| UCAS code | 1234 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 2 years full time |
| Entry year | 2025 |
| Campus | Streatham Campus |
| Discipline | Finance |
| Contact | Web: Enquire online |
| Typical offer | A first-class honours degree in finance or closely related subject. |
|---|---|
Overview
- The MRes in Finance (PhD pathway) is a two-year programme which allows you to specialise in finance and economics at the post-graduate level in preparation for progression to a PhD in Finance.
- Gain PhD-level training in a range of topics such as econometrics, finance theory and research methods used in finance and economics to prepare you for further study or employment
- You will receive instruction and guidance from our internationally respected academic staff who conduct and publish world-leading research
- Opportunity to finish at the end of year one and two with a level seven Post Graduate Diploma in Economic Studies and Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Economics.
- Fully funded scholarships are available for students who intend to progress onto a PhD in Finance at the University of Exeter
UK Business School of the Year
Times Higher Education Awards 2022
Top 100 Financial Times ranked European Business School
Triple accredited Business School
AMBA, AACSB, EQUIS
More than 91% of our research outputs in Economics and Econometrics are internationally excellent
Research Excellence Framework 2021
UK Business School of the Year
Times Higher Education Awards 2022
Top 100 Financial Times ranked European Business School
Triple accredited Business School
AMBA, AACSB, EQUIS
More than 91% of our research outputs in Economics and Econometrics are internationally excellent
Research Excellence Framework 2021
Entry requirements
A first-class honours degree in finance or closely related subject, or a Merit in a MA/MSc in finance or closely related subject, with evidence of excellent mathematical ability.
Students who apply for University of Exeter Business School funding are required to submit GRE/GMAT scores.
We do consider all applications where there is evidence of exceptional performance in modules relevant to the programme of study.
Pre-Masters programme for international students
The Graduate Diploma in Finance run by the INTO University of Exeter Centre is a pre-Masters programme designed to enhance your subject knowledge, study skills and English ability. Successful completion of the Diploma (subject to achieving the specific grades of entry) gives students from overseas the skills needed for acceptance onto this Masters programme.
Entry requirements for international students
Please visit our entry requirements section for equivalencies from your country and further information on English language requirements.
Entry requirements for international students
English language requirements
International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile B2. Please visit our English language requirements page to view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country.
Course content
The MRes in Finance (PhD pathway) is a two-year programme which allows you to specialise in finance and economics at the post-graduate level in preparation for progression to the PhD in Finance.
In the first year, you will receive advanced PhD-level training covering both theoretical and empirical aspects of economics and econometrics with built in provision for training in econometrics software and research databases. During the second year, you will build on this foundation and choose specialisation subjects which will expose you to frontier research in finance and related disciplines (e.g. economics, business and management, or accounting) to develop your MRes dissertation.
The programme is highly analytical, the teaching will be research driven, and you will start developing research independence through the preparation of the MRes dissertation.
Stage 1 (Term 1): 60 credits of compulsory modules, 0 credits of optional modules
BEEM136 Research Methods I
BEEM137 Microeconomic Theory I
BEEM138 Macroeconomic Theory I
BEEM139 Econometric Theory I
Stage 1 (Term 2): 60 credits of compulsory modules, 0 credits of optional modules
BEEM143 Research Methods II
BEEM140 Microeconomic Theory II
BEEM141 Macroeconomic Theory II
BEEM142 Econometric Theory II
Compulsory modules
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BEEM136 | Research Methods I | 15 |
| BEEM137 | Microeconomic Theory I | 15 |
| BEEM138 | Macroeconomic Theory I | 15 |
| BEEM139 | Econometric Theory I | 15 |
| BEEM143 | Research Methods II | 15 |
| BEEM140 | Microeconomic Theory II | 15 |
| BEEM141 | Macroeconomic Theory II | 15 |
| BEEM142 | Econometric Theory II | 15 |
Stage 2 (Terms 1 and 2): 0 credits of compulsory modules, 60 credits of optional modules
BEA3028 Sustainable and Responsible Finance
BEAM024 Advanced Financial Accounting
BEAM029 Topics in Financial Economics
BEAM042 International Financial Management
BEAM052 Corporate Governance and Finance
BEAM053 Mergers, Management Buyouts and Other Corporate Reorganisations
BEAM065 Bank Management
BEAM078 Applied Empirical Accounting and Finance
BEAM079 Coding Analytics for Accounting and Finance
BEEM061 Fundamentals of Financial Technology
BEEM103 Optimisation Techniques for Economists
BEEM117 Economics of Corporate Finance
BEEM144 Topics in Microeconomic Theory I
BEEM145 Topics in Macroeconomic Theory I
BEEM146 Topics in Empirical Economics I
BEEM147 Topics in Microeconomic Theory I
BEEM148 Topics in Macroeconomic Theory II
BEEM149 Topics in Empirical Economics II
BEFM015 Portfolio Management and Asset Allocation
BEFM016 Equity Valuation Models and Issues
BEFM017 Credit Instruments and Derivatives
BEMM065 Quantitative Research Methods
