Programme structure and content
The three Masters programmes – the MSc in Finance, MSc in Financial Analysis and the MSc in Accounting and Financial Management – are supremely flexible: you can switch between the MSc in Finance and the MSc in Accounting and Financial Management at an early stage if you find your interests changing.
The structure and content of each programme are listed below:
MSc Finance
Four assessed modules in Autumn Term (October - December)
Financial Markets
Foundations of Finance
Principles of Financial Reporting
Quantitative Methods for Finance
Four assessed modules in Spring Term (January - March)
Three or two of the following:
Advanced Corporate Finance
Advanced Investment Management
Financial Econometrics
Plus one or two from:
Derivatives Pricing
Financial Reporting for Complex Entities
Financial Statement Analysis
Fixed Income Markets
International Money and Finance
Management Control Systems
Summer Term (May - July), assessment by dissertation only
Taught Dissertation and progress report
Summer (July - September), completion of dissertation topic
Previous topics have included:
Option bounds and option pricing with limited information
Equity valuation using accounting Numbers
Corporate payout policy: theory and evidence
Submission of dissertation (September)
Graduation (December)
MSc Accounting & Financial Management
Four assessed modules in Autumn Term (October - December)
Financial Markets
Foundations of Finance
Principles of Financial Reporting
Quantitative Methods for Finance
Four assessed modules in Spring Term (January - March)
Three or two of the following:
Financial Reporting for Complex Entities
Financial Statement Analysis
Management Control Systems
Plus one or two from:
Advanced Corporate Finance
Advanced Investment Management
Derivatives Pricing
Financial Econometrics
Fixed Income Markets
International Money and Finance
Summer Term (May - July), assessment by dissertation only
Taught Dissertation and progress report
Summer (July - September), completion of dissertation topic
Previous topics have included:
Option bounds and option pricing with limited information
Equity valuation using accounting numbers
Corporate payout policy: theory and evidence
Submission of dissertation (September)
Graduation (December)
MSc Financial Analysis (MSc FA)
This programme consists of two core elements. The first component comprises eight taught modules, four of which are delivered during the Michaelmas term (October-December) and four of which are delivered in the Lent term (January-March). These modules, which are shared with our MSc Finance and MSc Accounting and Financial Management programmes, are designed to cover the core CFA syllabus relating to finance and financial reporting.
The second component comprises a specialist CFA dissertation stream and runs from April-September. The dissertation stream includes:
- A 10-day (80-hour) intensive CFA training module (AcF 706) delivered at Lancaster by 7city Learning’s professional CFA tutors. This module is designed to replicate in-house training programmes at leading financial institutions
- An investment-practice-focused dissertation project drawing on CFA Level I syllabus material and relevant academic insights
Programme structure
Four assessed modules in Autumn Term (October - December)
Financial Markets
Foundations of Finance
Principles of Financial Reporting
Quantitative Methods for Finance
Four assessed modules in Spring Term (January - March)
Advanced Investment Management
Fixed Income Markets
Plus any two from:
Advanced Corporate Finance
Derivatives Pricing
Financial Econometrics
Financial Reporting for Complex Entities
Financial Statement Analysis
International Money and Finance
Management Control Systems
Summer Term (May - June), assessment by examination
Advanced Topics in Financial Analysis: CFA Level I training module (delivered by 7city Learning), with assessment via CFA Level I-style examination
Summer (June - September), completion of dissertation
Topic areas to include
Equity valuation
Credit risk
Submission of dissertation (September)
Graduation (December)
