Financial Risk Management MSc

Demand is growing worldwide for experts who have the technical skills to measure and manage financial risk. This Masters degree prepares you to meet these requirements, equipping you to respond to emerging developments in the global capital and money markets.

You will gain comprehensive knowledge of essential topics including the dynamics of financial markets, the causes and effects of financial risk and professional practices for measuring and managing portfolio risk. You can also choose optional modules allowing you to specialise in areas such as financial reporting and analysis, international banking, security investment analysis, and discrete time finance.

Learning from highly qualified teaching staff involved in world-class research in financial risk management, you will test your knowledge in genuine business scenarios during practical case study exercises and simulations. Thanks to our excellent links with industry and commerce, you will gain an understanding of the latest challenges in financial markets worldwide.

Course Highlights

• This course is shaped by the latest knowledge and critical thinking through the work of our advanced specialist research units, which also have strong links with leading institutions in the US, Europe and Asia. These include 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, providing a connection 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.

• Leeds is the second largest financial centre in the UK. This means that there are a multitude of opportunities to gain relevant hands-on experience, both during your Masters and after graduation.

• Guest lectures from high-profile speakers from industry 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.

Find out more about studying your Masters at Leeds University Business School.

Exemptions

<p>As part of the <a href="https://www.cfainstitute.org/en/about/universities/university-affiliation#q=leeds&amp;sort=%40titlewithfallback%20ascending&amp;f:CountryRegion=%5BUnited%20Kingdom%5D">CFA® University Affiliation Course</a>, eligible students can apply for CFA® scholarships that cover the cost of registration for the CFA examination.</p>

The course builds your understanding of essential topics such as corporate finance and applies financial theory to practical problems. You will study core topics such as financial modelling, portfolio risk and derivatives.

Beyond these core areas of study, you will be able to specialise in areas that suit your career plans with your choice of optional modules.

To demonstrate the knowledge and skills you gain during the course, you will design and carry out your own research dissertation in the final semester. This allows you to focus on a topic of your choice, developing your ability to tackle the most pressing challenges currently facing the industry.

Throughout the course we support you to develop the professional skills that will be critical for a successful career in the financial services.

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.

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read Financial Risk Management MSc in the course catalogue

Modules

Year 1

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.

Entry requirements

A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons) in a relevant subject such as accounting, finance, economics, mathematics, physics, or engineering. You should have a strong grounding in quantitative subjects with high scores in these subjects.

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.

Apply

Documents and information you’ll 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)

Masters Excellence Scholarships (UK applicants)

Read more about Masters Funding and Scholarships.

As a graduate of this course you will be equipped with the skills and knowledge to pursue a range of career options within finance, including risk management, credit risk analysis, derivatives, insurance and finance research.

Previous graduates have gone on to work for a variety of financial institutions, investment banks, regulators and standard setters, international insurers, asset managers, underwriters and investment funds.

This degree is also an excellent qualification for individuals looking to go on to a research degree. 

Careers support

As part of this course, our dedicated Professional Development Tutor will provide tailored academic and careers support to help you achieve your career ambitions.

You can expect expert advice and guidance on your career choices, help in identifying and applying for jobs, support to boost your employability, as well as one-to-one coaching on developing 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 professional risk management workshops, commercial awareness networking events, and guest lectures from high profile speakers from industry or regulatory bodies. This year, students 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.