BEMM067 Business and Management Research Design
BEMM158 Business and Management Research Skills
BEMM216 Advanced Research Methods and Analysis
Stage 2 (Term 3): 60 credits of compulsory modules, 0 credits of optional modules
BEFM029 Finance MRes Dissertation
Compulsory modules
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BEFM029 | Finance MRes Dissertation | 60 |
Optional modules
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BEA3028 | Sustainable and Responsible Finance | 15 |
| BEAM024 | Advanced Financial Accounting | 15 |
| BEAM029 | Topics in Financial Economics | 15 |
| BEAM042 | International Financial Management | 15 |
| BEAM052 | Corporate Governance and Finance | 15 |
| BEAM053 | Mergers, Management Buyouts and Other Corporate Reorganisations | 15 |
| BEAM065 | Bank Management | 15 |
| BEAM078 | Applied Empirical Accounting and Finance | 15 |
| BEAM079 | Coding Analytics for Accounting and Finance | 30 |
| BEEM061 | Fundamentals of Financial Technology | 15 |
| BEEM103 | Optimisation Techniques for Economists | 15 |
| BEEM117 | Economics of Corporate Finance | 15 |
| BEEM144 | Topics in Microeconomic Theory I | 15 |
| BEEM145 | Topics in Macroeconomic Theory I | 15 |
| BEEM146 | Topics in Empirical Economics I | 15 |
| BEEM147 | Topics in Microeconomic Theory II | 15 |
| BEEM148 | Topics in Macroeconomic Theory II | 15 |
| BEEM149 | Topics in Empirical Economics II | 15 |
| BEFM015 | Portfolio Management and Asset Allocation | 15 |
| BEFM016 | Equity Valuation Models and Issues | 15 |
| BEFM017 | Credit Instruments and Derivatives | 15 |
| BEMM065 | Quantitative Research Methods | 15 |
| BEMM067 | Business and Management Research Design | 15 |
| BEMM158 | Business and Management Research Skills | 15 |
| BEMM216 | Advanced Research Methods and Analysis | 15 |
Fees
2025/26 entry
UK fees per year:
£6,900 full-time
International fees per year:
£15,900 full-time
Scholarships
We invest heavily in scholarships for talented prospective Masters students. This includes over £5 million in scholarships for international students, such as our Global Excellence Scholarships*.
For more information on scholarships, please visit our scholarships and bursaries page.
*Selected programmes only. Please see the Terms and Conditions for each scheme for further details.
Teaching and research
Assessment
Assessments will be conducted via a combination of individual written coursework, group presentations, peer assessment of group work, written examinations, and MRes dissertation.
Supervision
Students will be assigned an academic tutor and a pastoral tutor from the first day of their MRes. During the MRes period you will have the opportunity to meet and discuss your research interests with a range of faculty members to help ensure you have the right fit in you continue to do a PhD. This is designed to expose you to various faculty members within the academic group on a rotation basis and also to provide a more integrated experience where you will have the chance to develop their ideas with junior faculty.
Dissertation module
In this module, you will write an academic dissertation under the supervision of one member of the faculty. The academic dissertation will allow you to demonstrate your ability at identifying and analysing a finance problem using economic models and/or econometric/statistical methods. You will come up with a topic of your own choice, which can be theoretical or empirical in nature, manage self-driven enquiry and write up a piece of research.
By solving statistical/mathematical problems and exercises during your dissertation project, you will be equipped with practical problem-solving skills, theorising skills, and an understanding of mathematical relationships. All of these are highly valuable in both academic and non-academic jobs.
Progression to PhD
Although the MRes can be studied as a two-year standalone programme, it is a pathway to PhD for the majority of students.
Progression on to the PhD is subject to meeting the eligibility criteria for the PhD. This includes (1) successful completion of the MRes (achieving at least an average of 60% across all modules and at least 65% in the Dissertation) and (2) the identification of a member of academic staff in the University of Exeter Business School who has agreed to supervise your PhD.
After the programme
The MRes programme will provide you with the knowledge and skills required to carry out PhD level research and subject to meeting the entry criteria (see above) you will be able to progress onto our PhD Finance programme.
The Business School is home to the following research centres
- Centre for Entrepreneurship
- Centre for Innovation in Business Education
- Centre for Simulation, Analytics and Modelling (CSAM)
- Exeter Centre for Social Networks (ECSN)
- Exeter Centre for Leadership (ExCL)
- Exeter Sustainable Finance Centre (ESF)
- Initiative in the Digital Economy at Exeter (INDEX)
- Land, Environment, Economics and Policy Institute (LEEP)
- Research Methods Centre
- Tax Administration Research Centre (TARC)
- The Exeter Centre for Circular Economy (ECCE)
Careers
The analytical and quantitative skills learnt will be highly transferrable, and upon completion you will be well equipped to pursue careers in academia, business, government and international organisations. Many of our recent research students have gone on to be successful academic jobs and have published their doctoral work in well-established journals.
Developing your skills and career prospects
The University of Exeter Business School provides a range of support to help you develop skills attractive to employers. Visit our postgraduate Business School careers service web page for more information.
