Why study Investment Management at Keele University?
Course summary
Fee pressures, margin compression, changing investor preferences and higher customer expectations are driving competition within the world’s financial markets, increasing the demand for highly-skilled professionals able to develop innovative, sophisticated investment management strategies which mitigate risk and maximise returns.
On our MSc, you’ll learn about the principles, tools and techniques of investment management, experiencing first-hand how to apply them in real-life financial situations, analysing case studies and working with real-world data in our state-of-the-art Bloomberg Suite. In doing so, you’ll develop the skills needed to tackle the challenges in 21st century capital markets.
You will gain an in-depth understanding of financial and management accounting, economics, international financial markets, statistical analysis, financial modelling, investment and portfolio management and derivatives and financial risk management.
Suited to graduates in finance-related subjects and those working within investment banking, financial services or the financial function of global corporations, this programme is designed to nurture future leaders in the financial services sectors, occupying key roles such as analysts, fund managers and bankers.
Course content has been purposefully designed to track the syllabus of the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute (CFA), the premier global association for investment management professionals. It will prepare you to take the CFA Level 1 exam to qualify as an analyst: we will even contribute towards your entrance fee.
You will be taught by faculty with experience of the real world of finance and business, studying alongside a diverse international body of students from a wide range of national and social backgrounds. You’ll develop as a global citizen, vital in today’s globalised world of work, expanding your professional networks and learning to appreciate different cultural backgrounds and personalities.
What you'll learn
The programme is designed to build a rigorous understanding of core finance and investment theories together with solid training in quantitative analysis. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to make extensive use of industry-standard software like STATA and other data sources, such as Bloomberg Professional Services Platforms and DataStream.
You will gain an in-depth knowledge of the nature of the modern firm and the critical differences in the capital structure between modern firms and banks, as well as the complex challenges facing the global investment management industry. We’ll also consider how to manage some of the ethical dilemmas facing the fund management industry, such as conflicts of interests, professionalism, duty to clients and employers.
While completing your MSc, you will be encouraged to prepare for and take level one of the CFA exams, so that by the time you graduate, you have the potential to achieve not only MSc, but also one-third of the training to become a qualified CFA analyst.