Which Finance Masters’ programme am I eligible for?

With five programmes to choose from our Finance Master's programmes, it’s not surprising that this is one of the most frequently asked questions we hear from prospective applicants. Unfortunately, we are unable to advise on individual eligibility without seeing a complete application. However, we can recommend some of the tools available to help you acquire a strong understanding of the entry requirements for the programme you wish to apply to.

We’ve put together this post to help you ensure your profile aligns to the entry requirements for your chosen Finance programme(s):

Academic entry requirements

Each Finance programme has slightly different academic entry requirements and this is due to the level of quantitative knowledge required for each programme. For a more detailed comparison of these programmes please see our comparison table.

Our Finance Masters’ are not conversion programmes. Therefore, if you have any doubts about your quantitative background we recommend taking our online self-assessment maths test to determine your eligibility (this test does not apply to MSc Finance & Accounting, our least quantitative Finance programme).

The academic requirement is an integral requirement to our programmes and is in place to ensure the success of future students on our Finance Masters’. We receive a lot of international applications to these programmes and so the listed recommended academic degree titles are general – it will depend on the individual degree you have studied and number of quantitative modules you have taken as to whether you will ultimately be suitable for the programme you have applied for.

All applicants must meet the minimum academic requirements in full in order to be considered and we do not consider anyone who falls below these requirements, regardless of their GMAT scores, CFA, work experience or anything additional to their application.

English language requirements

Imperial Business School has higher English language requirements to the rest of Imperial London. We also expect all home, EU and overseas applicants to demonstrate English language proficiency – you either will be eligible for an English language interview or will need to provide an English language qualification.

For MSc Finance, MSc Investment & Wealth Management and MSc Financial Technology, if you are eligible for your English to be reviewed via interview, we will do this with your Kira Talent interview assessment.

For MSc Finance & Accounting and MSc Risk Management & Financial Engineering, if you are eligible, we will invite you to attend a Skype interview with one of our Global Skills Consultants. To check if you would be eligible for an English language interview assessment, please see our English language requirements.

You do not need to our meet English language requirements prior to applying; however, if you were to be made an offer for the programme, this would be made conditional on you meeting our English language requirements.

As the Finance programmes are so competitive, submitting an English language qualification with your application which meets our requirements will add weight to your application.

Career planning questions

As part of our assessment for all Finance programmes, your career planning questions and internships/work experience will be considered.

On applications for Finance programmes we would expect to see that you are committed to a career in the finance sector. Your CV and career planning questions are where you can evidence to the Academic Selection Committee that you’ve been building relevant professional experience and knowledge throughout your undergraduate degree. The Finance programmes are highly competitive, and this is the area where you can really make yourself stand out!

Unlike some other MSc programmes, we do not have a limited internship/work experience time frame requirement and we will consider applicants with years of work experience. However, most students on Finance programmes are recent graduates (mostly under three years since graduation). If you are interested in studying at Imperial Business School and have over three years of work experience, you may like to consider our MBA programmes.

Preparing for GMAT

GMAT/GRE

GMAT/GRE are not compulsory for any of our Finance Masters’; although, a strong result above the 85th percentile, particularly in the quantitative section, can add weight to your application. GMAT/GRE is highly recommended for candidates from less quantitative degree backgrounds.

If you would like your GMAT/GRE results to be taken into consideration, we recommend you provide the score report at the point that you submit your application. We cannot guarantee that your GMAT/GRE results will be considered if they are not submitted with the rest of your application materials. If you have sat the exam, please attach a scanned copy of the score report with your application.

 

Indicating additional preferences

When completing your application you will have the opportunity to indicate which other areas of finance are of interest to you. If you are unsuccessful for your selected programme, we will automatically consider you for alternative programmes within the Finance Suite. We will take your area(s) of interest and eligibility into account when considering you for alternative programmes, so make sure you read the entry requirements for each programme carefully. For example, if you are interested in MSc Financial Technology, we will look closely at your experience of programming and computer software packages so you should ensure you provide full details of this in your application.

 

Other useful resources:

Besides the entry requirements, you also should make sure the programme content aligns to your career goals – we’ve listed some useful resources below:

  • Chat to our Finance programme Student Ambassadors online – they will be happy to answer your questions and provide an insight into life at Imperial Business School
  • Read our Class Profiles and Student Profiles to understand who is studying on our programmes and what kinds of backgrounds they have
  • Attend a recruitment event – at our recruitment events, we often go into more detail on our Finance programmes together and in context of one another
  • Research the content of each programme – have a look at our Finance Programme pages on our website and also the Programme Handbooks for this year for an insight into the kinds of modules you could be studying
  • Read our Employment Reports for the Finance programmes for an insight into the kind of roles students have gone on to pursue since completing their study at Imperial Business School

 

Student Ambassadors Natural History Museum
Student Ambassadors at the Natural History Museum

We hope you have found the above information insightful and are feeling more comfortable identifying which Finance programme is right for you. We look forward to receiving your applications!

