Admissions

Start date:
Duration:
12 months
Next application deadline:
Fee:
£47,500
Location:
London, UK

Applying for MSc Finance & Accounting  

Are you ready to begin your MSc Finance & Accounting programme at a Business School where business and technology collide? We take a holistic approach to admissions, considering not only your academic and professional achievements, but also who you are, what motivates you and how you collaborate with those around you. 

Applications for 2025 entry are open.

Apply now

 

MSc Finance & Accounting Student blog

What we look for in an MSc Finance & Accounting candidate 

The MSc Finance & Accounting is an intensive programme, designed for those with a quantitative background and a genuine passion for the financial sector. This programme attracts diverse and talented individuals aspiring to pursue a career in finance management accounting, equity research analysis, sales in investment banking, or in the treasury department of a large corporation, including the Big Four. We’re looking for confident candidates who have a versatile skillset ready to work in a collaborative environment. You should also have a clear career plan and be ready to build your network with leading global organisations.

Further detailed entry requirements below.

Entry requirements

You should have a First or Upper Second Class Honours undergraduate degree from a recognised university or the international equivalent in a quantitative discipline such as: 

  • Accounting  
  • Business  
  • Economics 
  • Engineering 
  • Finance  
  • Mathematics 
  • Science 

There are no specific ‘A’ Level criteria, but many banks and companies in the financial sector have very strict grade requirements for their graduate programmes. We strongly recommend that you research the entry requirements of any companies you are interested in working for. 

MSc Finance & Accounting is a quantitative programme and therefore all students commencing the programme are expected to be proficient in probability, calculus, matrix algebra and real analysis.

You should use the Quantitative Experience Statement on the application form to list the most advanced quantitative courses that you have taken in your academic career to date and to provide brief examples of the relevant topics covered by the programme.

All home, EU, and overseas applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency. Students who were not awarded their degree in a qualifying English-speaking country must demonstrate their proficiency by completing an approved English language qualification at the required level. Minimum test requirements for the most popular tests are: 

  • IELTS (academic): A minimum score of 7.0 with minimum scores of 6.5 in all elements 

  • TOEFL iBT: A minimum score of 100 overall with minimum scores of 22 in all elements 

  • Duolingo English Test: 125 Overall with no less than 115 in any band score 

More detailed information can be found on our English language requirements page.

GMAT is not required for MSc Finance & Accounting but a well balanced GMAT Exam result will add weight to your application. For the GMAT Exam you will need a minimum overall percentile ranking of 55%. If you have taken the GMAT Exam (10th Edition), you will need a score of at least 600 (our current average is 666). Scores are valid for five years from your appointment date.

If you are taking the GRE, a score of 159 in the quantitative section can also add weight to your application. GMAT or GRE is highly recommended for candidates with less quantitative degree backgrounds. 

How to apply

Start your application online  

  • Go to the application portal
  • Create an account and input your personal details
  • Pay the £100 application processing fee 

Complete the application questions

As part of your application, you will need to complete:

  • Career planning questions
  • Quantitative experience statement
  • Programming/computer software experience

You will also have the option to indicate which other areas of finance are of most interest to you. If we do not make you an offer for your selected programme, we will automatically consider you for alternative programmes within the Finance Suite.

Submit your supporting documents  

Complete your application  

Once you have submitted your supporting documents you can complete your application. Please note: referees may respond after submission. 

Interview  

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview. This is the best opportunity for you to demonstrate your passion and drive, and why you want to study a Master’s at Imperial.

Normally this will be through our video interview platform, which you can access online to record and submit your answers; occasionally you may be invited to interview via Skype or telephone instead.  

Admissions decision

You will be notified informally via email and officially via your Imperial Gateway account with the result of your application. You will receive a decision in line with the advertised deadlines.

Submit outstanding documents and pay your deposit  

Once you receive your offer, you may be required to submit documents to satisfy your offer conditions. The application portal is where you respond to your offer and view full details of your conditions. You will then be required to pay your 10% deposit for the programme.

Key dates and deadlines

Applications for our MSc Finance & Accounting 2025 intake are open. 

We operate a staged admissions process with several deadlines throughout the year. This programme is highly competitive, so early application is advised; this will put you in a stronger position to be considered for a scholarship, and provide access to exclusive admitted students events.

Sign up to receive deadline reminders

Candidates should submit their application by 23.59 UK time on the day of the application deadline.

Deadlines for 2025 entry

Admissions round

Application deadline

Decision deadline

1

26 September 2024

28 November 2024

2

9 January 2025

6 March 2025

3

13 March 2025

8 May 2025

4

1 May 2025

19 June 2025

2025 scholarship deadlines

Deadline round

Date

1

Thursday 26th September 2024

2

Thursday 9th January 2025

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Invest in yourself

Choosing to pursue an Master's is one of the most important decisions you will make and is a substantial investment in yourself.

Many of our students fund their studies through multiple funding sources. We offer a wide range of awards, including a number of scholarships to the most talented applicants.

