Introducing online MSc Finance and Investment Management — University of Liverpool

Rob Stephens, director of studies for the MSc Finance and Investment Management at the University of Liverpool Online explains what's involved in the two-year course

What does a course on finance and investment management involve?

The programme has eight taught modules, each studied consecutively and lasting eight weeks. Students also complete a dissertation module, where further research into an area of interest from the programme can be undertaken.

The course is fully online and therefore allows a flexible study option, particularly aimed at students who are in full or part-time employment. As students are based all over the world, this provides a unique opportunity to share experiences, practices and viewpoints while studying. 

We are Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Affiliated - this is an endorsement of the design and content of the degree. This hopefully provides some assurance to students about the relevance of the syllabus and attractiveness of the programme. We also have students who are keen to undertake the CFA’s own professional exams alongside their degree and the resources and design of the programme are of great support for those wishing to do so. This affiliation also ensures that we can share resources and industry news in the industry as it is happening. This can help stimulate our student’s interests further.

All of the modules have been designed and developed by academic staff from the accounting and finance department at the University of Liverpool, ensuring the same quality and proven results as we see on-campus.

Can you tell us about studying online and how that works?

Each taught module has a similar feel on the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) - students are provided with video lectures, discussion forums, seminars and of course, assessments. These assessments vary - we are keen to create tasks which allow the student to demonstrate their academic skills along with practical skills they have learned. As such, we use a variety of assessment types including academic written tasks, calculations, professional analysis reports as well as tasks which require communication with student peers.

Task schedules are issued at the start of each eight week period, so that students can carefully plan their time around other work or personal obligations. Of course, students have full access to the university's online library resources, exactly as if they were attending an on-campus programme. This is an important resource as independent research is the key to success.

The programme is structured to have a dedicated lecturer to guide students through each week’s learnings and to provide academic support.

Many online programmes do not provide an opportunity for real-time discussions with peers and lecturers. As well as being available to deal with queries and to mark assessments, the lecturers hold scheduled synchronous (live) sessions, designed to allow group discussions on subject matter, provide formative guidance and support for summative assessments. This can be a huge benefit, especially for students who have taken long breaks from studying.

Where can the course lead?

The options are endless. Some students will treat the course as part of their journey to undertaking a Doctorate, since the technical and research skills developed will help greatly. Other students are likely to already be working in a relevant role and may be undertaking the programme to improve their knowledge and attractiveness to current and future employers. 

All businesses require finance expertise. Some examples of roles that have a great degree of fit with this programme include:

• consultant - maybe to support businesses’ strategic plans, such as merger and acquisition activity
• business treasury specialist
• investment analyst
• researcher (within government or industry)
• stock/market analyst.

This list is by no means exhaustive, and the skills developed are highly transferable to any industry.

What types of students would suit this course?

We see a range of students on the programme, with varying aspirations. Our entry criteria also allow us to consider students with relevant experience backgrounds. The most important element that will help students is the degree of dedication and effort that they are willing to put in.

For example, each taught module carries a 15 credit weighting. There are 10 hours of study time that we would expect for each credit, so we would expect 150 hours per module, or 15-20 hours per week to be devoted to the programme. There is a well-known adage that states that you get out what you put in - this is certainly the case for this Masters degree. 

What we really want for the programme are keen, stimulated students who want to embrace the course, interact with peers and their class lecturers, in order to maximise their learning and development.

What advice do you have for anyone considering studying the course?

Carry out your research before embarking on this programme - we have a team of staff who are there to answer all of your questions.

Find out more

·       Take a look at the MSc Finance and Investment Management.

·       Read 5 tips on getting into investment banking.