Postgraduate MSc
Finance and Management
Are you interested in finance and do you hold leadership qualities?
Are you interested in finance and do you hold leadership qualities?
Financial managers cover everything from strategic analysis to the collection and preparation of accounts and financial reporting. A good financial manager must be extremely proficient in the complex systems and processes of the industry whilst also being able to delegate effectively and lead a team.
MSc Finance and Management is delivered by published academics and co-developed by industry leaders. It equips students with a comprehensive framework of financial theory and the practical processes required for the sector, fused with an overview of management studies. Our graduates are ready-made robust managers who can spot errors, make decisions, analyse risk and lead a team effectively. Further, our Bloomberg Finance Lab allows students to apply their learnings to real business data. Also available with an optional Industrial Placement.
You’ll learn a broad overview of finance and management including corporate finance, and international financial markets and instruments, global strategy, international accounting for decision-making. You will finish your master's with a detailed report with the support of a dedicated expert supervisor.
I have developed skills such as problem solving, numeracy and excel expertise which I believe will be very valuable for a career in the finance sector.
~ Paolo Pellegrinelli, MSc Finance and Management 2020
A minimum of a second-class UK degree, or an equivalent internationally recognised qualification in the a variety of subject areas is accepted for entry into this course.
All applicants are considered on an individual basis and those without an honours degree may also be considered on the basis of work experience, professional qualifications and the relevance of the programme to their current professional role.
All applicants are considered on an individual basis and additional qualifications, professional qualifications and relevant experience may also be taken into account when considering applications.
Please see our International Student website for entry requirements by country and other relevant information. Due to visa restrictions, students who require a student visa to study cannot study part-time unless undertaking a distance or blended-learning programme with no on-campus provision.
The University requires all non-native speakers of English to reach a minimum standard of proficiency in written and spoken English before beginning a postgraduate degree. Certain subjects require a higher level.
For detailed information see our English language requirements web pages.
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.
The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This list is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.
This module will cover the following topics:
• Investment appraisal techniques and decisions • Stock market efficiency – capital market behaviour • Portfolio theory • The Capital Asset Pricing Model • Sources of finance • Capital Structure
Topics are:
- Financial markets and their role for economic activity - Historical overview of financial markets - Financial markets in US, UK, Europe and Japan - Emerging financial markets (BRICS) - Equity - Bonds - Derivatives - Alternative Investments - Credit Markets - Asset Backed Securities and securitization - Energy markets (oil, gas, CO2, weather, electricity) - Exchange rate markets
This module provides an insight into the key concepts and theories of human resource management and organisational behaviour in an international context. It aims to equip students with the skills and knowledge for gaining an in-depth understanding of the links between HRM practices and organisational performance and the factors at play when managing employees globally.
Indicative topics are:
• Strategic management and International HRM • Diversity and Equal Opportunity in the Workplace • Gender in International Business and Management • Managing a Global Workforce • Organisational Culture Reward Management: International comparisons • Expatriate Assignments and Adjustment Process • Globalisation and HRM • International Compensation.
The module provides a basic understanding of how accounting information can be used to interpret the financial position and performance of a business in an international scenario. It will also develop key skills in relation to how accounting information can inform planning and control decisions in multinational companies. The key principles and international standards upon which financial accounting is based and the form and content of the main financial statements prepared by different types of businesses, with a focus on public limited companies will be studied. The importance of corporate governance in modern businesses and the financial situation and performance of a global corporation by means of ratio analysis will be analysed as well as the importance of cost information for decision making purposes. This module covers the key internationally recognised management accounting techniques that modern businesses use for short-term and long-term decision making.
Indicative areas of the syllabus include: • Concepts underpinning accounting systems and financial statements • The construction of the primary financial statements and their interpretation and evaluation • Classification and behaviour of costs and their use in short-term and long-term decision making • Responsibility accounting systems and performance appraisal measures, including the balanced scorecard and budgeting.
