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Subject
Finance and banking
Home to one of the largest groups of finance academics in the UK, you'll learn to forecast share prices, manage investment portfolios, financial technology, and big data.
Your undergraduate degree
You'll not only become a skilled practitioner but also a responsible, ethical and sustainable one too. We’ll help you to understand the impact that the financial sector has on the world and its people, and how finance professionals can be a force for positive change.
You'll gain access to:
- One of the largest finance groups in the UK: The Essex Finance Group conduct international research focused on banking, behavioural and corporate finance and financial econometrics. When studying with us, you'll study alongside experts working with the Bank of England, the European Central Bank and the Federal Reserve ensuring your teaching is grounded in the finance and business sector.
- Exceptional facilities: Gain a competitive edge with access to our Virtual Trading Floor, powered by Bloomberg Financial Market Labs, providing a real-world experience in financial markets.
- Industry-aligned courses: Our curriculum is crafted to align with the Investment Management Certificate (IMC) syllabus, the industry's benchmark entry-level qualification.
- Professional Accreditation: Many of our courses have professional accreditation (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)), providing you with exam exemptions for a quicker path to a professional qualification.
- A truly international business school - Essex Business School is home to students and staff from over 150 countries.
We're also in the top 200 for Accounting and Finance in QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025.
Course
Gain insight into financial data modelling on our virtual trading floor and learn portfolio analysis and financial decision making on this undergraduate degree.
Course
BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance
Experience financial markets on our virtual trading floor and learn portfolio management, ethical accounting and budget-setting with this accredited degree.
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BSc (Hons) Banking and Finance
Meet the needs of a demanding career in banking and finance and work on real-world Bloomberg data in our virtual trading floor with this undergraduate degree.
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BSc (Hons) Finance and Management
Learn how businesses make financial decisions and develop your management and leadership skills alongside your knowledge of financial modelling on this degree.
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BSc (Hons) International Business and Finance
Learn how businesses, people and financial information interconnect across borders with this Bachelors degree from the University of Essex.
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BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance (Including Foundation Year)
Experience financial markets on our virtual trading floor and learn ethical accounting and budget-setting with this accredited degree with a foundation year
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Integrated Master in Accounting: Accounting and Finance
Explore how accounting and financial analysis informs business decision-making with this four-year integrated Bachelors and Masters degree.
Clearing 2026
Get ahead of results day. Explore your Clearing options now and be ready to secure your place with us when the time comes.
Career prospects
A degree in finance and banking from Essex Business School will equip you with industry standard skills and the practical application of knowledge and tools required to succeed in any area of the finance and banking sector. Find out more about where a degree in finance and banking can take you and how our business school can support you.
Postgraduate Masters study
Explore the range of finance Master's degrees at Essex Business School, home to the one of the largest Finance Groups in the UK and also home to the Essex Finance Centre and the Essex Centre for Macro and Financial Econometrics. Led by a a team of experts conducting global research, our degrees cover a broad curriculum, including share price forecasting, investment portfolio management, financial technology, and big data, and are tailored to prepare you for a diverse range of finance specialisations. Our degrees will open doors for your future careers in investment banking, fund management, quantitative analysis, and sustainable finance. With facilities like a virtual trading floor, Essex Business School is dedicated to providing first-class transformational education aligned with the dynamic financial services sector.
Essex offers flagship programs like MSc Finance and MRes Finance, with the latter designed for those aiming for research careers in finance. Specialised Master's degrees, such as MSc Finance and Data Analytics, MSc Financial Technology, MSc Finance and Global Trading, MSc Financial Engineering and Risk Management, MSc Banking and Finance, and MSc Finance and Investment, cater to specific interests, from data analytics to global trading.
Why study here?
- Up to six scholarships per year are awarded to support students wishing to qualify as a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).
- We offer courses for you if you've studied only a small amount of finance before, as well as specialist programmes if you want to extend your knowledge.
- Our academics and practitioners regularly present at the Bank of England, the European Central Bank and the Federal Reserve.
Course
Explore live Bloomberg data and develop a robust base in financial theory and practice from one of the UK's largest finance groups with this Masters degree.
Course
Our MRes Finance is designed as an ideal first step for future finance PhD candidates and will help you build your understanding of research in finance.
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MSc Financial Technology (Finance)
Explore new and innovative technologies that are being used and developed to advance the financial services sector in this Masters degree.
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Discover how recent developments in theoretical approaches to accounting and corporate finance affect accounting practice with this ACCA accredited Masters
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Explore how big data streams influence financial and statistical modelling and prepare for a career in finance and investments with this Masters degree.
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This course aims to provide students with a critical understanding of ESG, sustainable finance, and corporate accountability
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MSc Accounting and Financial Management
Take your first steps towards a career in accounting, even if you have never studied it before, with this ACCA accredited Masters degree
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MSc Corporate and Investment Banking
Explore bank efficiency, bank failures and crises, regulatory frameworks and risk from one of the UK's largest finance groups in this Masters degree.
Course
Develop an in-depth understanding of core management and finance principles to prepare you for the challenges of working in complex economic conditions on this
Course
MSc Investment and Wealth Management
Explore how capital structuring, behavioural finance, financial planning strategies and fixed income markets impact investment decisions on this Masters degree
Research degrees
We believe in advancing financial research that makes a difference to industry. Work by our researchers is discussed at the most influential financial institutions in the world, such as the Bank of England and the Federal Reserve, but most importantly it is relevant to real people's lives.
By joining our research community, you’ll be at the forefront of thinking in areas such as the financing of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), commodity prices and their relation to food poverty, bank risk and regulation, acquisitions and financial econometrics.
We are very proud that Essex is ranked in the top 175 for Business and Economics in THE World University Rankings by Subject 2025 and ranked in the top 200 globally for accounting and finance in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025.
We’re pleased to be able to offer a number of integrated PhDs, for students who have a strong research proposal but who do not have previous research or Masters-level study experience.
Our Research Group
- Finance Group
Our vision is to be at the forefront of the next age of finance and to focus on research that can harness the potential of technological innovation and digital disruption to transform financial services and support sustainable growth.
Our Research Centres
- Essex Centre for Macro and Financial Econometrics (ECMFE)
The Essex Centre for Macro and Financial Econometrics (ECMFE) brings together academic and industry expertise from both inside and outside the University of Essex to research and help solve important issues in macroeconomics and financial markets.
- Essex Finance Centre (EFiC)
The Essex Finance Centre (EFiC) provides a world-class and stimulating environment for research activity in banking, finance and financial econometrics. Our culture is one of integrity, inclusion and respect, with a particular emphasis on encouraging collaboration and synergy between our internal and associate members.
Why study here?
- You’re part of a vibrant research community, challenging the conventional perspective of the finance sector and its impact.
- Limited research training or don't have a Masters? You can still gain a PhD with our integrated PhD route.
- We’re home to two thriving research centres, Essex Centre for Macro and Financial Econometrics and Essex Finance Centre, offering plenty of opportunity for research collaboration and supervision.
Start your application with us
Explore our finance research by theme or your area of interest and find a supervisor that can support your through your studies. More information can be found about research degrees on our school pages. Our courses below will help guide you through the various research degree programmes we offer.
Research degree
Expand the field of knowledge in finance with support from leading experts and practitioners on this PhD programme.
Research degree
Undertake advanced empirical research and extend knowledge in the fields of accounting and finance on this PhD programme.
Research degree
Expand the field of knowledge in finance with support from leading experts and practitioners on this integrated Masters and PhD programme.
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