Balance risk, shape markets, and invest in your future.
Finance is changing. Are you ready to lead that change?
In an era shaped by global volatility, shifting regulations, and technological disruption, the ability to understand and manage financial risk is more critical than ever.
If you're curious about how markets behave, how investors make decisions, and how financial institutions navigate uncertainty, this course will give you the tools to thrive.
Our MSc Finance, Investment and Risk degree is designed for ambitious individuals looking to build advanced expertise across the financial landscape. You’ll explore the workings of global markets, learn to analyse and manage complex investment portfolios, and gain a deep understanding of credit risk, derivatives, and financial modelling.
With input from industry experts and access to platforms like LSEG, you’ll be equipped to take on high-stakes roles in investment banking, portfolio management, and risk consulting, anywhere in the world.
This course doesn’t just teach finance - it prepares you to lead it.
The following modules are what students will typically study, but this may change year to year in response to new developments and innovations.
You must take all compulsory modules and one of Financial Technology or Corporate Governance and Ethics. These modules are designed to give you well rounded and critical insights into sustainable finance and investment. In your final term, you will choose one of our capstone modules, either 'Finance Project' or the 'Professional Placement/Internship'.
The 'Professional Placement/Internship' module will give you the chance to work in a business as part of your degree, getting real world experience alongside your learning. Whereas the 'Finance Project' is the perfect module for you to prepare for a career as a consultant. You'll pitch solutions to real organisational problems and create a consultancy report, demonstrating your skills and knowledge.
Whichever option you choose, you will be engaging with real problems in real businesses, giving you crucial experience and expanding your network. So you can make rapid progress in your career.
Compulsory modules currently include the following
Finance plays an important role in everyone's decisions. allowing individuals and companies to take informed decisions on how to use money and plan for the future. This module covers the building blocks of finance that are required to make financial decisions, inside and outside the firm. Throughout the module, students will get a good understanding of financial markets and securities, the risk-return relationship, and how firms make financing decisions.
Strong quantitative skills are the cornerstone of a modern finance professional. This module will enable students to understand the key concepts and methodologies in quantitative finance and econometrics, and to develop the quantitative skills required by employers in the finance sector. Students will learn how to discuss basic statistics, estimate financial models, and evaluate the relationship between financial variables.
What are the key principles and tools used by successful investors? This module will help students develop the necessary skills to make core investment management decisions. Students will get an in-depth understanding of the tools used by investment managers to construct and manage portfolios, as well as to evaluate portfolio performance.
In today's data-driven finance sector, proficiency in programming has become essential for finance professionals. This module is designed to bring students a comprehensive, informative and in-depth understanding of the practice of programming in finance and trading. The module will cover hands-on themes such as automatic trading strategies, backtesting, and applications of AI in trading.
Effectively assessing and managing risk is essential for corporate survival and growth. The risk management module provides a comprehensive overview of effective oversight and value generation principles, focusing on financial risk dynamics. This module rigorously examines advancements in risk governance, regulatory frameworks, and industry risk management practices, focusing on in-depth evaluations of financial risk. By giving students a detailed understanding of financial risk types through real-world examples, they emerge with specialised insights into managing these financial risks in a professional context. The module empowers students to explain complex risk management concepts, think critically in uncertain situations, and approach risk-related problems systematically.
Gain insight into the major current issues and debates in the financial world. This module explores contemporary challenges and opportunities in finance. Students will gain a deep understanding of real-world issues in various areas of finance, and how these are expected to shape the future developments.
Optional modules may include the following
FinTech has completely transformed the financial landscape and it is having an increasing impact on financial markets. This module aims to equip students with knowledge of FinTech applications and how disruptive innovations are shaping the financial system. Students will gain a deep understanding of FinTech networks, blockchain platforms, and the financial implications of artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Financial managers have a duty to consider the ethical, societal and environmental implications of their decisions. This module explores the delicate balance between shareholder interests and the broader responsibilities of corporations to their stakeholders. It analyses the principles and practices of effective corporate governance leading to ethical decision-making. By analysing real-world cases, the module equips students with the skills to navigate the ethical complexities of the modern economy.
The Finance Project provides an opportunity to undertake a research project and enhance students' data-driven decision-making and written communication skills under the guidance of subject specialist. The research problem will be framed within relevant academic literature and subsequent research questions will enable students to collect and analyse primary and/or secondary data, to develop well thought out arguments along with supportable conclusions and recommendations. This module further enables the acquisition of research-led skills essential for any future Finance discipline expert.
