Finance (Investments) with Placement Year

Prepare for a career in the fast-paced industries of investment banking, asset management, corporate finance or general accounting – and gain valuable real-world experience – with our BSc Finance (Investments) with Placement Year degree.

Recent changes in finance – including the emergence of financial technology and the focus on sustainability – have necessitated changes throughout the industry.

This four-year courses develops the key skills and knowledge to meet these changes head-on, as you gain a deep understanding of finance and the financial services industry. An integrated Placement Year provides a fantastic opportunity to put your skills into practice in preparation for your future career.

Experts from Henley Business School will introduce you to the:
- fundamental principles of accounting, finance and economics


- quantitative techniques of finance


- role of finance in business and society


- ethics required to work in the finance industry.


As your studies progress, you’ll gain deeper knowledge of the core concepts in:
- portfolio management


- financial modelling


- corporate finance


- econometrics for finance


• FX and international debt markets



- hedging and trading.


You’ll learn through a combination of lectures, seminars, practical workshops, and self-guided study. This will provide the opportunity to discuss subject materials in an in-depth way with your lecturers and fellow students.

Henley Business School is recognised as one of the top institutions in the UK for finance and accounting. We are:
- top 30 in the UK for overall subject (ranked 28th in The Times & Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025 and 26th in the Guardian University Guide 2025)


- top 20 in the UK for graduate prospects (ranked 16th in the Complete University Guide 2025).


All of our finance degrees are affiliated with the CFA Institute. Within this partnership, a number of scholarships are offered towards CFA exams (partial fee reduction) for which students can apply.

For more information, please visit the programme page: https://www.reading.ac.uk/ready-to-study/study/subject-area/business-and-management-accounting-and-finance-ug/bsc-finance-investments-with-placement

There are many reasons to choose the University of Reading. Join a diverse and supportive community where lecturers inspire you with their discoveries and guide you in making your own. Reading’s award-winning parkland campus offers the spaces you need to make the most of your student life.

The University of Reading is a research-intensive university. It works with governments, international agencies and charities to tackle the biggest problems facing the world today, such as climate change, heart disease, and international conflict.

Named The Sustainable University of The Year, 2025, Reading launched one of the UK's largest ever undergraduate scholarship schemes, designed to develop future Global Sustainability Leaders Scholarships. The scholarship offers £6000 per year towards living expenses and will be available to those entering Clearing that meet the criteria. With over 150 clubs and societies, Reading knows how important life is beyond your studies and with the student union's in the heart of the campus, making the University of Reading your first call in Clearing will be one of the best decisions you ever made.