MSc Financial Technology FinTech

at University of Stirling

This Masters course is taught by the Division of Computing Science and Mathematics, in the Faculty of Natural Sciences.  You will be carrying out a dissertation project (60 credits) as an independent, but supervised piece of work. The project may be of your own design, suggested by an academic supervisor,  or (where possible) as part of a placement or consultancy project for a company. An articulation to our Professional Doctorate Data Science is in place and may allow qualifying students to a second year entry in the doctorate programme.
 

You can study the MSc Financial Technology (Fintech) full-time over one year or part-time over two years.
 

These are the subjects you’ll learn about on the course:
 

• Blockchain
  • Blockchain technology
  • Crypto currencies
  • Decentralised applications
  • Smart contracts
  • Applications and case studies
     
• Cyber Security
  • Privacy, anonymity and cryptography
  • Access control
  • Network security
  • Forensics
     
• Bank Theory, Operations and Strategy
• Representing and Manipulating Data
  • Python scripting
  • Tabular, JSON and XML formats
     
• Data Analytics
  • Machine learning and analytics
  • Text and sentiment mining
  • Data mining project management
     
• Financial Apps and Open Banking
  • Mobile app development on Android and web
  • Building open banking apps
     
• Investment Regulation and Ethics
  • Self-regulation in financial markets
  • CFA ethics, standards and codes
     
• Behavioral Finance
  • Bias and heuristics in investment behaviour
  • Investment and inefficient markets
     
• Innovation Management
  • Innovation culture
  • Managing innovation
  • Team working
     
• New Venture Creation
  • Business start-up theory and practice
  • Business planning
  • Opportunity recognition
     
• Professionalism, regulation and ethics in banking

Some of the above subjects are optional and may be updated according to the evolution of the field.
 

Year 1, Autumn semester

Compulsory module

• Blockchain Technologies (ITNPFT1)    10 credits
   

Compulsory module

• Cyber Security (ITNPFT2)    10 credits
   

Compulsory module

• Bank Theory, Operations and Strategy (BFIP036)    20 credits
   

Option module
 

Select 20 credits from FinTech autumn options list

• Corporate Finance (INVP001)    20 credits
• Representing and Manipulating Data (ITNPBD2)    20 credits
• Students must take 20 credits from this option list in either Year 1 or Year 2
   

Year 1, Spring semester

Compulsory module

• Machine Learning (ITNPBD6)    20 credits
   

Compulsory module

• Mobile Financial Applications (ITNPFT3)    20 credits
   

Dissertation
 

Select 0 to 60 credits from ITNPBDJ or ITNPMRJ list

• Dissertation Project (ITNPBDJ)    60 credits
• Research Dissertation Project (ITNPMRJ)    60 credits
• The dissertation commencing in spring should only be selected by students taking BFIP019 in summer.
   

Option module
 

Select 0 to 20 credits from FinTech spring options list

• Innovation Management (BUSP016)    10 credits
• Mergers & Acquisitions (FINP014)    10 credits
• Financial Statement Analysis (INVP007)    20 credits
• Investments: Equity Portfolios and Pricing (INVP012)    10 credits

Students must take 20 credits from this option list in either Year 1 or Year 2
 

Year 1, Summer semester

Dissertation
 

Select 0 to 60 credits from Fintech Dissertations list

• Dissertation Project (ITNPBD5)    60 credits
• Research Dissertation Project (ITNPMR9)    60 credits

Students planning to complete their dissertation in summer should select ITNPBD5 upon initial registration. Interviews will be held for those interested in continuing onto a Professional Doctorate, successful candidates will then have their registration transferred to ITNPMR9.
 

Students choosing to take BFIP019 in summer commence the dissertation in spring and must register for ITNPMRJ or ITMPBDJ in spring.

Academic requirements
A minimum of a second class honours degree or equivalent. Applicants without these formal qualifications but with significant appropriate/relevant work/life experience are encouraged to apply.
 

Other routes of entry
If you don’t currently meet the academic requirements for this course, INTO University of Stirling offers a variety of preparation programmes that can earn you the qualifications and skills you need for direct entry.
 

English language requirements
 

If English is not your first language you must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of your English language skills:

• IELTS Academic or UKVI 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each sub-skill 
• Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) 169 overall with a minimum of 162 in each sub-skill
• Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE) 180 overall with a minimum of 162 in each sub-skill
• Pearson Test of English (Academic) 60 overall with a minimum of 59 in each sub-skill
• IBT TOEFL 78 overall with a minimum of 17 in listening, 18 in reading, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing
• IBT TOEFL Special Home Edition Test 78 overall with a minimum of 17 in listening, 18 in reading, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing
• Trinity ISE II Pass overall with a Pass in each sub-skill, ISE III Pass overall and in all sub-skills, ISE IV Pass overall and in all sub-skills
• Aptis (4 skills) CEFR B2 overall and B2 in all sub-skills
• Duolingo 95 overall with a minimum of 90 in all sub-skills
• LanguageCert International ESOL B2 Communicator - High Pass overall with minimum 25 in each sub-skill

Overseas (non-EU) students

2022/23 - £21,345
2023/24 - £21,845
 

Course fees

Fees shown are for a full-time, one-year Masters course.

• If you need to extend your period of study, you may be liable for additional fees.
• If you are studying part time, the total course fee will be split over the years that you study. The total fee will remain the same and will be held at the rate set in your year of entry.
   

Cost of living
If you’re domiciled in the UK, you can typically apply to your relevant funding body for help with living costs. This usually takes the form of student loans, grants or bursaries, and the amount awarded depends upon your personal circumstances and household income.
 

European Union and overseas students won’t normally be able to claim living support through SAAS or other UK public funding bodies. You should contact the relevant authority in your country to find out if you’re eligible to receive support.

95% of our postgraduate leavers are in employment or further study within fifteen months of graduating (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2021, HESA).
 

Fintech is a growth sector in its own right at the moment and there are opportunities across the career spectrum, from new and exciting start-up companies to established banks and insurance companies, and increasingly in new sectors, such as decentralised finance, provenance, open banking and open finance, digital identities, cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies, digital money, regulatory and legal businesses (regtech), which spawn out of or are fostered by the developing fintech area.
 

London is still the UK's largest fintech hub and there are a lot of fintech jobs at the moment. Edinburgh is now the UK's second largest city in terms of fintech opportunities and the Scottish government is funding initiatives to help build the Scottish fintech sector, e.g. Fintech Scotland. The Scottish Central Belt (across Glasgow, Stirling and Edinburgh) is now an area of major development in Fintech with a strongly integrated public/private eco-system. We expect the number of jobs in fintech in Scotland and world-wide to continue to grow dramatically over the coming years.
 

In addition, the mix of computing, analytics and business skills you’ll learn on the course will prepare you for a job in data science. Employment rates among our students are very high and careers requiring expertise  in fintech and data science are extremely varied. Beyond specific fintech companies, graduates are working in banks, the NHS, marketing companies, the oil industry and in government.