Investment Management (MSc)

Edinburgh is a major centre for investment management with a long and proud history. The MSc in Investment Management provides key investment knowledge with a specific industry focus. A unique feature of the programme is the Current Topics in Investment Management course, where senior investment practitioners give weekly guest lectures, providing insight into the investment industry and allowing students to gain a real-life perspective on the knowledge and theories they are studying.

Discussion of academic theories and their limitations is combined with an emphasis on practical application. Staff teaching on the programme are at the forefront of research and practice in finance and investment management and most are also members of the Centre for Finance & Investment (CFI) which brings Heriot-Watt academics with an interest in finance and investment together with senior practitioners from the local financial community.

Accreditation

We have links with several professional bodies, in particular the Chartered Financial Analyst Society of the UK, the Actuarial Profession and the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment.

Chartered Financial Analyst Institute® University Affiliation Program

Our MSc Investment Management programme is recognised as an affiliated degree by the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute (CFA®) through their University Affiliation Program.

This means that MSc Investment Management has been acknowledged as incorporating at least 70 percent of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge (CBOK) and placing emphasis on the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice within the program.  This MSc will position you well to obtain the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation, which has become the most respected and recognized investment credential in the world.

Entry into the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program signals to potential students, employers, and the marketplace that our curriculum is closely tied to professional practice and is well-suited to preparing students to sit for the CFA examinations.  Through this partnership Heriot-Watt University has the ability to offer up to 3 scholarships each year for students going on to the CFA Program.

About CFA Institute

CFA Institute is the global association of investment professionals that sets the standard for professional excellence and administers the industry gold standard CFA charter. The organization is a champion for ethical behavior in investment markets and a respected source of knowledge in the global financial community. The end goal: to create an environment where investors' interests come first, markets function at their best, and economies grow. CFA Institute has more than 148,000 members in 163 countries and territories, including 142,000 CFA charterholders.

About the CFA Program

The CFA Program sets a standard for developing the skills, standards, competence, and integrity of financial analysts, portfolio managers, investment advisers, and other investment professionals worldwide.  It is widely considered the investment profession's most rigorous credentialing program.  Administered in English, the CFA curriculum and examinations are identical worldwide.