Management and Finance

Entry requirements

Application deadlines

October 2025 start

Please note: The application process will open 1st October for entry the following academic year.

There is a high demand for places on these programmes. To maximise your chances of being offered one of these places, we recommend that you submit your application to the University as early as possible.

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.

Masters in Management programmes are intended for graduates in any subject or discipline; no previous study in business or management is necessary. For example, in the past we have had graduates from a diverse range of degrees such as Music, Anthropology, Medicine and Geography. Business and Management undergraduate students may find some content overlaps with their first degree.

This programme is intended for graduates in any subject or discipline; no previous study in management is necessary. Please note, however, management undergraduate students or students who have completed a professional management qualification may find some content on this programme overlaps with their prior learning.

What do I need first

The equivalent of a UK first or upper second class honours degree. 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.

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 expected to have achieved an overall average of 85%.

How do I apply

You will need to complete an online application form.

>>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

If you’re applying for a full-time programme you’ll need to become a member of one of our Colleges as well as being accepted by a department. Here’s more information about how the college system works. Once you accept your programme offer, the College Postgraduate Office will get in touch with you to arrange accommodation. Please note that demand for college accommodation usually exceeds availability, so please try to arrange it as soon as possible.

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 the 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.

Please note: You must let us know your own personal email address when applying. Please do not use a university-linked email which may stop working once you complete your bachelor degree.

Months of entry

October

Course content

Our MSc Management and Finance programme goes right to the heart of business and strengthens the skills and knowledge you will need to manage the financial operations that are essential to success in today’s fast-moving global marketplace.

You will study the programme over one year on a full-time basis and take core modules in strategy, , organisational behaviour, fundamentals of finance, financial management and corporate finance and operational risk.

You can also tailor the programme to your interests, selecting from a range of optional modules and completing a dissertation on a subject of your choice. This could be an independent piece of research or a more applied project, completed in partnership with an external organisation.

There is a strong international element on the course with the opportunity to acquire hands-on experience of finance in a global context. You will be able to join an international study tour, take part in a summer school overseas and complete a dissertation abroad at one of our partner institutions.

, The programme gives you the opportunity to hear from a range of prestigious guest speakers who have practical experience in the subjects covered in the modules that you will take.

Furthermore, your own entrepreneurial abilities will be put to the test as you will be able to take part in the Blueprint Startup Challenge.

The Business School is one of an elite group of UK institutions that has been accredited by all three major business accreditation bodies, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Association of MBAs (AMBA) and the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS).

World class Business Education

• 8th (UK) 38th (Europe) =51st (Global) - QS World University Rankings: Masters in Management 2024
• 11th (UK) 39th (Europe) 66th (Global) - QS World University Rankings: Masters in Finance 2024

Course structure

Core modules:

Financial Management develops your ability to understand the financial information that is needed by management for decision-making as well as how and when it is used and the nature of its limitations.

Corporate Finance and Operational Risk gives you an in-depth grounding in the theory and practice of corporate finance and ways of managing operational risks.

Fundamentals of Finance offers a thorough grounding in the theory of modern finance and the most important contemporary research.

Strategy considers business success or failure by studying a firm’s business strategy and how it performs both in the external commercial environment and also in relation to the resources and capabilities it has available internally.

Organisational Behaviour provides an introduction to the important features of the behaviour of individuals in organisations such as personal and mental ability and considers elements of interaction within an organisation such as leadership, decision-making, group dynamics and teamwork.

Research Methods and Dissertation in Management and Finance enables you to carry out research and conduct an in-depth investigation into an issue of interest to you and which is applicable and relevant to your degree subject. Crucially, the module gives you a thorough understanding of key principles of research design and methodology in management and finance and develops your skills in conducting and communicating research. You will have the opportunity to undertake research abroad at a partner university or you may choose to undertake a business project in place of the traditional dissertation format.

In recent years, optional modules have included:

• Consulting
• Decision Making and Business Modelling
• East Asian Business and Management
• Employee Reward Strategy
• Financial Technologies I
• Global Business
• Global Sport Business
• International Study Tour
• The Science of Leadership
• Multinational Finance
• Mergers, Acquisitions and Corporate Restructuring
• New Venture Creation and Enterprise Skills
• Project Management
• A language module such as those offered by the University’s Centre for Foreign Language Study

Information for international students

Fees and funding