Subject Guide to FinTech (Financial Technology)

FinTech postgraduate courses

FinTech is short for Financial Technology and includes any technology that the financial industries use. This can include anything from the technology behind online banking to the technology needed by stock markets to enable trading. As online banking becomes the way that most people manage their finances, an understanding of FinTech is becoming increasingly important for a range of careers in the finance industries.

The options of study concerning the field of FinTech includes a huge variety of postgraduate courses and approaches. Universities offer postgraduate courses that vary from a short six-week course to gain a basic understanding of FinTech to masters programs in FinTech, and even PhD opportunities.

What trends are driving this new field?

Blockchain currency has been big news for a few years, and this technology is likely to start to move into other areas of life, such as employee payments via crypto-currencies like Bitcoin. Other trends in FinTech are payroll applications that allow employees to access their payments a day or two early and payment management systems for banks using blockchain currencies to speed up transactions. Regulators are beginning to show more interest in FinTech, opening up more opportunities for postgraduate students interested in financial regulation.

Find your PERFECT BUSINESS PROGRAM

Where can you study FinTech at the postgraduate level?

There are lots of options when it comes to studying FinTech or other related business subjects at postgraduate level as you can study a masters degree, MBA or PhD all in different areas of FinTech. Most universities will offer some sort of education in FinTech, but it might be only a module on a related course rather than a postgraduate program specifically in FinTech.

The UK has a significant financial services sector and therefore has a large selection of courses available, for example the MSc in Financial Technology at Manchester Metropolitan University; the Masters in Finance, Technology & Policy at The University of Edinburgh; the MSc in Financial Technology at Imperial Business School and the FinTech MSc at the University of Stirling.

Outside of the UK, the University of Amsterdam offers a Finance and Technology concentration as part of its MBA in Finance, which is conducted in English.

How do you choose a Masters in FinTech?

Choosing the best masters in FinTech depends on what you need from your postgraduate study. Some masters programs are aimed at those students who have already been working within finance for at least three years, whilst other masters programs in this field are for those students who wish to move into the financial industries, but these courses tend to be competitive, so you should have some relevant work experience when you apply.

There are also online options and these are usually part-time and these are a great option for those students who are already working. Ideally, if you are interested in entering the FinTech field you will have a few contacts within the financial services and banking industries to speak to about which courses are well-regarded or recommended. Otherwise, read related industry magazines and websites, as they will review courses occasionally. Finally, it is a good idea to speak with current or recent graduates from the courses you are considering to help you decide if it is the right FinTech postgraduate course for you.

What modules will you study?

What you will study for a FinTech masters will depend on the type of course that you study.

The MSc in Financial Technology at the University of Strathclyde has modules on topics including Programming for FinTech, Quantitative Business Analysis, Risk Management for Banks, and Business Information Systems.

At the University of Birmingham, the MSc in Financial Technology includes modules on Corporate Finance; Blockchain, Financial Applications and Cybersecurity; and Ethical AI and Regulations in FinTech.

The MSc in Finance, Technology and Policy at The University of Edinburgh concentrates on the regulation of FinTech and modules include Financial Markets and Investment; Principles of Data Analytics; Machine Learning in Financial Services; and Financial Market Microstructure.

MBAs in FinTech

The first business school in the world to offer an MBA focusing on FinTech was Stern Business School in the US in 2016 (source).

However, there are now MBA programs that now have a focus on FinTech in the UK, such as Anglia Ruskin University who offer an MBA in FinTech and Data Analytics. Meanwhile, on mainland Europe, the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands an MBA in Finance with a FinTech concentration, and this course has more of an international emphasis and includes modules on topics such as Data Analytics and Quantitative Trading; Machine Learning & AI in Finance; and Financial Analysis and Valuation.

MBA programs in the UK and worldwide now offer students the opportunity to study a module on FinTech rather than concentrating on this field entirely, but you will need to make sure that this module is running the year you undertake your MBA if it is important to you.

PhDs in FinTech?

It is possible to study a PhD in FinTech and in fact there are lots of funding opportunities for PhDs in this field, as many private companies want to have access to current research into cutting edge financial technologies.

The University of Edinburgh has options for research into FinTech for a PhD. The University of Portsmouth also has a research focus on FinTech, as does the University of Glasgow and the University of Strathclyde.

Student case study

FinTech Student Case Study Kevin Xuhui Li is a recent graduate from the MSc in Financial Technology at Imperial College London. Kevin enjoyed learning both the fundamentals of finance and the recent technological advances in the financial industries. During his time on the postgraduate program, Kevin made use of social clubs to meet other like-minded students and gain relevant experience in the world of finance.

Studying FinTech at postgraduate level opens up a wealth of interesting careers to students. Some postgraduate FinTech courses are designed for students who already have experience in the financial industries and wish to build on an existing career. In many cases, postgraduate FinTech students are already working in the financial industries but are planning on moving towards management consultancy roles with FinTech as their specialty, and studying this field at postgraduate level can help this career progression. Some masters programs in FinTech are aimed at students wishing to move into FinTech, and these careers might be as designers of new FinTech products or as advisors or entrepreneurs using FinTech to invest with or wishing to invest in FinTech products. Careers that FinTech graduates might choose to enter include:

● Compliance expert
● Blockchain developer
● App developer
● Data specialist
● Financial analyst
● Product manager
● Cybersecurity analyst
● Quantitative analyst

FinTech salaries

This table illustrates the average salaries for careers in various areas of FinTech in the UK in 2026.

FinTech Career	Average Salary
Blockchain Analyst	£66,144
Information Security Analyst	£52,962
Product Manager	£68,624
Quantitative Analyst	£80,603
App Developer	£47,332
Financial Analyst	£45,693