Head of School - Accounting, Analytics & Finance
Faculty of Business and Law
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
-
Level
Master'sPG MSc
-
Duration
Full Time: 1 Year
Full Time with Placement: 2 Years -
Starting
September
SEP
-
Full Time: £8,500
-
Full Time: £17,495
-
Waterside
Updated 04/11/2025
Updated 04/11/2025
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.
Image shows an aerial view of the Learning Hub on Waterside Campus. Also visible are various green spaces next to the River Nene, as well as several university buildings including Halls of Residence.
Image shows the atrium inside the Senate building, which overlooks the lobby area. The building is modern-design, white walls with wooden accents, and is bright and airy.
Image shows a modern library interior with people reading at tables and seated on cushioned chairs in the Learning hub. Shelves filled with books are visible in the background under circular ceiling lights.
Image shows the main entrance to the Learning Hub, which is a large, multi-storied building with many large windows, with ‘Learning Hub’ in large letters on the front. It is a sunny day, and several blurred people are walking outside.
Image shows a large, modern lobby with high ceilings, circular light fixtures, and an upper floor visible. People are sitting on yellow seats and moving around. Stairs and a black staircase are also present.
Image shows the ground floor of the Learning Hub; it is a large, modern atrium with high ceilings, a large clock on the wall, turnstile gates, and an angular black staircase. A student carrying a backpack is walking through the space.
Image shows external view of the multi-storey Senate building, which features many large windows. In the foreground is a tree and purple flowers. The sky is blue and cloudless.
Image shows view of the lawn and courtyard outside the Learning Hub, featuring a bare tree, ornamental grasses, and an abstract sculpture. The building has several stories and features large windows.
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.
Course Content
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).
Industry Placement
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.
Modules
Module information for the Placement route and Non-Placement route for MSc Financial and Investment Analysis can be found on the award maps:
MSc Financial and Investment Analysis (Placement Route) Award Map
MSc Financial and Investment Analysis (Non-Placement Route) Award Map
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
2025/26 Tuition Fees
Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 25/26 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.
- UK Full Time: £8,500
- International Full Time: £17,495
- 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.
There are no additional costs for the Financial and Investment Analysis MSc course for students beginning their studies in September 2025. 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
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.