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Your application guide to the Imperial Executive MBA

So you’re applying to Imperial’s Executive MBA, but aren’t quite sure where to begin? This guide will run through what you need to prepare for your application, how the interview process works, and why you should consider making a start as soon as possible to maximise your chances of success.

What are the advantages of applying early to the Executive MBA?

There’s a lot to think about when putting together your application, so it’s best to prepare everything as early as possible. There are regular admissions deadlines for you to meet in order to get your application in on time. There are several benefits that come from submitting early, such as:

Meeting the deadline for scholarships

There are a number of significant scholarship options on offer to Imperial Executive MBA candidates, which can be incredibly helpful to self-funded applicants wishing to pursue this programme of study.

By applying early, you give yourself extra time to evaluate the eligibility criteria, decide which scholarship best suits your circumstances, and ensure you get your application in on time.

Access to exclusive admit events

Applying earlier means you’ll also get your offer sooner, giving you access to a number of exclusive events open only to admitted students. From webinars to virtual guest lectures, these events run throughout the year and give you an advanced opportunity to join the Imperial Business School community. By attending, you’ll be able to build relationships not only with your fellow classmates, but also existing students and prestigious Imperial alumni.

Find out more about our upcoming Executive MBA events.

Early access to careers support

Career advancement is one of the most common motivations for studying the Executive MBA, and applying sooner gives you an even greater opportunity to accelerate this process.

As an admitted student, you will have early access to the personalised support of our Career service and Consultants, up to six months prior to the start of your programme. They will work with you to create a plan for the upcoming academic year that is tailored to your specific career goals. You'll also have a wealth of access to our professional development webinars and pre-study programme materials, helping you to further prepare for life at Imperial.

"Given that many candidates for the Executive MBA may have spent a significant amount of time in work and away from study, completing the application process early allows them the space and freedom to prepare for academic study and refresh any skills as necessary. It also opens up many more funding options, not only in terms of scholarship availability, but also the opportunity to approach their company ahead of time to potentially secure corporate sponsorship."
Steven Togneri
Head of Admissions
Steve Togneri

What to prepare for your application

Your personal statement

An opportunity to tell the admissions team about your suitability for the programme beyond what’s on your CV, the personal statement is a chance for you to put your stamp on the application and show us why you want to study at Imperial.

It should include your primary motivations, as well as any other supporting information that may not be immediately obvious elsewhere but could enhance your application.

The personal statement is also an opportunity to make a first impression and show the Admissions team how you personally connect to the values and ethos of Imperial. If you find writing about yourself difficult, try drafting your personal statement with the help of someone who knows you well, in either a personal or professional setting, and see if they agree that your statements are an authentic representation of your skills, strengths and personal attributes.

Career planning questions

Another key part of the application designed to demonstrate that you have considered the path you would like your career to continue on. To answer these questions effectively, you will need to show you have thought about the direction of your career after you complete the programme.

In addition, you’ll be required to demonstrate that you have (or will develop during the course of the programme) the skills necessary to succeed in your future career, and how you plan to fill any remaining gaps in your skillset. If you plan to set up a business, you will need to outline what expertise or product your business will deliver and that you have researched the relevant market.

"When putting together your application, you should present well-researched and achievable career plans, using the careers questions to tell us how you plan to align themselves with their chosen career path. Ways of doing this include looking at people specifications of desirable roles and engaging with your network to gain insight into what they may already be doing well and what more you need to do. The personal statement and careers questions should be used by candidates to sell themselves by showcasing key achievements as well as the theme and trajectory of their career path and personal motivations. Finally, candidates should demonstrate research into Imperial’s offering and how they believe it will positively impact their career plans."
Laura O'Sullivan
Admissions Manager
Laura O'Sullivan

Preparing for the interview

Once you’ve successfully submitted all of the above, your application will be reviewed, and you may be shortlisted for the online interview stage. It is important to remember that by reaching this stage you’ve already been successful over many other applicants and the admissions team are simply looking to learn more about you as a person, and whether you’ll be the right fit for the programme/School.

The type of question you could expect to be asked might be  “Who is your favourite business leader and why?” or “Tell me about a time someone in your group was failing, and what you did to rectify the situation?”. While you can’t  (and shouldn’t) expect to pre-empt every question that may come your way, you can ensure you are prepared by reflecting on your past experiences, strengths and weaknesses so that you’re able to generate thoughtful and insightful responses.

