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MSc Finance and Management

Develop the financial acumen to survive, compete and thrive

Year of entry: 2024 (September)

Length

1 year full-time

Start date

September 2024 (semester dates)

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In a constantly-moving environment, you'll need cutting-edge finance and managerial knowledge and skills to make efficient business decisions.

Our Finance and Management (MSc) course is designed for students who wish to pursue a career in general management either in an established business, the public sector, or as an entrepreneur, while gaining a detailed knowledge of the finance function of the organisation.

Our suite of finance Masters programmes are uniquely multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary. They bring together expertise from the School for Business and Society, the Department of Mathematics, and the Department of Economics and Related Studies.

Discover our refocused syllabus introducing contemporary tools, methods and approaches to tackle applied, professional and academic challenges in accounting and finance.

You'll be equipped with the technical knowledge needed to gather and analyse data, identify sources of finance and profit, formulate strategies and manage projects. You'll be given the skills for a career path targeted at a full Board role up to CEO level, and learn to lead discussions on management responsibility and its impacts on financial performance.

Learn more about the study of finance at York.

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Masterclasses

Alongside your formal classes, we arrange an extensive programme of guest speakers. Visitors from large multinational companies, small businesses and public sector organisations lead discussions on issues linked to their own businesses or past experiences.

Course content

You'll take a range of core and optional modules grounded in real-world behaviour, so you'll develop a rigorous understanding of how to strategically allocate financial resources, and how private and public sector organisations can gain funding from financial markets.

You'll develop confidence in organisational decision-making, and study a variety of relevant mathematical and statistical methods applicable to industry and academia. 

In your final semester, you'll undertake an independent research project where you can apply your knowledge to a real-world finance-focused business problem.  

Modules

Core modules:

You will take core modules which may include:

Option modules:

You will also study one option module. In previous years, options have covered such topics as:

The options available to you will be confirmed later in the year. For further information please get in touch.

Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff.

Research project

You'll complete a piece of independent research of up to 8,000 words, carried out over three months of the summer. It will offer you the chance to examine a topic in depth and to develop your academic research skills.

The York approach

Every course at York is built on a distinctive set of learning outcomes. These will give you a clear understanding of what you will be able to accomplish at the end of the course and help you explain what you can offer employers. Our academics identify the knowledge, skills, and experiences you'll need upon graduation and then design the course to get you there.

Students who complete this course will be able to:

  • Critically evaluate the behaviour and operations of the finance function of non-financial organisations, how the finance function interacts with other management disciplines to allow organisations to meet their vision, mission and strategy through the strategic allocation of financial resources, and the role of non-financial organisations within the wider international political and economic environment
  • Apply the main techniques used in corporate and investment finance, corporate strategy and international business, display a critical awareness of their relevance for the operations of non-financial organisations, potential problems and issues within the application of those techniques in practice, and how investors and non-executive boards ensure that corporate managers act on their behalf (corporate governance)
  • Appraise and evaluate the major theories used in the study of finance, strategy and international business, be able to describe the assumptions and mathematics methods behind these theories and communicate clearly to academic and managerial audiences the advantages and limitations of applying these theories to specific practical contexts
  • Solve complex financial and management problems by locating, downloading and cleaning the most appropriate data, and applying the most relevant statistical and computational techniques to these data to address the problem at hand
  • Explain how sustainable and ethical management practices can co-exist with maximising shareholder wealth, and display a critical understanding of how such a balanced management approach can be implemented
  • Produce well-reasoned written and oral communications based on analytical reasoning and supported, where necessary, by data-based evidence, and display other personal transferable skills including: the ability to work positively within a group; act inclusively within a diverse academic community; reflect on personal strengths and weaknesses; identify areas for growth in their own knowledge and practice by engaging in continuing professional development
  • Formulate a management project proposal with a significant financial component; identify the relevant academic and practitioner literature that best inform the project; identify and obtain the most appropriate data and methodologies for undertaking the project; independently carry out the project efficiently and to deadline; and effectively communicate results in a way that will persuade both expert and non-expert audiences.
After gaining my undergraduate degree at York, I was keen to stay for another year to study for a Masters. The innovative course combined management and business finance, covering a wide range of subjects. It helped me develop my understanding of management, and gave me technical knowledge which has helped with my current job at a financial services company based in Shanghai.
MSc in Management with Business Finance student

Fees and funding

Annual tuition fees for 2024/25

Study modeUK (home)International and EU
Full-time (1 year) £15,890£32,260

Students on a Student Visa are not currently permitted to study part-time at York.

