Department of Business and Management

Frequently asked questions

What funding is available for this degree?

The University of Sussex is offering 100 Masters scholarships for students holding a first-class degree from any UK higher education institution.

Chancellor’s scholarships of £10,000 are available only for 2015 entry as well as standard scholarships of £3,000. The scholarships are available on a competitive basis to UK/EU and non-EU students graduating from any UK higher education institution in 2015 that have paid undergraduate tuition fees of £9,000 or more in each of the last three years of undergraduate study.

Information about the scholarships

Application form for scholarships

Application for a Sussex MSc Degree

Q: Why should I study this degree, and why at Sussex?

A: This course is designed to challenge the superiority of the Finance Masters programmes taught by the top business schools in Europe and the US.

The academics leading and teaching on this course are very well-known and highly respected. Their reputation extends far beyond the City of London, to the USA and world-wide, both in the finance profession and within academia. Because most of the faculty have worked in the industry you will gain exactly the right skills for working in the finance profession, either as a financial risk analyst or as an investment analyst. After taking this degree your employability should be exceptional.

Competition for this degree is high, so as a successful applicant you’ll be part of a high-powered group of enthusiastic students that are willing to work hard on this challenging course. All entrants must have very solid background knowledge, plus the enthusiasm and energy to get the most from the course.

Q: Who will be teaching on this degree?

A: The course has been designed and is led by the one of the best-known academics in financial risk management, Professor Carol Alexander. Other faculty members have comprehensive industry experience combined with high-level academic knowledge of finance.

Q: Am I qualified to take this degree?

A: Please see the Postgraduate Prospectus for full entry requirements.

The level of this course absolutely requires students to have a solid grounding in undergraduate level Mathematics and Statistics. You don’t need to have a BSc in Mathematics; Physics or Engineering degrees are also suitable, as is Economics, provided you have taken a fair number of quantitative modules during your undergraduate course. You should also be skilled with the use of computers and meet our English language requirements, both spoken and written. To be offered a place your application must demonstrate the required level in all these areas.

Q: What level of mathematics and statistics is required?

A: The autumn term module ‘Essential Mathematics for Finance’ is based on Volume I of Carol Alexander’s series of books Market Risk Analysis. It is designed to bring everyone to the level of mathematics and statistics required for the specialist spring term modules. In fact, in addition to several Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) recommended texts, all four volumes of Market Risk Analysis will be used during the course. You can find out more about these texts on www.marketriskanalysis.com – take a look at the contents of Volume I and ask yourself, could you cope with this level of quantitative analysis?

Q: How long is the course?

A: It starts in mid-September and follows a high-level specialist course over the next 10 months. All assessments are done by mid-June the following year, and you will know your result in July. Between then and graduation we expect (but do not require) you to take an internship while you study for the December CFA level 1 examinations.

Q: What will I learn?

A: The course outline is given in the Postgraduate Prospectus.

More details information about the content of the special modules that are tailored to the Financial Risk and Investment Analysis degree: 

Q: What are the fees?

A: Please see the Postgraduate Prospectus for full information on fees and funding. 

Several scholarships have recently become available from the University of Sussex, for all degrees. The Chancellor’s Scholarship may be of particular interest to students who have graduated from a UK university with a first class degree.

The University is keen to ensure that this premium degree is accessible to the brightest and most able graduates. Our HEU fee, therefore, is significantly lower than those charged for most Finance MScs in the UK.

Q: How many contact hours of lectures and seminars are there?

A: Teaching is divided into two main teaching blocks, each with 12 weeks. You’ll have approximately 10 hours of lectures and five hours of seminars each week. Of course, you’ll also be required to invest many hours of independent study because the course is quite intense. During the summer you will work independently on two projects: one for Portfolio Management and another for Financial Risk Analysis. This study will be directed by a supervisor.