Overview
Our MSc Digital Banking and Finance course is suitable for everyone, whether you already have related qualifications or experience, or want to change the direction of your career.
As the world moves away from physical cash, replaced by digital forms of cash, and physical banking is replaced by online banking and finance, our course focuses upon how technology and digital infrastructure is changing the way banks do business. You'll learn how financial technology (FinTech) is changing bank management and finance, and how digital forms of cash will change the way banking and finance operates.
You'll acquire the analytical skills and the critical knowledge in this changing environment which will enable you to further your career in the new digital banking and financial sector. The course offers you practical business-led knowledge and you can expect to see leading banking and finance experts from the sector in the classroom offering you the most contemporary industry thinking.
We are AACSB accredited
The University of Stirling is accredited by AACSB International in recognition of our excellence in business education. This puts the University of Stirling Management School among the top 6% of business schools globally.
Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF)
Our students have established a Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF) with support of our academics within the Accounting and Finance Division. The SMIF allows you to gain practical
AmplifyME Trading Boot Camp
The course also includes an innovative week-long global financial trading and training boot camp run by our partner AmplifyME. The AmplifyME Trading Boot Camp won the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute Innovative Delivery of Education (IDEA) global award and gives you the chance to trade futures contracts on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. By letting you trade in real time, but with virtual money, the boot camp bridges the gap between an academic understanding of financial markets and how they function in practice.
Preparing business leaders of the future
Postgraduate education at the University of Stirling Management School goes beyond text books and lecture rooms, we also focus on your personal and professional development.
Our unique Flying Start Leadership Programme equips you with the awareness, knowledge and techniques essential for building a successful career. These range from practical skills, like effective public speaking, to developing ways to work under pressure in difficult situations such as conflict management. Read more about the Flying Start Leadership Programme.
The overall objective of this course is to help you develop the knowledge and skills needed for a successful career in banking and finance, or a related field. A particular strength of our course is the focus on the practical application of key banking and finance concepts, financial reporting, risk management tools, and professional ethics in the banking industry. The structure of our course has at its core a collection of modules that examine various aspects and challenges of banking operations and management in the context of the new technologies (digital banking, online currencies, FinTech, data analytics, etc.) that are re-shaping the banking and finance landscape.
You’ll develop a sound understanding of the different types of banking and financial systems that exist globally, including those in emerging countries and countries in transition. The course also covers theory, methodology and research techniques within the dissertation module.
Throughout this Masters course, you’ll develop:
- a systematic understanding of key concepts and methods in banking and finance, such as operations and strategy, risk management tools and the regulatory framework for risk management, financial reporting and data analysis;
- critical awareness of current problems and new insights in banking and finance;
- practical understanding of the techniques of enquiry and research used in banking and finance, and how they are used to create and interpret knowledge;
- conceptual understanding for evaluating current research and scholarship in banking and finance.
The University of Stirling is accredited by AACSB International in recognition of our excellence in business education.
In REF 2021, 80% of our research impact in Business and Management Studies was classed as world leading or internationally excellent.
The Economics Division at Stirling Management School is committed to the pursuit of excellence in both research and teaching. The Division is ranked in the top 25 of institutions in the UK and Europe by RePEc (Research Papers in Economics).
Entry requirements
A minimum of a second class Honours degree or equivalent. Applicants without these formal qualifications but with significant appropriate/relevant work/life experience are encouraged to apply.
Other routes of entry
If you don't currently meet our academic requirements, INTO University of Stirling offers a variety of preparation programmes that can earn you the qualifications and skills you need to progress onto some of our courses. Explore INTO University of Stirling to see the pathway and pre-masters routes available.
International entry requirements
If English is not your first language you must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of your English language skills:
- IELTS Academic or UKVI 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each sub-skill.
- Pearson Test of English (Academic) 60 overall with a minimum of 59 in each sub-skill.
- IBT TOEFL 78 overall with a minimum of 17 in listening, 18 in reading, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing.
See our information on English language requirements for more details on the language tests we accept and options to waive these requirements.
If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this course, our partner INTO University of Stirling offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for entry to this degree.
Find out more about our pre-sessional English language courses.
Course details
Our Masters in Digital Banking and Finance is a full-time one-year course taught across three semesters that gives you the knowledge and analytical skills you’ll need for a successful career in the world of banking and finance.
Modules
The module information below provides an example of the types of course module you may study. The details listed are for the academic year that starts in September 2024. Modules and start dates are regularly reviewed and may be subject to change in future years.
Course Details
Teaching is carried out through lectures and small group teaching, seminars, workshops and computer labs.
Our lecturers have global reputations for advancing knowledge in the fields of banking and finance, and the course incorporates current developments. We encourage our students to explore contemporary challenges in seminars and workshops. Students will have access to and engage with labs, practical workshops, live markets via the Student Managed Investment Fund and the AmplifyME Trading Boot Camp, and learn from contemporary banking and finance analysts.
Assessment includes coursework, presentations and exams. You’ll undertake a dissertation project in the third semester. Your dissertation will be based on an original research question agreed by yourself and your supervisor. The dissertation project should reflect your own understanding and knowledge of selected topics covered in the taught modules.
Students can expect to have around 40 contact hours per module each semester and a timetable will be available shortly before the course begins.
Fees and funding
University of Stirling alumni will automatically be awarded a fee waiver for the first year of Masters studies through our Stirling Alumni Scholarship.
Applicants from the UK or Republic of Ireland who hold a first-class honours degree or equivalent will automatically be awarded a £2,000 scholarship through our Postgraduate Merit Scholarship.
If you need to extend your period of study, you may be liable for additional fees.
