Our International Financial Management MSc combines academic study with practical teaching. Gain an insider’s perspective of the complex global finance environment and learn to operate successfully within it, through the study of markets and institutions, corporate finance and decision-making.
This programme does not require specific background knowledge in the field of finance or financial management. We welcome candidates with a broad range of prior education and experience.
- Learn to apply theoretical knowledge to personal investments and professional roles in finance.
- Access free subscriptions to Bloomberg and the Financial Times.
- Study in one of the finance capitals of the world.
- The International Financial Management MSc is part of the CFA® Institute University Affiliation Program.
- Students on the CFA Program Track are eligible for a student scholarship, exclusive to Affiliated Universities, to help cover CFA examination fees.
CFA is a registered trademark owned by CFA Institute.
Study options
- Starting in
- September 2025
- Location
- Mile End
- Fees
- Home: £15,250
Overseas: £29,950
EU/EEA/Swiss students
What you'll study
In current times and economic conditions, financial management is one of the most dynamic disciplines in the world. This programme addresses the key issues and developments in the sector and aims to provide students with a solid understanding of the changing context in which global financial firms operate. Professional skills such as project management, data analysis and leadership will be developed through innovative modules.
The International Management MSc is part of the CFA® Institute University Affiliation Program, a global organisation promoting the highest standards of ethics, education and professional excellence in developing future investment professionals. We offer students taking this MSc the opportunity of a CFA Program Track, which embeds content from all three levels of the CFA program. This track helps prepare students to sit CFA examinations and signals to employers that the curriculum is closely tied to professional practice. Students on the CFA Program Track are also eligible for a scholarship, exclusive to Affiliated Universities, to help cover CFA examination fees.
The CFA Program Track is ideal for students interested in becoming a CFA Charterholder, which has become the most respected and recognised investment credential in the world.
The International Financial Management MSc aims to enable students to:
- Develop a critical understanding of key theories, approaches and issues in the field of global financial management.
- Apply knowledge and understanding of complex issues to improve business and management practice.
- Use relevant information technologies for analysis to present results and recommendations.
You'll have the opportunity to tailor your studies to your career trajectory, through a wide range of optional modules in business, finance and accounting.
The modules give a broad coverage of portion tested in the CFA exam which enabled students to skip a few lessons as those were taught and revised in the programme.
Structure
General Structure
- Six compulsory modules
- Choice of two elective modules
- 10,000-word dissertation
CFA Program Track
- Six compulsory modules
- Two elective modules - Financial Reporting (Semester A) and Digital and Real Asset Analytics (Semester B)
- Ethics component covering the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct
- 10,000-word dissertation
Compulsory/Core modules
The module provides a relatively non-technical overview of the use of statistical methods in business research. There is an emphasis on practical work and interpretation, and there will be extensive use of Stata, a statistics/econometrics package. The course covers the basic elements of: descriptive statistics, probability, sampling, inference, and multivariate regression analysis.
By studying this module, students would be able to gain understanding of the following topics: How to carry out valuation of real investment projects; Calculating return and risk, cost of capital; Interrelationship between real investment and financial decisions of the firm: capital structure, dividend policy, financial distress and bankruptcy; International financial management: transfer pricing, international taxation, mergers and acquisitions, and optimal investment decisions
This module will compare the forms and functions of various financial markets, and develop an understanding of how financial managers use these markets to attain corporate goals. This module will also analyse various sophisticated and complex financial instruments used, and establish a framework of how different forms of financial institutions operate to manage financial risks. In addition, it will discuss the framework of financial regulation and the functions of central banks.
The dissertation requires a demonstration of the ability to carry out an original investigation into an area of interest. As such, the process should reflect skills of formulating research questions, synthesising and analysing data, drawing insights and conclusions, and written communication. Students will be required to conduct an investigation of an issue relevant to the content of the Programme of which it forms a component. Students will be guided through the dissertation process by a Supervisor.
