​​​​​​​Area of Study

Browse the list of study areas available for postgraduate study

 
​


​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Search Degrees​​

Find a degree, course or interest

​
Download the brochure now
Prof. Humphery-Jenner discusses finance research

Master of Finance

Gain proficiency in capital markets, corporate finance and fintech with the UNSW Master of Finance. Develop advanced analytical and tech skills for executive decision-making.

  • Overview
  • Structure
  • Entry requirements
  • How to apply
  • Career opportunities
  • FAQs
​

The Master of Finance, UNSW Sydney, takes your existing finance knowledge and compounds it. Draw upon extensive and current academic research on financial markets, and course material produced in close consultation with the finance sector. Within one year your ability to harness technologies, analyse complex business situations and devise innovative solutions will open the way to progressive career opportunities.

Master of Finance (MFin) graduates hit the ground running with advanced technical and analytical skills, real-world work experiences and workplace connections.

Why choose this master’s degree?

With the UNSW Master of Finance, you can specialise your qualification to your career goals, gain professional recognition and receive recognition of prior learning.

Build your comprehension of general financial empirical studies, techniques and applications; financial risk management; and financial theory and policy. Specialise in corporate finance and investment banking, fintech, or funds management. See the program structure for detailed information.

The MFin curriculum is closely tied to professional practice and can prepare you for the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exam. If you have already completed all three levels of the CFA exam, you can receive credit for the MFin in recognition of prior learning.

As UNSW Business School is an affiliated University of the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program, the MFin embeds significant portion of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge, including the Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.

Graduates are also eligible to apply for Senior Associate membership with the Financial Services Institute of Australasia (FINSIA) after five years of work experience in financial services.

UNSW Business School students have exclusive access to Career Accelerator, a portfolio of professional development opportunities that include:

In finance, there’s become an increasingly large emphasis on evaluating trends in data. The degree gives students that chance. They may take apart stock data and look at trends or factors that could influence stock returns.

Mark Humphery-Jenner
Associate Professor and Master of Finance lecturer
Read more about Mark’s research in financial industry corporate governance
 

UNSW Business School degrees are shaped by industry leaders and world-class academics who recognise the future will present career opportunities that don’t exist today. The skills and insights gained from your Master of Finance (MFin) can have an immediate positive effect on your career. This degree can be completed in one year. Professional recognition is available, as well as the opportunity for international experience.

Who is this degree for?

  • Finance graduates looking for an advanced program
  • Finance professionals who want to increase their knowledge with an advanced finance degree

Job and career prospects

This program will open up many career opportunities including:

  • Banking professional
  • Corporate treasurer
  • Financial advisor
  • Financial broker
  • Fund manager
  • International financier
  • Investment banker

Find out how we prepare our graduates for career success

Why the Business School?

UNSW Business School is a leading business school in the Asia-Pacific. We rank 1st for Accounting and Finance in Australia, and within the top 50 worldwide. We are rated “Well above world standard” for Banking and Finance by the Excellence in Research Australia (ERA) government assessment. Read more about our rankings and reputation.

Our students build professional networks among more than 90,000 Business School alumni worldwide and begin their new career before graduation. This postgraduate degree incorporates a suite of professional development opportunities offered by Career Accelerator, that are exclusive to UNSW’s Business School students. Career Accelerator helps you build industry connections through networking and mentoring, and you can undertake internships and global business practicums for credit towards your degree.


The Master of Finance is a 1 year degree program consisting of 8 courses (48 UOC); 4 core advanced finance courses, plus 4 elective courses.

Core courses

MFIN6201 Empirical Techniques and Applications in Finance

Reviews probability and statistical techniques commonly used in quantitative finance. Topics include common univariate and multivariate continuous distributions, parametric and non-parametric estimation techniques. Advanced topics include: unobserved components and their applications to non-Markov processes, estimation techniques based on Expectation Maximising Algorithm. Applications of these tools include rational stochastic asset price bubble and the measurement of financial market risk premia. Introduced to appropriate software for such exercises.

UNSW Online Handbook Summary
UNSW Class Timetable

MFIN6205 Financial Risk Management for Financial Institutions

This course is an advanced course in the management of financial service firms and the development of risk management systems. It will deal with advanced methods of measuring financial risk within financial institutions such as value at risk and other models. Methodologies for dealing with these risks will also be investigated, including regulatory controls, capital management, risk rating of loans, securitisation and methods of dealing with credit products.

UNSW Online Handbook Summary
UNSW Class Timetable

MFIN6210 Empirical Studies in Finance

The course provides a concise synthesis of the recent available literature on empirical studies in corporate finance within a logical, analytical structure. Material covered includes agency theory, initial public offers, venture capital, capital structure, corporate takeovers, and other forms of corporate restructuring and governance. Special attention will be given to selected topics in group and lab work.

UNSW Online Handbook Summary
UNSW Class Timetable

MFIN6214 Financial Theory and Policy

Gives an advanced treatment of the main theoretical foundations of finance, including investment decision making, utility theory, portfolio theory, asset pricing and option pricing theory, real options, capital market efficiency, agency theory, cost of capital and capital structure, dividend policy and corporate governance. Special treatment is given to unsolved problems or anomalies in finance. Provides a treatment of the main developments in finance theory over the past 40 years, and provides the theoretical foundations for subsequent finance study within the Master of Finance degree.

UNSW Online Handbook Summary
UNSW Class Timetable

Elective courses

Choose four from any of the following streams:


Program details
View full program details in the UNSW handbookThe official University guide to degree programs and courses offered at UNSW
Class timetable
View more information on the class timetable websiteThe official University class
timetable website

To be eligible for the program, you must have:

The UNSW English Language requirements also apply to this program.

