How to apply

Overview

The details

Course: Finance

Start date: October 2026

Study mode: Full-time

Duration: 1 year

Location: Colchester Campus

Based in: Essex Business School

What is the MRes Finance degree?

The MRes Finance is a postgraduate taught programme that can be studied for one year full-time or two years part-time.

Finance explores how money, investments and financial decisions are managed, including areas such as financial markets, risk, portfolio analysis and financial modelling. On this course, you'll examine these areas through a research-focused approach while developing qualitative and quantitative research skills.

MRes stands for 'Masters by Research', but this is a taught programme rather than a research degree. It can prepare you to progress to PhD study or apply advanced research skills in employment.

Why this course

Develop the research and analytical skills needed to explore contemporary issues across banking and finance.

You'll deepen your understanding of finance and consider its changing role within a wider social context, while exploring different approaches to financial research.

Develop the skills to design and manage your own research, from constructing research questions and hypotheses to collecting, analysing and interpreting data.

Who should apply

Those looking to develop advanced research skills within finance
Those considering progressing to PhD study
Those interested in qualitative and quantitative approaches to financial research
Those interested in financial modelling, econometrics and financial analysis
Those looking to develop research skills that can be applied in employment

What you'll learn

Finance research: Explore different approaches to research within banking and finance
Research methods: Develop your understanding of qualitative and quantitative research approaches
Research design: Learn how to develop research questions, hypotheses and research proposals
Data analysis: Develop skills in collecting, analysing and interpreting financial data
Financial modelling: Explore approaches to modelling and analysing financial information
Financial research techniques: Develop your understanding of techniques and tools used in finance research

Your learning experience

Independent research: Develop and manage an extended finance research project
Qualitative and quantitative research: Explore different methods used to investigate issues in banking and finance
Financial analysis: Develop your ability to work with financial data and analytical techniques
Critical thinking: Explore financial theories and research within a wider social science context

Information for international students

Please be aware that MRes courses are taught programmes rather than research degrees. This means studying this MRes does not meet the Student visa requirements relating to dependant applications.

Students studying an MRes at Essex will not normally be eligible to make a dependant application for their family unless they are also in receipt of a scholarship or financial sponsorship from a government.

Find out more about Student visas and bringing family members.

Careers and outcomes

The MRes Finance develops research and financial skills that can support progression to PhD study or careers in areas including:

Financial analysis
Management
Public administration
Accountancy
Research

Employers of Finance graduates

Graduates have progressed to organisations including:

KPMG Group
Groupon
Right Freight Pvt Ltd
Copal Partners
Capital Markets Intelligence
Credit Data Research

Career support

Our Student Support team works closely with the University's Employability and Careers service to provide careers information, advice and CV support.

They can help you find work experience, internships, placements and voluntary opportunities, as well as providing access to employer talks on campus.

We also work closely with the Essex Startups team to support students looking to develop their own business ideas.

Why we're great.

This MRes is the ideal first step if you hope to progress to a PhD.
Join both thriving research centres that support the world-leading finance research conducted at Essex Business School.
Our Financial Market Labs give you access to market-leading Bloomberg business data where you will be able to test your financial models against real-time business data.

Course content

Course structure

We offer a flexible course structure with a mixture of core/compulsory modules, and optional modules chosen from lists. Please be aware that we are planning changes to our first year to make it more relevant to your chosen course.

Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field. The following modules are based on the current course structure and may change in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We'll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption such as COVID-19, we'll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.

Components and modules explained

Components

Components are the blocks of study that make up your course. A component may have a set module which you must study, or a number of modules from which you can choose.

Each component has a status and carries a certain number of credits towards your qualification.

Status	What this means
Core	You must take the set module for this component and you must pass. No failure can be permitted.
Core with Options	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component but you must pass. No failure can be permitted.
Compulsory	You must take the set module for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.
Compulsory with Options	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.
Optional	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.

The modules that are available for you to choose for each component will depend on several factors, including which modules you have chosen for other components, which modules you have completed in previous years of your course, and which term the module is taught in.

Modules

Modules are the individual units of study for your course. Each module has its own set of learning outcomes and assessment criteria and also carries a certain number of credits.

In most cases you will study one module per component, but in some cases you may need to study more than one module. For example, a 30-credit component may comprise of either one 30-credit module, or two 15-credit modules, depending on the options available.

Modules may be taught at different times of the year and by a different department or school to the one your course is primarily based in. You can find this information from the module code. For example, the module code HR100-4-FY means:

100

The department or school the module will be taught by.

In this example, the module would be taught by the Department of History.

The module number.

The UK academic level of the module.

A standard undergraduate course will comprise of level 4, 5 and 6 modules - increasing as you progress through the course.

A standard postgraduate taught course will comprise of level 7 modules.

A postgraduate research degree is a level 8 qualification.

The term the module will be taught in.

AU: Autumn term
SP: Spring term
SU: Summer term
FY: Full year
AP: Autumn and Spring terms
PS: Spring and Summer terms
AS: Autumn and Summer terms

COMPONENT 01: CORE

Dissertation in Finance

(60 CREDITS)

Your dissertation is the culmination of your Masters programme, where you apply the knowledge gained on your course to produce an extended independent piece of work. You generate an original idea, analyse literature and current knowledge and produce a coherent argument that shows your ability to relate theory to practice. Your dissertation will help you develop vital skills for the workplace, as well as the ability to analyse real problems through an academic lens. You are assigned a supervisor for the duration of your project.

