Am I eligible to attend the MiF?

The programme is for individuals wishing to advance their career in finance, or change their area within finance, as well as those who have exposure to finance in a current or previous role who now wish to deepen their financial knowledge.

Applicants should have at least two years, full time, relevant work experience (typically, participants have six years relevant experience although each applicant will be considered on his/her own merit).

Relevant experience
Relevant experience will have been gained in finance or a closely related field (for example corporate law, finance journalism or IT in a financial institution); candidates will need to have experienced enough financial transactions in order to be able to contribute to cases discussed in class.  Applicants working in IT will need to show significant exposure to finance related products.

Practical and applied
The programme is practical and applied; and the more experience you have, the more you will benefit from - and contribute to - the programme. The experience of your fellow participants is a major part of the overall learning experience.  The programme is not designed for people without prior finance experience who are planning to effect a career change into finance (for this, a general management programme like our MBA is a more appropriate course of study) but it is an excellent choice for people who want to switch areas within finance or generally expand and deepen their finance knowledge.

We are looking for individuals for whom the programme is a good "career-fit", and who are likely to have successful future careers.  Above all, candidates will need to demonstrate that they have the commitment, experience, motivation and potential to benefit from, and contribute to, the programme.

To give you a further idea of who typically attends our Masters in Finance, view the class profile.

Want to know if you are eligible to apply to the Masters in Finance?

To find out if you are eligible to attend the Masters in Finance, complete the relevant form for either the full-time or part-time programme and attach your CV:

• Full-time

• Part-time  As the Programme is taught at our London Campus, to study on a part time basis you must be working in London or within easy travelling distance of London.  The Programme is not offered on a distance-learning basis.

The Masters in Finance admissions team will review your background and provide you with personal feedback. Please allow one week for our reply.

Our admissions requirements are listed in the section above. If you do not meet the minimum two year work experience requirement please do not submit your CV!

What kind of academic record do I need?
We would expect applicants to have the equivalent of an upper second class honours degree, or a GPA of 3.5 (out of 4.0). However, we look at many other aspects of your application, and if you believe that your academic record fails to do you justice, and is compensated for by other achievements/aspects of your track record, you should make this clear in your application.

What undergraduate degree subject should I have?
We have no particular preference, as can be seen from the class profiles of our current programme participants. Usually a high proportion of participants hold a previous degree in a business, economics, management or related subject, however we welcome applications from arts, languages, and philosophy graduates, as well as those from the pure sciences, engineering, maths and the social sciences.

How quantitative is the programme?
You need to be numerate, rather than have particularly strong mathematical skills, ie, you do not need to be a "quant jock" - as the Americans say! You certainly do not need to have an undergraduate degree in maths or the pure sciences. Some elective courses will require calculus, however this is not needed for the majority. 

Can I apply if I am a non-graduate?
Exceptionally, the University of London will allow us to register non-graduates with a significant amount of work experience, an outstanding track record and a good GMAT score.

What previous finance training is required?
All the core courses assume no previous formal training. However, the pace builds quickly, and is rapid and demanding. A preparatory course in statistics is available for full and part-time MiF participants with limited prior knowledge in such areas. There is also a preparatory accounting course available to full-time participants.

Do I stand a better chance of being accepted if I am sponsored by my employer?
In general we regard sponsorship by current or future employers as an important additional piece of evidence of your value to the employer and future career potential, but the admissions committee will not place undue weight on this. Our general advice is that you should secure an offer of a place on the MiF prior to negotiating sponsorship from your employer.