Overview
The MSc Finance and Risk Management is a Financial Risk Manager (FRM) partner of the Global Association of Risk
By aligning the course with the FRM curriculum, rigorous academic learning is coupled with industry-driven
As you study, you’ll acquire a broad knowledge of finance, financial theory and the practical methods used to analyse financial data. Further specialist knowledge and analytical skills are developed in financial risk
You’ll have access to professional financial databases including Bloomberg, Datastream and S&P Capital IQ. There’s also an opportunity to
We are AACSB accredited
The University of Stirling is accredited by AACSB International in recognition of our excellence in business education. This puts the University of Stirling Management School among the top 6% of business schools globally.
AmplifyME Trading Boot Camp
The course also includes our week-long AmplifyME Trading Boot Camp run by our partner, AmplifyME. This won the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute Innovative Delivery of Education (IDEA) global award and gives you the chance to participate in highly realistic computer-based simulations that replicate the experience of trading in financial markets. By letting you trade in a simulated environment with virtual money, the boot camp bridges the gap between an academic understanding of financial markets and how they function in practice.
Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF)
Our students have established a Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF), with support of our academics within the Accounting and Finance Division. The SMIF allows you to gain practical
Top reasons to study with us
Course objectives
This course gives you a broad knowledge of finance and financial risk management. The importance of finance in a both businesses and the wider national and international economy has been heightened following the financial and Covid crises, with an increased need for well qualified risk managers.
You'll cover fundamental knowledge related to finance theories, investments, banking and relevant regulations, and you’ll gain an understanding of the different types of risks faced by corporations and markets. You’ll also learn to analyse, model, manage and develop strategies to hedge against risk. There's an increased and urgent need for a better understanding of corporate risk management, including operational risk, foreign exchange risk, liquidity risk, market risk, interest rate risk, portfolio risk and enterprise risk.
A key part of the course is the opportunity to be creative and gain valuable training experience via real-world experiences such as the AmplifyME Trading Boot Camp, Student Managed Investment Fund and our guest speaker series.
Professional accreditation
The MSc Finance and Risk Management is a Financial Risk Manager (FRM) partner of the Global Association of Risk
The University of Stirling is accredited by AACSB International in recognition of our excellence in business education.
Research overview
Stirling Management School’s mission is to be an exceptional place of research and learning. It combines an established research area of excellence with a high-quality component of the faculty’s course portfolio to include not only Master courses in Finance, Investment Analysis, Banking, Economics and Accounting, but also add the related area of Financial Risk Management.
In REF 2021, 80% of our research impact in Business and Management Studies was classed as world leading or internationally excellent.
Entry requirements
Academic requirements
A minimum of a second class honours degree or equivalent. Applicants without these formal qualifications but with significant appropriate/relevant work/life experience are encouraged to apply.
Other routes of entry
If you don't currently meet our academic requirements, INTO University of Stirling offers a variety of preparation programmes that can earn you the qualifications and skills you need to progress onto some of our courses. Explore INTO University of Stirling to see the pathway and pre-masters routes available.
International entry requirements
English language requirements
If English is not your first language you must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of your English language skills:
- IELTS Academic or UKVI 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each sub-skill.
- Pearson Test of English (Academic) 60 overall with a minimum of 59 in each sub-skill.
- IBT TOEFL 78 overall with a minimum of 17 in listening, 18 in reading, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing.
See our information on English language requirements for more details on the language tests we accept and options to waive these requirements.
Pre-sessional English language courses
If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this course, our partner INTO University of Stirling offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for entry to this degree.
Find out more about our pre-sessional English language courses.
Course details
The MSc Finance and Risk Management is a one-year, full-time course. The course is designed to equip you with coherent finance and financial risk knowledge, enabling you to:
- identify and evaluate types of financial risk;
- apply modelling techniques relevant to financial risk and;
- provide critical relevant analysis.
You'll undertake four taught modules over the autumn semester, and five modules over the spring semester, followed by a supervised dissertation over the summer. The dissertation gives you the opportunity to apply your knowledge by undertaking research on an area that matches your interests and career objectives.
Modules
Course Details
Teaching
Teaching is carried out through lectures, seminars, problem-solving lectures, computer workshops and practical case study sessions.
Assessment
The Masters is awarded on satisfactory completion of a dissertation, following the Diploma examinations. Dissertation topics range over all areas of relevance to financial risk management.
Course director
Dr Dionysia Dionysiou, Course Director
Key staff
Quantitative Methods in Finance – Maria Grydaki
Corporate Finance – Kevin Campbell
Contemporary Issues in Banking - Dr Antonio Parlavecchio
Economics for Banking and Finance – Maria Grydaki
Risk Management in Banking - Theo Diasakos
Derivatives – Kevin Campbell
Financial Risk Assessment – Dionysia Dionysiou
Empirical Methods in Finance and Accounting – David McMillan
Investments: Fixed Income and Alternative Investments – Patrick Herbst
Investments: Equity Portfolios and Pricing– Dionysia Dionysiou
Behavioural Finance – Patrick Herbst
International Corporate Finance – Dionysia Dionysiou
Investment Regulation and Ethics - Carole Dalgleish
Mergers and Acquisitions – Fredrick Changwony
Fees and funding
Fees and costs
| 2024/25 | 2025/26 | |
|---|---|---|
| Students from the UK and Republic of Ireland | £10,900 | £10,900 |
| International (including EU) students | £22,900 | £22,900 |
University of Stirling alumni will automatically be awarded a fee waiver for the first year of Masters studies through our Stirling Alumni Scholarship.
