MSc Finance, Technology and Policy

I am delighted to welcome you to the University of Edinburgh's flagship FinTech programme, the MSc Finance, Technology, and Policy.

This programme, now in its seventh year, is part of the UK and Scottish Government's efforts to increase data-driven innovation within the UK economy. By joining this programme, you will gain the knowledge and skills needed to play a critical role in the future development of financial services and markets.

Developing and delivering new fintech innovations requires graduates to possess new skills — particularly in the areas of artificial intelligence and data analytics — along with traditional knowledge of financial economics and markets. At the same time, these new technologies have created political, regulatory, and ethical challenges for financial services firms that require graduates to be adept at thinking about finance and financial markets through multiple disciplinary lenses.

The University of Edinburgh is an ideal place for you to both develop and hone the financial data and analytical skills while also learning how to think about finance and its role in society in new ways. My academic colleagues and I at the Business School and the Edinburgh Futures Institute are at the forefront of research on the economic, technological, and social changes shaping the future of finance. The University’s School of Informatics – which will be delivering your core coursework on machine learning – is a world-leading department in research on Artificial Intelligence. You will be studying in one of the world’s most beautiful cities, but also one that has played a historically important role in the development of modern finance.

My colleagues and I have worked hard to develop a deeply rewarding programme for you; however, we will also be demanding much from you. The programme's taught content will move along at a fast pace, to which you will need to quickly adapt. Course tasks are due, on average, about once per week. Nothing short of a consistently high level of hard work and diligence will see you through to the successful completion of your study on the MSc Finance, Technology and Policy. We are confident that you are up to the challenge – that is why you are part of the approximately 8% of applicants admitted to the programme.

In order to help you succeed, we have put together a list of pre-arrival material for you to study over the next several months. It is particularly important that you review basic ideas from calculus, linear algebra, and probability theory, as these are needed in several of your courses (particularly Introductory Applied Machine Learning, which is regarded by many students as the most challenging course on the programme). You can find these materials under the 'Useful Reading' page.

We have also put structures in place to support your learning and development. Professional and academic personnel at the University of Edinburgh, and most especially at the Business School, will always be on hand to anticipate your needs and provide guidance throughout your study period with us.

We are here to support you all the way. If there is anything you need, please just ask. Once again, welcome to the University of Edinburgh.