You can also practice basic interview technique by undertaking mock interviews with friends and family to help build confidence.

"The interview will explore your academic and professional background as well as motivations for studying an MBA. You will also be assessed on your current business knowledge, so ensure you are up to date on recent developments. The interview itself takes place over Skype or Zoom, and will generally last for about an hour. If you are unfamiliar with either of these platforms, ensure you take the time to try them out, so that the process is as smooth as possible. There will always be opportunity to ask questions at the end - so be sure to think about what areas you would most like to gain further clarification or insight on, to ensure you make the most of this face-to-face time."
Shane Young
Admissions Coordinator
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How to prepare for your scholarship video interview

At Imperial Business School, we are pleased to offer a range of scholarships and significant funding to outstanding applicants across our MBA and MSc programmes.

Candidates will be considered automatically for some scholarships, based on information provided in the application form. For other scholarships, you will need to submit a three-minute scholarship video recording.

 

So, what is involved in the scholarship application process?

The scholarship application is separate to your application for your chosen programme, so you will need to submit both to be eligible. Make sure you take a close look at the application deadlines and scholarship deadlines. You can apply to the programme until the application closing date, but if the application and scholarship video interview are not submitted by the required date, you will not be eligible for a scholarship.

The deadline for each scholarship, along with scholarship amounts, eligibility criteria and how to apply, can be found on the ‘Scholarships’ page under ‘Fees and funding’ on each individual programme page. You can apply for multiple scholarships, but we recommend that you only apply for those that you have the strongest profile for.

Some scholarships do not require a video response to apply. For these scholarships, you will be automatically considered for this funding based on the strength of your application. However, keep in mind that you still need to submit your application before the scholarship deadline date to be eligible for these too.

How does the scholarship video interview work?

The scholarship video interview will work in a similar way to the interview you completed when applying to your programme. You will be given a question that you will need to respond to, and you will then need to record your answer as a video with our partner platform, Kira Talent.

Your video should be no longer than three minutes and must be submitted and recorded on Kira by the deadline date. There will be a short practice session to help you get used to the platform. Upon submission, you will have 30 seconds to gather your thoughts, followed by three minutes to record your answer. 

Top tips to submit a standout scholarship application

1. Ensure you plan your response sufficiently

The most important thing before recording your video response is to make sure that your answer is well-thought-out. Write some notes of how you can answer the question and ensure that it is in line with what the question is asking you and what the scholarship represents.

Give some structure to your response and plan it out so that you don’t find yourself waffling or trailing your sentences in your video.

2. Go into detail with specific examples

Make sure that your answer isn’t just one long list of everything you have done that vaguely answers the question being asked. All awards have a defined, specific focus, and we will be looking carefully for how you match up to this – sometimes one well-explained example is better than multiple examples that lack detail. We want to find out the really amazing thing that makes you the standout scholarship recipient.

We find that applications are stronger when you focus on a specific area of success or give a strong example of an achievement or project. If your example was as part of a team or group, make sure you showcase what you contributed individually. This is an opportunity to really showcase you.

3. Think of your video as a three-minute pitch

When you are recording your response, think of it as a three-minute pitch. Imagine that you are giving a presentation to a panel. Like a presentation, do your best to present yourself in a calm and collected manner – and let your personality shine through.  

We’re looking for the best in you and are interested in your experience and skills, so please don’t worry if you make the occasional stumble or mistake – we’ll be looking at the big picture of what you’ve told us.

It’s time to submit your application!

Make sure you look at our scholarship pages carefully for more information on the video response question, and scholarship deadlines.

We hope you found this article useful and wish you good luck with your application!

Attend an event

Things you need to consider if you’re applying late for an MBA or MSc programme

Do you have a Business School programme in your immediate sight, but are worried it may be too late to apply?

Applications are currently open for a number of our MBA and MSc programmes for 2024, and even if the start date is very soon, it might not be too late to apply.

We normally advise early applications for a number of reasons, however, every year we receive some fantastic late applications and we are happy to help those candidates who are applying later in the cycle, and offer some tips on what to consider when applying with limited time before the programme commences.

If you’re making a late application, there are a few things to keep in mind.

1. International students need a visa to join the programme

If you are an international student, make sure you find out what type of visa you would require – a student route visa is required for full-time study or a standard visitor visa may be required for a part-time programme. Check that you would have adequate time to obtain this before the programme starts, and remember that the process and timings may vary between countries.

If you are an international student applying to one of our part-time programmes, we can only provide you with a short-term study visa letter when you have met all offer conditions, so make sure you are preparing to meet your offer conditions in advance.

