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MSc Finance, Investments and Economics

Develop analytical skills relevant to careers related to investment, corporate finance, and financial services.

Year of entry: 2025 (September)

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Global employers highly value advanced analytical skills in finance and economics.

Gain the skills you need to pursue a successful career with a financial institution, consultancy firm, government department or international agency.

Our Finance, Investments and Economics masters degree will provide you with a thorough training in areas including finance and investment, corporate finance and financial policy.

Our suite of finance Masters programmes is uniquely multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary. They bring together expertise from the School for Business and Society, the Department of Mathematics, and the Department of Economics and Related Studies.

Discover our refocused syllabus introducing contemporary tools, methods and approaches to tackle applied, professional and academic challenges in accounting and finance.

At the University of York we offer a number of different courses as part of our finance suite, including general, focused and specialised programmes. Learn more about our range of finance Masters offered at York. 

Course content

Taught by leading experts, you'll complete modules to the value of 180 credits. This includes a combination of taught modules - some core and some optional - and an independent research project.

You'll learn to address economic and financial problems - and their interdependencies - in a real-world, grounded context. This course is ideal if you're planning a career as an economist within a financial or corporate organisation, in financial regulation, or in a finance-related policy role. 

You'll develop an understanding of the financial economy through training in a range of theories, concepts, research methods and practices, as well as gaining valuable transferable skills.

Modules

Core modules

Option modules

You will also study one option module. Examples may include:

Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.

Research project

You'll complete a piece of independent research of up to 8,000 words, carried out over three months of the summer. It will offer you the chance to examine a topic in depth and to develop your academic research skills.

The York approach

Every course at York is built on a distinctive set of learning outcomes. These will give you a clear understanding of what you will be able to accomplish at the end of the course and help you explain what you can offer employers. Our academics identify the knowledge, skills, and experiences you'll need upon graduation and then design the course to get you there.

Students who complete this course will be able to:

  • Display a systematic and critical understanding of the behaviour and operations of the economy, financial markets and financial institutions, and the interactions between the real and financial economies
  • Explain the methods of logical and mathematical reasoning used by economists and finance professionals to assess and manage risk, price financial assets and make financial and economic decisions
  • Demonstrate a detailed understanding of the techniques of economics and finance and the ability to use them, by formulating rigorous and well-reasoned analysis of analytical problems
  • Use developed digital skills to locate, compile and present economic and financial data, demonstrate a thorough appreciation of their strengths and weaknesses, and apply suitable statistical, mathematical, and computer-based techniques to provide robust economic and financial forecasting to inform policymakers and decision makers in the private sector
  • Exercise judgement when balancing financial and economic goals against the ethical and sustainability objectives of a wide range of organisational and societal stakeholders
  • Produce well-reasoned written communications based on analytical reasoning and supported, where necessary, by data-based evidence, and display other personal transferrable skills including the ability to work positively within a group and act inclusively within a diverse academic community
  • Formulate a project proposal in economics and/or finance; identify the relevant academic and practitioner literature that best informs the project; identify and obtain the most appropriate data and methodologies for undertaking the project; carry out the proposed project efficiently and to deadline with minimal supervision; and effectively communicate persuasive results.

Fees and funding

Annual tuition fees for 2025/26

Study modeUK (home)International and EU
Full-time (1 year) £16,810£33,700

Students on a Student Visa are not currently permitted to study part-time at York.

Fees information

UK (home) or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.

Find out more information about tuition fees and how to pay them.

Funding information

Discover your funding options to help with tuition fees and living costs.

We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2025/26 throughout the year.

If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.

Funding opportunities

Chevening Scholarships

We are pleased to work with Chevening Scholars to offer funding for our Masters programmes. Chevening Scholarships provide one year of fully-funded postgraduate study in the UK for international (including EU) students. The scholarships are open to early and mid-career professionals who have the potential to become future leaders.

Living costs

You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.

Teaching and assessment

You’ll work with world‐leading academics who’ll challenge you to think independently and excel in all that you do. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace.

Teaching format

This Masters combines a variety of different teaching methods, including:

  • lectures
  • seminars
  • problem-solving classes
  • practical computer-based sessions.

A member of the teaching staff will act as your supervisor throughout the degree, to help guide your studies and monitor progress.

The department also has a vibrant research community. You’ll be able to attend seminars and research workshops in which staff and invited speakers discuss their research.

Teaching location

You'll be based in the Department of Economics and Related Studies on Campus West. Most of your teaching will take place in Alcuin College and elsewhere on Campus West.

You'll gain access to our schools' and departments' shared resources and financial databases, including:

About our campus

Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.

Assessment and feedback

Formal types of assessment in this course include:

  • Dissertation
  • Exams
  • Group project
  • Seminar presentation
  • Essays

As you study modules you’ll take part in assessments that do not contribute to your final mark, instead giving useful feedback on your progress and understanding.

Careers and skills

This course will help you acquire or develop the analytical skills in economics and finance you need for a successful career as an investment analyst, financial adviser, project manager or consultant. The MSc is also an ideal basis for progression to a PhD.

Career opportunities

  • Audit associate
  • Business analyst
  • Banker
  • Economist
  • Financial adviser
  • Teacher in higher education

Transferable skills

  • Independent working
  • Time management and people skills
  • Communicating research
  • Performing statistical analysis
  • Analytical and technical research skills.

Entry requirements

Typical offer
Undergraduate degree 2:2 or equivalent degree in a degree with a significant proportion of Economics elements at the intermediate level [such as intro to microeconomics, intro to macroeconomics or western economics]. We also expect good performance in quantitative elements which could include Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, Engineering or Physics.
Other qualifications and experience If you do not meet our advertised entry requirements, we may consider your application if you have a minimum of three years of relevant senior managerial-level working experience or a relevant professional qualification such as the CFA Level 1 or the ACCA
Other international qualifications Equivalent qualifications from your country

English language

If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:

Minimum requirement
IELTS (Academic and Indicator) 6.5, minimum 6.0 in each component
Cambridge CEFR B2 First: 176, with 169 in each component
Oxford ELLT 7, minimum of 6 in each component
Duolingo 120, minimum 105 in all other components
LanguageCert SELT B2 with 33/50 in each component
LanguageCert Academic 70 with a minimum of 65 in each component
Kaplan Test of English Language 459-494, with 426-458 in all other components
Skills for English B2: Merit overall, with Pass with Merit in each component
PTE Academic 61, minimum 55 in each component
TOEFL 87, minimum of 21 in each component
Trinity ISE III Merit in all requirements

For more information see our postgraduate English language requirements.

If you haven't met our English language requirements

You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.

The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.

After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.

Applying

You can apply and send all your documentation online. You don’t need to complete your application all at once: you can start it, save it and finish it later.

Apply for this course

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