If you are studying part time, the total course fee will be split over the years that you study. The total fee will remain the same and will be held at the rate set in your year of entry.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
Eligible students could receive a scholarship worth between £4,000-£7,000. See our range of generous scholarships for international postgraduate students.
If you need to extend your period of study, you may be liable for additional fees.
If you are studying part time, the total course fee will be split over the years that you study. The total fee will remain the same and will be held at the rate set in your year of entry.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
Postgraduate tuition fee loans
This course is eligible for a postgraduate tuition fee loan from one of the UK’s governments. See the Scholarships and funding section, below, for more details.
Additional costs
There are some instances where additional fees may apply. Depending on your chosen course, you may need to pay additional costs, for example for field trips. Learn more about additional fees.
Funding
If you have the talent, ability and drive to study with us, we want to make sure you make the most of the opportunity – regardless of your financial circumstances.
Learn more about available funding opportunities or use our scholarship finder to explore our range of scholarships.
Postgraduate tuition fee loans
Scottish students may be eligible to apply to the Students Award Agency for Scotland (SAAS) for loans of up to £11,500 to cover tuition fees and associated living costs.
English students can apply for a loan of up to £12,167 each year as part of the Postgraduate Masters Loan Scheme.
Welsh students can apply for financial support of up to £18,770 as a combination of grant and loan from Student Finance Wales.
Northern Irish students can apply for a postgraduate tuition fee loan of up to £6,500 from Student Finance NI.
International students may be able to gain additional funding from loan providers.
If you’re domiciled in the UK, you can typically apply to your relevant funding body for help with living costs. This usually takes the form of student loans, grants or bursaries, and the amount awarded depends upon your personal circumstances and household income.
International (including EU) students won’t normally be able to claim living support through SAAS or other UK public funding bodies. You should contact the relevant authority in your country to find out if you’re eligible to receive support.
We aim to be as flexible as possible, and offer a wide range of payment methods - including the option to pay fees by instalments. Learn more about how to pay
After you graduate
Our MSc Digital Banking and Finance graduates have enjoyed worldwide success within different organisations, ranging from multinational banks to asset management companies.
Our graduates work in countries such as China, Germany, Greece, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Norway, Turkey, Malta and the UK.
In addition to working for banks and financial services organisations, our graduates have found opportunities at specialist property companies, government agencies and other organisations that must deal with banks daily. Our graduates work for many different financial organisations, including:
- Alpha Bank
- Bank of America Merrill Lynch
- Bank of China
- BDO UK LLP
- Citibank
- CITIC Trust
- DXC Technology
- Emporiki Asset Management
- Ernst and Young
- Grant Thornton UK LLP
- HSBC
- Jones Lang LaSalle
- JP Morgan Chase
- Ministry of Finance (Greece)
- Morgan Stanley
- Santander
- Vodafone
Alumni who have built their careers after graduating more than 10 years ago now hold posts such as the Regional Head of Novartis in Switzerland, Credit Partner at Santander Corporate Banking and Head of Banking Trends at Egnatia Bank in Greece.
The University of Stirling Management School has a dedicated Employability Manager and from the very beginning of the course your career is our focus.
This is a challenging and worthwhile course which will be ideal preparation for students wishing to work in the Banking and Financial sector.
Professor David Blanchflower, CBE, External member of the Bank of England's MPC 2006-09
Everything you do while studying here is designed to help you build the personal skills that will make you stand out to future employers.
You'll start your Masters course on our Flying Start leadership programme which will challenge your perspective of culture and develop your self-awareness, as well as team-working, problem-solving and presentation skills.
Find out more about how we prepare you for the world of work.
As a student on the MSc Digital Banking and Finance you’re given the chance to participate in regular guest lectures. These are typically held on a Wednesday afternoon and are delivered by eminent speakers drawn from leading financial institutions, think tanks, regulatory and professional bodies. Previous speakers include:
- Kweku Adoboli - Former Trader at UBS
- Dr Dimosthenis Archontidis – General Manager, Eurobank Ergasias SA
- Nick Bartlett - Director of Education at CFA Society of the UK
- Richard Dunbar - Head of Economic and Thematic Research at Aberdeen Asset Management
- John Goodwin - Executive Vice-President and CFO at Lego
- Ross Lorrimer - Client Service Associate at State Street
- Bill McCall – (Chartered Banker, FCIBS, Chartered FCSI) Principal, McCall & Partners Ltd.
- Colin McLean - CEO at SVM Asset Management
- Russell Napier - Co-founder and Chairman of ERIC (Electronic Research Interchange)
- Maxim Skorniakov - Investment Manager at Walter Scott Global Investment Management
- Dr Theodoros Stamatiou - Senior Economist, Economic Analysis and Market Research Division, Eurobank-Ergasias SA
- Adrian Cudby - (MBA, Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers), Commercial banker with over 34 years working experience at RBS; Principal and Founder of That Was The River Ltd, a financial training and consulting company; author of the CBI textbook “Commercial Lending (Principles and Practice)”
- Stefan Pfitzamier – Consultant, DXC Technologies
- Dr Daniel Schmidt - Research and teaching assistant at the Chair in Banking and Financial Services at the University of Hohenheim in Germany; visiting Lecturer at the Chair of Banking and Finance at the University of Potsdam
- Dr Dimitris Gounopoulos - Professor of Accounting and Finance in the Accounting and Finance Group of the School of Management at the University of Bath; Senior Visiting Research Fellow in the School of Business, Management and Economics of the University of Sussex; visiting Fellow in the Newcastle University Business School
- Dr Santiago Carbo-Valverde – Professor of Economics at the University of Valencia; Head of Financial Studies and Executive Director of the Financial Digitalization Observatory of the Spanish think-tank FUNCAS.
- Dr Gustavo Ordonez – Senior Director, Moody’s Analytics
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