Master of Science in Finance

at Royal Holloway,University of London United Kingdom

Our School of Business and Management has a fresh and intellectually challenging approach to research and education. Specialising in Accounting and Finance at Royal Holloway means that you will benefit from the in-depth knowledge of our academic experts.  You will study the core areas of financial accounting, management accounting and finance and obtain a thorough knowledge of both theory and practice. The valuable knowledge and understanding this degree will give you, combined with interpersonal and transferable skills, will lead to excellent career prospects.

Your studies will be grounded in the wider business environment, providing you with an understanding of international business, information systems, strategy, and ethical decision-making.  You will receive individual attention and the flexibility to take specialist options, such as business law, auditing and taxation.

This course is accredited by CIMA, CPA, CIPFA and ICAEW professional bodies. You may apply to the professional bodies for exemptions from some of their examinations. The number of exemptions depend on the options you choose and the marks you obtain on your modules.

As well as graduating with enhanced knowledge of accounting and finance, you will have commercial awareness, the ability to communicate clearly,work in a team, analyse and solve problems, and manage your time effectively. As a graduate you will be able to apply for exemptions and/or credit for prior learning from selected professional accounting bodies we have agreed exemptions with. The exemptions from examinations or credit for prior learning that students are granted will depend on courses chosen and the marks obtained on those courses.

• AACSB accredited - the longest-serving accrediting body and largest business education network worldwide.
• Examine the principles of financial decision-making.
• Understand the theory and techniques for appraising financing and investment decisions.
• Understand the basic components of financial statements.
• Understand information systems and the role they play in contemporary business.
• Accredited by CIMA, CPA, CIPFA and ICAEW

Equipped with Artificial Intelligence techniques, today’s systems can teach themselves to perform tasks almost as well as humans can. This degree provides you with the foundational knowledge and the practical skills required to operate with these disruptive technologies.

• Benefit from strong industry ties, with close proximity to ‘England’s Silicon Valley’
• Graduate with a Master's degree leading to excellent graduate employability prospects.
• Tailor your learning with a wide range of engaging optional modules
• Choose from a one-year program structure or add an optional year in industry

Our MSc Finance degree course is ideal if you would like a career in the financial sector. Through your studies you will gain a strong grounding in core areas of finance and have the flexibility to specialise in areas such as fixed income securities and derivatives, investment and portfolio management, private equity and entrepreneurship finance, all skills that are essential for a career in finance. We will provide you with intensive training in the analysis of issues in finance and corporate policy while improving your analytical and technical expertise.

During your time here you will study core modules essential to a MSc Finance and with our optional modules you will be able to tailor your degree to your interests.

Our facilities include access to Bloomberg terminals, which are used by financial traders and investment banks globally. These give you access to live financial and economic data, portfolio construction and optimisation tools, information and analytics to support your studies. We are also equipped with state-of-the-art software packages such Stata, Matlab and Python. Matlab is the language of choice for the MSc Finance.

On graduation you will be skilled in financial analysis techniques, understand mathematical statistics and theories and have the tools to analyse how financial markets function. Consequently, you will be in a strong position to forge a career in the financial services, business and banking sectors.

A two-week pre-sessional and a term long mathematical methods course are offered to bring you up to speed on your quantitative skills.

• Graduate with excellent career prospects, with economics graduates having an impressive employment record and starting salaries amongst the highest in the country.
• After successfully having completed the degree, you will have already prepared for large sections of the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) level 1 exam.

The interactions between humans and our physical world are fascinating, from our responses to the physical features and phenomena of our planet to the interplay between regional geographical characteristics and the cultures that call those regions home. Study Geography at Royal Holloway, University of London and you’ll enjoy a universal subject, exploring topics including social development, patterns of trade and how geographic factors interact with both one another and human goals.

This adaptable course lets you choose from a range of optional modules to suit your preferences in years 2 and 3, from Political Geography to Global Warming to Post-Capitalist Cities. Fieldwork is a key part of the experience of doing Geography at Royal Holloway. As well as being excellent research training, our extensive programme of fieldwork helps bring the department together as a real community. The department offers a substantial and exciting range of field trips in the UK and overseas. Current locations include Cyprus, Spain, Malawi, Sicily, London and New York. The cost of the Year 1 fieldtrip to Spain is included in the student fee.

You’ll benefit from a renowned research culture, with the highest quality research and teaching in a supportive learning environment. You’ll acquire a broad range of skills and knowledge to take into your future career or further study and Geography graduates enjoy excellent employability prospects in a range of fields.

Study Geography at Royal Holloway at you’ll have access to state-of-the-art equipment, including world-class facilities for GIS, image analysis, advanced cartography and the physical and chemical analysis of soils, sediments and water.

