The MSc Investment and Risk Finance course at University of Westminster provides a thorough theoretical and practical grounding in the key aspects of investment and risk finance, developing sound analytical, numerical and technological skills. Suitable for experienced financial management practitioners who wish to advance their knowledge and those seeking front or middle office careers, the highly practical nature of the course, together with the unique access to professional insight and input, are key strengths.
In our state-of-the-art Financial Markets Suite (FMS), you will apply your knowledge to real-world problems facing the international financial services industry and the corporate financial management community. Using Bloomberg terminals, a leading source of economics and capital markets information available to the global professional financial community, this virtual trading floor allows you to monitor and analyse real-time financial market movements, company performance and financial data. You’ll learn how to use financial products to solve investment management problems or to mitigate financial risks.
Sharing their insight from over 30 years of experience in financial services, the teaching team produces a suite of dedicated learning resources, which includes:
- Weekly Fintech Flash News to keep you abreast of the fast-moving world of financial technology
- The Week Ahead reviews the last week’s capital market performance and predicts significant upcoming market events
- SFA Explainer Videos break down complex Fintech related topics, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and Big Data, into digestible five-minute chunks
Finalité
Job roles
This course will prepare you for roles such as:
- Asset manager in a bank, corporation, hedge fund or insurance company.
- Credit controller
- Financial consultant/manager
- International financial analyst
- International financial manager
- Investment analyst
- Market analyst
- Quantitative investment analyst
- Quantitative risk analyst
- Venture capitalist
Graduate employers
Graduates from this course have found employment at organisations such as Vanguard, Blackrock, JP Morgan, to name but three.
During the course, you will take eight core modules and one option module. These will help you acquire the ability to perform quantitative investment and risk analyses on a variety of financial instruments and structured products. You'll also learn how to use capital market products in both investment and risk finance applications. As a result, you will develop good transferable skills and solve financial problems in a group setting.
Semester 1
The first semester is designed to build a strong foundation of knowledge of finance and finance risk management, including how to identify, measure and manage a broad range of financial risk types including operational risk, foreign exchange risk, liquidity risk and market risk. Receiving training in Bloomberg and Excel for Finance, you will learn to use mathematical and statistical analytical methods.
Semester 2
The second semester builds on this strong foundation, and a broad choice of electives helps you customise the MSC IRF qualification. The research and project modules are designed to develop your research abilities and create opportunities to explore finance subject areas of your own interest in more depth. This will enable you to apply the analytical and technical management skills you will encounter to real-life situations. You will conduct an intensive piece of research and prepare an 8,000 to 10,000-word dissertation. Previous students have investigated Bitcoin, Asset Correlations in times of Financial Crisis, Forecasting Equity Markets, Effective Risk Management, Managing Credit Risk and the performance of Pension Plans, to name but a few.
AMBA (Association of MBAs), CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing), CIPS (The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply), ACCA (The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), CMI (Chartered Management institute), SAP Universty Alliances , CISI (Chartered Institue for Security and Investment - Centre of Excellence), GES Government Economic Service, IDM (The institute of Direct and Digital Marketing), PRINCE2 (Projects in Controlled Environments), CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development), EFMD (European Financial Planning Association), IOC (Institute of Consulting)
