Global Finance MSc
Study level: Postgraduate
Learn the knowledge and professional skills to develop a career in investment banking, portfolio management, corporate finance or risk management.
Year of entry
Location
Coventry University London (City of London)
Study mode
Full-time
Part-time
Duration
1 year full-time
2 years part-time
18 months Extended Professional Practice
Course code
LONT067, LONT068 (with Professional Practice)
Start date
May 2023
Course overview
Learn the knowledge and professional skills to develop a career in investment banking, portfolio management, corporate finance or risk management.
Explore the environment of the finance sector, helping you to build the skills you need to work strategically within it. Our Global Finance MSc addresses the needs of individuals looking to pursue a career in global finance or to further their knowledge of global financial markets.
- Deepen your knowledge, understanding and application in ethics, quantitative and research methods, economics, financial reports and reporting, global financial markets, valuation of financial securities, and portfolio management.
- Explore the core business, financial disciplines and methods of working in the financial sector, and learn how to apply these in practical contexts.
- Develop powers of analysis, strategic approaches and communication skills to meet various analytical and decision-making challenges of the rapidly changing financial services industry.
- Apply to study our Global Finance MSc with Extended Professional Practice route, an 18-month option aimed at individuals who are looking to attain a deeper understanding of business in a very practical way. This is great opportunity for students to spend twenty-two weeks at one (or more) work setting(s) in the form of an internship* with a host organisation.
Global ready
An international outlook, with global opportunities
Teaching excellence
Taught by lecturers who are experts in their field
Employability
Career ready graduates, with the skills to succeedWhy you should study this course
- Fast track to a finance career
This course aims to equip you with the key skills needed to pursue a career in the finance sector immediately, after successfully completing the course. Equipped with our Global Finance MSc, students should have the skills suitable for much wider opportunities in the finance sector globally, rather than only being focused in technology or trading.
- CFA affiliation
The curriculum of this course is part of the University Affiliation Program of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). This course has been designed to align with the syllabus of Level I and II of the CFA Institute professional exams and it currently covers at least 70% of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge (CBOK), offering excellent preparation for an international career in finance, banking, or risk management. - Industry-standard technology
You will be provided with the opportunity to develop high levels of proficiency with industry-standard technology for the financial services sector, particularly when working on our simulated trading floor. You’ll use Bloomberg terminals and other software, such as S&P Capital IQ, STATA, R and SPSS, and other financial simulation software for options pricing and risk management. You’ll learn to integrate these tools, and their outputs, into Excel. We offer a personal S&P Capital IQ login, which means you’ll have 24/7 access to the system from anywhere, including from home. Our library offers access to various databases too, allowing you quick access to data. Students are also encouraged to complete the Bloomberg Market Concepts Certificate, for free, using our Trading Floor (subject to availability) to enhance their employability and improve their Bloomberg terminal skills Once you have signed up, you can complete the 8-hour course at your own pace. - London location
Our campus is situated in the iconic Square Mile of the City of London, one of the most famous and busiest financial districts in the world where the majority of large financial institutions are located – and we’re only a short distance from the UK’s second financial centre, soaring Canary Wharf. Students will be studying on the doorstep of the finance and asset management industries where they will have - opportunities for access to current market participants, placements/employment and continuing personal development with financial employers*. Your tutors will take full advantage of the many experiential learning opportunities in the area, including the Bank of England and the London Stock Exchange, but you will also be encouraged to make the most of tours, museums, conferences and exhibitions. - Industry insight
The course is taught by highly qualified academics who have solid career experience in banking, asset management and portfolio management, and who maintain strong connections with industry and with the professional associations (please note staff may be subject to change). You may also get the opportunity to meet with industry professionals through networking, guest lectures from high-profile figures in finance, and could participate in an international field trip* to a global financial centre or visit leading banks, institutions, investment companies, technology firms and/or ratings agencies. - Real-world experience
Your learning will be very much applied, helping you to become workplace-ready when you graduate. Your final major project offers the chance to do an internship* where you have the opportunity to do a term’s work experience in finance industry, producing a substantial piece of accompanying work while building your network and improving your CV, or a simulation based project where you can apply your finance skills to the problems of a virtual business via a software simulation. You also have the opportunity to undertake our MSc Global Finance course with Extended Professional Practice. This is an 18-month option and is aimed at individuals who are looking to attain a deeper understanding of business in a very practical way. You are expected to spend twenty-two weeks at one (or more) work setting(s) and will have the opportunity to apply theory to practice. If you would like to apply for the Global Finance MSc with Extended Professional Practice, please ensure that you reference the correct course code (LONT068) in your application. Find out more about our Extended Professional Practice study option.