For the latest information regarding visas, please see our guidance here. 

2. Meeting your offer conditions

It is important to note that all applicants need to meet our offer conditions before you can join our programmes. As already mentioned, this is especially relevant to international students outside of the UK and EU who will need to meet these conditions before a visa can be obtained.

Even if you’ve put in a late application or are late applying, you can think ahead about how you will meet some of the offer conditions.

The following offer conditions need to be met by all applications:

  • Academic condition - you will need to verify your academic documents via the Qualification Check service - if your application is successful you will receive a link to verify your documents in your offer conditions. It's a good idea to have your documents ready or if your degree has not yet been awarded, confirm when the documents will be available.
  • You should be ready to pay your deposit, which is 10% of the total fee for all full-time programmes.
  • There may be a reference condition if we have not yet received two valid professional references. While you can submit your application with one of your references, there will be a condition on your offer if the second reference has not yet been received. To meet your conditions quickly, we advise you that you prioritise obtaining your second reference after you have submitted your application if you haven’t done so already.

3. Do you need to meet our English language requirement?

All students are required to meet our English language requirement, so if you have not studied your degree in an English speaking country, make sure you check the accepted qualifications and prepare to take an English proficiency test if required.

4. Additional requirements

In addition to the above, there are conditions that you might need to meet depending on your circumstance:

  • If you are being sponsored, then official confirmation of sponsorship will be required.
  • If you are applying for the Full-Time MBA or MSc International Management, a valid GMAT or GRE will be required (if not already provided with your application).

5. So now you’re prepared for meeting your offer conditions, what else should you be considering?

Embarking on an MBA or MSc programme is a big commitment, so you will need to prepare yourself mentally, financially, and practically. If you need a bit more time to sort out your finances, you have the option of paying the tuition fee in two instalments per year for our Full-Time MBA and MSc programmes. More information on paying your deposit and fees can be found on the Imperial website.

On the practical side, make sure you find out when the induction period is, as you will need to be on campus for this, and it is compulsory for all programmes. You therefore may need to arrange short-term accommodation if you are studying part-time and joining us from overseas.

Returning to study

If you have been in work for a number of years and are worried about returning to study, this is perfectly natural, but do not fear! Our Programme team will do all they can at induction to facilitate an easy transition. They will hold workshops focussed on study skills/returning to study, and remember there will be plenty of others in your position!

You will also be asked to complete pre-study modules via our online learning platform to get you up to speed with basics of topics such as accounting, maths, finance and plagiarism awareness. They vary slightly programme to programme but are all designed to ensure you have the knowledge you need to get off to a great start in your core modules.

If you are made an offer, make sure you confirm your acceptance at the earliest possible stage to receive access to these pre-study modules. If you are applying late and have little time to complete the modules, please do not worry, you can talk to your Programme team during induction about getting these completed.

So now it’s time to get excited about embarking on your Imperial journey! We look forward to receiving your application and hopefully welcoming you to the Business School when we meet you at induction.

MBA programmes MSc programmes Chat to our students

Time to start your online pre-study modules?

You may be wondering how you will acclimatise to the academic standards of an Imperial Business School programme. Before the programme begins, you must complete a series of online pre-study modules. This will help to ease your transition.

The Hub

You will find all pre-study modules as well as information and documents relating to your programme, (such as timetables, programme materials and past exam papers) on The Hub: the Business School’s virtual learning environment. 

The Hub has been purpose-built to give you access to the information you need and keep you connected. You will receive regular communication about important careers events, social events and volunteering opportunities. It’s a great way to stay in the loop with all that’s going on at the Business School! 

When you log into The Hub, you’ll see an instructional video, guiding you through the areas of The Hub.  

Before you can access the Hub, you will need to activate your ICT account. Instructions of how to do this will be emailed to you very shortly, if they have not been sent already. We will contact admitted students via email when they are able to access modules on the Hub. 

If you have been contacted about Hub access but experience problems with your Hub account, please contact thehub@imperial.ac.uk.

Pre-Study programme modules

We release programme specific modules throughout the summer. You will receive detailed information regarding the module requirements from your relevant Admissions team. Assessment methods vary between programmes and can be a combination of online quizzes, tests and evidence of the completion of modules. We design these modules to give you a basic knowledge of areas which will be covered in the programme. 

Top tip: please give yourself plenty of time to complete the modules!  

Your first month at the Business School will be extremely busy, so it is advisable to complete these modules before you commence the programme. Some of the programme modules can take longer than others to study depending on your familiarity with the topics and previous experiences, such as the Accounting Primer, which can take between approximately 15-20 hours to complete. You will find that you benefit more from the experience if you are able to work through the material at a steady pace and give yourself time to become comfortable with the content. 

