jobs in leading organisations.

Our teaching staff are researchers and/or from an industry background. They have in-depth practical experience of business and management issues. You will also learn from visiting speakers.

Students on our Accounting, Finance and Economics courses can gain certification in using the Bloomberg Terminal to access and analyse global financial information.

Assessment

We will assess you on the quality of written or visual presentation work during your modules. Verbal presentations can also form part of the assessment.

All assessments are based on individual assignments and group work is used widely as a learning experience, not an assessment.

You may also be assessed with:

  • reports
  • seminar papers
  • formal written examinations.

Field Trips

The International Business in Practice Study Trip module allows you to experience ideas and practices of global business. During the trip you will have direct interaction with management executives and practices. You will: attend presentations from local management executives and experts and go on site visits to major corporations and agencies. This study trip is voluntary and you will need to fund all costs associated with the trip. It is not linked to university assessments in any way.

If you successfully complete this non-credit bearing module, it will be recorded on your transcript as International Business in Practice: Study Trip.

Start this course in January or September

You can start this course in January if a September start doesn't suit you or is not currently offered for this course.

If you start in January you will study a range of modules between January and May. During the summer months of June, July and August you will study further modules and begin work on your dissertation. Between September and December you will complete your final modules and focus on your dissertation.

Find out more about January entry

Study modules

Be industry ready when you graduate

By undertaking an optional work placement you can gain valuable and relevant industry experience and develop transferable skills such as communication, teamwork, networking and problem solving. A work placement can help you decide on your long-term career objectives and may lead to a job offer after graduation (would require visa sponsorship for international students).

The WAVES (Work and Voluntary Experience Service) or Careers Office will provide you with support and advice to get ahead in your career, and help you with your CV and applications. The team has access to a wide range of small, medium and large employers that offer postgraduate student work placements.

If you wish to pursue a placement at a particular company, our WAVES team can support you in making an approach to the company. Our Careers Office can also provide you with advice on how to use professional social media channels to pitch yourself to prospective employers.
 

Taught modules

Compulsory modules

  • Core Concepts in Finance

    The module provides the necessary foundation for the study of finance, comprising three areas of knowledge and understanding:

    • Foundational concepts, theories and instruments in finance
    • Financial statements and their interpretation
    • Mathematical and statistical tools

    This is required knowledge for other finance modules in the programme, for understanding the academic literature in finance, and for careers in finance.  The development of Excel and Bloomberg skills are integrated into the module.

  • Corporate Finance

    This module provides an introduction to the principles and practice of corporate financial management. Students learn how organisations manage their finances, how they decide what investments to undertake and what dividends to pay. Students will be expected to learn the core techniques used to measure the creation of value and, at the same time, develop a critical perspective in evaluating corporate finance theory.

  • Global Markets and Institutions

    This module compares how international markets and institutions link the users and providers of funds within financial systems. It focuses on issues of asset pricing and market efficiency and the effects of globalisation on organisations, technical innovation and regulatory change.

  • Investment and Asset Management

    Students will gain hands-on experience of building a diversified portfolio, hedging using derivatives, and analysing its performance and risk using the Bloomberg terminal. The fundamentals learnt in this module will be particularly beneficial for a career in asset management, investment banking, wealth management, etc.

  • Professional and Personal Skills

    The goal of this module is for you to enhance your employability by engaging in development activities that will be recognised and appreciated by prospective employers. You will gain a sound understanding of the nature of the accounting and finance professions as well as what is expected of a working professional and job applicants in the accounting and finance industries. You will practise generic and specific skills relevant to career success and develop strategies to enhance resilience and adaptability in the workplace.

Optional modules

Finance and Strategy

This module is designed to enable students to place financing and investment decisions into the
context of the wider environment, corporate strategy and performance. By using case studies throughout the module, students will appreciate how corporate strategy is formulated, linked to business and functional strategies and how management control is exercised and performance is measured.

International Finance

Two perspectives are adopted: first that of an analyst of the international system, examining the
operation of foreign exchange and derivative markets, and theories of exchange rate determination;
second that of the financial manager within a multinational enterprise (MNE) facing issues of currency risk management and international investment.

Sustainable Finance and Investment

The aim of this module is to develop students’ critical and practical understanding of sustainable finance
and investment. This involves developing expertise in the rapidly evolving field of sustainable finance - both
of the financial instruments that organisations issue and investors buy, and of the systems of accountability
and governance that are associated with them. Students develop practical skills in the use of Bloomberg
Terminals to support their analysis of sustainable finance and investment.

