MSc Financial Economics

""
A nine-month top-ranked Masters in Finance

Start date:

Duration:

  • 9 months

Time commitment:

  • Full time

Location:

  • Oxford

Cost:

  • £55,630

Programme overview

Propel your career with the necessary knowledge of finance and economics required by the financial sector.

Intellectually tough and highly practical, the distinctive nature of the programme will give you outstanding international training in the tools sought by financial institutions and companies, in a variety of different industries.

Saïd Business School finance faculty, together with the Department of Economics deliver the 9-month programme combining rigorous academic training with tailored real-world applications, designed in consultation with leading financial recruiters.

Experience the Oxford MSc in Financial Economics

Current class profile

Our students are a diverse group of high-achieving individuals looking to launch their career in finance or consulting.

97

Class size

97%

International students

27

Nationalities

47%

Female

22

Average age

Supervision and assessment

Supervision

You are expected to meet your supervisor on a regular basis to discuss academic progress. There is not set frequency for meetings with your supervisor but recommend regular meetings to take full advantage of the opportunities available to you.

The allocation of a supervisor is the responsibility of the School. It is not always possible to accommodate a preference to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside Saïd Business School.

Assessment

Assessment includes examinations, assignments and individual projects.

Core courses are offered in asset pricing, economics, corporate finance, financial econometrics and finance and ethics. You can select a total of five electives to tailor your learning experience and expand your knowledge in areas important for your career. You can choose to substitute one elective with an individual project addressing a question of academic interest or practical significance.

Changes to this course and your supervision

We seek to deliver this course as described on this page. However, there may be situations when it is desirable or necessary to make changes either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made in circumstances of a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency. In certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.

I chose the MSc Financial Economics because I wanted to stretch myself academically, but also acquire the skills that the industry demands.

Lochlan Halloway

MSc Financial Economics class of 2021-22

Oxford Saïd Finance Lab

""

Understand key concepts, processes, instruments and models required to be successful in financial services.

This co-curricular programme is led by seasoned practitioners with many years of transaction and market experience. At its core are a series of models that are used to evaluate and appraise situations from the real world. You will leave with a toolkit to tackle financial problems ranging from valuations to leveraged buyouts, to M&A transactions and more.

Drive your career development

""

Achieve your potential with the support of the Careers team. They will work with you on your professional development and future career planning.

The combination of the programme curriculum and the co-curricular programmes such as Oxford Saïd Finance Lab and Asset Management masterclass, provide a rich and highly practical learning experience reflecting the aspirations of students and employers' needs.

The Careers team were incredibly helpful! You can just drop in and get your CV reviewed, or schedule the best mock case interview where you’ll be confident for your next job interview.

Tim Scherer

Investment Banking Department - Goldman Sachs

Employers who recruited graduates in 2022

Finance

  • Bank of America
  • BlackRock
  • Credit Suisse
  • Goldman Sachs
  • HSBC
  • Morgan Stanley
  • UBS

Consulting

  • Arup
  • Bain & Company
  • Boston Consulting Group
  • Strategy&

Colleges

""

Upon admission, you will also become a member of an Oxford college. Your college is both an academic and social community that will enrich your time at Oxford. It offers everything from formal dinners and balls to sports and lecture series. 

The Oxford college system enables you to interact with students and faculty from other disciplines. Some colleges provide accommodation for students. 
 

Application process

Applications for 2024 have now closed. Applications for 2025 will open in August 2024.

Deadlines

We operate a staged admissions process. You can only submit one application per year. The deadlines below were for 2024 entry:

  • Stage 1 - Friday 27 October 2023
  • Stage 2 - Friday 5 January 2024
  • Stage 3 - Wednesday 6 March 2024

Deadlines fall at 11.59pm UK time. Please note, only offer holders in stage 1 and stage 2 are eligible for University and college scholarships. The application round deadlines for 2025 entry will be confirmed in due course but are likely to be around the same dates as this year's deadlines.

Kira Talent

Upon submitting your complete application, you will receive a secure link to complete a Kira Talent video assessment. You will have one week after your chosen application deadline to complete your Kira Talent video assessment and to upload any outstanding application materials. The deadlines for 2024 entry were as follows:

  • Stage 1 - Friday 3 November 2023
  • Stage 2 - Friday 12 January 2024
  • Stage 3 - Wednesday 13 March 2024

Deadlines fall at 11.59pm UK time. The application deadlines for 2025 entry will be confirmed in due course but are likely to be around the same dates as this year's deadlines.

Decisions

For 2024 entry, decisions will be released to all applicants by the following dates:

  • Stage 1 - Friday 8 December 2023
  • Stage 2 - Wednesday 28 February 2024
  • Stage 3 - Wednesday 17 April 2024

There are 84 available places on the MSc Financial Economics programme. The average number of applications for entry between 2021 and 2023 was 1,073. 

Fees and funding

The fee for 2024-25 is £55,630 for both home and overseas students, which includes lifelong Oxford Union membership.

Deposit

If your application is successful, you will be asked to pay a deposit against your course fees at the application stage as a condition of your offer. The deposit is £8,350 and must be paid 30 days from the date on initial offer letter.

Balance

Tuition fees must be paid in full by the programme start date in September. How to pay your fees.

Course fees

Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). 

Course fees cover teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional information below.

Additional cost information

There are no compulsory elements of this course that entail additional costs beyond fees and living costs. However, you may choose a project-based elective topic. Depending on your choice of topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses. This course may also run optional pre-course workshops in and outside the UK. Teaching and networking costs will be covered for such workshops, but you would be responsible for your own travel and accommodation costs if you opt to join these workshops. This course requires that you are primarily taught in Oxford; you will need to incur travel and accommodation costs to attend the course if you do not live in the Oxford area.

Cost of living

You will also need to ensure you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course. Please view the University's living expenses page for information about likely living costs for 2024-25.

Further information about fees

The Fees and Funding section of this website provides further information about course fees, including information about fee status and eligibility and your length of fee liability.

Contact