MSc International Banking and Finance

Our MSc International Banking and Finances gives you the opportunity to develop specialist expertise to help you transition into professional and managerial careers in banking and finance, in the public and private sectors.  

This master's programme has been developed by the ex-deputy Managing Director of Royal Bank of Scotland in response to industry demands, making you highly sought-after upon graduation, and giving you access to opportunities in employment, further education, and research. Your knowledge and skills will provide you with an international perspective on banking and finance, allowing you to continue your work or studies anywhere in the world.   

During the master’s programme, you’ll develop a systematic understanding and knowledge of international banking and finance and gain a critical awareness of current issues within the academic discipline and professional practice. You’ll understand and evaluate a comprehensive range of research techniques used in the area of finance and banking and how these are put into practice, in order to create and interpret knowledge. You’ll cover the core concepts in international banking and finance, including the operations of the forex market, the international money market and the international credit market. You’ll explore the way loan requests are analysed in banking, considering the risk/return trade-offs and the use of collateral and legal guarantees, and analyse the securitisation of loans through bank balance sheet management. You’ll examine the international financial markets and institutions, the way they operate, and their impact on the global banking system. Throughout the programme, you’ll develop critical thinking and analyses, as you evaluate relevant academic research, professional research pronouncements and financial media articles.   

Your learning will equip you with highly employable expertise across crucial areas of international banking and finance. You’ll have the opportunity to choose three optional courses – from corporate finance, corporate governance and sustainability, capital markets, empirical financial modelling, and coding for social science application in Python – to customise your learning and develop your specific subject interests. Your international banking and finance dissertation will allow you to build upon this interest, by carrying out an original research project at the forefront of knowledge.  

The programme covers the core theories and concepts in international banking and finance, to provide you with the knowledge base and the analytical and research skills necessary for doctoral study or employment in a range of roles, including bankers, stockbrokers, tax consultants and financial advisors in the banking and financial divisions of national and international corporations. You’ll develop key transferable skills, including teamwork, communication, organisational and presentation skills to prepare you for lifelong learning and personal development in the banking and financial service sector. Group work and tutorial discussions will provide you insight into the working practices and perspectives of different cultures, and prepare you for a global career, working with colleagues from all over the world.  

As Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University is situated on the edge of Edinburgh, you’ll have excellent links to the financial sector of Scotland’s capital city, and the UK’s second-biggest financial and economic hub. Edinburgh is a major centre for fund management and is home to two of the world’s largest banks. You’ll also benefit from our close ties to the London Stock Exchange and Bloomberg, which can provide you with excellent industry-focused learning opportunities.