Effective financial management represents one of the key cornerstones for any successful business. It is often viewed as the lifeblood for the company and is of essential importance regardless of the organisations’ size or stature within the marketplace.
On our MSc Business with Finance degree you will develop a deep understanding of crucial financial management and economic topics while improving your managerial and strategic skills. This combination of skillsets will help to make you an attractive commodity in the marketplace and appeal to employers looking to fill vacancies in senior financial roles.
In this blog we will explore the module content, course length, and future employment opportunities, helping you decide if this is the right programme for you to realise your future career aspirations.
What is the course content like?
Through your studies you will develop advanced business and financial skills, exploring the very latest theories and practices within the financial planning environment. The course has been designed to support you in your career whether your goal is to work at a senior level at a private, public or not-for-profit making organisation.
You will study a range of different modules including financial decision making, business strategy and financial management. The course aims to develop both your knowledge of specific financial modelling, while giving you the opportunity to develop other skills useful when operating in the modern business environment. This includes transferable skills such as: innovation, communication, critical evaluation and many others.
What do I learn first?
During your first module you will study many of the most important principles and practices relating to contemporary management and organisational behaviour. You will learn through a combination of lectures and small group projects, gaining an overview of the main theoretical approaches when it comes to contemporary managerial thinking. This new knowledge will then be applied to practical learning in the form of case studies.
You will then move onto delve into the world of financial accounting. You will learn how to generate a fully consolidated financial statement and the process of developing external reporting. One of the main module aims is to teach you the best practices when recording financial transactions using double entry bookkeeping. This is especially relevant in the preparation of full consolidated statements for different types of entity.
Can I tailor my studies?
Yes, you can! One of the great benefits of this course is the option to tailor the modules you study dependent on your interests and future career aspirations. Dependent on the optional modules you choose to study you might look into:
- theories of leadership and how they apply in practice
- the key concepts underlining marketing
- how to develop a strategy for human resource management and its distinction from personnel approaches
- Human resource management in context
- Marketing strategy and management
Your studies will culminate with the completion of a research report focusing on an area of business, finance or management, with the topic you choose entirely up to you. You will gather primary evidence and then make commercial recommendations based on your analysis of the data gathered.
How can this help me realise my future career aspirations?
Organisations actively seek out candidates who possess advanced skills in financial management, tracking their progress and targeting them for senior roles. A great way of demonstrating that you have these abilities is by studying a postgraduate qualification.
This course is perfect if you are seeking employment in a high-level financial role, whether in the public, private or not for profit sector. Additionally, the skills you develop are equally useful, opening the door to roles within business management, banking, insurance, accountancy, marketing, sales, retail and human resources. Each of these professions would benefit from the range of business specific transferable skills you develop during your studies.
What if I want to study something shorter?
Then you’re in luck! You have the option to study a PG Diploma Business with Finance, which has an indicative length of 16 months. This can be added to your CV as an impressive standalone qualification or it could be a pathway towards a full degree should you wish to continue your studies in the future.
We also offer a PG Certificate in Business Management, which has an indicate length of 8 months. Through your studies you will gain essential business skills and knowledge, while keeping your future study options open. Once you have completed this course you have the option to progress onto a full degree focusing on financial management. You also have the option study any of our other specialised business degrees including marketing, management or human resources.
What are the benefits of online learning over campus based?
All content for our MSc Business with Finance programme is delivered 100% online and part-time. As a result, you have the flexibility to study where and when is best for you. You have the opportunity to work and learn at the same time, gaining a new qualification without the need for a career break something not possible through campus-based learning.
All course content, study materials, and assessment submissions are available and completed through our sophisticated online portal. This removes the need to visit the University library or purchase additional textbooks as these are all available through our extensive eLibrary.
Every one of your interactive lecturecasts are available through this same portal, which also hosts live Q&A seminar sessions and immersive discussion forums. This gives you the option to fit studying around your other work and personal commitments. All you need to complete your studies is a good internet connection.
Why choose to study at the University of Essex Online?
Your educational future is in safe hands when you study at the University of Essex Online. All degrees are awarded and validated by the University of Essex, ranked in the top 40 UK universities (Complete University Guide 2024). We are also a genuinely global institution with students joining us from more than 140 different countries. Your classmates will come from a range of backgrounds, experiences and approaches giving you the opportunity to share best practices and learn not, just from your tutors, but from fellow professionals across the business world.
Ready to be a Master of Business and Finance? You can click right here to apply or you can download a prospectus to find out more details.