Teaching and assessment FAQs

Yes. Vocational and career-oriented, the Masters in Finance programme is designed for finance professionals. The programme has achieved recognition as an official CFA Program Partner.

London Business School's finance teaching is renowned for its emphasis on both rigorous scholarship and real-world relevance. In addition, programme participants who wish to be awarded a concentration will take a mandatory practical module taught by a leading industry practitioner.

In addition to their research activities, members of faculty also act as consultants and advisers to industry and government, and hold directorships in a wide range of organisations. These activities help to maintain the practical relevance of the School's teaching and research, and assist faculty in staying attuned to ongoing developments in the business world.

Much of the School's research work in the finance and accounting area is supported by a group of donor organisations with which the School enjoys very close relationships.

The programme will be taught by members of the London Business School Finance Group (with some inputs from the Accounting, Economics, Entrepreneurship and Management Science and Operations faculties). The Finance Group has an international reputation and orientation, and offers one of the largest concentrations of finance faculty worldwide. Both its research and teaching receive the UK Higher Education Funding Council's highest ratings, indicating standards of national and international excellence.

The work and reputation of faculty such as Dick Brealey, Stephen Schaefer, Julian Franks, Elroy Dimson, Paul Marsh, Ian Cooper and Chris Higson have made the School an internationally recognised centre of excellence in financial research and education. The group maintains close links with other academics, and regularly attracts distinguished visiting faculty from other top international schools with strengths in the finance field. More about the Finance Group

Because of the extremely high calibre of all our Masters in Finance participants, you can gain much from working as part of a study group. You will be asked to complete a number of assignments and other activities in the study groups to which you will be allocated. You will learn a great deal from fellow participants, because of their diverse professional, educational and cultural backgrounds. Group work tends to assume rather less importance on the part-time programme and for the elective courses, largely for practical reasons.

You are expected to attend all the lectures and classes scheduled for each of the core and elective courses. The pace is rapid, and sessions follow a building-block approach, with each lecture building on material covered earlier. Regular attendance is therefore essential for successful completion of the programme.

Usually full-time participants take three courses per term. A typical week in the full-time first term will consist of about 12 contact teaching hours plus at least 30 hours per week studying on your own or in your study groups. Most people put in even more time on their own.

Required contact hours are marginally lower in your second and third terms to allow you time to work on your major project. As a rule of thumb, you'll need to put in two to three hours of your own study time for every formal classroom hour.

Participants on the weekend format spend about six hours per week in lectures and classes and should allow at least another 12 hours for private study.

The elective courses are usually taught in three-hour periods (with a short break), once a week in the morning, afternoon or evening during term time. Most electives are open to eligible full-time and weekend MiFs and MBAs, International Exchange Programme, and Sloan Masters Programme participants, giving students the opportunity to meet with peers from other programmes.

Formal teaching divides into three terms (September to December, January to March, April to June). Though over Christmas (late December/early January) and Easter (typically in late March/early April) no formal teaching is scheduled, the programme effectively continues, since breaks between terms will be largely taken up with essential consolidation and project work.

Each course is assessed on the basis of course work and, usually, an end-of-course examination. The core courses lead to an end-of-course examination accounting for at least 50% of the course grade. Some elective course teachers also grade class participation and oral report presentations.

To qualify for the Masters degree, you must successfully complete ten courses, including all the core courses and the major project. Candidates may re-sit a core course once only, on the first occasion when the course is next taught.

Students cannot re-sit elective courses.  In order to meet the course requirements, the individual may need to take an alternative elective in lieu of the failed elective.  Students can only fail one elective course.

Normally between 95 and 100%, thanks to our strict admissions criteria and strong support for you from faculty throughout the programme. If you do fail the programme, you can exercise your one re-sit option. Some participants do not complete the programme for work reasons (eg relocation outside the UK) or for personal reasons.