Applicants from the UK or Republic of Ireland who hold a first-class honours degree or equivalent will automatically be awarded a £2,000 scholarship through our Postgraduate Merit Scholarship.
Fees shown are for a full-time, one-year Masters course.
If you need to extend your period of study, you may be liable for additional fees.
If you are studying part time, the total course fee will be split over the years that you study. The total fee will remain the same and will be held at the rate set in your year of entry.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
Eligible students could receive a scholarship worth between £4,000-£7,000. See our range of generous scholarships for international postgraduate students.
Fees shown are for a full-time, one-year Masters course.
If you need to extend your period of study, you may be liable for additional fees.
If you are studying part time, the total course fee will be split over the years that you study. The total fee will remain the same and will be held at the rate set in your year of entry.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
Postgraduate tuition fee loans
This course is eligible for a postgraduate tuition fee loan from one of the UK’s governments. See the Scholarships and funding section, below, for more details.
Additional costs
There are some instances where additional fees may apply. Depending on your chosen course, you may need to pay additional costs, for example for field trips. Learn more about additional fees.
Scholarships and funding
Funding
Eligible international students could receive a scholarship worth between £4,000-£7,000. See our range of generous scholarships for international postgraduate students.
University of Stirling alumni will automatically be awarded a fee waiver for the first year of Masters studies through our Stirling Alumni Scholarship.
Applicants from the UK or Republic of Ireland who hold a first-class honours degree or equivalent will automatically be awarded a £2,000 scholarship through our Postgraduate Merit Scholarship.
If you have the talent, ability and drive to study with us, we want to make sure you make the most of the opportunity – regardless of your financial circumstances.
Learn more about available funding opportunities or use our scholarship finder to explore our range of scholarships.
Postgraduate tuition fee loans
Scottish students may be eligible to apply to the Students Award Agency for Scotland (SAAS) for loans of up to £11,500 to cover tuition fees and associated living costs.
English students can apply for a loan of up to £12,167 each year as part of the Postgraduate Masters Loan Scheme.
Welsh students can apply for financial support of up to £18,770 as a combination of grant and loan from Student Finance Wales.
Northern Irish students can apply for a postgraduate tuition fee loan of up to £6,500 from Student Finance NI.
International students may be able to gain additional funding from loan providers.
Cost of living
If you’re domiciled in the UK, you can typically apply to your relevant funding body for help with living costs. This usually takes the form of student loans, grants or bursaries, and the amount awarded depends upon your personal circumstances and household income.
International (including EU) students won’t normally be able to claim living support through SAAS or other UK public funding bodies. You should contact the relevant authority in your country to find out if you’re eligible to receive support.
Payment options
We aim to be as flexible as possible, and offer a wide range of payment methods - including the option to pay fees by instalments. Learn more about how to pay
After you graduate
As a graduate of our MSc Finance and Risk Management course, you’ll be equipped with fundamental knowledge in finance and financial risk management that will enable you to pursue a career in financial risk management, risk control, risk audit, banking, financial analysis and in general financial services sectors.
From the very beginning of the course, your career is our focus, and you’ll take part in an innovative week-long global financial trading boot camp run by AmplifyME.
Employability skills
The course provides the analytical skills needed for a successful career in financial risk management, finance and related areas.
Elements of the coursework and dissertation are designed to serve as a portfolio that you can present to the job market.
The course offers you the opportunity to attend guest lectures by professionals, and to participate in the Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF) and AmplifyME Trading Boot Camp. These opportunities give you real-world experience that connects your studies with industry.
You'll have a mentor/advisor of studies that will help to enhance the student experience and guide you throughout your studies. The Careers Service also provide support for CV design, interview skills, and all aspects of careers support.
On successful completion of this course you'll have developed the following graduate attributes:
- ability to make correct career choices and strengthen your CV with Finance and Risk Management knowledge;
- develop your employability skills in risk financial management in particular as well as in general financial sectors;
- ability to research and conduct critical analysis following guidelines a potential employer may require.
Companies we work with
As a student on the MSc Finance and Risk Management you’re given the chance to participate in regular guest lectures. These are typically held on a Wednesday afternoon and are delivered by eminent speakers from leading financial institutions, think tanks, regulatory and professional bodies. Previous speakers include:
- Russell Napier - Co-founder of ERIC (Electronic Research Interchange)
- Nick Bartlett - Director of Education at CFA Society of the UK
- Ross Lorrimer - Client Service Associate at State Street
- Maxim Skorniakov - Investment Manager at Walter Scott Global Investment Management
- Richard Dunbar - Head of Economic and Thematic Research at Aberdeen Asset Management
- Kweku Adoboli - Former Trader at UBS
- John Goodwin - Executive Vice-President and CFO at Lego
- Colin McLean - CEO at SVM Asset Management