Pre-Study Careers modules

Lisa Umenyiora, Executive Director of Careers & Student Life at the Business School: 

Get career ready! Did you know most of your target employers typically open for applications in August? Get a head start on your career today with our Careers Primer on The Hub. The Careers team have designed a Careers Primer that will help you to be prepared for the Careers opportunities available to you throughout your time at Imperial – over five thousand students have completed the Careers Primer over the last six years and now it’s your chance to join them. 

The Careers Primer has been designed for Imperial Business School’s students to fulfil career ambitions, produce a class leading CV, Cover Letter and to give you an edge in Interviews and Assessment Centres. 

Updated for the 2021-22 cohort, this key resource is available to Admitted Students four months before you start on your programme in September. Admitted Students can take advantage of priority access to this significant resource, giving you a crucial head start in the early applications round that occurs before the September start. It is strongly recommended that you complete this before you arrive to ensure you are ready for early employer engagement. 

The Careers pre-study modules include Foundations for Careers Success, which will help you develop your sector knowledge, career strategy, understand how to effectively market yourself and ultimately find a career that is right for you. 

You’ll also have the opportunity to undertake a Writing Your CV & Cover Letter module. Once completed, you will gain access to VMock, our CV Enhancement Platform. VMock uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to assess your CV and make suggestions for how it could be improved. 

Symplicity 

Once you have worked through the Careers Modules, you’ll be able to access Symplicity, our Careers Management System. Symplicity can be used to book one-to-one career appointments, employer events and workshops. You will be able to log in to Symplicity using the same log in credentials you use for the Hub. All the main employers will visit Symplicity to post job advertisements. The Careers team will approve all the jobs posted on Symplicity, so you can trust the opportunities that you see advertised. There’s no limit to when you use Symplicity – you will be able to access information about graduate jobs after your course has finished and beyond! 

Top tip: Make sure you fill in your personal profile on Symplicity, as this is key to ensuring your profile appears in searches! 

We hope you enjoy this first stage of your study with the Business School. We look forward to welcoming you on onto the programme soon! 

Satisfying your English Language Requirement

With the start of term rapidly approaching you will now be looking to meet all your conditions, including any English language requirements to make sure you are ready for the start of term. As there is often high demand for places on tests such as IELTS over the summer months, it is important that you start preparing as early as possible! If you are not sure what test to take, please make sure you have had a look at the English language requirements page as this provides detailed information about the tests that we accept and the level that we require.

Test scores are valid for 2 years and MUST be valid on the start date of your programme, so if you have previously taken a test, please do check the date before relying on it to meet conditions.

Preparing for your English Language Test

Many of the English language test providers offer free online resources such as practice tests, test tutorials and short courses to help you with your test preparation. Depending on what test you are planning on taking, you should find the following sites useful:

British Council IELTS and Future Learn open up a *free, 6 week online course Understanding IELTS: Techniques for English Language Tests which offers test preparation guidance from ‘a video tutor and a team of experienced IELTS educators’ as stated on the FutureLearn website. Whilst completion of the course can’t be used to satisfy the Business School’s English language requirement, it should prove useful whilst you prepare to take the test. 

(*using the free trial option!)

Satisfying your offer condition

Admitted students should aim to meet the conditions of their offer by 7 August 2023. If you require a visa, it is advisable to aim to meet your conditions as early as possible to ensure that there is enough time to prepare for a visa application once CASs begin to be issued. As such, when booking your test, please keep in mind that the processing times for results vary between test providers. On their website, IELTS list a 13 day processing time (3-6 days for some online tests), TOEFL iBT lists a processing time of approximately 4-8 days, PTE advise you to contact them if you have not received a result within 5 days and Duolingo results can be available 48 hours after completing the test.

If you have booked a test, good luck! If you have not yet booked a test, please try and do this as soon as possible. Finally, if you have completed a test that satisfies our English language requirement, please have a look at the Next Steps page to see how and where to submit your results. If you think getting a test in on time is going to be a problem, please do let us know as soon as possible as we may be able to recommend an alternative!

We hope to see you on one of our programmes!

Welcome guide to South Kensington

Welcome to Imperial Business School and welcome to South Kensington – the cultural and intellectual hub of London. The origins of South Kensington as a centre for learning and culture date back to the Great Exhibition of 1851 which took place in nearby Hyde Park – the legacy of which has been commemorated in the naming of Exhibition Road. Wishing to bring education and culture to the masses, Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert set out his vision of South Kensington as a cultural Mecca filled with museums and institutions promoting art, music, science, culture and history. The area coined the name ‘Albertopolis’ in the 1850’s and while Albert died in 1861 before his vision was fully realised, the Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens now watches over the area.

