Ahmad Haboub
Head of School - Accounting, Analytics & Finance
level:PG;top_up:false;international:true;foundation:false;clearing:false;full_time:true;part_time:false;start_month:September;location:Waterside
Financial and Investment Analysis MSc
Key Facts
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Duration
Full Time: 1 Year
Full Time with Placement: 2 Years -
Level
Master'sPG MSc
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Full Time: £8,700
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Full Time: £19,000
Updated 12/02/2026
Overview
The University of Northampton’s MSc Financial and Investment Analysis will develop you into a specialist investment professional that can take up challenging roles in investment banking, risk management and fund management. This programme will prepare you to write the CFA® professional exams.
This finance and investment course has an Industry Placement Option.
One of our current MSc Financial and Investment Analysis students, Natasha, is available on Unibuddy to answer any questions you may have about the Master’s or studying at UON.
Highlights
- Industry Placement Option available for the Financial and Investment Analysis MSc degree.
- Hands-on application of skills learnt through simulated trading via the Bloomberg terminals.
- Exemptions are available from main professional bodies ACCA and CIMA.
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Entry Requirements
If you hold a recognised first or second class honours degree from a UK university or international equivalent in finance, banking, accounting or a related discipline then you will be eligible to apply for this course.
If you hold professional qualifications, you will also be considered for entry onto this course.
All International and EU students applying for a course with with the University of Northampton must meet the following minimum English language requirements:
- Minimum standard – IELTS 6.5 (or equivalent) for study at postgraduate level.
For information regarding English language requirements at the University, please see our IELTS page.
What You'll Learn
MSc Financial and Investment Analysis provides in-depth theoretical and practical skills for specialist roles in the finance and investment industry. You will develop analytical and critical skills which enables you to tackle simulated real-life problems and challenges in the finance industry. Grounded in ethical and responsible approaches, this programme is aligned to investment and risk management professional bodies and responds to the demands and challenges of the dynamic financial services industry.
Exemptions are available from main professional bodies – Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).
Compulsory Modules
The purpose of this module is to apply knowledge gained on the programme by carrying out independent research on a relevant topic of their choice and develop an ability to present, analyse and evaluate information in a reflective and critical manner.
This module develops students appreciation of investment decision-making and portfolio management techniques to enhance investment performanceStudents plan, construct and evaluate potential investment strategies for different types of investors to achieve the desired portfolio performance.
This module focuses on the importance of ethical behaviour in the investment industry, combining relevant code of ethics and professional standardsStudents develop an ethical approach to investment decision making through the application of appropriate frameworks which include the CFA Institute Code and Standards and Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS).
This module equips students with advanced analytical skills to apply corporate finance theory to real-world cases relating to investment, financing and distribution decisionsIt also examines the challenges and complexities of corporate governance and the conflicting demands of stakeholders.
This module enables students to analyses and evaluate equities, investment strategies and portfolio performanceTaking into account investment objectives, constraints and behavioural biases students appraise, select and justify equity investment decisions.
In this module students develop a wide-ranging practical approach to debt financing decisions and analyse how the different bond instruments are used by borrowers in the wholesale marketsStudents evaluate the risk-reward considerations of investors and how these are met through the use of the different bond instrument types available.
In this module students apply quantitative concepts and techniques to facilitate decision making in the context of financial analysis and investmentUsing statistical techniques students analyse financial data for forecasting and measuring risk and return.
The module provides students with an understanding of the key derivative financial products: futures, forwards, options and swapsStudents learn how to use derivatives to hedge and maximise portfolio returns, enabling them to understand the complexities of dynamic financial markets.
This module looks beyond traditional investments to focus on alternative investment strategies, combining theory with practical exercisesStudents identify the risk-return characteristics of alternative investments and how to construct portfolios.
This module provides students with a thorough understanding of procedures and standards that govern financial reporting disclosures and associated risksStudents apply various tools and techniques to analyse financial statements and reconcile differences in accounting treatments in order to make informed judgements about company performance.
Please note the modules shown here relate to the academic year 25/26. The modules relating to the academic year 26/27 will be available from June 2026.
The financial industry placement enables you to develop your skills and knowledge in a real-world work environment, whilst completing an applied research project. This will give you an advantage over the competition for jobs and scholarships after you graduate and could be a good starting point for setting up your own consultancy business.
Your placement will need to be appropriate to your level of study and you should also be paid for this work. We will support you in finding and securing a suitable placement opportunity, however it must be noted that placements are highly competitive and there is no guarantee of a placement offer being made by an employer.
If you are unable or unwilling to progress with an industry placement, for whatever reason, you will have the option to transfer onto our Dissertation and Research Methods module in order to gain the required credits to complete your programme of study.
How will I learn on the Financial and Investment Analysis MSc?
Typically you will have 10 hours (approx) of contact time with your tutors in the first semester and 12 hours (approx) in the second semester. Overall you will spend 108 hours per module in self-directed study (reading and research).
How will I be assessed?
The financial investment analysis course uses a combination of assessment methods including reports, case studies, time constrained tests and examinations, plus your dissertation.
Semester One
You will be introduced to some of the main themes in financial and Investments, this is in the context of utilising investment analysis and risk management. Modules in semester one will highlight the principles of investment analysis and ethics & professional standards.
Semester Two
You will examine how investment decisions can be applied in the wider social context. You will also study the way in ethics and professional standards apply to investment decision making.
Semester Three
The research proposal produced in Semester two will guide the development of a clearly defined and evidenced study proposal, a critical review of relevant literature, and a robust methodology. Data is then collected, analysed, interpreted and applied to the study proposal and a 15,000 word research report (dissertation) is produced, with the support of a dissertation supervisor.
Are there are any special features on this Financial and Investment Analysis course?
You will have access to several resources and databases such as;
- Bloomberg
- Datastream
- ABI Global
- Business Source Premier
- Emerald
- MarketLine Advantage
- Orbis
- ScienceDirect
- Sage Video (Business & Management Collection)
- Taylor & Francis
Fees and Funding
2026/27 Tuition Fees
Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 26/27 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.
- UK Full Time: £8,700
- International Full Time: £19,000
- Year 2 Placement Fee: £1000* (for placements starting in September 2027 or January 2028)
*The placement fee amount will only be charged to you after you secure a placement and are enrolled on the work based project in year 2 of your course. You will not be charged this fee if you do not secure a work placement.
There are no additional costs for the Financial and Investment Analysis MSc course for students beginning their studies in September 2026. Should this change, applicants and students will be contacted by the university with details of the costs.
For information on the scholarships available to you, please see our scholarships page.
For more information about possible funding options, please visit our Fees and Funding pages.
Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 24/25 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.
- UK Full Time: £8,250
- International Full Time: £16,995
- Year 2 Placement Fee: £1,100 * (for placements starting in September 2025 or January 2026)
*The placement fee amount will only be charged to you after you secure a placement and are enrolled on the work based project in year 2 of your course. You will not be charged this fee if you do not secure a work placement.
Staff
Ali Khan
Senior Lecturer in Finance
Doaa Aljamal
Senior Lecturer in Financial Accounting
Ai-Quang Tonthat
Senior Lecturer in Banking & Finance
Careers and Employability
Graduates of the MSc finance and investment analysis programme who complete the professional exams can expect to take up roles within Asset Management, Accounting and Finance, Investment Banking (Mergers & Acquisition), Wealth Management, Equities, Private Equity, Risk Management, Research, Corporate Banking, Consulting, Fixed Income, Derivatives, Hedge Funds and Information Technology.
