Taught course

Finance (Corporate and International Finance)

Institution
Durham University · Durham Business School
Qualifications
MSc

Entry requirements

Application Deadlines

The application process opens on 1 October 2024 for Masters programmes commencing 2025.

We aim to have a diverse student body and recognise that we can only offer places to a finite number of applicants. To help achieve our aim, we look to ensure we offer places to applicants from all nationalities and close applications when we receive the allocated numbers.

The University is under no obligation to make any offer of a place on the programme to any applicant, nor is the University obligated to fill all spaces available on the programme.

What do I need first

The Masters in Finance programme is designed for new or recent graduates. Certain routes within the Masters in Finance programme may also be of interest to those who already have practical experience in the field of finance. Prospective candidates must hold qualifications equivalent to a UK first or upper second-class honours degree in any discipline. Applicants are also expected to have strong quantitative skills for the programme, which includes fundamental concepts of calculus and statistics. Therefore, having studied a relevant mathematics/quantitative module at university level or a minimum of A level Mathematics (or its equivalent) is a prerequisite for prospective candidates.

Check the full list of equivalent qualifications.

If you are an international student who does not meet the requirements for direct entry to this degree, you may be eligible to take a pre-Masters pathway programme at the Durham University International Study Centre.

Applicants who have significant and relevant work experience in the Finance industry and who may narrowly miss the academic requirements may also be considered for a place.

NB Chinese Applicants: Applications will be accepted from students who have graduated from a prestigious university in China. Entry requirements may vary depending upon the reputation of the university you have graduated from and the academic programme you have applied for. As a guide, applicants are normally expected to have achieved an overall average of 85%.

How do I apply

You will need to complete an online application form.

Please note you can only apply for one Masters Finance programme.

>>Fill out the online application form

To support your online application form, you will need to provide the following documents.

  • Official transcript of marks
  • Copy of degree certificate (if available)
  • Copy of English test results (if available).

You can either upload your supporting documents with your online application or email or fax them to the Postgraduate Admissions Office using the contact details below.

Note
Only files of type .doc, .docx, .gif, .jpg, .pdf, .png, .rtf are permitted to be uploaded.
The maximum file size is 5MB.

Application fee

Once we receive your online application form, you’ll get an automatic email within 48 hours asking you to pay the £60 application fee* which is required to progress your application.

You’ll need to follow the link in the email to the webpage where you can confirm your details and make the payment using a debit or credit card. This is a secure website operated by Secpay, which will send you an automatic receipt of payment.

Once we receive confirmation that your application fee has been paid, we’ll be able to progress your application. If you do not pay the application fee your application will be automatically withdrawn.

*Please note you will only be able to make a payment for one programme in each suite i.e. one MSc Finance programme, one MSc Management programme, one MSc Economics programme.

College membership

All students of Durham University will become a member of one of our Colleges. Here is more information about what college membership means to our students. Once you have accepted your postgraduate offer, the Accommodation and Allocations Office will contact you with further information regarding how to express college preferences. You can also apply for college accommodation, if you wish to.

Admissions process

Here are the steps in the admissions process:

  1. We will let you know when we’ve received your application.
  2. Once we’ve received all of your supporting documents, we will email you to let you know our decision.
  3. If the decision is to make you an offer of a place on the programme we will let you know by email. Please note we do not issue hard copy offer letters as these are not required to obtain a student visa.
  4. You should confirm acceptance of your offer as soon as possible. In order to secure your place, you are required to pay a deposit within six weeks of the date of your original offer (check your offer documents for details of payment methods).
  5. International students requiring a student visa will receive a CAS (Certificate of Acceptance of Studies) via email once all offer conditions are met, acceptance and deposit have been received and you are within five months of the start date of your programme.

Months of entry

September

Course content

The MSc in Finance (Corporate and International Finance) offers you the exciting opportunity to explore the world of investment, funds and banking, and to study the movement of money around the globe by corporations and financial institutions.

