Finance with Year Abroad

Finance is the discipline concerned with how individuals, firms and governments manage money over time and under uncertainty. It encompasses the principles of investment and valuation, the management of financial risk, the functioning of capital markets and the relationship between financial decisions and the broader economy. Studying finance provides the analytical tools needed to understand and work in some of the most consequential and technically demanding parts of the economy, from investment banking and asset management to corporate treasury and public financial management.

At the University of Reading, this four-year degree includes a year abroad at one of Reading's international partner institutions, giving you the opportunity to develop your financial education in a different academic and cultural environment and to build the international perspective that careers in global financial markets increasingly require. Reading's finance provision has a particular emphasis on sustainable finance, the emerging discipline concerned with how capital allocation and financial risk management can be aligned with environmental, social and governance goals. You will study corporate finance, investment analysis, portfolio management, financial markets and institutions, derivatives and risk management alongside the frameworks for evaluating and integrating sustainability considerations into financial decision-making.

The combination of rigorous financial training and sustainable finance expertise is increasingly relevant as investors, regulators and companies face growing pressure to understand and manage climate and other sustainability-related financial risks. Graduates who understand both the technical dimensions of finance and the sustainability agenda have a distinctive advantage in a rapidly evolving professional landscape.

Graduates go on to careers in investment management, banking, corporate finance, financial analysis, risk management, sustainable investment, financial regulation and consultancy. Further study in finance, financial economics or related fields at masters or professional level is also a common route for those seeking specialist or senior roles.