Home to the Natural History Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum, Science Museum, Royal Albert Hall, and of course Imperial London, the area remains a hive of cultural and intellectual activity over 150 years after its first conception. 

Attractions:

Natural History Museum

Arguably the most famous and recognisable of the museums, the Natural History Museum draws around 5 million visitors per year. The famous Diplodocus ‘Dippy’ who was resident of the central entrance hall for almost 40 years has recently gone on tour around UK museums and has been replaced by a giant 25 metre long Blue Whale skeleton. Split into zones covering Earth, Volcanoes, Mammals, Dinosaurs, Birds, Human Biology, Minerals and Ecology to name but a few – it’s impossible to see everything in one visit but as entry is free you can keep coming back time and time again without spending a penny (unless you get enticed into one of the gift shops). Be sure to visit at Christmas when the famous Natural History Museum Ice Rink opens for some festive fun!

Natural History Museum

Science Museum

Our next door neighbours have been a resident of Exhibition Road since 1857 and operated as ‘The Science Museum’ since 1909. The ever-expanding collection contains steam engines from the Industrial Revolution, satellites from the Space Age and everything in between. They hold themed late night events the last Wednesday of every month – past events have included silent discos, hula hoop workshops, and talks on topics from freak shows to the last Tsars of Russia. Entry to the museum is free but exhibitions and other events may charge.

Science Museum

V&A Museum

Named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, the V&A museum is the largest museum of design and decorative arts in the world! Formerly known as the South Kensington Museum, it was renamed the V&A museum in 1899 – Queen Victoria’s last public appearance. If you look at the exterior of the building on Exhibition Road, you can see the bomb damage from the Blitz of World War II, left as an enduring reminder of the values of the museum in a time of conflict. Today the collection is split into four departments; 1. Asia, 2. Furniture, Textiles and Fashion, 3. Sculpture, Metalwork, Ceramics & Glass, 4. Word & Image. It holds the work of some of the world’s leading fashion designers including Coco Chanel, Cristobal Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent and Valentino Garavani. Entry is free but exhibitions and events may charge.

Victoria Albert Museum

Kensington Palace

The official residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (William and Kate) and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (Harry and Meghan), Kensington Palace was built in 1605 and has played host to a number of British monarchs over the years. It was the birthplace of Queen Victoria and she was the first person to open the palace to the public in 1898. Today, you can explore state apartments of Queen Mary II from the 1690’s and of King George II from the 1700’s as well as exhibitions on Queen Victoria and Princess Diana. Kensington Palace gardens are also open to the public and entry is free – the Sunken Garden is definitely worth a visit. Take a picnic and sit by the round pond – but be careful the swans don’t take off with your lunch!

Kensington Palace

Royal Albert Hall

Officially opened to the public in March 1871 by HRH The Prince of Wales on behalf of his mother, HM Queen Victoria, who was in attendance but too upset to speak as the hall was named after her late husband Prince Albert who had died 10 years earlier. The stage at the Royal Albert Hall has been graced by some of the most famous artists in the world including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Frank Sinatra, Elton John, Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga. The hall hosts the annual BBC Proms, a series of orchestral classical music concerts that take place across 8 weeks of the summer. Tours of the music hall are available.

Eating and Drinking:

Bumpkin

Located on Old Brompton Road, Bumpkin is a modern British ‘gastropub’, serving British classics such as Fish and Chips and Sausage & Mash, as well as modern dishes such as Curried Ox Cheek and Candied Beets Salad. The food is really high quality and uses fresh seasonal British produce. They have a set menu Monday-Friday until 4pm where you can get 2 courses for £15.95 or 3 courses for £21.95. Fun fact – Bumpkin was featured in an episode of British reality show Made in Chelsea.

Bumpkin

Stein’s Berlin

Recently opened, Stein’s Berlin Bar and Restaurant sits directly opposite Imperial Business School on Princes Gate and is bringing a taste of Germany to South Kensington. The interior is what I would describe as ‘minimal chalet chic’ – very on trend right now. Renowned for its beer – Stein’s offers a wide range of German beers available in huge steins, from classic Paulaner Lager of Munich to modern Heidi Blonde craft beer produced in Elephant & Castle. Perhaps Schnapps and cocktails are more your bag? The Applestrudel Martini is delicious! They also have a great food menu to soak up all of that alcohol – it’s very traditional (and delicious) German fayre and the meter long sausage platter is not to be missed! Prost!

