Economics and Finance MSc (PGCert PGDIP)

International requirements and visas

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

Visas and immigration advice

Course structure 

The course is composed of three phases:

• Phase 1 teaches the core subjects of finance, economics and research methods

• Phase 2 introduces specialist modules in economics and finance

• Phase 3 is the dissertation that draws together the learning from the whole of the programme, allowing you to develop your research skills and capacity for critical analysis while creating a specialisation in a particular field of finance and banking

All modules on the course involve both taught sessions and guided independent study. For a typical module, approximately 30% of the total hours comprise taught activity, 10% is guided study and supervision, and the remainder is independent study.

Syllabus

Semester 1

• Economics of Financial Markets
• Financial Theory and Practice
• Research Methods for Finance and Economics

Semester 2

• Applied Econometrics and Financial Time Series Analysis
• The Economics of Money, Interest Rates, Banking and Financial Institutions
• International Investment and Trading

Summer

• Final Project – Dissertation, Work Placement Project or Live Brief

Completion of your final project takes place throughout the summer after teaching finishes. You submit your project in October and receive your MSc award in December.

Dissertation 

In the final phase of the course, if you are not taking the optional placement year, you will complete a dissertation relating to finance and economics.

The dissertation will be 10,000–15,000 words long. It will address an accounting problem that requires you to undertake research leading to practicable recommendations based on sound analysis and judgement. You will finalise the topic in consultation with your course leader and other specialists in finance, economic, accounting and business research.

You will receive help from your dissertation supervisor, who will monitor and support your progress. The dissertation is submitted in October.

Bloomberg trading room 

As part of your course you will have access to modern computing facilities and specialist computing packages, for students on the International Investment and Trading module this includes access to our real-time trading room, fed by up-to-the-minute data from Bloomberg Terminal^Ⓡ.

Bloomberg Terminal^Ⓡ is the world’s leading market data and analytics system, which means you will have access to a wealth of data, news, and state-of-the-art analytics. You will use the terminal to define your market assumptions, develop a return-generating strategy and execute trades over a closed network.

Our trading room sessions are supervised by experienced lecturers or guest traders and provide you with the opportunity to apply your skills to real markets and real data, and make use of simulation software to recreate the pressure of a trading floor. 

We also invite guest traders to discuss curriculum topics, pass on their trading experience and supervise trading sessions.

Student trading society 

We highly recommend students join our thriving Student Investment and Trading Society, which is established and run by students for the purpose of organising social and networking events, arranging talks by visiting industry experts and facilitating annual trading competitions against other universities.

Learning support

Experienced, professionally qualified lecturers and small class sizes will ensure your learning needs are supported. Online learning tools and libraries also ensure academic journals, e-books, business articles and other resources are available to you 24/7, both for use at the university and at home. 

You will also have access to our Careers Service, including CV checking, mock interviews and advice on setting up your own business.

Placement year

To further increase your employability and international experience we offer full-time students starting in September the opportunity to take a placement year. This means that your course will take two years, but you’ll be graduating with work experience.

The year on placement in a role related to your course will allow you to put all that you have learned on your masters into practice, enhancing your career opportunities and giving you practical experience in your area of expertise.

During your placement you will also complete a business project. This project is assessed as part of your masters and, depending on the topic that is agreed between you and your employer, could also provide a valuable piece of insight for your placement employer.

Our placement partners include BMW, Bosch, Deloitte, Disney, Hewlett Packard, HSBC, IBM, Ipsos Mori, L’Oréal, Nike, Panasonic, PwC, Renault and Warner Brothers.

Work placements are optional, and you are responsible for arranging your placement with support from our dedicated Placements and Employability team.

We are now offering a two-year international study visa route to support applications for this course.

Find out more about how we can support you finding a placement.

Course leader

Dr Robert Hayward

Robert is a principal lecturer and the course leader on our postgraduate finance and economics degrees. 

He has more than 15 years' experience of working in the financial services sector, with responsibility for producing economic forecasts and capital market strategies for traders and bank customers.

Robert has an MSc in Economics and a PhD on Speculation in the Foreign Exchange Market. He joined the University of Brighton in 2011 and his main interests are capital markets, foreign exchange and behavioural finance.

Read more about your course leader.

Course fees

Scholarships, bursaries and loans

We offer a range of scholarships for postgraduate students. Bursaries and loans may also be available to you.

Find out more about postgraduate fees and funding.

Fee information for this course for 2025 entry will be updated here no later than December 2024.

The fees listed here are for the first year of full-time study if you start your course in the academic year 2024–25.

You will pay fees for each year of your course. Some fees may increase each year.

UK undergraduate and some postgraduate fees are regulated by the UK government and increases will not be more than the maximum amount allowed. Course fees that are not regulated may increase each year by up to 5% or RPI (whichever is higher).

If you are studying part-time your fee will usually be calculated based on the number of modules that you take.

Find out more

• Fees, bursaries, scholarships and government funding info for UK and international postgraduate students
• Student finance and budgeting while studying
• About the university’s fees by checking our student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

Campus where this course is taught

Accommodation

Local area

Maps

Support and wellbeing

Sport at Brighton