Head over to our Fees and funding page to find out more about tuition fees, scholarships and the different financing options available to you.

Join an upcoming event

Attending an event is a great way to find out more about our programmes and what it’s like to study at Imperial College Business School.

Frequently asked questions

All applications to our postgraduate programmes are made online – we do not accept paper applications. Please refer to the ‘How to apply’ section of each programme page to see what documents you are required to submit with your application and to view the selection process.

All of our programmes are academically rigorous and include a quantitative component so all candidates are expected to be familiar with a basic level of mathematics before the start of the programme. The quantitative experience statement provides an opportunity to demonstrate this to the selection committee.

In the quantitative experience statement, you need to list up to five of the most quantitative modules or elements of your studies to date. You should list the main topics of study (eg: algebra, probability etc) as well as the level of study (eg: high school, undergraduate degree, short course etc) as this will allow the selection committee to have an understanding of your quantitative experience to date.

Quantitative experience is a key selection criterion for our more quantitative programmes (MSc Finance, MSc Finance & Accounting, MSc Financial Technology, MSc Investment & Wealth Management, MSc Risk Management & Financial Engineering, MSc Business Analytics, MSc Climate Change, Management & Finance and MSc Economics & Strategy for Business) so please be sure to check the entry requirements for your programme of interest to ensure your background is sufficiently quantitative. For other programmes, candidates are advised to review both the programme content and the pre-study modules to see what the numerical content of the programme includes before they submit an application.

You can apply to be considered for one programme each year. We will take your areas of interest and eligibility into account when considering you for alternative programmes.

While it is not compulsory to submit the results of an approved English language test with your application, it is strongly encouraged and will add weight to your application if you are able to show that you have met the language requirement prior to applying. You can find detailed information regarding the Business School’s language requirements and the tests that we accept here.

As part of your application, you will be asked to provide the contact details of two referees. Your referees will be contacted by email once you have completed and submitted your application, and the email will contain instructions on how they can submit your reference via our application system.

Please ensure that each reference letter that is submitted has been sent from an academic or professional email address. We cannot accept references sent from personal email addresses, such as Gmail, Hotmail, 126, 163, Sina, QQ, and Yahoo.

Our electronic application service is provided by an external provider, so there may be a delay before the receipt of your references is confirmed on your student application account.

If you receive confirmation that your references have been received but this still isn’t confirmed on your account a week after receiving the confirmation, please contact the Central Admissions team at business.admissions@imperial.ac.uk.

If you submit a complete application by the stated round deadline, we will ensure you receive an outcome by the corresponding decision deadline. However, if your references are delayed, this may affect our ability to process your application and provide a decision on time. If your references are delayed by more than five working days, we may not be able to guarantee a decision by the deadline.

If you have received confirmation that your references have been submitted but this is not reflected in your account after a week, please contact the Central Admissions team at business.admissions@imperial.ac.uk

Yes. As part of the selection process, shortlisted candidates for our MSc programmes will be invited to complete an interview. Interviews are conducted through Kira Talent, our video interview platform, which you can access online to record and submit your answers.

The interview process typically takes about 20 minutes and does not require extensive preparation. It aims to supplement your written application by providing a further opportunity for you to articulate your suitability for your MSc programme of choice through questions about your previous experience and future aspirations.

If you are invited to submit a video interview, you will be sent details of how to access and use the Kira Talent online interview platform.

Once you have created an account, you will be asked a series of questions, to which you can record your answers as short videos and submit them online.

Please make sure that the invitation doesn’t go to your junk mail by adding kiratalent.com to your list of safe senders. You must complete your online interview by the deadline stated in the email. If the email has gone into a junk, spam, or clutter folder in your inbox, we will not be able to rearrange a new interview for you, and your application will be considered for withdrawal.

Please note: our video interviews are conducted via the Kira Talent platform. As Kira Talent is an independent third party service provider with their own terms and conditions of service and privacy policy, please familiarise yourself with these and ensure you are happy with them before proceeding to use the Kira service and platform.

For all MSc programmes, you can normally expect to receive a decision within 6-8 weeks of having submitted a complete application. Please keep in mind that during busy times and/or where documents are missing from an application, this time may increase.

When an offer is submitted by the Business School, the Central Admissions need to make a number of final checks before it can be formally approved. These may include an additional review of an applicant’s academic background or ensuring the references we have received are valid. Until you have received confirmation of the official offer via the College’s applicant portal, please do not arrange accommodation, book flights or decline any other offers you may be holding. The majority of offers are successfully approved by Central Admissions and you will be able to see full details of your offer conditions once your official offer has been confirmed.

Unfortunately, we are unable to confirm when you will receive a decision on your application but we will be in touch via email as soon as there is an update. Please be aware that you do not need to provide any additional information unless you think that this will add significant weight to your application (e.g. updated transcripts, relevant internships, English language results).

Please email your programme admissions team if you would like feedback on your application. Please note that whilst limited feedback can be provided, the decision of the academic selectors is final and it will not be possible for your application to be reconsidered.