MA (Hons) Business and Finance

Course Overview

Business Management and Finance professionals work with executive and management teams to provide expert advice on the impacts and deployment of resources and processes throughout an organisation.

At Heriot-Watt, you will learn how to apply business management and finance knowledge and skills to a range of different managerial, business and problem-solving situations, management decisions, compliance issues and governance.

This undergraduate MA Honours degree* explores the interface between business and finance, in particular the management and business implications of financial decision-making. It is a specialist joint degree with equal emphasis given to the subject areas of business and finance. The degree is particularly suited to students who wish to gain a firm grounding in business and management, but with an insight into the finance and financial operations of businesses and organisations.

Key topics covered include accounting, business policy, corporate finance, economics, management and marketing.

Curriculum

Course content

Year 1

Information correct at time of publication and may be subject to change

Mandatory September

• Academic Skills
• Management in a Global Context
• Introduction to Accounting and Finance
• Introduction to Marketing

Mandatory January

• Discovering Business
• Becoming a Professional
• The Economy

Year 2

Mandatory September

• Fundamentals of Finance
• Personal Finance and Investment Ethics

Mandatory January

• Organisational Behaviour
• Financial Markets Theory
• Quantitative Methods 1

Year 3

Mandatory September

• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Corporate Financial Theory
• Fundamentals of Financial Technology

Optional September

• Business Venturing
• Employment Law
• Project Management
• Resourcing and Talent Management

Mandatory January

• Strategic Management
• Applied Financial Modelling in Python
• Business Research Methods

Optional January

• Financial Derivatives

Year 4

Optional September

• The Contemporary Workforce
• Management Dissertation 1
• Global Business Analysis 1: International Markets and Strategy
• International Entrepreneurship
• Retail Marketing
• Agency Theory and Corporate Governance
• Accounting and Finance Dissertation 1

Optional January

• Management Dissertation 2
• Changing Trends in Employment
• Marketing Sustainability
• Global Business Analysis 2: Global Trends and Risks
• Marketing and Management of SMEs
• Contemporary Issues in Finance
• Accounting and Finance Dissertation 2

Entry Requirements

• A-Level: DDD
• STPM: CC
• UEC: Maximum 30 points (5 subjects not less than B grade)
• ATAR (WACE/SACE): ATAR 50
• Canada Year 12 High School Diploma: 50% (average score based on 6 best relevant subjects including English)
• International Baccalaureate Diploma: 24 points excluding Theory of knowledge and Extended Essay
• Matriculation/Foundation: Minimum CGPA 2.0
• Diploma: Minimum CGPA 2.0
• Heriot-Watt University Malaysia Foundation in Business / Foundation in Science: Pass and eligible to receive the award 
• SMA 3 (Indonesia): 6.0
• Year 12 State Board High School Examination (India): 70%
• Senior High School Graduation Certificate (China): 80%

Career Prospects

Our Business and Finance graduates have embarked on successful careers in the public and private sectors as accountants, actuaries, auditors, financial advisers, foreign exchange dealers, legal advisers, stockbrokers and tax associates.

Companies and organisations employing Business and Finance graduates from Heriot-Watt include Baillie Gifford, Deloitte, EY, HSBC, KPMG, Mazars, Nestlé and PwC.

Study Abroad Pathway

No