(Full time) 2023 start
Financial Mathematics MSc
Overview
This degree provides you with knowledge of advanced finance concepts, whilst developing your quantitative, mathematical and research skills.
Taught by experienced academics based in both Leeds University Business School and the School of Mathematics, you’ll cover key topics including financial derivative pricing, discrete and continuous time models, risk management and portfolio optimisation, as well as statistical and machine learning methods for finance.
You will be equipped with a rare combination of mathematical skills and the latest business finance knowledge, which is highly sought after in the financial sector by banks, and investment and consultancy companies. It’s also excellent preparation if you’re interested in pursuing further academic research.
This course is ideal if you’ve previously studied finance, economics, mathematics, physics or computing, and are interested in applying your skills to financial markets.
Course Highlights
This course is shaped by the latest knowledge and critical thinking through the work of our advanced specialist research units, including the Centre for Advanced Studies in Finance, the International Banking Institute, and the Credit Management Research Centre.
Benefit from our strong relationships with the finance, credit and accounting professions, connecting you to the latest practitioner and policy developments.
You’ll have access to our two, on-campus trading rooms, and the world’s top financial databases, such as Bloomberg, WRDS, CSMAR, Refinitiv Eikon and Datastream.
Guest lectures from high-profile, industry speakers or regulatory bodies share current trends and valuable real-world insight. Recent speakers have included the Chief Risk Officer from the Royal Bank of Canada, and the Deputy Governor of the Bank of England.
This course is jointly taught by Leeds University Business School and the School of Mathematics.
Find out more about studying your Masters at Leeds University Business School.
Course content
In your first semester you’ll develop a broad understanding of corporate finance and how financial theory relates to practice in business and financial markets. This will put your mathematical studies into context while you develop your skills in applied statistics and probability, machine learning methods and discrete time finance.
You’ll build on these skills in topics such as continuous time finance, risk management and computational methods. You’ll also gain specialist knowledge in topics that suit your career ambitions such as risk and insurance, actuarial science and behavioural finance.
The course will improve your research skills and allow you to study different research methodologies, including those employed by our own leading academics. This will prepare you for your dissertation – an independent research project on a topic of your choice that you’ll submit by the end of the year.
Course structure
The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.
Modules
Year 1
Compulsory modules
- Corporate Finance 15 credits
- Learning from Data 10 credits
- Introduction to Programming 5 credits
- Dissertation in Financial Mathematics 45 credits
- Applied Statistics and Probability 15 credits
- Discrete Time Finance 15 credits
- Continuous Time Finance 15 credits
- Risk Management 15 credits
- Computations in Finance 15 credits
Optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)
- Security Investment Analysis 15 credits
- Portfolio Risk Management 15 credits
- Behavioural Finance 15 credits
- Financial Derivatives 15 credits
- International Investment 15 credits
Learning and teaching
You’ll be taught using a range of methods including lectures, tutorials, seminars and workshops. The rest of your time will be spent in independent learning, which allows you to develop your skills in research and analysis. You will benefit from access to our Bloomberg Trading Rooms, including two brand new 24-seat suites. The trading rooms allow you to apply your finance theories to decision making in a safe environment using real time information.
Our Virtual Learning Environment will help to support your studies: it’s a central place where you can find all the information and resources for the School, your programme and modules.
On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.
Assessment
Assessment methods emphasise not just knowledge, but essential skills development too. This may include formal exams, group projects, reports, computer simulation exercises, essays and written assignments, group and individual presentations and reflective logs.
This diversity enables you to develop a broad range of skills as preparation for professional life.
Applying, fees and funding
Entry requirements
A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons) in a related subject such as finance, economics, mathematics, physics, computing or engineering.
International qualifications
We accept a range of international equivalent qualifications.
English language requirements
IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.
Improve your English
International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.
This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Economics and Finance (6 weeks) and Language for Business: Economics and Finance (10 weeks).
We also offer online pre-sessionals alongside our on-campus pre-sessionals. You could study a part-time online course starting in January, or a full-time course in summer. Find out more about online pre-sessionals.
You can also study pre-sessionals for longer periods – read about our postgraduate pre-sessional English courses.
How to apply
Application deadline:
We operate a staged admissions process for this course with selection deadlines throughout the year.
If you do not receive an offer in a particular round, you will either be notified that your application has been unsuccessful, or we will carry your application forward to be considered in the next round.
Please see our How to Apply page for full details and the application deadlines for each stage.
Documents and information you need
- A copy of your degree certificate and transcript, or a partial transcript if you’re still studying
- Two academic references
- A personal statement
- An up-to-date CV
- Your approved English Language test* (if applicable)
- A letter of sponsorship, if you need one.
* Applicants who have not yet completed an approved English language test may apply for a Masters course prior to taking a test.
Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.
Admissions policy
University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy 2023
Fees
- UK: £16,750 (total)
- International: £31,500 (total)
Read more about paying fees and charges.
For fees information for international taught postgraduate students, read Masters fees.
Additional cost information
There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more about additional costs.
Scholarships and financial support
We’re offering 50 Business School Excellence Scholarships to UK and International students starting one of our Masters courses in 2023. These scholarships offer a 50% fee reduction and will be awarded to particularly deserving applicants who demonstrate excellent academic, professional and personal achievements.
You do not have to submit a separate application for our Excellence Scholarships - you will be automatically considered when your course application is reviewed.
International Excellence Scholarships (International applicants)
Career opportunities
You have a wide range of opportunities open to you as a Financial Mathematics graduate, including quantitative analysis, risk management, investment banking, financial consultancy, insurance, accounting and academia.
Previous graduates have gone on to secure employment with a range of organisations including Allianz (London), AstraZeneca, Barclays, CITIC Group, Deloitte, Gaz de France, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers and the UK Government Actuary’s Department.
Careers support
Careers support and professional development activities are built into your course from day one. You can access advice and guidance on your career choices, help in identifying and applying for jobs, support to boost your employability, and opportunities to develop the professional skills you will need to start a successful career, and how to evidence these to prospective employers.
As part of the Accounting and Finance Department you can benefit from commercial awareness networking events and guest lectures from high profile speakers from industry or regulatory bodies. Students have had the opportunity to develop their knowledge of financial markets through a one-week trading simulation with Amplify Trading.
You’ll also benefit from the University’s award-winning Careers Centre, where you can access range of support to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions, even after you graduate.
Read more about our careers and professional development support.