Fees information

UK (home) or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.

Find out more information about tuition fees and how to pay them.

Funding information

Discover your funding options to help with tuition fees and living costs.

We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2024/25 throughout the year.

If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.

Funding opportunities

Living costs

You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.

Teaching and assessment

You’ll work with world‐leading academics who’ll challenge you to think independently and excel in all that you do. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace.

Teaching format

We use a wide range of teaching methods to suit different learning styles, including:

  • Lectures
  • Seminars
  • Practical workshops

We'll help you develop skills of research and investigation to support your independent learning.

Teaching location

You will be based in the School of Business & Society on Campus West. Most of your teaching will take place in the Church Lane Building, with additional contact hours elsewhere on Campus East and Campus West.

You'll gain access to our schools' and departments' shared resources and financial databases, including:

  • Amplify Bootcamp
  • Reuters Refinitiv Workspace, including Datastream
  • Centre for Research in Security Prices (CRiSP)
  • Compustat (North America)
  • China Stock Market & Accounting Research Database (CSMAR)
  • 2iQ Global Insider Transaction Data
  • Bank Focus

About our campus

Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.

Assessment and feedback

Your modules are assessed with a mixture of exams, essays and presentations. You'll also complete formative assignments including presentations and literature reviews. You'll receive feedback on all the work you submit, helping you to understand your strengths and identify areas for improvement.

Your final assessment is an 8,000-word research project, which makes up a third of your overall grade.

Careers and skills

This course will provide you with the theoretical knowledge and technical skills needed for financial roles in private and public sector organisations around the world.

Our graduates go on to careers in all aspects of business and management. Each year, some continue their studies, joining the School of Business & Society doctoral programme.

Career opportunities

  • Accountant
  • Financial auditor
  • Accountant manager
  • Business analyst
  • Civil servant
  • Client and risk manager

Transferable skills

  • Communication skills
  • Team working
  • Presentation
  • Critical analysis
  • Creative thinking
  • Project management

Entry requirements

Typical offer
Undergraduate degree The typical offer is for an applicant with a 2:1 in an undergraduate degree in any subject. We would expect applicants to have experience of one or more modules containing some statistics/maths/economics/finance/physics/engineering content.
Other qualifications and experience If you do not meet our advertised entry requirements, we may consider your application if you have a minimum of three years of relevant senior managerial-level working experience or a relevant professional qualification such as the CFA Level 1 or the ACCA
Other international qualifications Equivalent qualifications from your country

English language

If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:

Minimum requirement
IELTS (Academic and Indicator) 6.5, minimum 6.5 in Writing and 6.0 in all other components
Cambridge CEFR B2 First: 176, with a minimum of 176 in Writing and no less than 169 in all other components
Oxford ELLT 7, minimum of 7 in writing and no less than 6 in all other components
Duolingo 120, minimum 120 in production and 105 in all other components
LanguageCert SELT B2 with 33/50 in each component
LanguageCert Academic 70 with a minimum of 70 in Writing and no less than 65 in all other components
KITE 459-494, with 459-494 in writing and 426-458 in all other components
Skills for English B2: Merit overall, with Merit in writing and Pass with Merit in all other components
PTE Academic 61, minimum 61 in Writing and 55 in all other components
TOEFL 87, minimum 23 in Writing and 21 in all other components
Trinity ISE III Merit in all components

For more information see our postgraduate English language requirements.

If you haven't met our English language requirements

You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.

The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.

After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.

Applying

You can apply and send all your documentation online. You don’t need to complete your application all at once: you can start it, save it and finish it later.

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