MSc Quantitative Finance

Course module details >>  

Ensuring that the mathematics element is accessible, the programme offers a good balance between mathematics and finance. They are particularly suitable for students with a degree in Finance, Financial Economics, Actuarial Science, Engineering, and Mathematics (see  entry requirements ), as well as relevant work experience (non-compulsory). It is also suited to those wishing to gain salary enhancements, or students wishing to pursue advanced studies in quantitative finance.

The course provides an advanced knowledge and understanding of the main theoretical and applied concepts in quantitative finance and financial engineering, delivered from a genuinely international and multicultural perspective, and with a `current issues' approach to teaching. The course is particularly useful for careers that involve designing new financial instruments and managing trading in them.

CFA training

We're pleased to announce that we have teamed up with Kaplan Schweser to facilitate student preparation for the CFA exams. Students attending our finance-related Masters - MSc Accounting and Finance, MSc Finance, MSc Finance and Business Economics and MSc Quantitative Finance - who perform well in Semester one and show a strong interest in CFA, will get free access to Kaplan's online training materials for CFA Part One.

Kaplan is a global firm offering professional training and helping individuals and organisations obtain financial certifications and designations. They will support our students by giving them access to tuition material, online question banks and progress tests, as well as mock exam runs. They will also offer tutor support and 1-2-1 sessions.

Students enrol in the CFA Program to build a strong foundation of advanced investment analysis and real-world portfolio management skills. Preparing for the Level I exam is the first step toward earning the Chartered Financial Analyst ® (CFA) credential, the most respected and recognised investment designation in the world.

Trading BootCamp Week

Each year, Alliance MBS runs a five-day Trading BootCamp for all current students studying MSc Accounting and Finance, MSc Finance, MSc Finance and Business Economics and MSc Quantitative Finance. These trading simulations provide students with experience of real world trading and the opportunity to engage with contemporary financial markets, enabling them to apply their classroom theory in practice.

To deliver the Trading BootCamp, the School has teamed up with Amplify Trading to provide those looking to enter the financial industry with a crucial skill-set. Amplify Trading  are a global financial trading and training  firm, which offers training to some of the world's largest financial institutions, such as HSBC, Citigroup and Deutsche Bank. They have developed specialist software that enables students to experience a live trading floor and two experienced traders will deliver the week-long training.

Each day there will be four hours of classes in the morning followed by four hours of trading practice in the afternoon. Engaging in live breaking news, economic data and geo-political events, students will be able to apply their understanding, technical expertise and risk management practises in trading different asset classes.

This is a fantastic opportunity for accounting and finance students at Alliance MBS and is another way in which we prepare students for successful careers after graduation.

Library Services

The Eddie Davies Library Finance Zone in Alliance Manchester Business School gives you access to one of the UK's most comprehensive collections of specialist financial and business databases that are used by top researchers around the world. These include Bloomberg, Datastream, Thomson ONE, Compustat, WRDS, Capital IQ and many more.

Read more about the specialist financial and business databases >>

Worshipful Company of International Bankers Affiliation

Our accounting and finance division courses are now affiliated with the Worshipful Company of International Bankers (WCIB). This means that every year the best dissertation out of the following four courses will receive the WCIB Prize worth £300.

• MSc Accounting and Finance
• MSc Finance
• MSc Finance and Business Economics
• MSc Quantitative Finance

The winner will also enter the competition for the prestigious WCIB Lombard Prize. The Lombard Prize consists of a solid silver Armada dish, a cheque for £1500, one-year honorary membership to the Company and attendance at the Annual Banquet to collect the prize.

Read more about the WCIB Prize >>

The course consists of both compulsory and optional taught units.

Semester 1

Core modules: 

• Asset Pricing Theory
• Derivative Securities
• Stochastic Calculus

Electives:

• Cross-Sectional Econometrics
• Portfolio Investment
• Scientific Computing

Semester 2

• Credit Risk Management
• Interest Rate Derivatives

• Time Series Econometrics

Electives:

• Computational Finance
• Corporate Finance
• Generalised Linear Models and Survival Analysis
• Real Options in Corporate Finance
• Risk, Performance and Decision Analysis
• Simulation and Risk Analysis

For the dissertation, you will carry out an original piece of research on a subject relating to the programme. Our MSc dissertation topics are aligned with the research interests of leading financial institutions from the City of London and internationally. A number of the dissertation topics are proposed by these organisations and supervised by our academic staff. Students who want to work on the industry linked topics for their dissertations are subject to certain strict selection criteria (for example, strong CV and first semester exam performance). Other dissertation topics are proposed by academic staff focusing on cutting edge research issues in these industries.

Some of the organisations who have offered dissertation topics included:

• Alliance and Leicester
• Standard Bank
• Morgan Stanley
• ABN AMRO
• Shell
• Numerical Algorithms Group (N.A.G.)
• MSCI Barra

The course teaching is shared by Alliance Manchester Business School and the School of Mathematics, and delivered through lectures, case studies, seminars and group project-based work. Assessment varies depending on course units taken.  It may include a combination of course work and examination.  The dissertation normally ranges between 30 and 50 double spaced pages.

Listen to  Aisha Khan  talk about her experience at MBS.  She graduated in 2007 and is undertaking more research into the subject with a PhD.

• Why were you interested in the course?
• How has the course helped your career ambitions?
• How did you find the course content and delivery?
• What did your dissertation focus on?

Masters information sessions

We are hosting a series of informal information sessions for undergraduates who are thinking about pursuing a masters course at Alliance Manchester Business School.

Our Masters courses aren't just for business graduates - from business analytics to operations, and marketing to finance, we have 17 courses to choose from. Join us to meet a careers advisor, admissions staff and current students and discover how our courses can boost your career prospects.

Also, a number of graduates have the opportunity to progress directly onto the Full-time MBA programme as a Young Potential Leader - could you be one of them?

Choose from the following dates:

- Wednesday 17 February 2016, 12.00 - 1.30pm

- Wednesday 9 March 2016, 12.00 - 1.30pm

- Wednesday 13 April 2016, 12.00 - 1.30pm

- Wednesday 11 May 2016, 12.00 - 1.30pm

All events are held in the Atrium, Alliance MBS East building (on the corner of Oxford Road and Booth Street East) - number 26 on the campus map.

For further information and to register your interest in attending, please see the Alliance MBS website .

Events round the world

We take part in events both at home and around the world, and we'd be delighted to meet you in your country . If you are visiting Manchester and you are unable to attend one of the Masters Information Sessions, you are welcome to organise a personal visit .

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk