Finance and Accounting MSc

International requirements and visas

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

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Course structure

The course is composed of three phases.

• Phase 1 teaches the core subjects of finance, economics and research methods.

• Phase 2 introduces specialist modules in finance and accounting.

• Phase 3 is the dissertation, work placement project or live brief that draw together the learning from the whole of the programme, allowing you to develop your research skills and capacity for critical analysis while creating a specialisation in a particular field of finance and accounting. Completion of your final project takes place throughout the summer after teaching finishes. You will submit your project in October and receive your MSc award in December.

All modules on the course involve both taught sessions and guided independent study. For a typical module, approximately 30% of the total hours comprise taught activity, 10% is guided study and supervision and the remainder is independent study.

Syllabus

Modules

• Financial Theory and Practice

  This module will provide you with a firm grounding in the principles of corporate finance and the operation and diversity of financial markets. You will cover areas including capital markets and market efficiency; short-term finance, working capital and the money markets; investment appraisal methods; and mergers, takeovers and the financial markets.

• Economics of Financial Markets

  This module introduces macroeconomics with a focus on financial markets. You will look at the New Keynesian model and assess the influence of banking, capital markets and foreign exchange. Areas covered include fiscal policy and debt sustainability; monetary policy, credibility and commitment; and the use of economic modules.

• Research Methods for Finance and Economics

  This module will equip you with the necessary quantitative skills to successfully complete your course. In particular, it will focus on the development of essential research and data handling skills, including modelling techniques. You will also become familiar with specialist statistical software that will support the specialist modules and your dissertation.

• Contemporary Issues in Accounting

  This module will prepare you for the dissertation stage of your degree where you are required to conduct an evidence-based analysis to address a particular research question. It also provides an international perspective on the theory and practice of accounting. You will be able to extend your critical understanding of the role of accounting and develop your own research interest in the area.

• The Economics of Money, Interest Rates, Banking and Financial Institutions

  This module combines economic theory with historical context to explore issues including the structure, behaviour and performance of financial institutions and the theory and practice of prudential regulation. It will provide you with an understanding of the role of financial institutions and the purpose of capital markets as well as the effects and risks surrounding financial innovation.

• Investment Management

  This module will introduce you to the investment environment, traditional and alternative asset classes, principles of investment portfolio construction and management, using both active and passive investment strategies. You will develop your critical analytical skills by working with professional and academic data sources and apply your findings to investment problems. Workshop activities and formative assessments will prepare you to give a presentation of an investment strategy.

• MSc Finance and Accounting Dissertation

  This dissertation will demonstrate your intellectual, research, analytical and communication skills. You will present advanced research based on an extensive critical review of relevant literature. During the research process you will show methodological and detailed analysis supported by well-constructed argument and debate.

• Live Brief

  During this module you will engage in a business or consultancy project for a partner financial firm. You’ll present a plan that summarises the requirements of the brief, work with the firm to complete the required task and critically evaluate the project with a presentation or a written report.

• Work Placement Project (60)

  The work placement project forms the critical completion of your placement where you'll demonstrate your intellect, research, analytical and communication skills as you solve a real business problem. You'll carry out 'in company' research while on placement, gathering and applying advanced knowledge and analysing primary and secondary data.

Dissertation

In the final phase of the course you will complete a substantial piece of work, either the Dissertation, the Live Brief or the Work Placement Project.

The dissertation will be 10,000–15,000 words long. It will address an accounting problem that requires you to undertake research leading to practicable recommendations based on sound analysis and judgement. You will finalise the topic in consultation with the course leader and other specialists in finance, economics, accounting and business research.

You will receive help from your dissertation supervisor, who will monitor and support your progress.

The dissertation is submitted in October.

Bloomberg trading room

As part of your course you will have access to modern computing facilities and specialist computing packages, including our real-time trading room which is fed by up-to-the-minute data from the Bloomberg Terminal.

The Bloomberg Terminal is the world’s leading market data and analytics system, so you’ll have access to a wealth of data, news and state-of-the-art analytics. You will use the terminal to define your market assumptions, develop a return-generating strategy and execute trades over a closed network.

Our trading room sessions are supervised by guest traders and enable you to apply your skills to real markets and data, and make use of simulation software to recreate the pressure of a trading floor. 

We also invite guest traders to discuss curriculum topics and pass on their valuable trading experience.

Student trading society 

We highly recommend that you join our thriving Student Investment and Trading Society, established and run by students for students.

The Investment and Trading Society gives you the opportunity to take part in real-time trading competitions against other universities as well as experiencing social and networking events, guest talks by visiting industry experts and field trips.

You can also receive advice about applying for jobs, internships and postgraduate posts that can help you towards a higher grade and improve your prospects once you leave university.

Learning support

Experienced, professionally qualified lecturers and small class sizes will make sure your learning needs are supported throughout your course.

Online learning tools and libraries also ensure that academic journals, e-books, business articles and other valuable resources are available to you 24/7, both for use at the university and at home.

Placement year 

To further increase your employability and international experience, we offer full-time students starting in September the opportunity to take a placement year. This means that your course will take two years, but you will graduate with work experience.

The year on placement will be in a role related to your course and will allow you to put all that you’ve learned on your masters into practice, enhancing your career opportunities and giving you practical experience in your area of expertise.

During your placement you will also complete a business project which is assessed as part of your masters and, depending on the topic agreed between you and your employer, could also provide a valuable piece of insight for your placement employer.

Our placement partners include:

• BMW
• Bosch
• Deloitte
• Disney
• Hewlett Packard
• HSBC
• IBM
• Ipsos Mori
• L’Oréal
• Nike
• Panasonic
• PwC
• Renault
• Warner Brothers.

Work placements are optional and you are responsible for arranging your placement with support from our dedicated Placements and Employability team.

We are now offering a two-year international study visa route to support applications for this course.

Find out more about how we can support you finding a placement.

Course leader

Dr Robert Hayward

Robert is a principal lecturer and the course leader on our postgraduate finance and economics degrees. 

He has more than 15 years’ experience of working in the financial services sector, with responsibility for producing economic forecasts and capital market strategies for traders and bank customers.

Robert has an MSc in Economics and his PhD was on Speculation in the Foreign Exchange Market. He joined the University of Brighton in 2011 and his main interests are capital markets, foreign exchange and behavioural finance.

Read more about your course leader.

Course fees

Scholarships, bursaries and loans

We offer a range of scholarships for postgraduate students. Bursaries and loans may also be available to you.

Find out more about postgraduate fees and funding.

The fees listed here are for the first year of full-time study if you start your course in the academic year 2025–26.

You will pay fees for each year of your course. Some fees may increase each year.

UK undergraduate and some postgraduate fees are regulated by the UK government and increases will not be more than the maximum amount allowed. Course fees that are not regulated may increase each year by up to 5% or RPI (whichever is higher).

If you are studying part-time your fee will usually be calculated based on the number of modules that you take.

Find out more

• Fees, bursaries, scholarships and government funding info for UK and international postgraduate students
• Student finance and budgeting while studying
• About the university’s fees by checking our student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

Campus where this course is taught

Accommodation

Local area

Maps

Support and wellbeing

Sport at Brighton