BSc Finance (study online)
Understand financial markets, institutions and investment decisions. The online BSc Finance degree combines rigorous financial theory with quantitative analysis and LSE’s globally renowned social science perspective.
Develop your understanding of financial markets, asset pricing, corporate finance, investments and risk management, alongside economics, mathematics and statistics. You will learn to analyse financial data, evaluate financial decisions and apply quantitative methods to real-world financial problems.
Key information
- Qualification: Undergraduate Degree (BSc)
- Duration: 2 - 6 years (Graduate Entry) | 3 - 6 years (Standard Entry)
- Type of study: Online
- Intakes: February, May, August & November
- Awarding body: University of London
- Academic direction: The London School of Economics and Political Science
Why choose LSE Global Programmes?
- Access a world-class education – wherever you are
Ranked #1 in the UK (Complete University Guide 2027) and #5 globally for social sciences and management (QS World University Rankings 2026), LSE is a world-leading university, specialising in social sciences. - Study online on your terms
Complete your undergraduate degree flexibly over 2 to 6 years, allowing you to balance your learning with work and other personal commitments, all without the added expense of relocating. - Earn a globally respected qualification
Your degree is awarded by the University of London (UoL), recognised internationally by employers and graduate schools. Many graduates progress to master’s study at LSE and other leading institutions. - Gain skills for real-world impact
Build analytical thinking, global perspectives, and problem-solving skills to tackle complex challenges across sectors and borders. Join a global alumni community driving change worldwide.
Start your journey with LSE Global Programmes – wherever you are
Interested in learning more or starting an application? Complete the form below and a member of the team will provide further information about studying this course online.
Why study Finance?
Finance shapes how businesses and financial institutions make decisions about investment, funding and risk. This degree combines financial theory with economics and quantitative analysis, helping you understand how financial markets operate and how financial decisions are made.
- Build a quantitative foundation
Develop knowledge in mathematics, statistics, economics, accounting and financial analysis. - Understand financial markets and institutions
Explore asset pricing, corporate finance, investment, financial institutions and risk management. - Apply finance to real-world decisions
Use financial data and analytical methods to evaluate investment, financing and risk-related problems.
Academic direction from LSE
LSE Global Programmes are all UoL qualifications. LSE is a federation member of UoL and provides academic direction for the Global Programmes portfolio. This means that LSE is responsible for:
- Planning the structure and content of each programme
- Developing and writing the study materials
- Setting assessments and marking
- Determining the academic regulations
Your final degree will be from UoL and will identify LSE as having developed the syllabus and curriculum and provided assessment.
Meet the Programme Director
Dr Paula Lopes-Cocco is an Associate Professor in the Department of Finance at LSE and Programme Director for Finance within LSE Global Programmes. Her research focuses on retirement saving and investments, personal bankruptcy and consumer credit.
Paula gained her PhD from Boston University and joined LSE in 2002, bringing extensive experience in finance research and teaching to the programme.
Programme structure
The BSc Finance degree is available through the Standard Route or Graduate Entry Route.
| Route | Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Route | 12 full courses | 360 credits |
| Graduate Entry Route | 9 full courses | 270 credits |
Students are advised to study around three full courses, or 90 credits, per academic year. The maximum registration period is six years, although students are encouraged to complete the programme within three to four years.
Students aiming to finish in three years should plan to take four full courses or equivalent each year.
The curriculum combines finance, economics and quantitative methods, developing the analytical skills needed to understand financial markets, evaluate financial decisions and apply finance theory to real-world problems.
The table below shows a suggested sample course sequence for students taking the programme through the Standard Entry Route over three years.
| Year One | Year Two | Year Three |
|---|---|---|
| AC1025 Principles of Accounting | FN2208 Financial Data Analysis | FN3204 Investments and Portfolio Management |
| ST104A Statistics 1* | EC2066 Microeconomics | FN3025 Corporate Finance |
| MT105A Mathematics 1* | FN2203 Principles of Asset Pricing | FN3206 Derivatives and Risk Management |
| FN1202 Introduction to Finance | FN2191 Principles of Corporate Finance | Open Choice** |
| EC1002 Introduction to Economics |
For more detailed information about individual courses, including course content and assessment, please visit the Course Information Sheets.
* Half course
** Open choice courses: Choose one 100-, 200- or 300-level course, or two half courses, from the Programme Specification, or two LSE Summer School courses.
You will study through a combination of flexible online learning, live interactive classes and academic support.
