Attitudes to money management have changed since the credit crisis, the emphasis now is on understanding enterprise and broader risks, and managing these appropriately. With its practical focus, our MSc responds to the increased global demand for talent in both investment and risk management. You’ll develop a strong sense of market awareness from weekly updates on current market conditions drawn from the same commercial research used by several investment banks and hedge funds.

The course provides a thorough theoretical and practical grounding in the key aspects of investment and risk finance, developing sound analytical, numerical and technological skills. Suitable for experienced financial management practitioners who wish to advance their knowledge and those seeking front or middle office careers, the highly practical nature of the course, together with the unique access to professional insight and input, are key strengths.

In our state-of-the-art Financial Markets Suite (FMS), you will apply your knowledge to real-world problems facing the international financial services industry and the corporate financial management community. Using Bloomberg terminals, a leading source of economics and capital markets information available to the global professional financial community, this virtual trading floor allows you to monitor and analyse real-time financial market movements, company performance and financial data. You’ll learn how to use financial products to solve investment management problems or to mitigate financial risks.

Sharing their insight from over 30 years of experience in financial services, the teaching team produces a suite of dedicated learning resources, which includes:

• Weekly Fintech Flash News to keep you abreast of the fast-moving world of financial technology
• The Week Ahead reviews the last week’s capital market performance and predicts significant upcoming market events
• SFA Explainer Videos break down complex Fintech related topics, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and Big Data, into digestible five-minute chunks

The University of Westminster is located close to the City of London, the world-famous financial district where some of the largest global financial institutions and companies are based. Our status as a CISI (Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment) Centre of Excellence in Financial Markets provides eligibility for student membership, giving you access to free attendance at CPD events, industry news and online resources. Since our degree has been designed to align with CISI standard, on completion, you can sit the prestigious CISI L3 derivatives examination with little to no new study necessary.

This course is designed to prepare you for a variety of roles and, as the end of your studies approaches, Course Leader and former Investment Banker Dave Coker will coach you in interviewing techniques via a one-to-one Interview Workshop.

Career choices include security and financial analysis, trading and fund management, capital market sales and administration. Our graduates go on to develop careers in treasury and front office positions in global financial institutions, investment banks and securities companies. They occupy management positions as financial analysts, finance, sales administrators and senior posts at S&P Dow Jones, United Bank for Africa Cameroon, HSBC, RBS, EY, Deloitte, Prudential, J.P Morgan, Fidelity International, Well Fargo, Deutsche Bank, Barclays, Standard Chartered, Citibank, and governmental agencies, such as the Central Bank of Nigeria, World Economic Forum and Taiwanese government.

Your exposure to simulated financial trading in the Financial Markets Suite will prepare you for professional practice. You’ll be able to demonstrate in-depth knowledge of core investment and finance principles, and the numerical and analytical skills to succeed in this rapidly changing complex environment. You will also graduate with a range of inter-personal, leadership, digital and analytical skills that employers want.

The University's Careers and Employability Service has built up a network of over 3,000 employers around the world, helping all our students explore and connect with exciting opportunities and careers.