Finance (Industry)

BSc Hons

  • UCAS code N301
  • Entry year 2025
  • A level requirements AAB
  • Duration Full time 4 years

Overview

Top reasons to study with us

  • 4

    4th for graduate prospects: Accounting & Finance

    The Guardian University Guide (2025)

  • 7

    7th for Accounting and Finance

    The Guardian University Guide (2025)

  • QS 5 Star rating for Accounting and Finance

Introduction

BSc Finance (Industry) can be a truly transformative four-year career-focused degree that includes a 12-month paid industry placement in year three. We have strong industry connections and provide opportunities for internships in the City of London and Shanghai. This course is designed to prepare you for a successful career in investment and finance through a combination of technical skills and practical experience. (It is quite common for students to receive a job offer from their placement host.)

Course overview

You will learn the practical skills needed to be a future leader in this challenging and exciting arena, and over the course of your degree, you will have plenty of opportunities to tailor your studies as your interests evolve.

You will begin by learning the bedrock of finance theory and methodology, and move on to study programming for financial applications, portfolio management, international financial markets, and advanced corporate finance.

Your first year includes Accounting and Finance, Quantitative Methods for Finance and Investment, plus Microeconomics and Macroeconomics.

Second-year students learn about Corporate Finance, Financial Engineering, Econometrics and Programming for Finance Applications.

Your third-year industrial placement in the financial and investment sector provides you with a positive, practical experience in a graduate role, gaining priceless business skills. You will see how well academic theories work in real-life situations, and gain insight into where your talents and interests lie for your future career.

In your final year, you choose all your modules, from Portfolio Management, Financial Markets, Bloomberg Analysis and Advanced Corporate Finance.

Throughout your studies, you will be led by academics at the frontier of financial research. Our researchers work on major European projects, including investigating how to apply artificial intelligence to banking, and on the art, precision and effectiveness of factor investing and hedge fund strategies. We have developed strong links with the Bank of England, top asset management companies, financial regulators and economists worldwide. Our connections with Invesco allow us to deliver joint conferences and seminars, providing you with insights from both top academics and industry professionals.

Key facts

There is the opportunity to study Python, the programming language which is a key component of finance technology, and much of the degree content is relevant and desirable to Chartered Financial Analyst.

The University will make all reasonable efforts to support you in finding a suitable placement for your studies. While a placement role may not be available in a field or organisation directly related to your studies or career aspirations, all roles offer valuable experience of working at graduate level, gaining a range of professional skills.

If you are unsuccessful in securing a suitable placement, you can transfer to the equivalent non-placement degree scheme and continue with your studies at Lancaster, finishing your degree after your third year. The University offers a range of shorter placement and internship opportunities, for which you would be welcome to apply.

Our Financial Services Careers Hub offers unique opportunities to access the world of finance and to prepare you for a successful career in a competitive industry. Finance Careers Coaches bring a wealth of financial services industry experience to the programme, for example, through delivering a third-year Financial Markets module, and supporting Lancaster students across the Financial Services industry. We work one-on-one with students, whether you are in your final year looking beyond study or in your first year applying for Investment Banking and Asset Management Spring Weeks.

As part of the course, there is the option to complete a period of study abroad, subject to availability. You can choose to study one module at one of our partner universities during the summer vacation period at the end of either your first or second year of studies.

Course outcomes

Our graduates leave as independent thinkers, problem solvers and skilled communicators. They have the hard skills that investment and financial firms are looking for and are incredibly well-prepared for interviews and entry assessments. Our graduates’ ability to analyse information quickly and precisely, respond to challenges, and work with others makes them highly attractive to employers.

Careers

All our Accounting and Finance degrees prepare you for a wide variety of careers in business, with many of our graduates working with professional firms and financial institutions, as well as large commercial and local government organisations. Roles include trainee accountants, finance managers and banking advisors.

Your degree will also equip you with highly desirable transferable skills which have helped recent graduates find work in the fields of financial customer service, IT support and marketing and communications. Many of our graduates also continue their academic studies and embark on Master's degrees.

Lancaster University is dedicated to ensuring you not only gain a highly reputable degree, but that you also graduate with relevant life and work-based skills. We are unique in that every student is eligible to participate in The Lancaster Award which offers you the opportunity to complete key activities such as work experience, employability/career development, campus community and social development. Visit our employability section for full details.

Lancaster University Management School has an award-winning careers team to provide a dedicated careers and placement service offering a range of innovative services for management school students. Our high reputation means we attract a wide range of leading global employers to campus offering you the opportunity to interact with graduate recruiters from day one of your degree.

Entry requirements

Grade requirements

A level AAB

GCSE Mathematics grade B or 6 (Applicants with a GCSE Maths grade 5 considered on a case-by-case basis), English Language grade C or 4

IELTS 6.5 overall with at least 5.5 in each component. For other English language qualifications we accept, please see our English language requirements web pages.

Other qualifications

International Baccalaureate 35 points overall with 16 points from the best 3 Higher Level subjects

BTEC Distinction, Distinction, Distinction

We welcome applications from students with a range of alternative UK and international qualifications, including combinations of qualification. Further guidance on admission to the University, including other qualifications that we accept, frequently asked questions and information on applying, can be found on our general admissions web pages.

Contact Admissions Team + 44 (0) 1524 592028 or via ugadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk

International foundation programmes

Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored foundation pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University degrees. Visit the INTO Lancaster University website for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.

Contextual admissions

Contextual admissions could help you gain a place at university if you have faced additional challenges during your education which might have impacted your results. Visit our contextual admissions page to find out about how this works and whether you could be eligible.

Course structure

Lancaster University offers a range of programmes, some of which follow a structured study programme, and some which offer the chance for you to devise a more flexible programme to complement your main specialism.

Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, and the University will make every reasonable effort to offer modules as advertised. In some cases changes may be necessary and may result in some combinations being unavailable, for example as a result of student feedback, timetabling, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes and new research. Not all optional modules are available every year.

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Fees and funding

Our annual tuition fee is set for a 12-month session, starting in the October of your year of study.

Our Undergraduate Tuition Fees for 2025/26 are:

Home International
£9,250 £25,450

Please note

Course fees for undergraduate home students are currently under review for 2025 entry, following the recent UK Government announcement.

Fees and funding information

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Scholarships and bursaries

You will be automatically considered for our main scholarships and bursaries when you apply, so there's nothing extra that you need to do.

You may be eligible for the following funding opportunities, depending on your fee status:

Unfortunately no scholarships and bursaries match your selection, but there are more listed on scholarships and bursaries page.

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We also have other, more specialised scholarships and bursaries - such as those for students from specific countries.

Browse Lancaster University's scholarships and bursaries.

Alumni profiles

Link: click to see Benjamin Forgacs
portrait photograph of Benjamin Forgacs

Benjamin Forgacs

BSc Finance (Industry), 2022

My favourite part about my course was that it covered a broad variety of topics... the content of the modules has been beneficial to prepare me for my graduate role.
Link: click to see Federico Di Marzio
portrait photograph of Federico Di Marzio

Federico Di Marzio

BSc Finance (Industry), 2021

I chose LUMS because it has a diverse international community, which appealed to me as a European student, and it also has a strong ranking in the league tables.

Important information

The information on this site relates primarily to 2025/2026 entry to the University and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.

The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.

More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.

Our Students’ Charter

We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. View our Charter and other policies.

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