Accredited by:
CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Institute
This course is accredited by the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute for the 2022/2023 intake. This course is part of the University Affiliation Program of CFA Institute and currently covers at least 70% of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge (CBOK), offering excellent preparation for an international career in finance, banking, or risk management. This allows students to apply for a CFA Program Student Scholarship and have the opportunity to be awarded a student scholarship including one-time CFA program enrolment fee and discounted one-time CFA exam registration fee (Please note that any scholarship award is subject to a competitive application process and availability). Students will also enjoy free access to CFA learning resources, annual exam review study guide; free access to a full series of Code of Ethics and Standard of Professional Conduct materials and other online presentations. Successful completion of certain modules does not entitle students to sit the professional examinations which are centrally administrated by CFA Institute. Students would need to apply to the professional body for completing the exams outside of the course and additional criteria and fees may apply. Please visit the CFA website for further information.
Immerse yourself in Coventry University London’s global community and emerge as a talented, career-ready graduate with an international outlook.
More than just a degree
This course has developed my critical thinking and analytical skills and has acted as a springboard for me to gain international work experience. My exposure to S&P Capital IQ, FT market data and other financial sites have enlightened my understanding in operating key software and interpreting financial data. The tutors were approachable and highly qualified with vast industry experience.
Practical application of financial concepts
Olubukola has built upon her years of banking experience with academic knowledge and practical application of financial concepts, through studying on our MSc Global Finance course.
Read Olubukola's story
What you'll study
Your main study themes are:
- Professionalism
You will learn to adhere to the highest levels of professional conduct in the finance sector, while receiving help and guidance for other professional exams from the CFA Institute, one of the world’s leading professional associations for finance or risk management. - Technology
You’ll explore the importance of electronic decision-support tools in the financial services sector, and use industry-standard software as part of your learning throughout your studies. - Ethics
Ever since the recent global economic crisis, the financial services sector has had to respond to increasing levels of scrutiny and to develop and enforce stringent codes of ethics. - Strategy
The course focuses on developing your strategic thinking – enabling you to make crucial decisions based on the current and relevant information, and to professionally inform the decisions of others.
Extended Professional Practice (EPP) option
Students will be taking two uncredited EPP modules (0 credit for EPP1 and EPP2) in term 3 and 4, respectively, followed by a final EPP project in the fifth semester.
We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.
Global business connections
Our strong global business connections provide students with access to real-life work experience, so you can put your skills into practice and make connections in the world of work.
How you'll learn
Your learning will be applied and contextualised. Both within and beyond the classroom, you’ll enjoy opportunities to mix with the world of business through field trips, tours, guest lectures and visits to companies and institutions in the UK and overseas*.
- Teaching methods may include lectures, seminars, textbooks, workshops, debates, case studies, consultancy projects, simulations, business plans and online collaborations.
- Experience business networking and real work-experience and consultancy opportunities*. Even in the classroom, you’ll focus on practical tasks such as case studies, report-writing, planning, presentations and debates.
- Learn from your peers and expert academics and engage with your learning on your terms. Our experienced and passionate team of tutors and lecturers will use a wide range of teaching methods, simulation learning environments and innovative learning technologies to support your learning and development. Please note staff may be subject to change.
- Utilise our simulated trading floor, becoming proficient with some of the leading technology for the financial services sector – including Bloomberg terminals and S&P Capital IQ. You’ll use our online learning platform, and you could choose a ‘simulation’ option which uses software to guide you through a series of real-world financial problems.
- Make the most of all the opportunities afforded by London’s financial districts, including the City of London and Canary Wharf. You could take advantage of tours, museums, exhibitions and conferences (subject to availability and additional costs).
- A significant proportion of your time should be dedicated to personal study, a lifelong skill which will serve you well throughout your career.
- All of our students can sign up to attend free workshops that help you to develop your skills in academic English and writing, studying, conducting library research, and making effective use of search tools and resources. Librarians and Academic English tutors offer one-to-one support for a whole range of academic skills areas.