The Practice of Data Analysis

You will learn how to examine data and use statistics to help businesses, to formulate strategies and make decisions. You will learn essential concepts that underpin areas such as business analytics, data mining, data analytics, big data and artificial intelligence. you will work with diverse datasets, learn how to prepare these and test basic models of analytics.

Business Analytics

You will learn how to conduct data preparation, pre-processing, reduction, visualisation and modelling before you interpret and gain further insights from the data.

You will learn how to use several analytical tools and software, such as Microsoft PowerBI, Tableau, Python and RStudio.

Final project

Compulsory modules

  • Accounting and Finance Project

    You will undertake an independent project, relevant to the area of Accounting and Finance. You can choose between a research project, a consultancy project or a guided project. The ability to carry out independent research, analyse both qualitative and quantitative data and then to communicate their findings orally and in writing are key skills required by the accounting and finance professions.

Work Placement

Optional modules

Enterprise Work Placement

You'll expand your enterprise skills in the context of the workplace. The focus will be on building your intrapreneurial mindsets during your placement, helping you to develop the curiosity, creativity, vision and resilience to be successful in a variety of organisations. You'll draw on the OBBS Golden Thread and Brookes attributes embedded within your degree, for you to be a change agent on your placement, so you drive innovation in one or more of the following areas: ethical business behaviour, inclusivity, responsible management, sustainability, digitalisation and internationalisation. Drawing on on your research skills you'll propose evidence based innovative solutions to your placement organisations’ challenges.

Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from those shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.

Research

There are two main areas of research related to this subject: Critical Perspectives on Accounting, Social Responsibility and Governance, and Applied Economics, Finance and Development.

The Accounting cluster focuses on how accountability and responsibility is achieved, explored from a range of perspectives and methodological approaches.

The Economics cluster comprises applied macro- and microeconomics as well as finance, environmental sustainability and development.

Two researchers in a meeting

Careers

With our MSc Finance, there are various directions you can follow. You may decide to go into the finance sector and pursue a career in banking, trading, or insurance. Alternatively, you may choose a career in general business and take up a financial position within a national or international corporation.

Previous graduates have developed careers at prestigious global organisations such as Apple, Deutsche Bank, Citibank, IBM, and HSBC. Some have joined consultancy firms such as Accenture while others have chosen to work in financial roles in charities like Oxfam or Cancer Research.

Some of the roles you may go on to include:

  • financial trader
  • investment banker 
  • financial analyst
  • fraud detection
  • treasurer.

As well as increasing your financial knowledge and technical ability throughout the course, you’ll also develop desirable skills such as digital literacy, team working and presentation techniques.

Whichever path you take, you can be confident that a finance degree from Oxford Brookes will act as a springboard for many interesting careers.

Student profiles

Funmi Ogunmola

"One of the key reasons I chose Oxford Brookes, was that the modules aligned perfectly with my academic interests and career aspirations. "

Read more about Funmi

Kwadwo Kwarteng

"My plan is to become a portfolio manager in an Asset Management firm and then advance to the position of Managing Director/Partner in the near future."

Read more about Kwadwo

Laiba Tahir

"The modules give you a broad understanding of the different areas of finance that can facilitate various career options for you."

Read more about Laiba
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Related courses

Related course
Accounting and Finance
Related course
Strategic Professional Accounting and Finance
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Entry requirements

International qualifications and equivalences

How to apply

Application process


Apply now

Tuition fees

Please see the fees note
Home (UK) full time
£11,350
Home (UK) part time
£5,675
Home (UK) sandwich (placement)
£2,100
International full time
£17,650
International sandwich (placement)
£2,100
Home (UK) full time
£11,950
Home (UK) part time
£5,975
Home (UK) sandwich (placement)
£2,200
International full time
£18,950
International sandwich (placement)
£2,200

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

financefees@brookes.ac.uk

Tuition fees

2024 / 25
Home (UK) full time
£11,350
Home (UK) part time
£5,675
Home (UK) sandwich (placement)
£2,100
International full time
£17,650
International sandwich (placement)
£2,100
2025 / 26
Home (UK) full time
£11,950
Home (UK) part time
£5,975
Home (UK) sandwich (placement)
£2,200
International full time
£18,950
International sandwich (placement)
£2,200

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

+44 (0)1865 534400

financefees@brookes.ac.uk

Fees quoted are for the first year only. If you are studying a course that lasts longer than one year, your fees will increase each year.

The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.

How and when to pay

Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.

  • For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
  • For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page

Additional costs

Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.

Funding your studies

Financial support and scholarships

Featured funding opportunities available for this course.

International Student Scholarship - CAS ready Postgraduate Master's Loan - England

All financial support and scholarships

View all funding opportunities for this course

Programme changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been published on the website. For more information, please visit our changes to programmes page.