Steins Berlin

Eastside

A firm favourite amongst staff and students alike – Eastside is located in Prince’s gardens on the ground floor of Linstead Hall. Serving pints of beer for around £3.60 – very competitively priced for London – this is the go-to spot on campus for cheap and cheerful food and drinks. The pizzas are HUGE and will only set you back around £8. Eastside is the perfect venue for you to grab a quick lunch between lectures or meet up with friends in the evenings. It gets busy on a Friday afternoon as Imperial staff and students pop over for a post-work drink – you may even see us there from time to time.

Eastside

Lido Café and Bar

The Lido Café and Bar located on the banks of The Serpentine in Hyde Park is the perfect spot for those #summervibes Instagram posts. On a sunny day you can sit outside and watch the swimmers brave the cold waters in the Lido and people-watch for hours. It might not have quite the same atmosphere in winter, but the food is really good!

Lido

South Kensington Farmers Market

Held on campus every Tuesday on the Queen’s Lawn, the South Kensington Farmers Market is a great place to grab some delicious street food at lunchtime. There’s a wide range of cuisines from all over the world and plenty of vegetarian and vegan options, all using fresh local and seasonal produce. You can also pick up fresh fruit and vegetables, jams and chutneys! Some stalls do accept card payments – the market runs from 09:00-14:00.

Discover South Kensington

To keep up to date on the latest goings on you can visit the Discover South Kensington website and sign up to their newsletter.

South Kensington is a great place to work and study and I hope you enjoy getting to know the area. Make the most of your time here at Imperial Business School –and good luck with your programme and future careers!

Helen Richardson

About Helen Richardson

Content Marketing Officer
Content Marketing Officer, working on content creation.

Celebrating 20 years of MSc Finance at the London Stock Exchange

Marking the anniversary of 20 successful years of MSc Finance, over 160 alumni, students and faculty on the programme congregated at a special event at the London Stock Exchange.

Over the last 20 years, the finance industry has faced a period of uncertainty and disruption, driven in part by the revolution of technology. Despite the ever-changing industry, our MSc Finance has continued to equip students with the skills that will be relevant to the industry today and into the future.

MSc Finance is ranked 12th in the world by the FT and has the highest application rate on a postgraduate programme at Imperial London. This year we are very proud that MSc Finance has achieved gender parity with 50% female students for the first time in 20 years.

The London Stock Exchange was abuzz with excited chatter as alumni reminisced with their former classmates and caught-up with the faculty members who guided them through their degrees. Students had the opportunity to network with, and get advice from alumni, as they embark on their career in finance.

Networking was put on hold for the main event of the night, Professor David Miles in conversation with the Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney. Professor Francisco Veloso, Dean of Imperial Business School, opened the talk with a warm welcome.

Lara Cathcart

This was followed by a speech from Dr Lara Cathcart, Academic Director of MSc Finance and MSc Risk Management & Financial Engineering. Lara has been with the programme since day one and was an integral figure in the launch of the MSc Finance 20 years ago. She reflected on the early days of the programme:

I cannot believe it has been 20 years since we launched this MSc Finance. I can still remember the conversation we were having at the time. Would there be enough demand for such a degree in finance? How many students would we be able to attract? Needless to say, whatever doubts we had about the viability of such a Master’s, they were dismissed very early on.

Lara attributed the success of the programme to the experience and foresight of previous Academic Directors, the great finance programme team, world-class faculty and the students and alumni, who she said are our greatest ambassadors.

MSc Finance 20 years Feature

We spoke to alumni, Advisory Board members and students about their experience on MSc Finance and the anniversary event.

Ali Akbar Ahsan

MSc Finance 1999. Partner at Magellan Capital.

“The MSc Finance is truly multidisciplinary and unique in this respect. It was an innovative idea at the time of its launch and has stood the test of time, demonstrating its value then and now. It helped me secure my first role with Barclays and played an important role in my career progression since.”

Pallavi Bhalla

Current MSc Finance student.

“The event tonight was a great experience. It was really nice to hear Mark Carney speak about his experiences, what he thinks the trends are going to be in the future. It was a nice way to interact with alumni and everyone on my programme in a more informal setting.”

Daniella Llanos Flores

MSc Finance 2012. Senior Market Risk Manager at Credit Suisse.

“The MSc Finance programme was key in kick-starting my career in financial services. The solid technical skills training gave me an advantage versus other candidates – Imperial’s MSc Finance curriculum is definitely amongst the best in the UK. Additionally, in my case in particular, it was the alumni network that allowed me to find and get my first set of interviews upon finishing the degree. As a matter of fact, it was through an alumnus that I found a position in Credit Suisse’s Market Risk department.”

