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Graduate Diploma in Finance and Economics

Entry Year: 2025

2 study options

Graduate Diploma in Finance and Economics GradDip

Key information

Degree
GradDip
Duration
1 years
Start
September 2025
UCAS code
Y2QF
Institution code
Q50
Entry Requirements
Full entry requirements (including contextual admissions)
Home fees
£24,250
Please be aware the fee for this course may rise to £9,535 in line with the recent Government announcement. We will update you further in January, when the Government’s proposals have been through parliament.
Overseas fees
£24,250
Funding information
Paying your fees

Graduate Diploma in Finance and Economics January Start GradDip

Key information

Degree
GradDip
Duration
1 years
Start
January 2026
UCAS code
Y2QG
Institution code
Q50
Entry Requirements
Full entry requirements (including contextual admissions)
Home fees
£24,250
Please be aware the fee for this course may rise to £9,535 in line with the recent Government announcement. We will update you further in January, when the Government’s proposals have been through parliament.
Overseas fees
£24,250
Funding information
Paying your fees
Graduate Diploma in Finance and Economics
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Overview

Get the skills and experience you need for a postgraduate degree in finance or economics, designed for international and EU students.

Our Graduate Diploma in Finance and Economics is jointly run by the School of Economics and Finance and the Language Centre. It offers international and EU students a route to postgraduate study at Queen Mary and other leading UK institutions – whether you're changing disciplines, need to improve your level of English, or don’t otherwise meet the academic requirements for direct entry to a master's degree.

Running from either September to June or January to July, this highly intensive diploma incorporates English language and study skills with economics and finance modules, all of which are taught by our expert academic staff.

This programme will help you adapt to academic life in the UK, and successful applicants are guaranteed progression onto postgraduate courses in the School of Economics and Finance at Queen Mary. You'll develop solid knowledge in your chosen academic specialties, and improve your ability to use academic English effectively at postgraduate level.

Structure

Start your Graduate Diploma in Finance and Economics in either September or January.

Year 1

Academic subject modules

  • Economics
  • Finance
  • Introduction to Econometrics
  • Topics in Econometrics

Academic English and research skills modules

  • English language and study skills
  • Research Methods
  • Independent Research Project

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Testimonial

In the past I never thought the English course would be useful. However, I found my reading and writing skills and the way I think and understand is now very different from the past.

Zijian Zhou, Graduate Diploma in Finance and Economics (2017)

Teaching

Teaching and learning

Academic subjects are taught in lectures and seminars. Lectures can contain up to 50 students, but seminars will be divided into smaller groups of up to 18 students. English language and study skills modules are taught in groups averaging 16 students.

You will attend classes for up to 20 hours per week: 12 hours of English Language and Study Skills and up to eight hours of academic subjects. You will also be expected to undertake independent study.

Assessment

Assessment typically includes a combination of coursework (portfolios, individual and group presentations, written assignments, in-class tests, research projects and seminars) and/or examinations in May or June.

To progress onto Masters programmes at Queen Mary you will need to achieve minimum grades in individual modules.

Resources and facilities

The School offers excellent on-campus resources to aid your studies, including:

  • multimedia digital labs for language learning
  • the Queen Mary library
  • online resources to help you develop your academic English, specially developed for Queen Mary students.

Entry requirements

Degree

  • At least a pass in a full first degree that is equivalent to a UK undergraduate degree
  • Any degree subject can be considered but students must have a satisfactory existing level of Mathematics, Statistics or Quantitative Methods. We welcome students from a variety of disciplines, including Accountancy, Mathematics, Statistics, Sciences, Computing, Engineering, Economics and Finance. Students from less quantitatively oriented degrees, such as Business, Management and Politics, are also welcome if they have focused on more quantitative elements of those degrees
  • We expect applicants to have passed all final year modules. Awards with failed modules in the final year of academic study will be considered on a case by case basis at the discretion of the academic department

Diploma of Higher Education

  • A UK Diploma of Higher Education (Level 5) with at least 55% overall, or the overseas equivalent
  • Any subject can be considered but students must have a satisfactory existing level of Mathematics, Statistics or Quantitative Methods. We welcome students from a variety of disciplines, including Accountancy, Mathematics, Statistics, Sciences, Computing, Engineering, Economics and Finance. Students from less quantitatively oriented subjects, such as Business, Management and Politics, are also welcome if they have focused on more quantitative elements of those disciplines
  • We expect applicants to have passed all final year modules. Awards with failed modules in the final year of academic study will be considered on a case by case basis at the discretion of the academic department

