Finance and Accounting

The MSc Finance & Accounting is an intensive programme, designed for those seeking a career in areas such as finance management accounting, equity research analysis, sales in investment banking, in the treasury department of a large corporate company, or at one of the big four.

Programme benefits

• Putting theory into practice: learn from leading practitioners and world-class faculty how to put the latest academic thinking and business strategies into practice.
• Tailor the course to your needs: choose from a wide variety of electives to fit your specific career goals.
• Software facilities: you will have access to Bloomberg terminals, Reuters Eikon, Datastream, Matlab and two bespoke computer labs.
• Career development: our dedicated careers service will help you present yourself with confidence to the world’s top employers.
• Reputation: the Imperial name will open doors for you across the world.

Taught by outstanding academics and leading practitioners, students are provided with a thorough grounding in the theory of finance. Built on this solid technical foundation is an understanding of the practical elements of the finance and accounting industries which include advanced techniques in corporate financial strategy and project management, and company valuation.

On this programme, students gain an understanding of both the financial basics and a practical and specialist knowledge through electives and project work.

The MSc Finance & Accounting comprises nine or ten taught modules and an end of year project. Six of the modules are core courses and are taken during the first two terms. Three or four elective modules are taken during the spring and summer terms.

You will devote the summer to the completion of the project. Students can either opt to pursue a traditional research project (10,000 words) OR an 'Applied Financial Research' report (3,000 words), together with an additional elective.

A strong academic background in a quantitative discipline (e.g. finance, accounting, economics, mathematics, engineering, science or business) is essential.

Modules

Core modules

• Corporate Finance
• Mathematics for Finance
• Financial Econometrics
• Investments and Portfolio Management
• Advanced Financial Accounting and Valuation
• Management Accounting and Corporate Strategy

Elective modules

These include:

You’ll take either three (if you do the Research Project) or four (if you do the Applied Financial Research Report) from the following elective courses*, enabling you to focus your study according to your areas of interest.

• Cases in Valuation & Financing Strategies
• Corporate Law and Corporate Tax Strategy – NEW
• Enterprise Risk Management
• Financial Crises: Regulation and Ethics – NEW
• International Finance
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Private Equity and Entrepreneurial Finance
• Structured Credit and Equity Products
• Venture Capital Finance and Innovation
• Empirical Finance: Methods & Applications
• Life Insurance
• Credit Risk
• Corporate Strategy & Dynamic Competition – NEW

* Electives available and course outlines are subject to change

A First or Upper Second Class honours degree (or international equivalent ), from a recognised university, in a quantitative discipline such as finance, accounting, economics, mathematics, engineering, science or business.There are no specific ‘A’ Level criteria, but many banks and companies in the financial sector have very strict grade requirements for their graduate programmes. We strongly recommend that you research the entry requirements of any companies you are interested in working for.ALL applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency by meeting one of the following standards:GCSE, GCE ‘O’ Level English or equivalent at grade B or aboveIGCSE English as a First Language at grade B or above (only acceptable from students who do not require a visa to study in the UK)Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) at grade B or aboveIELTS (academic): A minimum score of 7.0 with minimum scores of 6.5 in writing in all elementsInternational Baccalaureate (IB) English at grade 5 or above (either Subsidiary or Higher)Successful completion of the Business School's Pre-Sessional English CourseA full list of acceptable English language qualifications and our required scores can be found in the English language section of our FAQ pages.NoteOur English language requirements are applicable to Home, EU and Overseas students.IELTS scores will only be valid if they are less than two years old on the programme start date.You may submit your online application prior to receiving your IELTS scores.Our English language requirements are higher than the minimum standard set by Imperial College. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 7 IMPORTANT NOTE: Since April 2014 the ETS tests (including TOEFL and TOEIC) are no longer accepted for Tier 4 visa applications to the United Kingdom. The university might still accept these tests to admit you to the university, but if you require a Tier 4 visa to enter the UK and begin your degree programme, these tests will not be sufficient to obtain your Visa. The IELTS test is most widely accepted by universities and is also accepted for Tier 4 visas to the UK- learn more.

Students normally obtain funding from the following sources;

• Imperial College Business School scholarships
• Other merit or needs based scholarships. For example, Imperial College London offers postgraduate scholarships which you canread about here, and The British Council offers scholarships for international students
• Self/family funding
• Employer sponsorship
• Other sources of funding may be found in these publications; Imperial College London Postgraduate Prospectus, The Grants Register (published by Macmillan), Awards for postgraduate study at Commonwealth Universities (Association of Commonwealth Universities), Study Abroad (UNESCO)

UK residents requiring further additional information on financial assistanc e should visit this government website or call 0800 100 900. They offer options such as Professional and Career Development Loans.