Course summary

Delivered by the triple-accredited Aston Business School, the MSc Investment Analysis and Risk programme offers a comprehensive journey into finance and investment. Focused on practical application in trading and corporate settings, it integrates hands-on experience with Python programming and Bloomberg terminals. This course covers crucial areas such as security valuation, portfolio management and global market dynamics. The curriculum balances practical skills with theoretical insights into investment valuation, trading techniques and corporate finance. Improving our students’ learning experience and wellbeing is at the centre of everything we do, and that is why we are implementing an innovative learning approach known as block teaching. This will enhance our students’ educational journey and emotional wellbeing. The benefits of block teaching are numerous: it supports a balanced study-life experience, reduces the stress of multitasking across various subjects, and fosters a better understanding of each topic by concentrating on it fully. Students are more engaged, motivated, and resilient, which can lead to better learning outcomes and a healthier environment. How you will learn Our MSc Investment Analysis and Risk programme has been carefully designed to align with the demanding standards and dynamic nature of the global financial industry. This programme is tailored to equip you with an extensive understanding of finance and investment, combined with practical skills and analytical prowess, setting you up for a successful and rewarding career in the financial sector. This programme has a strong practical element. You’ll gain hands-on experience working with real-time financial, accounting and economic data, thanks to our dedicated trading room facility and industry leading software. This exposure will give you the confidence and technical capability to gain a competitive edge in the job market. In the Aston Global Advantage module, you will gain a competitive edge by honing your professional skills and preparing for success in a fast-paced global environment. You will tackle real-world challenges, dive into entrepreneurship and work on team-based business simulations. At the start of your course, you will be allocated a personal tutor who can offer individual study advice and guidance. You will also benefit from access to the University Library's extensive collection of over 25,000 books and electronic journals. Our postgraduate programmes use a block learning structure. Block teaching condenses traditional semester-long courses into focused, consecutive blocks of learning. The ethos is to give students more time to engage with their learning by studying one subject at a time, instead of several at once. What you will learn Our MSc Investment Analysis and Risk programme explores the complexities of financial markets, investment valuation and risk management, emphasising practical financial analysis skills. In the taught stage, you will develop a deep understanding of global financial market structures, investment decision-making models and risk mitigation techniques. You will gain proficiency in quantitative methods and learn to apply valuation techniques used in investment analysis, preparing you for strategic financial decision-making. This stage sets a solid foundation for your advanced research project and a successful career in finance. In the dissertation phase, you will complete a research project on a investment analysis and risk topic of your choice, showcasing your ability to conduct independent research with a clear consideration of ethics, theory and methods.