The module provides a non-technical overview of quantitative methodologies frequently used in finance and international business research. The module is data driven and covers the basics of: Hypotheses testing, OLS and Logistic Regression Analysis, Instrumental Variables, Time Series Analysis, Panel Data Models and Differences-in Differences. The module also teaches how to apply these methods using STATA (a leading econometrics software).
As the international company becomes the norm rather than the exception, the need to internationalise the tools of financial analysis is apparent. We now live in a highly integrated world economy, and it is crucial that businesses understand both the risks and opportunities that globalisation brings. This module is designed to immerse student in the international dimension of financial issues. It specifically focuses on the international aspects of financial management to appreciate the issues that international investments and money management that international operation involves.
The module focuses on investment analysis and aims to develop an understanding of how securities and portfolios investment fits with the international financial markets. It will introduce students the Capital Asset Pricing Model, Arbitrage Pricing Theory, multi-factor model, bond valuation, equity valuation, Financial Statement analysis, option valuation and portfolio performance evaluation. This module is particularly useful for students considering a career in finance, investment management, investment banking, investment consultancy or asset management.
This 0-credit module covers Mathematics and Statistics topics which are useful for the different quantitative modules and MSc dissertations. The Mathematics topics include: linear and non linear equations, differentiation, growth and discounting and logarithms. The Statistics topics include: descriptive statistics, probabilities and distributions.
Elective modules
The Internet and related financial technologies such as cloud services, blockchain, data analytics ("big data"), and artificial intelligence (AI), combined with web-based business models, such as platforms, are rapidly transforming every day work and the future of the accounting and finance professions. This module looks at how the leading financial technologies (Fintech) impact on accounting and finance professionals. How do the accounting and finance professionals adapt to these changes? What are the opportunities and challenges for accounting and finance professions in the Fintech market? The wider legal, ethical and economic implications of using Fintech are discussed. At the end, students will be introduced to Python, a popular programming language for Fintech.
The module provides insights into how accounting is embedded in a socio-economic context and how accounting is shaped by this context. Key concepts and methods of accounting are discussed by focusing on the reporting of the financial position and financial performance of business organisations, the analysis of the financial statements produced by business organisations and the use of accounting information by management for planning, decision making and control purposes.
This module examines the financial reporting of companies, and how such reporting can be analysed to evaluate performance. No prior knowledge of accounting is assumed: students learn how accounts are constructed and analysed, then examine the impact of selected issues on the reported numbers e.g. the reporting of intangible assets; and the treatment of share options used to reward management. The module takes a global perspective and refers largely to the regulatory regime of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB).
Managerial Economics applies microeconomics to problems confronting decision-making within firms, and covers how to tie and apply economic thinking to current events and policy debates that are relevant to businesses. The topics concern key aspects of the functioning of markets, including the role of prices, interdependence and elasticities, as well as market failures, the impact of non-competitive market structures, focusing on the case of oligopoly, pricing decisions, including quantity discounts and different types of market segmentation.
This module will introduce students to the elementary mathematics and analytics of investment for digital and real assets. This module will develop, from a practical approach, an understanding of the analytics of several asset classes that are currently included in investment portfolios, such as commodities, real estate, art and cryptoassets, and how these assets' statistical properties fit in the context of the portfolio. The module focuses on the concepts and characteristics of digital and real assets. It will introduce students to the mathematics of the Theory of Storage for commodities, the mathematics of indexes and uses in the real estate and art markets, trading algorithms, and cryptocurrency investment strategies such as staking, De-Fi, and non-fungible tokens. This module is particularly useful for students considering a career in financial mathematics, finance, investment management, investment banking, consultancy or asset management.
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
Assessment
Modules are assessed through a combination of coursework and written examinations.
Dissertation
You will be required to write a 10,000-word individual dissertation.
—"One of my key takeaways from the programme is the confidence that I have built towards pursuing different career paths in finance. This was aided by the high level of variety and comprehensiveness offered by the modules, which always required us to carry out further research and build sought-after skills for different lines of work across the industry. The various modes of assessments, including research reports, STATA assignments and timed exams, provided me with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in finance and econometrics."
