This Masters in Asset Pricing & Investment is designed to help you understand how prices and values for claims to uncertain payments are derived, by using fundamental principles from economics and finance, and includes claims such as company shares and dividends, financial derivatives, real assets such as metals and commodities as well as insurance claims.

Programme overview

• MSc: 12 months full-time;

Knowledge and understanding of the subjects is mainly promoted through lectures, some of which may also be accompanied by class/group discussions. You will attend workshops to help define and develop your dissertation proposal and you will be assigned an individual dissertation supervisor who will provide guidance and comments as you complete your dissertation. You will choose two optional courses from a range available in Economics in addition to the core courses plus dissertation.

Core Courses

• Economic fundamentals and financial markets
• Empirical asset pricing
• Investment, finance and asset pricing
• Portfolio analysis and investment
• Research methods & dissertation training

Optional Courses

• Advanced portfolio analysis
• Applied computational finance
• Basic econometrics
• Corporate finance and investment
• Financial derivatives (mathematical finance is a co-requisite for this course)
• Mathematical finance

Other optional courses may be available subject to the approval by the Programme Director.

Career prospects

Graduates from this program will typically find employment in financial institutions (asset management, investment banks, the quant sector and consulting); governmental bodies involved in financial decision-making; and organisations such as the International Monetary Fund, Central Banks etc.

Academic entry requirements

You should have at least a 2:1 Honours degree or non-UK equivalent (eg, a GPA of 3.0 or above) in Economics, Finance, Engineering, Physics or a joint degree, with at least two credit-bearing courses in economics or finance and two credit-bearing courses in mathematics or statistics.

International students with academic qualifications below those required should contact our partner institution, Glasgow International College, who offer a range of foundation courses.

English language requirements

For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training):

• overall score 6.5
• no sub-test less than 6.0, with writing at 6.5
• or equivalent scores in another recognised qualification (see below)
   

Common equivalent English language qualifications:

• ibTOEFL: 115; minimum Listening: 28; Reading: 29; Writing: 30; Speaking:26

Pre-sessional courses
The University of Glasgow accepts evidence of the required language level from the Language Centre Pre-sessional courses. We also consider other BALEAP accredited pre-sessional courses:

• Language Centre, University of Glasgow
• BALEAP guide to accredited courses 

FAQs

Visa requirements and proof of English language level

It is a visa requirement to provide information on your level of English based on an internationally recognised and secure English language test. All test reports must be no more than 2 years old. A list of these can be found on the UK Border Agency website. If you have never taken one of these tests before, you can get an initial idea of your level by using the Common European Framework self-assessment grid which gives you a level for each skill (e.g. listening B1/writing B2 etc.) However, please note that this is not a secure English language test and it is not sufficient evidence of your level of English for visa requirements.

If you require a Tier 4 student visa, your qualification must be one of the secure English language tests accepted by UK Border Agency:

• UK Border Agency Tier 4 English Language requirements
• UKBA list of approved English language tests [pdf]

For further information about English language requirements, please contact the Recruitment and International Office: pgadmissions@glasgow.ac.uk

Apply now

For 2013-14

MSc