Master of Arts (Hons) in Finance

at Heriot-Watt University - Edinburgh Campus United Kingdom

If you want to start your career with a year's work experience in hand, then you should consider this course. It combines the rigorous studies of the BSc (Hons) Actuarial Science with a year-long work placement in level 4. The work placement gives you experience of working in an organisation such as a life insurance company, a pension consultancy, an investment management firm or a bank. The Diploma in Industrial Training is gained through successful completion of this work placement. The work placement helps you to develop specific work-related skills, giving you the opportunity to apply and build upon the theory you learn in your studies. It allows you to take on real responsibilities, enhance your interpersonal skills through teamwork and communication and experience workplace culture.

The Diploma is available to all students, including those from overseas, as it does not require a work visa. If you are planning to come to the UK using a student visa you should check the Tier 4 Student Visa Policy Guidance to confirm you are permitted to undertake a work placement as part of your studies. It is your responsibility to find a suitable work placement; acceptance onto the course does not guarantee you a placement. If you are registered on the course and are unable to find a suitable work placement before the end of level 3 then you can transfer to the standard BSc (Hons) Actuarial Science degree. Organisations that recent students have secured placements with include Prudential, Aegon and Mercer.

The Edinburgh Business School's MSc International Business Management takes business theory and applies it to defined, practical settings. It builds vital understanding of the modern business world and allows you to shape your learning to your ambitions.

The Edinburgh Business School creates tomorrow’s leaders for tomorrow’s markets. We provide forward-thinking, practical Masters degrees that are outward looking and focused on the global business world.

This one-year postgraduate programme, MSc International Business Management, allows you to study specialist subjects from across the business sphere, including:

• International Business Context
• Competitive Strategy
• Research Philosophy and Practice
• Business Economics.

These four courses provide insight into relevant social, political, legal, and macroeconomic conditions affecting international business and develop skills in decision-making, people management, leadership and team working.

In addition, you will select two optional courses in Semester 1 and two optional courses in Semester 2. Shaping your MSc study in this way allows you to develop knowledge and skills that reflect your unique career aspirations.

Ultimately, you will learn how to critically evaluate and implement theories, concepts and techniques of business and apply this knowledge to practical contexts through industry-focused, case-study-led projects.

This is a conversion MSc
MSc International Business Management is a conversion degree programme led by academics from Edinburgh Business School. It introduces the study of business and management to graduates and professionals from non-management backgrounds who wish to enhance their careers.

This degree introduces vital business knowledge to those with limited academic experience in the subject and provides an opportunity to develop versatile management skills in just one year of study. Coupled with specialist learning in the area of tourism, it develops modern management skills to complement existing knowledge and prepare graduates for a career shift or management role.

This degree covers the main disciplines of structures, geotechnics, plus both water and transportation engineering. The degree is designed to give you the knowledge and skills you need to become a Chartered Civil Engineer. The core curriculum concentrates on analysis and materials behaviour, covering the main disciplines. The later years specialise more on design and management. Throughout, there’s an emphasis on your personal development within a professional environment.

Our Civil and Structural Engineering degrees are supported by an industry advisory committee involving representatives from major multi-national employers. The panel supports our degrees ensuring our curriculum delivers exactly what the industry needs and that our graduates are work ready.

Edinburgh has a long and well-established reputation in banking and finance. Heriot- Watt University has particularly close links with the financial community, this programme having been established when the Deputy Managing Director of the Royal Bank of Scotland left his post to become Professor of International Banking at Heriot-Watt.

The programme covers the core theories and concepts in international banking and finance, such as the operations of the forex market, the international money market and the international credit market. An awareness is also developed of ethical and professional issues relevant to the banking and financial industries.

The programme is designed for those seeking careers in the banking or finance divisions of national and international corporations. Previous graduates from the programme have gone on to become bankers, stockbrokers, tax consultants and financial advisors with corporations across the globe.

