Admissions
12 months
£47,500
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.
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:
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IELTS (academic): A minimum score of 7.0 with minimum scores of 6.5 in all elements
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TOEFL iBT: A minimum score of 100 overall with minimum scores of 22 in all elements
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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 degree transcripts with English translation if necessary
- Personal statement: view guidance blog on how to write a personal statement
- Current resume/CV - you can use our CV template for guidance
- Contact details of two referees: two academic, or one professional, one academic
- GMAT or GRE results (recommended but not compulsory)
- English language scores, if required i.e. TOEFL, IELTS
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
After receiving your offer, you will need to submit documents to satisfy your offer conditions. As part of this process, you must verify your degree award through the online Qualification Check service, using a unique link provided in your offer conditions. You will then be required to pay a 10% deposit for the programme. The application portal can be used to respond to your offer and review the full details of your conditions.
Start your Master's journey at Imperial
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 |
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.
Finance Masters' Information Session
We welcome you to join our information session to explore our finance suite of MSc programmes.
Campus | Recruitment & Admissions Team One-to-Ones | MSc Programmes
Join us for an one-to-one meeting with a member of the Recruitment & AdmissionsTeam, and have any questions answered about the MSc programmes at the Business School.
MSc Application: Securing your Place
Join us to learn how to make your application stand out! Our recruitment & admissions team will guide you through key tips and best practices for a successful application, helping you take the next step toward your MSc journey.
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.
In order to submit a verification request, you must first create an online account with Qualification Check using the unique link provided to you as part of your offer conditions. Once you have completed the two-step registration process, you will have access to your online account. Search for the name of the institution at which you obtained your qualification(s) and follow the steps to enter the required information for submission of a verification request. Your details will then be sent to the institution at which you studied to be authenticated by the appropriate department. Find more information at Qualification Check.
Qualification Check’s standard procedure is to contact the primary source of the information, this is the institution at which you studied. Qualification Check will regularly contact the relevant department at the institution in order to confirm the authenticity of your qualifications. We understand that applications are urgent and Qualification Check make every effort to accommodate your needs and expedite processes. Some institutions may take longer than others, but rest assured that Qualification Check is working hard to complete your verification. Find more information at Qualification Check.
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, delays in receiving your references or missing documentation required to progress your application may mean we are not be able to guarantee a decision by the deadline.
If the requested information is not received within five working days, we may be unable to guarantee a decision by the round 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.
We are unable to assess eligibility before an applicant applies as the academic selection committee needs to review a full application before any decision can be made. Please check the specific entry requirements of the programme you are interested in studying along with our international entry requirements. If you feel you meet our entry requirements you can apply online.
In addition to the guidance available on our website, we also hold regular information sessions both online and on-campus throughout the year where we would be happy to discuss your suitability in more detail.
We accept a wide range of international qualifications for postgraduate study at Imperial.
We've provided general guidance in the country and region index on how qualifications awarded by public institutions overseas may satisfy our minimum academic admission requirements.
We review our requirements annually. Updates usually happen in September each year before the next academic year of entry.
If your country or region is not listed, please contact the relevant Admissions team for further information.
The majority of the MSc programmes require a minimum of an Upper Second Class Honours degree (or international equivalent) to be admitted. While work experience can add weight to an application, this would not be considered in place of meeting the academic requirement, regardless of how lengthy the experience has been.
The exceptions to this are MSc Global Health Management, MSc Business Analytics (online delivery, part-time), and MSc Strategic Marketing (online, part-time). Please refer to the programme’s entry requirements for more detailed information.
We may consider candidates applying to MSc Business Analytics (online delivery, part-time) with non-traditional qualifications and backgrounds, on the basis of highly relevant work experience or demonstrated interest.
The Business School does not offer pre-sessional English courses or accept attendance of a pre-sessional English course as a means of meeting the English language requirement.
Yes, you can. You can pay your tuition fees in either one or two instalments payable at the start of term, or at the start of term and February, respectively. If you pay in instalments there will be a 2% surcharge of the total amount added to your first instalment. You would be asked to select a payment schedule during the offer acceptance process. Please contact the Student Finance Team if you have further questions about this process.
The Business School offers a variety of different scholarships, each with unique eligibility criteria.
All candidates who submit an MSc application before the scholarship deadlines (listed on our website) and receive an offer for one of our programmes will automatically be considered for scholarship(s) relevant to their programme, providing they do not have additional criteria such as a video submission. You can be considered for multiple scholarships at the same time.
Additionally, there are a number of cross-programme awards and programme specific awards also available. Please check on the scholarships page on your programme of choice for eligibility and entry requirements.
Yes, we offer a 10% bursary on programme fees to successful candidates with an undergraduate degree from Imperial awarded at a minimum of upper second class, or Master’s degree awarded with a minimum of Merit. In order to be considered for this bursary, you must submit your application by the scholarship deadline.
If you are being sponsored by an organisation that will be responsible for paying your tuition fees, you must provide acceptable proof of the award.
Satisfactory evidence of sponsorship is usually regarded as an original, dated and duly authorised letter from your sponsor on headed paper which includes the following:
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Your name and College Identifier Number
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The programme for which you have been offered a place
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The amount of fees which will be paid by your sponsor (please report in GBP)
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The address to which the invoice should be sent
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Any Purchase Order Number required
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Confirmation that the fees will be sent directly to Imperial College
Sponsorship letters should be emailed to the Central Admissions team at business.admissions@imperial.ac.uk
Your CAS number holds information about the programme you will study and if you have paid any fees. You will not need a formal letter from the College confirming your offer status for your visa appointment.
For more information about what you will need, see the UKVI website.
If you need any advice about your visa please contact the International Student Support team. Most information can be found on the International Student Support website.
We will start to issue CAS numbers from April. The details of your CAS will appear on your My Imperial record after you have met all the conditions of your offer. Please note that you will need to upload a scanned copy of the photo page of your passport and current visa (if you have recently completed a degree in the UK), before your CAS can be issued. Please upload these documents to the ‘Passport/visa’ section of your My Imperial account.
Once your CAS is ready, you will receive an email confirming that it has been uploaded onto your My Imperial account. If you log into My Imperial you will be able to find your CAS number and the details that have been included in your CAS.
Please note that we cannot provide you with a CAS if you have outstanding conditions on your offer. Please ensure that you allow enough time to meet your conditions and apply for a visa before the start date of your programme of study.