Pursue your passion for Geography with us and graduate in a strong position to enjoy a rewarding career.

BA Politics and International Relations looks at political ideas and processes, as well as global issues such as war and security, diplomacy and development.

You will gain a solid foundation in politics, the history of international relations and IR theory, studying subjects such as democracy, decolonisation, democratisation, international organisations, foreign-policy making, human migration and human rights. As you progress through the degree, the flexible nature of the course allows you to specialise in those aspects of domestic politics, political theory and international relations that most interest you.

By combining Politics and International Relations, you will gain an advanced understanding of how individuals, groups and states interact across borders, and how political institutions and ideas differ around the world.  As you progress through your studies, you will engage with important contemporary challenges, including, for example, the recent global economic crisis, changes in the European Union, human migration and the threats posed by terrorists and new communications technologies.

The Department of Politics and International Relations has a strong commitment to high-quality, cutting-edge research, all of which informs our teaching. We are a research community that applies various theories and methods to the study of domestic, transnational, regional and global politics.  We have expertise in African, British, Chinese, European, Middle East, North American and South Asian politics, and our research covers areas such as security, democratisation, youth politics, international diplomacy and political communication, as well as contemporary and radical theories of democracy and power.

• Learn how to approach problems in a rigorous and analytical way.
• Gain a solid foundation in politics, the history of international relations and IR theory.
• Our graduates pursue roles in many sectors including the civil service, public affairs and law.
• Consider contemporary challenges, such as terrorism, climate change and refugees.
• Work placement opportunities at MPs’ offices, NGOs and local government.

Psychology is the study of how people think, react and interact. It is concerned with all aspects of behaviour and the thoughts, feelings and motivations that underlie such behaviour. It is an important subject because it relates to the whole range of human experience, from visual perception to complex social interactions.

Study psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London and you’ll develop a thorough understanding of theories and approaches to the understanding of human behaviour across different core areas of Psychology, without limiting study to any specific area.

Join our four-year course and you will be able to customise your learning in your third and final years, selecting from a number of optional modules including Adult Psychological Problems, Consciousness & Cognition, Human Neuropsychology, Criminal and Forensic Psychology, Adjustment and Wellbeing, and Applied Neuroscience.

You’ll join a department ranked 6th in the UK for research (The Research Excellence Framework 2014), learning with academics who are experts in their fields, and contributing your own findings to this leading research culture with your final year research project.

Royal Holloway's Department of Psychology is among the best-equipped psychology departments in the country where post- and undergraduates may benefit from the department's advanced technology. This includes an on-site magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner for studying brain structure and activity, instruments for recording electrical changes in the brain (EEG) and other cutting-edge facilities to augment your learning.

Our close-knit department scores consistently high satisfaction rates in National Student Surveys, with a high staff-to-student ratio. You will learn through large and small group teaching and within a progressive environment for which the Department of Psychology has been awarded the Athena SWAN Silver Award for efforts to promote equality and women in science.

• Study and contribute to topics at the cutting-edge of psychological investigation.
• Develop your particular interests from a wide range of optional modules.
• Study MSc-level modules and acquire advanced research skills.
• Graduate with an integrated Masters degree from one of the UK’s leading institutions in psychology.

If you want to expand your understanding of, or research into, classical literature and language then this programme offers you the perfect opportunity to do just that. Our Classics MA also provides postgraduates with the ideal foundation for conducting research at doctoral level.

Organised on an intercollegiate basis, this MA programme is jointly run with King’s College London and University College London to enable you to take full advantage of the teaching expertise of all three participating colleges. This tri-collegiate approach offers up an unparalleled range of modules to study: postgraduate units cover Greek and Latin literature and ancient philosophy, as well as key technical skills such as papyrology, epigraphy, and palaeography.

Our Classics department has an excellent track record in producing publications that advances the understanding of the ancient world. A thriving and internationally recognised centre of excellence in research and teaching, the department is home to two College Research Centres - the Centre for the Reception of Greece and Rome (CRGR) and the Centre for Oratory and Rhetoric (COR). Research in the department covers the whole range of Classical Studies, from Homeric Greece to the very end of the Roman Empire with particular interests in language, literature, history and ancient philosophy, as well as Greek and Roman archaeology. We are particularly well equipped to supervise dissertations on Homer, the epic tradition, Greek drama, the ancient novel, Greek literature under the Roman Empire, ancient rhetoric and oratory, Latin epic and elegy, ancient myth and classical reception.