Muzaffer Özhan, International Financial Management MSc, 2022
Teaching
Programme Director: Dr Chunling Xia
Our interdisciplinary approach ensures a fully rounded business education, and includes lectures led by experienced academics and interaction with Queen Mary’s independent Virtual Learning Environment, QMplus.
You will gain invaluable insight from guest speakers, get hands-on experience using industry-leading software and develop communication skills through interactive seminars, presentations and lively group discussions with your peers.
You will take an active role in your own learning by reading designated material, producing written assignments and completing projects.
We invest in both your educational and personal development, and you will be assigned an Academic Advisor who will support you throughout your time at Queen Mary.
If you have any questions and would like to speak to the programme director via phone or email, please feel free to email them to schedule a one-to-one.
Where you'll learn
Facilities
- ThinkPod interactive collaboration space with presentation, recording and video conferencing facilities.
- Access to STATA - an integrated statistical software package.
- 24-hour library on campus.
Campus
Teaching is based at Queen Mary’s main Mile End campus, one of the largest self-contained residential campuses in the capital. Our location in the heart of London’s East End offers a rich cultural environment.
We have invested £105m in new facilities over the past five years to offer our students an exceptional learning environment. Recent developments include the £39m Graduate Centre, providing 7,700 square metres of learning and teaching space.
The campus is 15 minutes from Central London by tube, where you will have access to many of the University of London’s facilities, such as the Senate House library.
About the School
School of Business and Management
The School of Business and Management has a reputation as a socially engaged management school, with an innovative, multidisciplinary, mindful and responsible approach. We invite our students to ask incisive questions, to challenge their assumptions, and to search for solutions to real-world challenges.
We ensure students experience innovative and engaging educational pathways, alongside supportive staff and excellent research facilities.
The School is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), which ensures that the highest standards of excellence in teaching, research, curriculum, and learner success are met.
In the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), the School of Business and Management dramatically moved up the Times Higher Education rankings. Among 108 UK business schools, the School now ranks:
- 22nd for overall research quality (up from 39th in REF2014)
- 28th for research outputs (up from 34th)
- 12th for research impact (up from 24th)
- 21st for research environment (up from 59th)
Queen Mary is also part of the Russell Group - a body of leading UK universities dedicated to research and teaching excellence.
Career paths
This programme is an ideal springboard to a career in multi-national business, the financial sector or for pursuing advanced studies.
Graduates of this programme are now working in roles such as:
- Accounting Consultant
- Finance and Compliance Manager
- Financial Reporting Analyst
- Technology Risk Consultant
- Investment Analyst
in organisations such as:
- Barclays
- Citi
- EY
- AstraZeneca
- JP Morgan
Fees and funding
Full-time study
September 2025 | 1 year
- Home: £15,250
- Overseas: £29,950
EU/EEA/Swiss students
Conditional deposit
Home: Not applicable
Overseas: £2000
Information about deposits
Queen Mary alumni can get a £1000, 10% or 20% discount on their fees depending on the programme of study. Find out more about the Alumni Loyalty Award
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 a place at Queen Mary. Before you apply, you can access our funding guides and advice on managing your money:
Entry requirements
UK
Degree requirements
A 2:1 or above at undergraduate level in any subject.
Find out more about how to apply for our postgraduate taught courses.
International
English language requirements
The English language requirements for our programmes are indicated by English bands, and therefore the specific test and score acceptable is based on the band assigned to the academic department within which your chosen course of study is administered. Note that for some academic departments there are programmes with non-standard English language requirements.
The English Language requirements for entry to postgraduate taught in the School of Business and Management falls within the following English band:
Band 4: IELTS (Academic) minimum score 6.5 overall with 6.0 in each of Writing, Listening, Reading and Speaking
We accept a range of English tests and qualifications categorised in our English bands for you to demonstrate your level of English Language proficiency. See all accepted English tests that we deem equivalent to these IELTS scores.
Visas and immigration
Find out how to apply for a student visa.