MBA in Finance in UK: Finance has taken a hit in popularity amongst applicants in contemporary times, following the global financial crisis. An MBA with a particular focus on finance prepares one for senior roles that in turn have major financial responsibility. At the end of the training, candidates can expect to make well-informed financing, investment, and asset valuation decisions. The majority of the candidates interested in pursuing this course are ultimately interested in ‘Chartered Financial Analyst’ (CFA) pathway as an MBA in Finance assists one to acquire skills that are needed to complete Level 1 of the CFA exam.
MBA in Finance in UK:
In the UK, full-time MBA in Finance tend to last 12 months, starting in September, although some universities also have a January intake.
Course Structure
Some of the important modules for the Finance stream include:
- Contemporary Business Issues
- People Management
- Business & Sustainability
- Management of Business Finance
- Advanced Accounting Techniques
- Financial Control
Other than the compulsory modules, students can choose from among a variety of optional modules like:
- Islamic Finance and Banking: provides insight into issues relating to Islamic financial instruments and related risk management issues. The banking part provides an insight into the key features of Islamic banking business.
- Psychology of Investing and Financial Decisions: students can develop a critical understanding of the main principles of cognitive psychology as applied in behavioral finance.
Entry Requirements
Applicants are judged on their individual merits and work experience. A major requirement is an undergraduate degree in a relevant subject like Economics, Finance, Accounting, Management etc. International students must also provide satisfactory evidence that they have an adequate knowledge of written and spoken English (e.g. 6.5 on IELTS).
Other exciting MBA streams in the UK that are closely connected to Finance (the list is not comprehensive):
- MBA in Global Financial Services offered by Coventry University: trains students to make mature strategic financial decisions on a global scale.
- MBA in Banking and Finance offered by Bangor University
Differences between Masters in Finance (MF) and MBA:
This information could be handy for a student planning to chalk out his/her training pathway in Finance. Sometimes, a MF degree is considered a stepping stone to one of the most sought-after MBA programs in Finance.
| MF | MBA |
| Graduates earn lower salaries | Graduates earn higher salaries and serve as formal or informal coaches for new MF students |
| Prepare students for careers in trading and principal investments and is meant for students who want to jump-start their careers in a relatively short period of time | Prepare pupils to work in different fields and hold positions as financial managers and controllers |
| Places emphasis on accounting and management | Offer courses like economics, accounting, statistics, organizational processes and communications |
| Lower tuition fees | Higher cost of training |
Popular Universities in the UK for MBA in Finance:
- University of Oxford
- London Business School
- University of Bath
- Lancaster University
- City University, London
- University of Leeds
- University of Edinburgh
- Coventry University
- Cardiff University
- University of Strathclyde
However, international students prefer the following Universities for MBA in Finance due to the low cost of training (approximate international fees include din parentheses):
- University of Bedfordshire (£12,000)
- Cardiff Metropolitan University (£9,000)
- Canterbury Christ Church University (£13,000)
- De Montfort University (£14,000)
- University of East London (£15,000)
- University of Gloucestershire (£13,000)
- Glyndwr University (£9,000)
- Leeds Beckett University (£12,000)
- University of Wales, Trinity St David (£11,000)
- University of Wolverhampton (£13,000)
- University of Worcester (£12,000)
- Greenwich School of Management (£10,000)
- London School of Commerce (£7,000)