The Global Strategy module has two main learning components:
• Acquiring theory and concepts in global strategy and value creation in today's dynamic environment. • Application of theory and concepts to the formulation, implementation and evaluation of global strategy.
The aim is to critically examine and provide insights into the practice and process of strategic management within a variety of private and public sector organisations globally.
This course is designed to allow students to develop their skills of strategic analysis and their ability to think about the selection and implementation of appropriate strategies in different industry and geographic contexts and in different types and styles of organisations, including non-profit and public sector organisations.
Indicative topics may include:
• What is Strategy, and Why is it Important? • The Context of Global Strategy and Value Realisation • Competitive Global Strategy and Strategic Choices • Business models • Digital Strategy • Contemporary Issues in Strategic Management.
The module will develop students' understanding of corporate finance theory and its applications to the main problems faced by financial managers and corporate decision makers. The main topics that will be covered include corporate capital budgeting, investment decisions under uncertainty, cost of capital, sources of finance, capital structure, dividend policy and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) decisions.
The module provides the knowledge required to understand issues in corporate governance and business ethics. Indicative topics are as follows:
• Corporate governance • Shareholder versus stakeholder view of the firm • Board of directors • Role of institutional investors • Performance and renumeration • Corporate purpose and corporate communications • Ethics and corporate social responsibility • Key ethical theories and practical ethical reflections.
Employers are in search for individuals who possess logical thinking, analytical capability, leadership, communication and the ability to work under pressure. This module develops the necessary research knowledge and skills for students to be able to successfully complete a piece of research in industry or consultancy contexts or academia.
Indicative topics are:
• Choosing the topic of interest and literature review • Research process and Ethics in in business research • Choosing your research design • Preparing the research proposal • Communicating the Research.
More information to follow.
Duration: 1 year full-time
This flexible programme is a 50 per cent split between both finance and management studies and is studied over one year full-time. It consists of eight compulsory and two optional modules in Stage 1 with Stage 2 consisting of a piece of finance-related research.
The MSc Finance and Management programme is available with an optional industrial placement, which will require you to complete the Industrial Placement Report.
We use a variety of teaching methods, including:
Classroom-based learning is supported by the latest online technologies and learning platforms.
Your progress on this course is assessed through a variety of means, including:
Students wishing to undertake the optional industrial placement will be required to successfully complete all stage 1 modules. The Industrial Placement is assessed by the completion of the Industrial Placement Report.
Industrial placements are the perfect way for you to enhance your career prospects and deepen your understanding of a specific area of expertise. This MSc programme is available with the option to take an in-company or self-employed industrial placement of up to 12 months (visa dependent), allowing you to gain work experience in the UK or overseas.
Our lively and active postgraduate community is brought about in part by our strong research culture and by the close community between our staff and students. Staff publish regularly and widely in journals, conference proceedings and books and embed their research in their teaching.
Students have regular contact with their course and module conveners with staff on hand to answer any questions and to provide helpful and constructive feedback on submitted work.
You can also get involved with extra-curricular academic and social activities with guest lectures, talks and workshops organised by our academic staff, research centres and the ASPIRE team. You can catch up with our most recent Open for Business Seminar Series.
Our Canterbury campus provides a welcoming environment and a close-knit student community. Kent Business School is based within the Sibson Building which opened in 2017 and its impressive design won the RIBA Regional and National Award. It houses well-equipped lecture and seminar spaces, as well as breakout spaces for group work, Bloomberg suite, computer labs, a dedicated MBA suite, and our ASPIRE Lab Space. There is also a café on site.
The School is conveniently located at the University of Kent’s campus, close to continental Europe and with easy access to London. World-famous Canterbury Cathedral is situated in the heart of the historic city centre, just a 25-minute walk or a short bus ride.
