MSc Finance and Private Equity

This unique programme offers unparalleled access to leading private equity researchers and practitioners who actively participate in the development of the field.

The programme is built upon the highly successful MSc Finance (full-time) programme, with the addition of a mandatory course in private equity. You'll focus on topics including the structure of private equity (PE) funds and how PE can be used in start-ups, in scaling-up cash flow businesses, and in restructuring firms facing financial distress.

As well as lectures, discussion and case studies, you'll benefit from regular practitioner-led teaching. You'll have the opportunity to gain deeper practical insight and links to the City, and to meet and network with the MSc Finance (part-time) students throughout the year.

Graduates of this highly-respected programme benefit from excellent career prospects in investment banks, consultancies, and a variety of financial institutions.

GMAT or GRE is required for all applicants without a UK undergraduate degree (GMAT strongly preferred). GMAT is recommended for applicants with UK undergraduate degrees, especially those whose quantitative skills are not demonstrated by their undergraduate studies, or those who did not achieve or are not expected to achieve a first class degree.

More information about GRE/GMAT

The foundation of the programme is built in the first term with study of two core courses: Corporate Finance and Asset Markets. Corporate Finance begins with the firm's investment decision and the cost of capital. This in turn is linked to the firm’s financial structure and market environment where the firm operates. It studies in detail major financial decisions including dividend choice, going public, mergers and acquisitions, and restructuring in financial distress. Asset Markets takes you from fundamental concepts to up-to-date applications in fixed-income, equity and derivatives markets.

In the second term, you'll deepen your specific knowledge of private equity by taking a mandatory course in private equity, in which you'll complete a 6,000-word structured project.

Additionally, during the second term you'll take three optional half unit courses on topics such as financial systems, risk management, portfolio management methods, advanced derivatives and structured financial products, fixed income, advanced corporate finance and applied financial valuation.

MSc comparison: an overview of all the master’s programmes

The Department of Finance is one of the largest and most highly respected finance groups in the UK and Europe.

With a longstanding reputation for excellence in both teaching and research, we offer various undergraduate, postgraduate and executive programmes.

Our research and teaching span the full range of financial sub-fields, including:

• corporate finance
• asset pricing theory
• risk management
• empirical analysis of capital markets
• behavioural finance
• portfolio analysis
• derivatives pricing
• microstructure
• financial econometrics.

We're also closely associated with two leading research groups at LSE – the Financial Markets Group and Systemic Risk Centre, which host seminars, conferences and public lectures by renowned academics and practitioners.

Our research is regularly published in leading academic journals globally. Faculty members work closely with national and international institutions, such as the Bank of England and the World Bank, informing policy at the highest levels.

The department was ranked the top place to study finance in the Good University Guide 2024.

Learn more about our programmes and research.

Department of Finance

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified prospective students. At LSE, we want to recruit students with the best academic merit, potential and motivation, irrespective of background.

We carefully consider each application and take into account all the information included on your application form, including your:

• academic achievement
• additional test scores
• two academic references
• CV
• academic statement of purpose.

See further information on supporting documents

Important information

The MSc Finance (full-time) and the MSc Finance and Private Equity are identical programmes with the exception that the course FM410 Private Equity is mandatory for MSc Finance and Private Equity students, whereas it is optional for MSc Finance students.

Therefore, you should not select one of these programmes as your first-choice and the other as your second-choice programme. Instead, you should select your preferred programme only. If the MSc Finance and Private Equity is the preferred option, you should demonstrate why you are particularly suitable for, and want to study, private equity.

Contact us

If you have any questions about the academic programme or admissions process please contact the Department of Finance Admissions team at finance.admissionsenquiries@lse.ac.uk.

Applications for this programme are considered on a rolling basis. This means that applications will close once the programme is full.

There is no fixed deadline. However, if you’d like to be considered for any funding opportunities, you must submit your application (and all supporting documents) by the funding deadline. See the fees and funding section below for more details.

For this programme, all students pay the same tuition fees, regardless of their fee status.

Deposit

To secure a place on the programme offer holders will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit of 10% of the tuition fee.

For offers issued before May, the deposit will be due within 28 days of receiving the offer.

For offers issued from May onwards, the deadlines are as follows:

• May: within 21 days
• June: within 14 days
• July and August: within 7 days

For this programme, all students pay the same tuition fees, regardless of their fee status.

Deposit

To secure a place on the programme offer holders will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit of 10% of the tuition fee.

For offers issued before May, the deposit will be due within 28 days of receiving the offer.

For offers issued from May onwards, the deadlines are as follows:

• May: within 21 days
• June: within 14 days
• July and August: within 7 days

Formative work

This is coursework that doesn't count towards your final grade. For the majority of courses, you'll be set weekly problem sets which you should complete before the following week’s class, where the teacher will work through solutions and answer questions. This provides you with an idea of how well you understand the material throughout the year. An indication of the formative coursework and summative assessment for each course can be found in the relevant course guide.

Summative work

This is coursework that counts towards your final grade. All of the dedicated courses on the MSc Finance programme contain a summative coursework element.

Different courses set different types of summative work, however students should expect several pieces of work to be submitted over an eleven week term. Some courses require weekly submission of problem sets which all make up a small percentage of the final grade. In many courses you'll also take in-class assessments under exam conditions.

Graduates of the department have excellent career prospects relative to their peers. Our MSc programmes prepare students for a range of careers in investment banking, consulting and the wider financial services sector.

Our graduates take up demanding positions across a diversity of organisations spread around the globe. Some engage in their own start-ups, others join investment banks, brokerage houses, consultancies, financial boutiques and industrial concerns.

Top employers of 2023:

• JP Morgan
• Morgan Stanley
• UBS
• Santander Corporate & Investment Banking
• Citi
• BCG
• CICC.

Top employment locations:

• London
• Shanghai
• Frankfurt
• Hong Kong
• Bangkok.

In addition to the internationally recognised research environment and academic rigour of its teaching programmes, a great advantage of studying at LSE is the reputation it holds amongst employers for producing high level graduates. Both the LSE Careers Service and the Department of Finance aim to help its students be as successful as possible on the job market once they graduate from the programme.