Behavioural Finance MSc

Behavioural Finance MSc

• Comprehensive training in finance
• Special focus on behavioural economics (eg bounded rationality, overconfidence, 'nudging' people towards better decisions) and behavioural finance (eg mistakes in saving and investment, excess volume of trade, bubbles, predictability of financial markets)
• Created in response to the popularity of behavioural economics and finance (eg Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 2002, 2013, and 2017 for work in these areas)
• Optional, ungraded modules eg C++, Python, Matlab, financial trading on Bloomberg and other trading-room systems, technical analysis
• Small number of students (10-25)
• CFA pathway available which provides intensive preparation for CFA Level 1 exam

About the School of Economics and Finance (SEF)

• 10th in the UK for research power in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014)
• Close proximity to London’s financial districts (City of London and Canary Wharf)
• Self-contained campus with on-site accommodation
• Teaching by research-active academics as well as visiting city professionals

• QUMMIF investment fund invests real money (currently £40,000) based on analysis from students

• Part of the CFA Institute’s Research Challenge (team of students competes against teams from other universities)

Facilities

• State-of-the-art building
• Virtual trading room with Reuters and Bloomberg trading terminals, Interactive Brokers Trader Workstation (TWS), and FXCM FX Trading Station

Structure

Optional pre-semester modules in maths and statistics
Five compulsory taught modules

Choose Between

Three elective modules
Dissertation (7,000 words)

OR

Five elective modules
Research Project (2,500 words)

The CFA pathway is identical except that:

students attend additional compulsory module preparing them for CFA Level I exam (often required by major employers in financial sector)
the dissertation is 4,000 words or if you choose the research project (2,500 words) you will also take an additional elective module.

Assessment

For the standard pathway you'll be assessed by 75% taught modules and 25% by your dissertation.

For the CFA pathway you'll be assessed by 83% taught modules and 17% by your dissertation.

Teaching

• Taught by research-active academics as well as visiting city professional
• Teaching of each module typically consists of a two-hour lecture and one-hour seminar (for solving homework) each week

Career paths

Wide range of careers in financial sector, especially as analyst/trader/portfolio manager in investment banks, hedge funds, or pension funds. Also, careers in public policy (especially in so-called "nudge units") or in marketing.

Our dedicated careers team offers students one-on-one appointments, support with job applications, practice interviews, information about internship opportunities, and employability events.

Funding

There are a number of ways you can fund your postgraduate degree.

• Scholarships and bursaries
• Postgraduate loans (UK students)
• Country-specific scholarships for international students

Our Advice and Counselling service offers specialist support on financial issues, which you can access as soon as you apply for

Degree requirements A 2:1 or above at undergraduate level in any subject, provided the degree contains good levels of study of Mathematics and Statistics. Subjects likely to contain sufficient quantitative elements include Mathematics, Sciences, Engineering, Computer Science, Economics and Finance. Students from less quantitatively oriented degrees, such as Accounting, Management and Politics, are welcome if they have focused on the more quantitative elements of those degrees. Other routes Candidates that do not currently meet the set entry requirements may also have the option to study the Graduate Diploma in Finance and Economics. Meeting the required grades on completion of this programme will provide a pathway to study MSc Behavioural Finance and MSc Behavioural Finance (CFA Pathway).