Taught by academic specialists who are immersed in financial research, you will study core modules in key areas such as advanced financial theory, corporate finance, international finance and mergers and acquisitions. Learning is enhanced by a wide choice of optional modules which range from portfolio management to Fintech regulations and behaviour and neurofinance to climate finance You can further tailor the course to your interests through the completion of either a research-based dissertation or an applied business project in an area of your choice.

We are delighted to say that this course is affiliated with the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute (CFA), the leading global association for investment professionals and the accepted benchmark around the world for technical excellence in financial markets.

The MSc will also give you opportunities to study abroad through our Dissertation Abroad scheme and an organised international study tour that offers an excellent insight into the workings of international business.

You will be invited to presentations by leading academics and top representatives of major global multinationals. To further immerse you in the subject we offer an Investment Club and a Trading Challenge which give you the chance to manage a genuine fund and take decisions regarding trading and investment.

The School has made a significant investment in database resources, giving you access to live and historical data from providers including Bloomberg, Capital IQ, Thomson Reuters, DataStream and Orbis. These state-of-the-art databases give you the opportunity to interrogate the financial records of millions of companies worldwide and add valuable insight to your research.

World-class Business Education

  • 11th (UK) 39th (Europe) 66th (Global) - QS World University Rankings: Masters in Finance 2024

Course structure

Core modules:

Advanced Financial Theory offers stimulating and rigorous training in modern finance theory and in the most important current research with an emphasis on application of finance principles. You will also develop an advanced understanding of normative and positive research in financial theory together with the related descriptive and empirical evidence.

Corporate Finance covers the theory and practice of corporate finance and the latest research. Again, you will examine both normative and positive aspects of the theory, together with supporting descriptive and empirical evidence.

Private Equity and Wealth Management explores international banking financing decisions, the structure and financing of private equity and venture capital funds. You will examine areas including advanced financial analysis and valuation for global firms over different macroeconomic conditions, business, credit, financial and monetary policy cycles. This is an ideal foundation for a career in private equity, investment banking, consulting, and corporate finance.

Mergers, Acquisitions and Corporate Restructuring covers areas such as takeover tactics and defence, target valuation and value creation to develop your understanding of the key issues and research topics in this important field. It will also provide you with the ability to critically review this specialised and complex area with a view to undertaking a finance dissertation and potentially future research work.

Econometric Methods will provide you with the knowhow necessary to be able to carry out empirical research in economics or finance and to understand more advanced econometric techniques.

The Dissertation, on a finance topic of your choice, develops your ability to plan and manage your own learning. It provides an opportunity to conduct an in-depth investigation at an advanced level and present your findings and conclusions. To add a further international dimension to the course you can apply for the international route where you undertake research abroad at a partner university. There is also the option to develop a more applied project in conjunction with an appropriate organisation.

In recent years, optional modules have included:

  • Derivative Markets
  • Behaviour and Neurofinance
  • Financial Risk Management
  • Portfolio Management
  • Security Analysis
  • Islamic Banking and Finance
  • Islamic Capital Markets
  • Islamic Law and Financial Transactions
  • Bank Management
  • Financial Technologies I
  • Financial Technologies II
  • Fintech Regulations
  • Climate Finance
  • Banking and Financial Intermediation
  • Python for Finance
  • International Financial Asset Pricing
  • International Study Visit
  • Capital Market Development
  • Financial Modelling and Business Forecasting

A language module offered by the Centre for Foreign Language Study

Information for international students

If you are an international student who does not meet the requirements for direct entry to this degree, you may be eligible to take a pre-Masters pathway programme at the Durham University International Study Centre.

Fees and funding

UK students
£16,000 per year
International students
£35,500 per year

For further information see the course listing.

Qualification, course duration and attendance options

  • MSc
    full time
    12 months
    • Campus-based learningis available for this qualification

Course contact details

Name
Durham University Business School