- Take part in extra-curricular activities such as our Student Enterprise Business society, student mentoring programmes and volunteering opportunities to develop your personal and professional skills. You could also take part in our High Flyers programme, to help you develop the personal and professional skills necessary to thrive in a rapidly changing world, through a suite of extra curricula, non-course specific workshops.
You will typically receive around 12 hours of contact teaching per week. The contact hours may be made up of a combination of face-to-face teaching, individual and group tutorials, and online classes and tutorials. In addition, you will be expected to undertake a significant amount of self-directed studying and revising in your own time each week, which may include, for example, guided study using hand-outs and online activities. You may also be encouraged to attend various workshops organised within the university in order to improve your academic writing, referencing, research, use of software and other relevant skills which will help in your studies.
This course can be offered on a part-time basis. Whilst we would like to give you all the information about our part-time offering here, it is tailored for each course each year depending on the number of part-time applicants. Therefore, the part-time teaching arrangements vary. Please contact registry.london@coventry.ac.uk for more information about studying this course part-time.
Assessment
Your performance will be assessed continually throughout the course. This helps to ensure that both you and your tutors understand your particular talents while recognising where you might need extra support. Your assessments will be highly applied and practical, reflecting the kind of work you will undertake in the workplace. Further help is provided for students preparing their assignments during the Assessment and Feedback hours.
All modules have two assessment points, namely, mid-semester and end of semester assessments. The scheduling of first assessments has been carefully planned so that students should not experience conflict in the assessment schedule across their modules and the nature of the second assessment has also been considered to ensure that students experience a balanced assessment diet.
You’ll have opportunities to work on business case studies, country/company reports, software simulations, consultancy projects, group projects and debates, presentations and pitches, business reporting and analysis, and even work-experience placements*. Some assessments will include the use of Excel and its many data analysis tools and integration interfaces or other statistical packages. The practical nature of these assessments means you will develop increasingly critical awareness of your own performance, and that of others – a vital career skill.
The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards the achieving the intended learning outcomes.
Job ready
On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Respond appropriately to the need for the highest standards of ethical behaviour and code of ethics.
- Understand the impact of the economic environment on the overall economy, sectors, companies and financial markets.
- Explain the global financial markets: the institutions, the mechanisms, their performance, their mutual relationships with the wider economic landscape, and their regulatory frameworks.
- Demonstrate in-depth and critical knowledge and skills of analysing the role of the financial system, the government and central banks in the functioning of economies.
- Understand and analyse financial reports and statements - a key skill in financial trading and analysis.
- Know how to measure and manage risk within financial markets and institutions.
- Evaluate financial assets using the capital asset and other pricing models, whilst recognising their assumptions and limitations.
- Measure, analyse and deliver shareholder value and optimise a portfolio to meet client objectives.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the portfolio management process and critically evaluate the impact of portfolio construction on portfolio risk & return.
- Value equity, fixed-income, financial-derivatives and alternative investments.
- Demonstrate your financial modelling skills and your proficiency with industry-standard financial platforms such as Bloomberg and S&P Capital IQ.
- Use a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods/techniques while appreciating their strengths and limitations for providing information and evaluating options in an uncertain environment.
International experience opportunities
This course takes a globalised approach to the curriculum, placing your learning in the context of international challenges, opportunities and regulatory frameworks. It will prepare you for working globally, whether overseas, or for a multi-national, or for a firm which trades internationally.
Internationalisation is a notion inextricably related to finance and is therefore a significant aspect across all modules in the course structure. The course curriculum is designed to demonstrate the increasing openness of national economies and financial markets and is shaped by both the theoretical elements of the discipline as well as its applications. The modules in this course have very strong elements of internationalisation supported by relevant literature and industry evidence across the globe.
Two modules in the first semester (Global Financial Markets and Economics for Financial Markets), stress the interconnectedness of open economies around the world. Portfolio Management in semester two explains the benefits of diversifying a portfolio from investments in different countries. In addition, MSc Global Finance and MSc Global Finance with Extended Professional Practice students will gain intercultural skills, often described as the ability to understand and value different cultural contexts and viewpoints. The use of group coursework in formative activities increases students’ awareness of a wide variety of real-world contexts. Students also have opportunities to engage in Collaborative Online International Learning projects (COIL) with our international partner universities.
