Frequently asked questions

Most of our students have a strong Mathematics component as part of their undergraduate degree. For degrees other than Mathematics, Applied Mathematics and Physics, the mathematical contents of your background will be assessed, and only very high grades are likely to be accepted.

Neither the GMAT nor the GRE are a requirement to the programme.

For the Part-time option, courses are held during the day and are the same as for Full-time student; you therefore require flexibility from your employer. You can find more information and a sample schedule via the following link:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mathematics/postgraduate/msc/mathematical-finance/prospective-students/

Guidance on writing a personal statement can be found at:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/ug/apply/selection/personal-statement/

For issues regarding adding documents and second options please contact the central admissions team at ns.admissions@imperial.ac.uk

There is no application deadline. The MSc Mathematics and Finance will close the application process once the programme has reached capacity.

For information on how to submit your IELTS or TOEFL results please follow the link – English Language conditions: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/apply/after-you-apply/conditions/

The project is a substantial component of the MSc in Mathematics and Finance, occupying up to 4 out of the 12 months of the MSc programme. It is a piece of original work undertaken by you under the direction of an academic project supervisor and in most cases also an external supervisor. Our intention is that most projects will be carried out in association with a bank, finance house, hedge fund, consultancy, or financial software provider, and we endeavour to arrange suitable placements. The project may be an “internship”, where you will work at the institution full time for 3-4 months, or a collaborative arrangement where you are based at Imperial College and visit the company on a regular basis. In either case you will be assigned an academic project supervisor from the Mathematics and Finance section.

View http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mathematics/postgraduate/msc/mathematical-finance/project-and-thesis/

Arranging placements is a complex process where we ultimately depend on the goodwill of our industrial partners and on market conditions. Students must also bear in mind that they must pass companies’ own assessment processes before being offered a placement. It cannot be guaranteed that everybody will get exactly what he or she wants, but every effort will be made to achieve reasonably satisfactory arrangements. If you have your own contacts in the industry, or specific ideas as to your project topic, you should discuss these with your tutor at the earliest possible time, so that these can be taken into consideration. Below are some of the methods in which we allocate placements.

Company presentations

All along the year, the weekly Careers in Quantitative Finance event sand the Practitioners Series will allow you to be in direct contact with the financial industry. These events will provide you with a unique opportunity to learn first-hand the reality of the market and to network with leading practitioners.

CV Book

Students can provide their CVs right at the beginning of the academic year. These are collated into a CV book which is distributed to our industry partners, who may get in touch with students directly with opportunities

Student referral

Most of the project allocation takes place from February, where we advertise internship opportunities, to which students can apply. Companies then select their favourite candidates for interview. Alongside our referrals, we also expect students to be proactive in applying for placements and finding their own opportunities.

The placement should be at least 10 weeks in length and the topic of project should be quantitative in nature. If your internship or job opportunity is not compatible with a suitable project, then you can instead work on an internal project with a member of academic staff at Imperial.

Unfortunately, you may not be successful straight away, but each interview and assessment, even failed, gives you more valuable experience. Most companies provide feedback which you should keep and discuss with your course adviser. The Imperial College Careers Service is also on hand to provide advice. Please see their website for further information.

Congratulations! We first need to ensure that your project topic is suitable. Please email director.mscmathfin@imperial.ac.uk with the name of the company and the proposed research topic. You then need contact the MSc Maths Finance Administrator.