Heriot-Watt University's Masters degree in Business Psychology is the most established of its kind in Europe. In this programme, the MSc's core modules are blended with the expertise of our respected academics from the field of Human Resource Management.

This specialist MSc blends Human Resource Management with Business Psychology, a discipline also known as Occupational Psychology and Organisational Psychology, which equips you with a depth of understanding around the psychological mechanisms that drive positive behaviours and performances in the workplace.

By viewing the workplace through a psychological perspective, and by developing analytical, critical thinking, and reflection skills, you will learn to recognize and improve seemingly intangible aspects of the workplace which, when appropriately managed, can directly improve performance, in areas such as:

• Job satisfaction
• Well-being
• Leadership
• Organisational commitment
• Organisational culture
• Performance and productivity

Business Psychology graduates often build extremely rewarding careers in Human Resource Management within a range of industries. This is why Heriot-Watt has created this specialist programme which blends our world-class teaching in Business Psychology with our expertise in Human Resource Management to create a specialist programme that develops a range of skills which are highly-desirable to employers.

The Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree aims to develop students’ understanding of the area of Business Administration and Management and develop practical skills appropriate for careers in this area. Theory and practice are given equal emphasis to give a holistic understanding of the role of Business Administration as well as knowledge of and skills associated with business start-up, growth and innovation.

This programme prepares candidates for entry into the malting, brewing or distilling industries, or to conduct research. It covers a broad range of subjects, from brewing science and chemical engineering, to business studies and production management.

The quickly developing craft industry, both in brewing and distilling, requires graduates with knowledge of modern instrumentation and this programme will ensure you build the skills and know-how required to perform successfully in the industry.

Our series of ‘Fit for work’ events held on campus include seminars, talks, networking and recruitment exercises and involve a range of industry professionals from graduates with their own companies, to representatives from the major breweries and distilling companies.

This masters degree is designed to enhance your employment potential across international banking, accounting and finance functions of multinational organisations.

With a focus on the ever-changing global financial markets, this MSc in Accounting and Finance aims to equip graduates with highly employable expertise and a thorough understanding of current issues in global financial markets – both academically and professionally.

On this MSc you will take six main courses on the subject of international accounting and be offered a choice of one specialist per semester. These courses will give you an international perspective on accounting and help you understand things like national differences, harmonisation and the challenges and problems facing multinational companies.

You will have the opportunity to apply your newly acquired knowledge and expertise gained from courses in international banking, financial markets and accountancy to a subject of interest to you in your dissertation research project which is undertaken during the summer months.

The IT Management for Business Graduate Apprenticeship degree develops specific skills and knowledge of information technology, to enable the participants to play a key role in the management of ICT infrastructure, strategy, operations and projects of their organisation.

Key areas of the programme:
The primary focus of the IT Management for Business Graduate Apprenticeship Programme is on developing the knowledge, understanding and skills outcomes sought by employers.

• Business
• Technology
• Personal and interpersonal
• Software project and delivery management

Each of the four key content areas is combined to deliver a holistic learning experience.

Graduates’ skillset:
The IT Management for Business Graduate Apprenticeship programme aims to produce MA (Hons) graduates equipped with knowledge, understanding and skills in the following areas:

• A broad background of business operations, procedures and culture applicable to a career in IT in a business environment
• Sufficient technical knowledge to play a key role in an IT related environment
• Personal and interpersonal skills enabling them to work closely and communicate with employees in non-IT related areas of an organisation
• A set of problem-solving and modelling skills appropriate to IT related business operations
• Sufficient management and business knowledge to play a management role in an IT project
• Project delivery experience in a business oriented environment

Heriot-Watt Mechanical Engineering degrees are ranked 1st in Scotland and top 10 in the UK by the Guardian University Guide 2020. An industrial panel are involved to ensure the course content reflects the changing needs of industry and that our graduates have the knowledge and practical skills required to successfully gain employment.

Student teaching benefits from our strong industrial links, in particular the involvement of the industrial panel in the assessment of 4th year design projects, providing a realistic client scenario.