Robert McWilliam

MSc Finance Advisory Board. Managing Director at ING Bank.

“I am a banker with 30 years’ experience in capital markets and PRMIA Global Board member.  I bring some of my work challenges and observations to the Board so the programme remains current. Quantitative skills are a core requirement in banking.  I can – and have – employed an Imperial Business School MSc student and know that they will make an immediate contribution.”

Maeva Montagnier

MSc Finance 2017. Fixed Income Capital Markets Analyst at Morgan Stanley.

“I chose to do another Master’s because I really wanted to work in London in a top-tier bank, and I knew that my first degree was not enough to get me this. I chose Imperial because the MSc was ranked number one in the UK, provided the ability to tailor the programme to the skills I wanted to develop during the year. It also has a very strong reputation with employers who value and recognise the quality of Imperial’s graduates.”

About Nicole Pires

Content Marketing Manager
Nicole is the Content Marketing Manager for Programmes Marketing.

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The Quantitative Experience Statement Explained

A common question we get asked is – what is the quantitative experience statement? All MSc applicants are required to complete this section of the application form and it helps us to assess your academic background.

We understand that this may seem daunting if your first degree was in a non-quantitative subject and if you have studied a quantitative subject at degree level, then you might also be confused about which topics to include. The quantitative experience statement is essentially a list of the five most quantitative modules you have studied. If you have not studied five quantitative modules at degree level you can include older achievements e.g. A-level Maths, IB Maths. 

Familiarity with basic mathematics will help you whilst on the programme and with your future career

All of our MSc programmes contain quantitative elements so all candidates are expected to be familiar with a basic level of mathematical knowledge. For the less quantitative MSc Programmes such as MSc Strategic Marketing, MSc International Health Management, and MSc Climate Change, Management & Finance, it is totally fine if you haven’t studied maths beyond compulsory classes in high school.

Sometimes really strong candidates can be intimidated by the quantitative experience statement, don’t be put off by this – we ask about your quantitative abilities to encourage you to consider the programme content and your future career path. Regardless of the role, there is no harm in being confident with numbers so that you can better understand data in your job.

Most of our Management MSc programmes are open to graduates from all academic backgrounds and a considerable proportion of our current classes have studied an arts or humanities degree.

If you haven’t studied maths for a long time, doing a GMAT or GRE test will give you a chance to brush up on your quantitative skills and can add weight to your application. The confidence from a good score in the quantitative section of the test will place you in a good position for the online self-studying modules over the summer and may even encourage you to consider programme pathways and careers that you had not previously.

Check the quantitative experience requirements before applying

For our more quantitative programmes (MSc Finance, MSc Finance & Accounting, MSc Financial Technology, MSc Investment & Wealth Management, MSc Business Analytics, MSc Risk Management & Financial Engineering and MSc Economics & Strategy for Business) this a key section of the application form that does influence the selection process so please check the entry requirements for your programme before you apply.

Jerry Voong, Admissions Officer for MSc Economics and Strategy for Business has some advice for prospective applicants.

“If it isn’t clear on your transcript that you have studied macro AND microeconomics then the quantitative experience statement is a great place to show us. Expand on the “introduction to economics” module on your transcript and outline what you studied.”

The finance suite of programmes are much more rigorous and students are expected to join the programme with an advanced level of mathematical skills. Ensuring that you have chosen the programme that best suits your previous studies can be key to a successful application. Sarah Eggleton, the Admissions Officer for the Finance Masters' programmes comments on this saying “it’s always really disappointing when you see a really great candidate without the quantitative grounding to allow them to succeed on a Finance Masters''”. This means that we won’t be able to make an offer even if the student would otherwise be a really good fit for the Business School.

Applicants for MSc Business Analytics must have a quantitative background to ensure that they have the best chance of success to be proficient in R, Python and SQL by the end of the programme. Most of the modules in the programme use at least one of these languages. Whilst prior experience in coding is not required, all students must be willing to learn programming from the start of the programme. Many admitted students will have already taken free online classes out of general interest if they did not study coding as part of their degree or through their job.

Applying for the finance suite of programmes? Take our online maths test!

We advise all prospective students for MSc Finance, MSc Finance & Accounting, MSc Financial Technology, MSc Investment & Wealth Management and MSc Risk Management & Financial Engineering programmes to take our online maths test. This gives candidates a chance to test their quantitative ability and determine if they are suitable to apply for one of these programmes. This maths test is the minimum level that is required to succeed. Almost 50% of the current Risk Management & Financial Engineering students have a background in mathematics, with the remainder having studied subjects such as engineering, economics and finance.

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