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technical skills to enter the world of finance, banking, and investment. The program integrates finance theory, quantitative methods, and computing techniques and equips students with a balanced and practical education relevant to the new requirements of the finance industry. With a focus on the application of mathematical and statistical methods to solve real financial problems, the course prepares students to work with confidence in complex financial scenarios.
Curriculum Structure
The MSc in Quantitative Finance is structured with great care to offer a balance of theoretical background and practical application. The course typically consists of:
• Quantitative Methods: Core courses in probability, statistics, and econometrics.
• Core Financial Modules: Modules like corporate finance, asset pricing, and risk management.
• Programming and Modelling: Pratical practice in R, Python, and MATLAB for solving finance problems.
• Financial Econometrics and Derivatives: Derivative pricing and statistical modelling.
• Dissertation or Applied Project: Students either complete an academic dissertation or an applied project with actual data, occasionally alongside industry experience.
Accreditation
While not actually accredited by a single engineering accrediting body like ABET, the MSc is delivered by the Adam Smith Business School, which is AACSB, EQUIS, and AMBA accredited, and it places it in a narrow group of global business schools to have attained world-class levels of excellence.
Campus Location
The University of Glasgow is situated in Scotland's biggest city, which boasts a thriving finance sector and buzzing fintech community. The traditional main campus, located in the heart of Glasgow's West End, offers a lively and inspiring setting in which students enjoy cutting-edge learning facilities, financial databases, Bloomberg terminals, and one of the UK's most stunning libraries.
Glasgow's program is structured on not just learning finance in the abstract, but implementing it in real, job-applied settings:
• Data-Driven Projects: Students work on actual financial data sets, using programs R and Python to model risk, returns, and market behavior.
• Guest Lectures and Industry Insight: Senior investment bankers, asset management companies, and consultancy professionals occasionally share practical realities of their environment via class lectures.
• Bloomberg Training: Students have unlimited access to Bloomberg terminals, allowing them to become Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC) certified, a much-coveted certification in the financial markets.
• Student-Led Finance Societies: The Business School encourages involvement in student clubs where students simulate trading, showcase portfolios, or engage in case competitions.
• Scottish Financial Risk Academy (SFRA): Opportunities exist to attend workshops and seminars run in conjunction with this academy, linking theory to evolving industry practice.
Careers Service at the University of Glasgow delivers individualised careers guidance to support students to acquire skills and confidence for competitive work:
• Individual career planning and guidance meetings.
• Guidance on writing effective CVs and covering letters.
• Mock interviews to get students ready for tough technical or behavioral questions.
• Opportunities to network in finance-related career fairs and employer panels on campus.
Employability
These graduates will generally go on to be quantitative analyst, risk modeller, investment strategist, or portfolio manager, employed by multinational banks, hedge funds, or fintech startups. With the firm technical foundation and exposure to industry software, graduates are in demand by recruiters for professionals who can communicate with data as much as with financial models.
Further Academic Progression
Those interested in further developing their expertise still further normally proceed on to PhDs in Finance or Economics, or add to their toolkit with postgraduate diplomas in Machine Learning, Actuarial Science, or Data Analytics in order to stay abreast of the latest industry trends.
IELTS - 6.5 with no subtests under 6.0TOEFL - 90 overall with Reading 20; Listening 19; Speaking 19; Writing 21Students can engage with SFRA workshops and seminars, where academics collaborate with industry professionals on cutting-edge topics like risk modelling, regulatory compliance, and data-driven finance.The program benefits from the university’s Bloomberg ELP status, meaning students receive certified Bloomberg training, preparing them for the professional demands of the financial industry. Students can undertake a traditional dissertation or apply for a practical project-based dissertation, which can be linked to real financial data or industry partnerships, adding a layer of applied relevance to their academic work.Courses are taught by faculty with backgrounds not only in finance and economics but also mathematics, engineering, and computing, providing a multi-faceted perspective on quantitative problem-solving.While not always highlighted, the program’s structure aligns with parts of the CFA curriculum, helping students prepare for the Chartered Financial Analyst exams if they choose to pursue that credential.derivative traderquantitative traderquantitative risk managerfinancial analystrisk analystinvestment analystportfolio managerdata analystfinancial engineerquantitative researcher
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University of Glasgow