- Your digital campus
Access study materials, reading lists and peer discussion areas through the Virtual Learning Environment, as well as e-books and journal articles through the Online Library. - Live interactive classes
Join live online sessions to collaborate with class teachers and peers, evaluate ideas and solve problems together. - Comprehensive support
Receive academic guidance from class teachers, progression advice from a Student Success Advisor and tailored employability support through the Careers Service.
Programme specification
View the BSc Finance Programme Specification for full details on programme structure, learning outcomes, assessment and regulations.
Course outcomes
By the end of the BSc Finance degree, you will have developed analytical, quantitative and financial skills for understanding financial markets, institutions and decision-making.
You will be able to:
- analyse financial and numerical data using quantitative methods
- apply mathematical and statistical concepts to finance
- understand how financial markets and institutions operate
- evaluate how financial assets are priced
- analyse corporate investment and financing decisions
- understand financial management, risk and the use of financial instruments
- critically evaluate financial theories, evidence and alternative perspectives
Entry requirements
For access to the BSc Finance degree, you will usually meet the following criteria:
- Age 17+ by 30 November in the year of registration.
- Satisfy our General entrance requirements (see below).
- Demonstrate competence in mathematics at least equivalent to UK GCSE/GCE O-level at Grade C or equivalent.
We accept qualifications from around the world. To check your country equivalent, please contact our enrolment advisors.
If you do not already hold the relevant mathematics qualification, you may wish to consider completing LSE Maths Essentials. A mark of 50 per cent or above will fulfil the mathematics requirement for this programme.
If you already hold qualifications with similar learning outcomes to our degree modules, you can apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
Your entry requirements may vary depending on your age and previous qualifications:
- Age 20 or younger: you will usually need qualifications equivalent to three UK GCE A-levels at grades EED or above, or one year of university-level study.
- Age 21–26: you may qualify through Reduced/Mature Entry with one UK GCE A-level at Grade C or above, or an acceptable equivalent. Relevant work experience may also be considered.
- Age 27 or older: you may qualify through Reduced/Mature Entry with one UK GCE A-level at Grade E or above, or an acceptable equivalent. Relevant work experience may also be considered.
We accept qualifications from around the world. To check your country equivalent, please contact our enrolment advisors.
You need to demonstrate a good level of English to be admitted to our programmes. We accept a range of evidence, including proficiency test scores. If you don’t have evidence but believe you can meet the standard, we may consider your case. View English language requirements.
You may apply for Graduate Entry if you hold an acceptable undergraduate or postgraduate award. The awarding programme must be full time, at least one year in duration and considered at least comparable in level to a UK undergraduate degree. We will consider other undergraduate, postgraduate, professional membership and professional qualifications on an individual basis. You must also satisfy English language and mathematics requirements for your chosen degree.
We set minimum basic computer requirements because your study resources are accessed via the Student Portal and it is vital that you can access this regularly. For this degree, you will also need to be able to view video material and a media player (such as VLC) to play video files.
Tuition fees
The following fees apply to the August 2026, November 2026, February 2027 and May 2027 registration windows.
| UK residents* | Non-UK residents | |
|---|---|---|
| Half module/course fee (10 weeks) | £740 | £1,100 |
| Full module/course fee (20 weeks) | £1,470 | £2,190 |
| Indicative total programme fee | £17,640 | £26,280 |
The indicative total programme fee is based on completing 12 full modules/courses in the minimum study period without resits. Fees may be subject to an annual increase of up to 5%.
*UK residents include those eligible for UK Tuition Fee Loans from Student Finance England on the same basis as UK nationals.
How to apply
Applications to our online degree programmes are made online, through the University of London's application portal. Applications are specific per programme, and separated into standard and graduate entry.
View application linksYou can view the application deadlines for upcoming intakes in the table below.
| Intake | Application deadline |
|---|---|
| 9 November 2026 | 2 October 2026 |
| 1 February 2027 | 1 January 2027 |
| 24 May 2027 | 23 April 2027 |
If you have any questions about the application process, you can contact our team via email at online.degrees@lse.ac.uk.
Careers
The BSc Finance degree develops financial, analytical and quantitative skills that can be applied across a wide range of organisations and sectors. Graduates may go on to careers and further study in areas including:
- Accountancy
- Consulting
- Commercial Banking
- Investment
- Banking
- Trading
- Risk Management
- Financial Services
Dedicated career support
- Careers service: Access tailored employability support, online resources, expert-led webinars and employer and alumni events whether you are starting, developing or changing your career.
- Global alumni network: Automatically join a lifelong community of more than one million University of London graduates across 180+ countries.