MSc Banking and Finance

at University of St Andrews

The taught elements of the programme are delivered through a mixture of core and optional modules, using a range of delivery methods including lectures, small group tutorials, workshops and seminars. The average lecture size is 30 students, but in some cases, there will be seminars of 15 to 18 students or larger lectures with up to 100 students, which would normally be augmented by small group tutorials or seminars.

Assessment comprises a combination of coursework and examinations. From June to August, students undertake a research project culminating in a written dissertation of 15,000 words. You will attend a weekly series of lectures and workshops focusing on research methods and other topics to provide support and help prepare you for the dissertation.

Modules
The modules in this programme have varying methods of delivery and assessment. Typically, each module consists of three to five contact hours per week including lectures, seminars and tutorials. Assessment is either entirely by coursework or through a combination of coursework (50%) and a two-hour end-of-semester examination (50%).

For more details of each module, including weekly contact hours, teaching methods and assessment, please see the latest module catalogue which is for the 2021–2022 academic year; some elements may be subject to change for 2022 entry.

Compulsory

• Applied Financial Econometrics: develops students' ability to undertake quantitative research by equipping them with econometric tools and techniques to analyse and interpret financial data.
• Advanced Corporate Finance: focuses on empirical and theoretical issues that arise in modern corporate finance.
• Banking and Finance: provides students with an in-depth knowledge and a rigorous background in the mainstream areas of modern banking and finance.
• Financial Technology: equips students with an understanding of the technology underlying FinTech by introducing advancements in blockchain, machine learning and artificial intelligence. Provides an overview of key trends and considers the impact of FinTech on financial services such as payments, investing, lending, borrowing and spending.

The University of St Andrews offers a variety of flexible entry options in order to ensure our doors remain open to all students, regardless of background or personal circumstances.

Although entry to St Andrews is competitive, we recognise a range of different qualifications and consider all aspects of your application, including context, your personal statement and references. Grades alone will not guarantee you admission, and actual offers may be higher or lower than the listed minimum grades required by each programme.

Information about our entry requirements can be found in academic entry explained and UK-based applicants can use our indicator to see which set of entry requirements they need to look at. All non-UK based applicants should look at our standard academic entry requirements.

The University also offers alternative entry routes for applicants who come from areas where we receive limited applications and who are unable to obtain the required grades, or for those who are returning to education after an extended period of time.

• SQA Highers: BBBB to AAAAB
• A-Level: ABB to A*A*A
• International Baccalaureate (IB): 36 (HL 6,5,5) to 38 (HL 6,6,6 plus SL 6,6,6). From 2021, programmes requiring A-levels Mathematics will accept either Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches or Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation at higher level.

Tuition fees

• Home: £10,395
• Overseas: £25,450

Alumni from the Banking and Finance programme and more generally from other Masters programmes in the School of Management have secured employment in the fields of management consultancy, accountancy, investment analysis, investment banking, commercial banking, fund administration and other aspects of the financial services industry.

Graduates from the Masters in Banking and Finance have taken up roles in a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sector including:

• Accenture
• Blackrock Global Investment Management
• Credit Suisse Group
• Deutsche Bank
• HSBC
• IBM
• Nomura Bank
• Royal Bank of Scotland
• Procter and Gamble.