Degree

  • At least a pass in a full first degree that is equivalent to a UK undergraduate degree
  • Any degree subject can be considered but students must have a satisfactory existing level of Mathematics, Statistics or Quantitative Methods. We welcome students from a variety of disciplines, including Accountancy, Mathematics, Statistics, Sciences, Computing, Engineering, Economics and Finance. Students from less quantitatively oriented degrees, such as Business, Management and Politics, are also welcome if they have focused on more quantitative elements of those degrees
  • We expect applicants to have passed all final year modules. Awards with failed modules in the final year of academic study will be considered on a case by case basis at the discretion of the academic department

Diploma of Higher Education

  • A UK Diploma of Higher Education (Level 5) with at least 55% overall, or the overseas equivalent
  • Any subject can be considered but students must have a satisfactory existing level of Mathematics, Statistics or Quantitative Methods. We welcome students from a variety of disciplines, including Accountancy, Mathematics, Statistics, Sciences, Computing, Engineering, Economics and Finance. Students from less quantitatively oriented subjects, such as Business, Management and Politics, are also welcome if they have focused on more quantitative elements of those disciplines
  • We expect applicants to have passed all final year modules. Awards with failed modules in the final year of academic study will be considered on a case by case basis at the discretion of the academic department

Non-UK students

We accept a wide range of European and international qualifications. Please visit International Admissions for full details.

English language

We require IELTS 5.5 overall including 5.5 in Writing, Reading, Listening and Speaking. Find out more about our English language entry requirements, including the types of test we accept and the scores needed for entry to the programme.

You may also be able to meet the English language requirement for your programme by joining a summer pre-sessional programme before starting your degree.

Funding

Deposit

Once you have met the conditions of your offer, you will need to pay a deposit of £2,000 towards your tuition fees. This deposit will help in applying for your Tier 4 (General) student visa.

Find out more about deposits and read our refund policy.

If your fees are being paid by a government sponsor we do not require a deposit; however, we will need a formal letter from your sponsor confirming the arrangement.

Support from Queen Mary

We offer specialist support on all financial and welfare issues through our Advice and Counselling Service, which you can access as soon as you have applied for a place at Queen Mary.

Take a look at our Student Advice Guides which cover ways to finance your degree, including:

  • additional sources of funding
  • planning your budget and cutting costs
  • part-time and vacation work
  • money for lone parents.

Careers

Our pre-masters graduate diplomas facilitate entry into postgraduate study in a number of disciplines at Queen Mary and other leading UK institutions.

Recent students have gone on to earn postgraduate degrees in:

  • MSc Accounting & Finance (joint programme with School of Business Management)
  • MSc International Business
  • MSc Business Analytics
  • MSc Banking & Finance
  • MSc Corporate Finance
  • MSc Investment & Finance
  • MSc Wealth Management
  • MSc Behavioural Finance
  • MSc Behavioural Finance (CFA pathway)
  • MSc Investment Banking
  • MSc Investment Banking (CFA pathway)
  • MSc Finance
  • MSc Finance (CFA pathway)
  • MSc Economics*
  • MSc Law & Finance*
  • LLM Law & Economics*
  • MSc Mathematical Finance*

* No progression agreement.  Offers are made on a case by case basis.  

Career support

The Queen Mary careers team can offer:

  • specialist advice on choosing a career path
  • support with finding work experience, internships and graduate jobs
  • feedback on CVs, cover letters and application forms
  • interview coaching.

Learn more about career support and development at Queen Mary.

About the School

The School of the Arts combines innovation, discovery and excellence in education and research in Drama, Film, Modern Languages, English & Comparative Literature, Creative Writing, Linguistics and Liberal Arts. We rank in the top 100 worldwide for Arts and Humanities (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024)

With our commitment to social justice, inclusivity and social mobility, our collaborations with external organisations, prominent writers and performers, and our facilities that support both academic and practice-based learning, an education in the School of the Arts equips our students with critical thinking and practical skills, unleashes their imagination and enables them to reach the levels of excellence needed in today’s industries.

We regularly host prominent writers and performers and collaborate with leading organisations such as the V&A, the Barbican, the Live Art Development Agency and Shakespeare’s Globe.

We are renowned for the depth and impact of research - which leads our teaching. We rank 1st for drama and in the top 10 for film in the UK for the quality of our research (REF2021). Our multilingual community brings together brilliant minds from across the world to share a wealth of expertise combining research excellence with an unrivalled commitment to social justice and social mobility.

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