Statistics with Financial Mathematics

Course description

Our Statistics with Financial Mathematics MSc trains you to apply the probabilistic, statistical and mathematical techniques that are used in the finance industry.

In addition to a variety of statistical techniques, we’ll cover key financial topics such as the Capital Asset Pricing Model, the Black-Scholes option pricing formula and stochastic processes.

You’ll develop a detailed working knowledge of important statistical techniques and concepts, including linear and generalised linear modelling, Bayesian statistics, time series and machine learning.

You’ll learn how to analyse and draw meaningful conclusions from data, and develop your programming skills using the statistical computing software R.

Around one-third of the course is devoted to your dissertation. This may focus on investigating a data set, or a more theoretical or methodological topic. You’ll gain skills to help you stand out in the graduate job market, such as planning and researching a project, data acquisition, problem specification, analysis and reporting your findings.

External clients, such as pharmaceutical companies or sports modelling organisations, often provide dissertation topics. Distance learning students often come with projects designed by their employer.

Recent examples of dissertation topics include:

• Financial modelling with Lévy processes
• Contagion in Financial Networks

Accreditation

Accredited by the Royal Statistical Society

Statistics Graduate Certificate

Postgraduate taught

• September 2025 start
• 9 months Part-time Distance learning

Develop your background knowledge of mathematics, probability and statistical theory, with the opportunity to progress onto the MSc Statistics course.

If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the school/department.

Your career

Our Statistics with Financial Mathematics MSc is great preparation for roles in the finance sector such as banking, actuarial work, pensions and insurance. Employers that have hired our graduates in finance roles include Goldman Sachs, Lloyds, Aviva, AXA, Amazon, BAE Systems, Deloitte, PwC and the NHS.

You’ll cover advanced topics and gain extensive research training, which is also great preparation for a PhD. Sheffield mathematics graduates have secured postgraduate research positions at many of the world's top 100 universities.

This degree satisfies the eligibility criteria for the Royal Statistical Society’s Graduate Statistician award – a stepping-stone to full professional membership of the RSS and Chartered Statistician status.