Kent Business School has close links with: ifs (Institute of Financial Services); dunnhumby, who partners the Consumer Insight Service in the Centre for Value Chain Research; Hong Kong Baptist University, with whom we offer a joint Master’s programme in Operational Research and Finance Business Statistics; University of Castellanza (Italy); Audencia Nantes Business School (France); Aarhus School of Business and Social Sciences (Denmark); Universiti Teknologi Malaysia; University of Ingolstadt, Bayern (Germany); City University of Hong Kong; Renmin University of China, School of Business.
All students registered for a taught Master's programme are eligible to apply for a place on our Global Skills Award Programme. The programme is designed to broaden your understanding of global issues and current affairs as well as to develop personal skills which will enhance your employability.
Kent Business School is a research-led business school. Our research strategy is developed around the core theme of sustainable innovation which cuts across the entire School. This theme can be seen as being divided into two sub-strands of research aimed at answering these main questions:
Kent Business School advances knowledge through constant promotion and support of innovative research. We have an impact on wider society through extensive collaborations with external partners which range from other academic institutions to a variety of local, national and international businesses as well as the NHS. Within this wider context, our main strategic aim has been geared towards establishing ourselves as a leading institution for research in sustainable innovation.
Kent Business School is a global leader in research and develops a wide portfolio of research related activities including workshops, conferences and research seminar series. This has led to a large number of international collaborations and to over 200 co-authored papers with international partners.
Specialising in public-sector critical accounting and accounting history.
Looking into a wide array of financial issues from derivatives pricing to real-estate modelling.
Innovating in wide-ranging topics such as operational research and systems thinking.
Studying issues surrounding consumer behaviours, product development and maintaining value supply chains among others.
People, Management and Organisation
Specialising in improving human resource management, organisational behaviour and leadership.
Strategy and International Business
Helping in the development of innovative business strategies for business all over the world.
Centre for Logistics and Heuristic Optimisation
Helping companies to solve complex strategic, tactical and operational problems.
Centre of Productivity and Workplace Performance
Contribute to the productivity debate and drive improvements at all levels; from the national economic output, to changes in the ways SME’s operate.
Centre for Quantitative Finance
Providing quantitative analysis of issues in the financial markets for businesses and policy makers.
Helping both academics and practitioners tackle the challenges emerging from the rapid development of new digital technologies
Dynamic publishing culture
Staff publish regularly and widely in journals, conference proceedings and books. Among others, they have recently contributed to: Critical Perspectives on Accounting; Quantitative Finance; Human Resource Management Journal; Journal of Product Innovation Management; European Journal of Operational Research; and Psychology & Marketing.
Our Finance and Management graduates find work in both financial institutions and general management in public and private sector management and consultancy both overseas and in the UK in a wide range of companies and organisations, including:
Many of our students also stay local and find job opportunities regionally in small and medium firms or even set-up their own businesses as well-equipped entrepreneurs.
You gain much more than an academic qualification when you graduate. We enhance your student experience and accelerate your career prospects to help you achieve your ambition.
From the moment you start with us, our efforts are focused on helping you gain the knowledge, skills and experience you need to thrive in an increasingly competitive workplace. As part of the course, undertake an Industrial Placement or opt for an In-Company Scheme to work on a real business case study. Go on our Business Start-up Journey and transform your idea into a business through ASPIRE. Our qualified careers practitioners provide support for up to three years after graduation.
Additionally, the Postgraduate Employability Edge programme, available to PGT students at Kent Business School takes place from Welcome Week through to the end of the academic year and is designed to enhance your career prospects further.
The 2024/25 annual tuition fees for this course are:
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk.
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.*
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
Find out more about general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.
Next steps
Learn more about the application process or begin your application by clicking on a link below.
You will be able to choose your preferred year of entry once you have started your application. You can also save and return to your application at any time.
Supporting your success
Kent ranked top 50 in The Complete University Guide 2024.
Fees and funding
Kent has risen 11 places in THE’s REF 2021 ranking, confirming us as a leading research university.
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