Advanced Technology for Financial Computing MSc

A pioneering programme designed to make you one of tomorrow’s tech leaders in the financial services sector. You will master cutting-edge technology in data, computing, and AI, and enhance it with business acumen to drive innovation in financial systems.

Prepare for an exciting future where you lead as a fintech strategist, quant developer, or financial computing engineer in the dynamic and rapidly evolving Fintech industry.

Unique to this programme is the opportunity to gain a holistic perspective by integrating courses from three distinguished University of Edinburgh schools—Informatics, Business, and Mathematics—offering a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach that sets you apart in the fintech industry.

Five reasons to choose this programme:

1. Comprehensive multi-disciplinary approach: Experience a unique programme that combines courses from three world-class academic schools - Informatics, Business, and Mathematics. This integration provides you with a broad understanding and a diverse skill set, preparing you to stand out and lead in the global fintech industry.

2. Career success: Our outstanding reputation, 4th in the UK*, and exceptional career support, allow 97.6% of our students* to secure jobs or go on to further study.

3. World-class reputation: Learn from top researchers and educators. The University of Edinburgh consistently ranks top 30 globally for Computer Science and the School of Informatics is first in the UK for research impact and quantity of world-leading research**.

4. Comprehensive and flexible curriculum: Learn across three Schools to blend advanced tech courses with essential business skills in a one-year programme that mixes theory and practice.

5. Prime location: Study in vibrant, international Edinburgh, the UK's second-largest financial hub and Europe's emerging data capital.

*QS Ranking for employability in Data Science and AI 2024

**HE Graduate Outcomes Data, School of Informatics Postgraduates 2021-22

• Research Excellence Framework Results

These entry requirements are for the 2025/26 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2026/27 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2025.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in informatics, artificial intelligence, cognitive science, computer science, electrical engineering, linguistics, mathematics, physics, or other numerate degree.

Competence in programming is essential. During your degree you must have completed a programming course in at least one of the following: C/C++, Java, Python, R, Matlab, Haskell, ML.

During your degree you must have completed the equivalent of 60 SCQF credits or 30 ECTS credits of mathematics that have typically covered the following subjects/topics: calculus (differentiation and integration), linear algebra (vectors and multi-dimensional matrices), discrete mathematics and mathematical reasoning (e.g. induction and reasoning, graph theoretic models, proofs), and probability (concepts in discrete and continuous probabilities, Markov chains etc.)

Students from China

This degree is Band B.

• Postgraduate entry requirements for students from China

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 73 with at least 65 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT: 8 overall with at least 7 in each component.

Unless you are a national of a majority English speaking country, your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start of the month in which the programme you are applying to study begins. If you are using an IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL, Trinity ISE, or Oxford ELLT test, it must be no more than two years old on the first of the month in which the programme begins, regardless of your nationality. (Revised 14 January 2025 to include Oxford ELLT.)

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements

The MSc in Advanced Technology for Financial Computing opens doors to outstanding career opportunities.

Our graduates secure exciting roles such as quant developer, tech specialist, financial modelling expert, fintech manager, and wealth management analyst, and end up working at world-leading financial institutions including UBS, NatWest Bank, Financial Network Analytics Ltd, Central Bank of Indonesia, and Huatai Securities.

Career paths tailored to you

Personalise your studies with the help of our curriculum paths, engineered by experts to prepare you for specific careers, including:

• Financial Computing Engineer: Ideal for those who aim to develop and optimise high-performance computing systems for the finance sector. This path focuses on leveraging advanced computational techniques to enhance system performance and efficiency, preparing you to tackle complex challenges in financial technology.

• Fintech Strategist: Perfect for those eager to drive digital transformation within the financial sector. This path combines technical expertise with strategic vision, empowering you to lead innovative initiatives and shape the future of financial technology.

• Quant Developer: For those with a strong programming background looking to excel in quantitative finance. This path merges advanced programming skills with specialised financial computing knowledge, positioning you at the forefront of fintech development.

Extensive career support

Our commitment is to help you realise your full potential.

Benefit from our extensive career support services designed to maximize your success:

• Personalised career guidance: Receive tailored advice from our dedicated career services team to navigate your career path effectively.

• Start-up incubator: Transform your innovative ideas into successful ventures with our Venture Builder Incubator.

• Networking opportunities: Connect with top employers and industry professionals through exclusive networking events.

• Entrepreneurship events: Gain insights and inspiration from accomplished entrepreneurs and business leaders.

• Innovative ecosystem: Engage with a dynamic ecosystem of multi-billion-pound institutes, fostering collaboration across industry, public sector, and academia. Partner with leading institutions such as the Bayes Centre, the Edinburgh Futures Institute, FinTech Scotland, and the DataLab to drive technology innovation in finance.

Our comprehensive support ensures you will be well-prepared for success in the financial industry.

• Careers Service
• Venture Builder Incubator
• Bayes Centre
• Edinburgh Futures Institute
• FinTech Scotland
• The DataLab