MSc Financial Technology (FinTech)

The aim of the course is to give you the cutting-edge knowledge and skills required to work in the new and emerging fintech sector. Many fintech companies are small start-ups so business and entrepreneurial skills are important. Fintech is a disruptive technology, bringing great changes to the ways that banks and insurance companies operate, but also enabling new applications, business models and markets in various fields. You’ll be taught innovation management techniques to immediately make a difference in any organisation or company you work for.

Of course, fintech is also about technology. Being rooted in a computing department, the course enables our graduates to understand the role of software applications in fintech and contribute to their design and implementation, such as services exploiting the new open banking regulations, or disruptive applications supported by blockchain technology. You’ll also have the data analytics and machine learning skills required by new data driven models of financial services provision.

As part of the course students develop a substantial project (1/3 of the overall course). Several of these projects are being carried out in collaboration with industry, both innovative start-ups and larger corporates, e.g. in the banking sector.

The MSc in Fintech offers two start dates. It can be attended both as a one-year full time course or part-time over a period of two years, tarting in the Autumn semester (typically September). It can also be attended over a 5-semester period, starting in the Spring semester (typically January) and completing it in the Summer semester of the following year – no part time option for the January start. Learning is organised around materials provided online, contact teaching and tutorial hours, and an “open-door” approach allowing students a direct contact with lecturers, providing for great flexibility in the organisation of study.

If you’re interested in studying a module from this course, the Postgraduate Certificate or the Postgraduate Diploma then please email Graduate Admissions to discuss your course of study.

State-of-the art computing facilities are available to Fintech students, with a 24/7 access policy. University facilities are also open on extended hours, often 24/7, including the library where students can book spaces for individual study and group work. A high-speed internet connection is available throughout the whole campus, and remotely via a secure connection.

The MSc in Fintech, one of the first in Scotland, is rooted in the Mathematics and Computing Science division, drawing from its research on data analytics, blockchains and cryptocurrencies, security and mobile technologies.

It is also supported by the University of Stirling Management School. In REF 2021, 80% of our research impact in Business and Management Studies was classed as world leading or internationally excellent.

You'll learn from lectures and practical labs during the first two semesters from September to April, or January to August, depending on your start date.

You’ll be assessed by a variety of assessment strategies, including written assignments, exams, individual projects, collaborative and group work, lab work, presentations and reports and a dissertation project. Assessment will be tailored to students’ special needs, where appropriate.

A semester consists of 60 credits, with full modules of 20 credits and half modules of 10 credits. Depending on the organisation of each module, classroom hours may consist of lectures, tutorials, lab, group work or presentations, and vary in number.

Dr Andrea Bracciali

+44 (0)1786 467446

andrea.bracciali@stir.ac.uk

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 £11,570 each year as part of the Postgraduate Masters Loan Scheme.

Welsh students can apply for financial support of up to £18,025 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 £5,500 from Student Finance NI.

Commonwealth Shared Scholarships

Commonwealth Shared Scholarships are for candidates from developing Commonwealth countries, looking to study selected postgraduate Masters courses. 

Other sources of 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.

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.

European Union and overseas 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.

Find out about the cost of living for students at Stirling

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

"Studying at Stirling has been more than just further academic studies. The FinTech and Big Data courses are run in partnership with The DataLab."

Richard Bradley, Scotland, MSc Financial Technology (FinTech)

"The course contents were perfectly angled to cover both the financial and more technical aspects"

Nicholas Cetoupe, Seychelles, MSc Financial Technology

"I was very good at maths at school and developed a knack for programming. I chose FinTech as it was a perfect combination of the two. I also liked Stirling's approach to the course which is very practical in every module."

Yash Ajay Vikhankar, India, MSc Financial Technology (FinTech)

When we designed our new MSc Financial Technology (Fintech) we spoke to banks and financial recruitment agencies and asked, “what are the ideal skills for finding a job in fintech?” Companies such as HSBC, Sainsbury's Bank, JP Morgan and MBN helped us shape the course with employability firmly in mind.

Here at the University of Stirling, you're also offered workshops on CV writing, interview technique and how to secure that dream job. Our relationship with employers and recruiters is strong and they regularly attend events at the University with the intention of recruiting staff.

As a consequence, 95% of our postgraduate leavers are in employment or further study within fifteen months of graduating (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2021, HESA).

The MSc in Fintech is partially supported by The Data Lab innovation centre, fostering innovation across companies and academia. It offers both a fellowship programme to selected students and events open to a wider audience of great professional interest.

Stirling is associated with The Data Lab, which is an Innovation Centre with the aim of developing the data science talent and skills required by industry in Scotland. The Data Lab collaborates with the University of Stirling to help deliver the course, and provide funding and resources for students. You can find out more about The Data Lab from their website.

We also develop our courses in partnership with global and local companies. HSBC have a development centre in Stirling and have provided some very interesting Data Science projects to our students. Amazon’s development centre in Scotland is close by in Edinburgh.

We also have a programme of invited speakers from industry who give the students a chance to ask questions of people who are doing data science every day. Recent companies have included MongoDB, SkyScanner and HSBC, as well as regulators like FCA.