Financial Economics MSc

Year of entry: 2026

Course length: 12 months Full-Time | 24 months Part-Time

About the course

The demand for highly skilled thinkers able to tackle complex economic and financial issues continues to increase rapidly in today’s economy. This demand is present across the public sector, in central banks and international organisations, and especially in the private sector, in commercial banks and investment companies.

Our MSc Financial Economics course prepares you for a career in financial economics and finance by combining an introduction to fundamental principles of investment science with training in the mathematical methods needed to analyse financial markets.

This course will suit you if you're hoping to pursue a future career in the realms of financial economics and finance. You'll receive an introduction to fundamental principles of investment science and training in the mathematical methods needed for the analysis of financial markets.

You'll be exposed to quantitative techniques and theory crucial to any role in the financial industry, from a portfolio manager to a consultant or financial analyst.

You'll have the option to seamlessly transition from master's to PhD study through a fully-funded 1+3 pathway with our prestigious ESRC North West Social Sciences Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP).

See the full course profile on our website >

Join one of the UK's Top 10 universities for Economics and Econometrics

(Times Higher Education World Rankings 2025)

Become part of an internationally recognised academic community which boasts four Nobel Prize winners in its history. Our latest, Simon Johnson, received his award in 2024 for his groundbreaking research into understanding wealth disparities between different nations.

Graduate from one of the UK’s most targeted universities by top employers with high-demand skills

(High Fliers, The Graduate Market Report 2025)

Compulsory Units

Microeconomics;
Macroeconomic Theory;
Financial Economics;
Applied Macroeconometrics;
Mathematical Methods in Economic Analysis;
MSc Dissertation.

Optional Units

Development Microeconomics;
International Macroeconomics;
Poverty, Inequality and Government in Less Developed Countries;
Microeconomic Theory - Information and Games;
Economic Growth;
Labour Economics.

These are examples of units offered in 2024/25 and are subject to change.

See the full list of units and find out more on the full course profile >

Where will your course take you?

The need for skilled economists has never been greater, with opportunities expanding across the globe for those ready to analyse, solve, and shape the most pressing financial challenges.

Our courses push you to develop a variety of both subject-specific and transferable skills such as analytical skills, research, problem-solving and communication. These are essential within a wide range of roles but most specifically; portfolio management, risk management consultancy and financial analysis.

Most of our recent graduates have gone on to work with leading organisations in finance and banking, local and national government, consulting, accountancy and at top universities with job titles such as Economist, Analyst, Consultant, Accountant, Manager, and Researcher.

Many of our graduates choose to continue their research through a PhD in Economics, or similar subject, either at Manchester or at another leading university, where they expand the boundaries of our knowledge and pursue careers in research or academia.

Professor Igor Evstigneev

Financial Economics MSc Programme Director

"Financial Economics is a fascinating area, having a history marked by outstanding achievements. A remarkable feature of this discipline is that its theoretical highlights (such as the Black-Scholes formula) turned out to be extremely important in practice. They created new markets essentially based on concepts suggested by academics. Nowadays the turnovers of these new markets, especially markets for derivative securities, are measured in billions.

This is perhaps the only example in the history of Economics when principles that have led to the emergence of a new economic reality were discovered by mathematicians – 'on the tip of the pen'.

The course will offer you an unforgettable tour through the beautiful land of Financial Economics guided by world-leading experts in the field."