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Our dynamic new interdisciplinary Masters programme in Law and Finance offers students a cutting-edge education at the crossroads of law, finance, economics, and accounting.
Overview
The Masters in Law and Finance is delivered by the Faculty of Laws, the School of Management and the Department of Economics at UCL. It is designed to equip students with the necessary skills to navigate the complex interplay between law and finance and confidently tackle issues that arise in modern financial markets.
At its core, the MSc Law and Finance programme recognises that law is not an abstract or isolated discipline, but a practical tool shaped by—and responsive to—the markets, institutions, and transactions it governs. In real-world settings, law must be applied, not just understood. This programme is designed to help students engage with those practical dynamics from the outset, encouraging them to approach legal questions with a deep awareness of the economic and regulatory forces at play. By integrating legal and financial perspectives within a single, coherent academic framework, the programme provides a foundation that is both intellectually rigorous and firmly rooted in the realities of contemporary legal and financial practice.
Why choose this programme?
In today’s interconnected and highly regulated financial markets, it is increasingly important for professionals to be equipped with comprehensive knowledge across law, finance, economics, and accounting. Our innovative, executive-style programme is designed to bridge these disciplines, ensuring that graduates are well-prepared to adapt to evolving market conditions and emerging challenges, making them valuable assets to any organisation.
A central priority of the programme is the thoughtful integration of professional experience into academic training. We have developed two complementary pathways in collaboration with leading firms, designed to help students apply their knowledge in real-world contexts.
Case Study Deal Simulations
This pathway consists of an intensive series of deal simulations, led by experienced practitioners and academics. These simulations allow students to engage with the full lifecycle of model transactions, developing practical skills and strategic insight in a controlled, yet realistic, environment.
Work Placement
This pathway offers placements within corporate law firms and financial institutions, where students work alongside practitioners on live matters. These placements provide invaluable exposure to the legal, commercial, and regulatory dimensions of transactional work, offering a grounded understanding of how law operates in practice.
Graduates from this programme will emerge with:
- A robust toolkit of analytical techniques and empirical knowledge.
- The ability to critically assess regulatory and policymaking challenges in corporate and financial markets.
- The skills to evaluate and address complex interactions between law and finance.
- Preparedness for professional roles across various sectors.
Who should apply?
The programme is designed for students with an interest in law, finance, or a related field. It will equip students with the analytical techniques, empirical knowledge, and transferable skills needed to thrive in the dynamic fields of law and finance.
Students can choose to complete the programme in one year of full-time study or over two years of part-time study, making it suitable for both recent graduates and working professionals.
Programme structure
Taught by leading experts in law and finance, the core modules offered on the programme are designed exclusively for students on the MSc in Law and Finance. They blend a thorough overview of financial and regulatory theory with case studies and real-world transactions for students to analyse and discuss in class.
The programme emphasises applying learned theory through practical experience and professional development, enabling students to gain hands-on experience, develop professional skills and build valuable connections. For the required experiential practice component of this programme, students can apply to either:
- write a report on a work placement with a financial/legal institution (subject to availability); OR
- write a report on a number of corporate and finance case study deal simulations undertaken with practitioners, industry experts and expert academics; OR
- write an independent practice project or research essay at the intersection of law and finance supervised by an expert academic.
The work placements and case study deal simulations will involve a selection and matching process to ensure students are not only aligned with their personal skills and interests but also meet the specific needs and expectations of the relevant financial/legal institution or practitioner and industry expert leads.
- Term 1
Compulsory modules:
MSIN0258 - Economic Foundations of Regulation and Government
MSIN0259 – Investments and Asset Management
LAWS0377 – Theory and Practice of the Law of Corporate FinanceOptional modules:
Students will choose optional modules across term 1 and term 2 totaling 45 credits from a list of approved modules from the LLM or MSc Finance programmes.
- Term 2
Compulsory modules:
MSIN0256 – Corporate Transactions and Restructuring
LAWS0377 – Theory and Practice of the Law of Corporate FinanceOptional modules:
Students will choose optional modules across term 1 and term 2 totalling 45 credits from a list of approved modules from the LLM or MSc Finance programmes.
- Term 3
Compulsory modules:
The remaining 45 compulsory credits are obtained through the completion of a final project, which distinguishes the MSc from interim postgraduate degrees; the aim of this piece of work is to demonstrate the skills students have learned on the programme. Students can choose to either write a report on a work placement with a financial/legal institution (subject to availability); write a report on a number of corporate and finance case study deal simulations undertaken with practitioners, industry experts and expert academics; or write an independent practice project or research essay at the intersection of law and finance supervised by an expert academic.
In part-time study mode, students are expected to take the four compulsory core modules in year one and the optional modules, together with the work placement or dissertation, in year two.
Career Prospects
Upon completing the Masters in Law and Finance, graduates will possess a distinct competitive advantage, well-equipped to pursue diverse and rewarding career opportunities in a range of sectors, including law firms, financial institutions, regulatory agencies, consulting firms, and multinational corporations.