University of Warwick

What you'll study

The MSc Finance at Warwick provides a mix of core compulsory modules, elective options and a substantial dissertation or project. The core curriculum emphasises asset pricing, corporate finance, derivatives, fixed income, and empirical methods, while elective choices allow you to tailor the degree to areas such as risk management, behavioural finance, private equity, or machine learning for finance.

Typical components include:

• Core modules: asset pricing and portfolio theory, corporate finance and valuation, financial derivatives and markets, fixed income securities, and financial econometrics/empirical methods.
• Electives: subjects such as risk management, behavioural finance, advanced corporate finance, private equity and venture capital, computational finance, and topics in fintech or machine learning for finance.
• Dissertation / project: an independent research project or applied practitioner project supervised by faculty, allowing in-depth investigation of a chosen topic and application of empirical or modelling techniques.
• Practical learning: hands-on classes using industry data and professional tools (for example Bloomberg and other market data terminals), group casework and skills workshops on valuation, Excel modelling and presentation.

Entry requirements

Successful applicants typically hold a strong undergraduate degree from a recognised university. Applicants from quantitative disciplines (economics, mathematics, statistics, engineering, computer science, finance) are preferred, but candidates from other disciplines with demonstrable quantitative ability and relevant preparation are considered.

Typical expectations include:

• A good honours degree (or international equivalent), usually at least upper second-class or equivalent; specific degree class requirements are set by the admissions team and vary by background.
• Evidence of quantitative skills through prior study, module grades, or relevant professional experience.
• For some applicants, a competitive GMAT or GRE score may strengthen an application, especially where the undergraduate grade is from a non-standard or non-UK system.
• Non-native English speakers must satisfy the university's English language requirements through an approved test or equivalent evidence of proficiency.

Admissions decisions take into account the whole profile: academic record, references, personal statement and any relevant work experience. Meeting minimum expectations does not guarantee admission; places are competitive.

Career prospects

Graduates from the MSc Finance join a wide range of roles across the financial sector and beyond. Common destinations include:

• Investment banking and corporate finance (M&A, capital markets, advisory)
• Asset management, portfolio management and research analyst roles
• Risk management and treasury functions in banks, corporates and regulatory bodies
• Sales and trading, derivatives structuring and quantitative trading
• Consulting, corporate strategy and financial due diligence
• Fintech, data science roles and positions requiring strong quantitative modelling skills

The programme is designed to prepare graduates for both immediate professional roles and further academic study; the technical and empirical training also supports applications to doctoral programmes in finance and economics.

Why study at University of Warwick

Warwick Business School offers a focused finance MSc delivered by faculty active in research and with strong practitioner links. The school provides access to market data terminals, dedicated computing resources and regular guest talks and recruiting events with employers from the City and international financial centres.

Students benefit from Warwick's dedicated careers support, industry-facing projects and a large alumni network in finance. The campus location is well-connected to London and other major UK cities, combining a concentrated learning environment with strong employer engagement and opportunities for internships and recruitment.