You will have the opportunity to apply for an international field trip*, and you could also apply to do either a consultancy project* or an internship* (as part of your final major project) overseas. You will benefit from studying alongside a truly international cohort of students, learning from the perspectives they bring while developing your own ability to work cross-culturally.
Coventry University Group aims to give you the global opportunities needed to become a truly global graduate, enhancing your employability on a global scale. Choose from language classes, studying or working abroad*, international field trips*, summer schools, leadership development or work experience*. Opportunities such as these have enabled previous students to obtain higher starting salaries and develop the global skills employers require and achieve better career progression.
We live in a globalised world, where national economies are increasingly integrated and interdependent, with finance playing a crucial role in this global economy. It has never been easier to access global financial markets from anywhere in the world as technology, processes, tools, valuation and various other financial activities have converged. I am looking forward to welcoming you to the course and helping you build the skills necessary to participate actively in this diverse, growing, challenging but rewarding sector.
Entry requirements
Fees and funding
2022/23 Tuition fees
| Student | Full-time | Part-time |
|---|---|---|
| UK | £14,550 | £19,350 (Extended Professional Practice) per year | Not available |
| International | £18,250 | £19,350 (Extended Professional Practice) per year | Not available |
For advice and guidance on tuition fees3 and student loans visit our Postgraduate Finance page.
We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.
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How do you know if you need to pay UK or international tuition fees?
We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Your fee status determines your tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available to you. The rules about who pays UK (home) or international (overseas) fees for higher education courses in England are set by the government's Department for Education. The regulations identify all the different categories of student who can insist on paying the home rate. The regulations can be difficult to understand, so the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) has provided fee status guidance to help you identify whether you are eligible to pay the home or overseas rate.
If you meet all the criteria required by any one category, including any residence requirements, your institution must charge you the home rate. You only need to find one category that you fit into.
Facilities
Our Global Finance MSc students have access to a wide range of facilities* to help you become proficient with some of the leading technology for the financial services sector and prepare for the world of work. Take a virtual tour of our campus to explore all of the facilities available to you.
Bloomberg Trading Floor
Our Trading Floor has been created to reflect the environment where traders work on the London Stock Exchange. It contains Bloomberg Terminals, which provide access to real-time global financial data, which students learn how to use through teaching and simulated projects.
Standard & Poor Market Intelligence Suite (S&P)
The S&P Suite contains some of the same software used by Wall Street. Its databases and tools can help you track performance, identify investment ideas, and keep up with industry news and insights.
The Talent Team
Need employability support? Our dedicated Talent Team are on hand to help. They can assist you in applying for work placements, graduate level jobs and offer skills development workshops. They also organise networking events to introduce you to potential employers and industry contacts.
Careers and opportunities
Students who successfully complete this course will graduate with a set of highly employable behaviours, attitudes and competencies: technical skills (quantitative, analytical, regulatory) and soft skills (problem-solving, creativity, communication, team-working, agile) which are in high demand among employers and are indispensable qualities within the finance industry.
Typical career routes for graduates from this course can include: corporate finance, investment and credit analysts; portfolio managers; financial analysts; corporate financiers; working for international financial and government institutions and academia, including further PhD study.
Further study
As part of the journey of professional and role development, students are encouraged to continue on their academic journey through access to a range of higher degrees, including PhD and other taught doctorates.
How to apply
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UK students
To apply to study for a postgraduate course at Coventry University London, you can apply online.
For further support or more information about your course get in touch with us today.
Chat with our admissions team
Complete our contact form.
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International students
Students applying to start in September should apply directly to the university. Read our application pages to find out your next steps to apply.
How to applyFor further support for international applicants applying for an postgraduate degree view our International hub.
Get in touch with us today for further advice and guidance.
Chat with our admissions team.
Complete our contact form.
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Disclaimers
1Accreditations
The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships shall be renewed in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery.
2UK and international opportunities
Please note that we are unable to guarantee any UK or International opportunities (whether required or optional) such as internships, work experience, field trips, conferences, placements or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (which could include, but is not limited to, equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable travel COVID and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the visa requirements, please contact the International Office.
3Tuition fees
The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For Home Students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.
For International Students, we may increase fees each year but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.
4Facilities
Facilities are subject to availability. Due to the ongoing restrictions relating to COVID-19, some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and may have reduced availability or restrictions on their use.
Student Contract
By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the 2022/23 contract can be found here. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.
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