Get started with your MPhil in Finance application

We are delighted you are thinking of applying for the MPhil in Finance. If you have a strong academic record with no prior professional experience and a passion for finance and research, then this masters programme is for you. 

Take the time to review our application process and admissions requirements. Ensure you apply early to make use of available funding opportunities and increase your chances of getting your preferred College placement.

Applications now closed

Applications for entry in 2024 have now closed. Admissions for 2025 will open in September 2024.

Student in lecture.

Who we are looking for?

The MPhil in Finance is an advanced degree programme that attracts bright students, from all parts of the world and from vastly diverse backgrounds. They learn from each other, contribute to the stimulating classroom experience and make friendships that last a lifetime.

The Master of Philosophy in Finance is for you if:

  • you have no more than one year of work experience after your first degree
  • you have a UK First Class Honours degree or international equivalent
  • your first degree contained a significant finance or quantitative component
  • you want to pursue a career in finance
  • you wish to continue to the PhD at Cambridge or elsewhere

Find out if the MPhil in Finance is right for you.

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Application process

Ready to apply for the MPhil in Finance? Here are the key steps.

Application preparation

Prepare your application

Start your application process as early as you can. Contact your referees, gather all required documentation and research Colleges. Applying early is especially important if you intend to apply for scholarship funding.

Application submission

When you’re ready, submit your application online

Submit your application form and supporting documents via the University of Cambridge Applicant Portal.

All the instructions on how to complete the application are included during the online application process. It’s worth taking the time to read the instructions carefully as any mistakes in your application may make it invalid and delay the application process. 

The fee to apply is £50, unless you’re eligible for a waiver.

Go to applicant portal

Applications for entry in 2024 have now closed. Admissions for 2025 will open in September 2024.

Receipt of application

Get receipt of your application

You will receive an email or letter of acknowledgement of receipt of your application and supporting documentation, and an ID number from the Postgraduate Admissions Office.

Application review

A review period where we consider applications

Our Admissions Committee meets to review applications and decide on conditional offers. This process takes several weeks. You will be notified of the outcome by email and the Applicant Portal.

Fraudulent applications

The University of Cambridge takes robust action against admissions fraud. If we find that fake documents or false information has been submitted, we will withdraw the application and any others made by the same person.

Learn more about postgraduate admissions fraud

Conditional offer

Successful candidates receive a Conditional Offer

If your application is successful, you will receive a formal offer letter via email and access to your Self-Service account

Use the Self-Service account to find out everything you need to know about the progress of your application and to provide the required documents to meet your offer conditions. You can also print a summary certificate of offer from your Self-Service account.

Please note that conditions attached to your offer may include:

  • financial (proving that you have the funds to support yourself while on the programme)
  • language (proving that your English language skills are proficient)
  • academic (the provision of original documents)

It is your responsibility to meet these requirements and to let the Postgraduate Admissions Office know when you have done so by providing the necessary documentary evidence.

Unconditional offer

Progress to unconditional offer

The Postgraduate Admissions Office will confirm by email and the Self-Service account that you may begin your MPhil programme at the start of the academic year. Where appropriate you will also receive a Confirmation of Acceptance of Study (CAS) certificate for visa application

You can now begin arranging your accommodation in Cambridge and make visa applications where applicable.

Our minimum requirements

Ensure you have everything you need to submit your optimal application. Below is the list of requirements for applying to the MPhil in Finance programme.

All applications are made online, and you need to submit all required supporting documentation, including references and transcripts. An online payment of £50 will be charged for the submission of your completed application, unless you are eligible for a waiver.

You’ll need a very high standard in a degree course of equivalent level to a UK bachelors degree with honours.

In most countries this is a first degree but from some countries a masters-level degree may be required. The minimum standard required is normally a UK First Class Honours (USA CGPA of 3.7/4.0) or equivalent from an overseas institution. Please refer to the Postgraduate Admissions website to find out the minimum requirement from graduates completing their studies in other countries.

Our programme welcomes all applicants from all over the world. However, due to the high number of applications and the limited number of candidates we can admit every year, the rejection rate of applications on the MPhil in Finance is usually high.

This is a pre-experience programme, so you should have no more than a year of work experience between completion of their first degree and enrolment on the MPhil in Finance (excluding holiday jobs and internships).

For finance professionals with a minimum of 2 years’ work experience who wish to develop their career in finance, we offer the post-experience Master of Finance programme

To study the Cambridge MPhil in Finance, you should be fluent in English. We assess fluency in the following ways:

  • if English is your native language
  • or you have an IELTS minimum overall score of 7.5, with not less than 7.0 in each element. The separate components must have been taken at the same time and in the past two years
  • or if you have a TOEFL internet-based test (iBT) minimum overall score of 110, with not less than 25 in each element.

Not yet taken a language test? Test result out-of-date or not up to the required standard? Don’t worry, you don’t have to include your English language test scores with your initial application documents; they can be forwarded on later in the process. If you are made an offer, one of the conditions of entry will be getting the required standard of language test score.

Applicants who nearly miss the language requirement are not normally referred to the Language Centre. To fulfil the language conditions you must take again an approved English test.

Your first degree must have contained a significant economics or quantitative component. If you wish to follow courses at the Faculty of Mathematics, you must have a high level of skill in maths, such as would be acquired in an undergraduate degree in mathematics or a cognate discipline.

  • If you have more than one year of work experience and wish to continue to a PhD at Cambridge Judge Business School on completion of the MPhil in Finance, your application will be considered only if you include a 1,500-word research proposal at the time of application. The research proposal is intended to demonstrate your ability to pursue a research-oriented academic career. It should identify the key research questions, review the relevant academic literature in the area, and highlight the expected contribution to knowledge.
  • If you have less than one year of work experience and wish to continue to a PhD at Cambridge or elsewhere, you should include a 500-mini research proposal at the time of application.
  • All applicants who intend to do a PhD should also include a sentence that explains what they plan to do after completing a PhD.
  • No research proposal is required from students who do not expect to continue to a PhD after the MPhil.

Have your CV (curriculum vitae, or résumé) ready to upload via the Applicant Portal, as this is a required part of your application for admission.

You’ll need to provide 2 academic references for your MPhil application. Please provide your referees’ work emails (not personal emails), so we can forward an automated reference request from the application portal. You’ll be able to track your references online.

Fees and funding for MPhils

Find out more about financing your MPhil and explore scholarships and loans available to you.

Fees and funding
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