Our Department of Law and Criminology has a reputation for high quality research and teaching. Whilst studying Law at Royal Holloway you will explore the fundamental principles of justice, equity and equality within the framework of English and European law. This degree is for anyone looking to start a career in law, whether as a barrister or a solicitor, it is also for those who are interested in the legal system and the ways in which laws are made and upheld. You will be equipped with a wide range of transferable skills which are highly sought after by employers in a wide variety of fields.

You will consider the different laws which apply to different legal problems within the legal system. This will enable to understand how the law regulates agreements between individuals and the relationship between the individual and the state. In addition to acquiring invaluable legal skills in research and oral presentation, you will have the opportunity to choose from a range of subjects in fields such as family law, medical law, company law and international law along with criminology options in terrorism, sentencing and penal policy and gender and crime.

Our balanced approach to research and teaching guarantees high quality teaching from subject leaders, cutting edge materials and intellectually challenging debates. You will receive individual attention and flexibility to acquire expertise within a specialist field

• Qualifying Law Degree, as defined by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Bar Standards Board.
• Understand the key features of English and European law.
• Develop an understanding of doctrines and principles underpinning common law.
• Develop skills to evaluate legal developments, analyse legal texts and develop independent thinking.
• Develop key legal research and communication skills.

Psychology is the study of how people think, react and interact. It is concerned with all aspects of behaviour and the thoughts, feelings and motivations that underlie such behaviour. It is an important subject because it relates to the whole range of human experience, from visual perception to complex social interactions.

Join our three-year course and you will be able to customise your learning in your final year, selecting from a number of optional modules including Consciousness & Cognition, Human Neuropsychology and Criminal and Forensic Psychology.

Royal Holloway's Department of Psychology is among the best-equipped psychology departments in the country where post- and undergraduates may benefit from the department's advanced technology. This includes an on-site magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner for studying brain structure and activity, instruments for recording electrical changes in the brain (EEG) and other cutting-edge facilities to augment your learning.

Follow your passion for psychology, clinical psychology and mental health and you’ll graduate with excellent employability prospects in a variety of different fields. Notable alumni include the leading bioscience innovator Professor Jackie Hunter CBE, founder of the Terrence Higgins Trust Dr Rupert Whitaker, and Dr Christian Jarrett – author of The Rough Guide to Psychology.

• Study the most up-to-date and exciting findings in psychology.
• Learn with internationally recognised experts in their fields.
• Develop psychological research skills and practice how to think critically about research.
• Benefit from the department’s advanced research facilities.
• Customise your degree in your final year, selecting from a number of optional modules.

The creation, transmission and storage of huge volumes of electronic data is one of the defining features of our age. Whilst these technologies bring us untold benefits, they also expose businesses, governments and individuals to repeated threats, such as fraud through data manipulation, deliberate sabotage and blackmail. As a result, businesses, governments and individuals around the world rely on the expertise and innovations of information security specialists, without which global communications systems would grind to a halt.

Want to join this expanding field and learn from the very best? Our flagship Information Security programme was the first of its kind in the world. It is certified by GCHQ, the UK Government Communications Headquarters, and taught by academics and industrial partners in one of the largest and most established Information Security Groups in the world. We are a UK Academic Centre of Excellence for cyber security research, and an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Centre for Doctoral Training in cyber security. We work closely with industry, and much of our curriculum and research is informed and audited by the industry itself. Our teachers are specialists in the field, with backgrounds in computer science, engineering, mathematics, statistics and the social sciences.

Our broad curriculum encompasses cryptography, fraud detection, system security, network security, device security and the study of how security itself should be managed. You will learn about the technical, legal and commercial aspects of the industry and have the chance to complete a supervised dissertation on a topic of your choice. In a typical year you could benefit from lectures and seminars given by as many as 50 different guest speakers. You will also have access to our virtualisation software, for experimenting with network security settings and ideas, as well as to our Penetration Testing Laboratory and industry-sponsored Smart Card Centre.

We offer a friendly, supportive learning environment and you will have a dedicated personal adviser to guide you through your studies. The skills you gain will open up a range of high-level career options and provide a solid foundation if you wish to progress to a PhD. Our graduates are in demand for their cutting-edge grasp of the field as well as their technical expertise and transferrable skills such as data handling, analysis, problem solving and research. The programme can be completed in one year full-time, two years part-time, three to five years through Continuous Professional Development (CPD), or two to four years through distance learning.

• Equip yourself with the knowledge and skills to work at a high level in the information security industry or move into postgraduate research.
• Our strong ties with industry mean we understand the needs of employers and can ensure that you are well prepared to enter the world of work.
• We have a strong track record of helping graduates into successful, high-level careers in a wide range of sectors.
• Our MSc Information Security has been awarded GCHQ- certified status