Thinking about a career in a private sector? Or maybe you’re contemplating a career in the public or voluntary sector? Then this could be the module for you. This module builds on your previous subject specific learning, and enhances your understanding of how organisations operate in practice. You have the opportunity to gain experience whilst still on the postgraduate course and apply learning gained on the course. You will be able to reflect on the placement experience and how this relates to your academic knowledge. You will further enhance your critical thinking, communication, professional behaviours and resilience. Placements/Internships are not guaranteed and the University Careers and Employability team will be supporting you every step of the way.
Your industrial placement consists of two modules: Industrial Placement Experience and Industrial Placement Report. The Experience module is assessed as pass/fail only and the Report module is graded on a percentage scale. The chance to gain real industry experience as part of your MSc course gives you a real edge in the job market and boosts your career options.
Compulsory modules currently include the following
The Year in Industry Placement Exit Interview provides students with a structured opportunity to combine work experience or entrepreneurial activity with academic study. It allows students to develop and reflect on managerial and/or professional practice in real and often complex situations, and to integrate this with the study of the relevant subject(s) of your main degree programme. Students develop, reinforce and apply professional and/or technical expertise in an employment or entrepreneurial context. The Year in Industry Placement Exit Interview requires students to reflect on and evidence their experiences in relation to both their university studies as well as to a wide range of employability skills. Students will further enhance their critical thinking, communication, professional behaviours and resilience.
The Year in Industry Placement Experience provides students with a structured opportunity to combine work experience or entrepreneurial activity with academic study. The Year in Industry allows students to develop and reflect on managerial and/or professional practice in real and often complex situations, and to integrate this with the study of the relevant subject(s) of your main degree programme. Students develop, reinforce and apply professional and/or technical expertise in an employment or entrepreneurial context. The Industry Placement requires students to document their experiences in relation to both their university studies as well as to a wide range of employability skills. To be able to undertake this module it is necessary for the student to secure a placement. The placement should be appropriate to the student’s degree and experience. The length of the placement should normally be at least 39-44 weeks. Students will further enhance their critical thinking, communication, professional behaviours and resilience. Placements are not guaranteed and the University Careers and Employability team will be supporting placement students every step of the way.
Here’s a sample timetable from your first term at Kent. You'll learn through a mix of lectures, seminars and workshops - in both big and small groups with focused teaching blocks and time to work, rest or explore uni life.
Items in green are confirmed, whereas anything marked yellow could be scheduled at a different time or day depending on your group, but this gives a good sense of what to expect.
Plan your week better: at least one free weekday for catching up on course work or just taking a breather.
Focused days without burnout: No isolated 1-hour campus days.
Time to live the uni experience: Space for societies, part-time jobs and downtime.
2.2 or above
A minimum of a second-class UK degree, or an equivalent internationally recognised qualification, in finance, accounting, economics, business, mathematics, natural sciences or engineering related discipline.
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.
The 2026/27 annual tuition fees for this course are:
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
Tuition fees may be increased in the second and subsequent years of your course. Detailed information on possible future increases in tuition fees is contained in the Tuition Fees Increase Policy.
The 2026/27 annual tuition fees for UK postgraduate research courses have not yet been set by the Research Councils UK. This is ordinarily announced in March. As a guide only, the full-time tuition fee for new and returning UK postgraduate research courses for 2025/26 is £5,006.
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.
You'll need regular access to a desktop computer/laptop with an internet connection to use the University of Kent’s online resources and systems. We've listed some guidelines for the technology and software you'll need for your studies.
Find out more about student accommodation and living costs, as well as general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
This programme attracts many applications from Chevening scholars. Chevening is the UK Government’s international awards scheme aimed at developing global leaders, and Kent is a Chevening partner.
For details of the funding available, see our Chevening Scholarships page.
Search our scholarships finder for possible funding opportunities. You may find it helpful to look at both:
Kent is a leading research university, meaning that you will be informed about new discussions and developments by the people making them. This means your work will have real potential to make a difference.
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. You can increase your career prospects through an optional short-term Professional Placement/Internship module as part of your degree, develop consultancy skills through our optional 'Finance Challenge' module or progress onto a 12-month optional Placement. You can even transform your idea into a business through the Business start-up Journey with Aspire. Our qualified careers practitioners provide support for up to three years after graduation.
Our careers and employability support at Kent Business School is designed to make sure you are ready to hit the ground running when you graduate, when you study with us you can expect:
Additionally, the Postgraduate Employability Edge programme, available to postgraduate students at Kent Business School takes place from Welcome Week until the end of your studies and is designed to enhance your career prospects further.
Our Finance graduates find work 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.
Postgraduates earn
A degree can boost average lifetime earnings by over
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.
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