Note: No other requirement (such as GMAT, GRE, personal statement, academic referee) is considered unless otherwise specified.

Additional requirements

At least one UNSW equivalent business statistics or econometrics course, with a credit average as determined by the UNSW Postgraduate Coursework Entry Calculator.

Alternative program

If you did not meet the entry requirements but wish to study Finance, you might want to consider Master of Commerce (majoring in Finance) or Master of Financial Analysis instead.

Recognition of Prior Learning 

If you've successfully completed the CFA program, you may be granted one course exemption.

Students who are not graduates of Australian or NZ universities

For students who have studied at overseas universities, the normal minimum academic requirement is the equivalent of a credit average grade (65%) from an Australian university, as determined by the UNSW Postgraduate Coursework Entry Calculator. Details on assessment will be determined by your grading system so it is important that this is attached with your transcript when you apply.

Note: Applicants from non-211 universities in China wishing to study Postgraduate Coursework in the UNSW Business School, must achieve a minimum overall average of 88 in their current university’s grading system. This is equivalent to an 85% Australian scaled average using the calculator.

We will use the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (AEI-NOOSR). They are the government body that provides official information on the comparability of overseas qualifications with Australian qualifications using the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) as our benchmark.

In those countries where an equivalent grade has not been established, the following will be taken into consideration:

  • The standard and content of the undergraduate program completed, and
  • The standard of the institution from which the qualifications were obtained
  • Indian universities award different types of bachelor and master degrees, with different requirements in terms of length of study. At a minimum, applicants would be required to have a 3-year bachelor degree or professional bachelor degree and provide all individual marksheets.
  • Iranian universities award different types of bachelor degrees, with different requirements in terms of length of study. At a minimum, applicants would be required to have a 4-year bachelor degree.

Application checklist

Before you apply, ensure that you:

  1. Choose the right program that matches your interests and career aspirations
  2. Meet the entry requirements of the program
  3. Check if you are eligible to apply for credits or advanced standing based on recognition of prior learning (RPL) for this program

    4. Note: You can apply for credits during the online application process

  4. Have the various supporting documentation for your application. E.g.

   a. Official academic transcripts
   b. Proof of completion of qualification
   c. Proof of identity and citizenship
   d. Proof of relevant work experience (if required)

    You can upload the above documentation during the online application process

How to apply

You can apply for this program online:

There are three intakes per year:

  • Term 1 (February): 30 November
  • Term 2 (June)*: 31 March
  • Term 3 (September): 31 July

*Please note that not all programs have a Term 2 intake.

Late applications may be accepted after the closing dates subject to the availability of places.

Need help?

Still need help finding the right postgraduate business program for you? Contact us now.

UNSW Business School students are Australia’s best and brightest, with a reputation for drive and innovation. Our graduates have exceptional employability rates, performing well above the national average. In the 2018 QILT survey, 93% of our postgraduate students were employed full-time within four months of graduating and were earning a median wage of $120k.

Our degrees include up to two for-credit industry experiences, such as internships or global business practicums. The experiences are part of a suite of opportunities that is exclusive to UNSW’s Business School students and organised through Career Accelerator. The professional development opportunities complement your studies, build connections to industry and give you a clear advantage after graduation.

The opportunities are grouped within the Networking, Mentoring, Internships, and Global sections of Career Accelerator.

Networking

The people you meet during your time at university can play a profound role in positively shaping your career. Connect with like-minded and influential people through:

  • Industry Insights – workshop sessions delivered by industry partners
  • Industry Events – invitation-only events hosted by industry partners
  • Business Case Competitions – impress future employers with your problem-solving skills

Mentoring

Participating in a mentoring program will boost your confidence, help grow your professional network, develop your communication, teamwork and leadership skills as well as building upon your business acumen.

  • Career Mentoring Program – a 10-week program of career mentoring and coaching
  • Australian Business Essentials – mentoring for international students with no previous Australian work experience

Internships

UNSW Business School’s for-credit and not-for-credit opportunities such as traditional internships, consultancy projects, social entrepreneurship practicums, virtual internships and extra-curricular experiences.

  • Internships & Consulting Projects – for-credit projects available in person and online
  • Social Entrepreneurship Practicum – for-credit practicum to develop professional team skills in a real project
  • Business Experience – online and in-person projects for professional development

Global

The personal and professional benefits of living, studying or working in a different culture are immense and recognised by employers.

  • Global Business Practicum - work in small cross-disciplinary student consulting team on a genuine business issue, usually in Asia
  • Social Entrepreneurship Practicum - build entrepreneurial, workplace and leadership capabilities in Bali
  • Student Exchange – live and study overseas at one of our 200 partner universities

View the full suite of Career Accelerator opportunities.



No search results found. Please try another search term.

Quick facts for students

Program code
8406
Award
Masters Degree (Coursework)
Assumed Knowledge
Finance
Total Units of Credit (UOC)
48
Study Mode
Face to face
Duration
1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
Commencing terms
Term 1 - February
Term 2 - June
Term 3 - September
Course fee*
$4,260
Program fee (total)*
$35,280
* Fees are indicative only
Related programs
Related Links

​​​​​​​Area of Study

Browse the list of study areas available for postgraduate study

 
​


​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Search Degrees​​

Find a degree, course or interest

​
Download the brochure now
Prof. Humphery-Jenner discusses finance research

Download a brochure
Apply now
Enquire now

  • Accreditation
  • AACSB logo
  • Equis logo
  • Prime logo