View Dissertation in Finance on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 02: COMPULSORY

Asset Pricing

(20 CREDITS)

Gain a formal introduction to asset pricing theories and empirical findings. You review the fundamental theories of the expected utility, asset pricing kernels, and risk-neutral valuation, covering the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM), and linear factor models arising from the Arbitrage Pricing Theory (APT). You also discuss empirical asset pricing studies.

View Asset Pricing on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 03: COMPULSORY

Portfolio Management

(20 CREDITS)

Understand the process of portfolio management. You cover the main concepts such as efficient diversification, managing risk exposures, and the valuation of financial assets that are at the core of managing investment portfolios, and pay special attention to the practicalities of the implementation of these concepts.

View Portfolio Management on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 04: CORE WITH OPTIONS

(20 CREDITS)

COMPONENT 05: COMPULSORY

Financial Time Series: Methods and Applications

(20 CREDITS)

This course will provide you with a thorough grounding in both the theory and practice of time series econometrics with applications to topics relevant to finance. This knowledge, along with training in industry standard computing software, will be highly beneficial to students undertaking further study or wishing to work in the financial sector.

View Financial Time Series: Methods and Applications on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 06: COMPULSORY

Risk Management

(20 CREDITS)

The recent financial crisis and credit crunch have demonstrated that risk management was too narrowly defined. In this course you examine the Value at Risk (VAR) measure of financial risk developed in the 1990s, before discussing the new post-crisis Regulatory environment.

View Risk Management on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 07: COMPULSORY

Data Analysis: Cross Sectional, Panel and Qualitative Data Methods

(20 CREDITS)

This module provides you with an understanding of non-time-series data analytic approaches in finance. It covers methods for cross-sectional, panel and qualitative analysis and their applications whereby all topics are illustrated with relevant examples. Cross-sectional data are organised over individual groups (eg households, firms or countries) and have no time dimension. They may include discontinuous data (eg binary), qualitative or categorical data and are essentially non-numerical. Examples include: survey responses, textual analysis of social media or interviews. Panel data or longitudinal data are multi-dimensional data streams involving measurements over time. As such, panel data consists of researcher's observations of numerous phenomena that were collected over several time periods for the same group of units or entities. For example, a panel data set may be one that follows a given sample of individuals over time and records observations or information on each individual in the sample. The nature and advantages of panel data has led to numerous applications in finance and economics research.

View Data Analysis: Cross Sectional, Panel and Qualitative Data Methods on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 08: COMPULSORY

Postgraduate Mathematics Preparation

(0 CREDITS)

This module covers topics in mathematics that are required in Masters-level finance courses at the University of Essex. You focus on the basics of linear algebra, differential calculus including optimisation and dynamics.

View Postgraduate Mathematics Preparation on our Module Directory

Teaching

Teaching includes a combination of lectures, seminars and computer-based lab sessions
There will be an emphasis on learner independence, peer- and self-assessment

Assessment

Your assessed coursework will generally consist of essays, in-class tests and individual oral presentations
You may be required to sit exams during the third term of your academic year

Dissertation

You will undertake an individually supervised research project that involves the in-depth study of a specific finance problem or issue

Entry requirements

UK entry requirements

A 2:2 degree, or international equivalent, in one of the following subjects (with no module requirements):

Business
Economics
Finance

International & EU entry requirements

We accept a wide range of qualifications from applicants studying in the EU and other countries. Get in touch with any questions you may have about the qualifications we accept. Remember to tell us about the qualifications you have already completed or are currently taking.

Sorry, the entry requirements for the country that you have selected are not available here. Please contact our Graduate Admissions team at pgquery@essex.ac.uk to request the entry requirements for this country.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, we require IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum component score of 5.5

Fees and funding

Home/UK fee

£15,750

International fee

£24,675

Scholarships and financial support

There may be scholarships, bursaries or discounts available to help with the cost of this course.

Fees and funding guide

Masters fees and funding information

Research (e.g. PhD) fees and funding information

What's next

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We hold Open Days for all our applicants throughout the year. Our Colchester Campus events are a great way to find out more about studying at Essex, and give you the chance to:

tour our campus and accommodation
find out answers to your questions about our courses, student finance, graduate employability, student support and more
meet our students and staff

If the dates of our organised events aren’t suitable for you, feel free to get in touch by emailing tours@essex.ac.uk and we’ll arrange an individual campus tour for you.

2026 Open Days (Colchester Campus)

Saturday 17 October 2026 - October Open Day

Saturday 7 November 2026 - November Open Day

Find out more

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You can apply for this postgraduate course online. Before you apply, please check our information about necessary documents that we'll ask you to provide as part of your application.

We aim to respond to applications within two weeks. If we are able to offer you a place, you will be contacted via email.

For information on our deadline to apply for this course, please see our ‘how to apply' information.

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Set within 200 acres of award-winning parkland - Wivenhoe Park and located two miles from the historic city centre of Colchester – England's oldest recorded development. Our Colchester Campus is also easily reached from London and Stansted Airport in under one hour.

Find out more

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If you live too far away to come to Essex (or have a busy lifestyle), no problem. Our 360-degree virtual tour allows you to explore our University from the comfort of your home. Check out our Colchester virtual tour to see accommodation options, facilities and social spaces.

At Essex we pride ourselves on being a welcoming and inclusive student community. We offer a wide range of support to individuals and groups of student members who may have specific requirements, interests or responsibilities.

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