Course overview
Advance your financial decision making – grow your business today
Making informed financial decisions is crucial for driving growth and long-term success. Effective financial management is central to any organisation, and understanding financial concepts and techniques is essential for leaders, managers, and professionals who want to contribute to strategic decision-making and organisational performance. By developing a strong foundation in financial decision-making and analysis, professionals can navigate complex financial landscapes, identify opportunities, and manage risks. This enables them to make strategic decisions that create long-term value and support business objectives.
This course is designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to the key concepts and techniques of financial management, covering topics such as financial markets, instruments, and institutions, as well as investment appraisal, risk management, and capital structure. Through a combination of theoretical foundations and practical applications, participants will gain a thorough understanding of the financial decision-making process and develop the skills and knowledge needed to evaluate investments, manage risk, and support business growth. Whether you are looking to advance your career, transition into a finance-related role, or improve your financial acumen, this course will provide you with the tools and knowledge needed to succeed in a complex and ever-changing business landscape.
What you’ll learn
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the key concepts and techniques of financial management. You will explore core topics including the purpose of finance, the time value of money, bond valuation, share valuation, investment appraisal, the cost of capital, and the trade-off between risk and return.
Through this course, you will gain a thorough understanding of the financial decision-making process and develop the skills and knowledge needed to evaluate investments, manage risk, and support business growth. You will learn to critically discuss the functions and aims of financial management, the techniques of financial analysis, and the role of capital markets. By the end of the course, you will be able to apply your knowledge to make informed financial decisions and support your business objectives.
Why finance matters now
Financial decision-making plays a critical role in every organisation, shaping growth, risk management, and long-term success. A strong understanding of finance helps professionals make better-informed decisions that directly affect organisational performance, from evaluating investment opportunities to allocating resources effectively.
In today’s complex and rapidly changing business environment, financial literacy is essential for interpreting market conditions, assessing risks, and responding strategically to new opportunities and challenges. By developing a strong foundation in finance, professionals can contribute more confidently to decision-making, support innovation, and help create lasting value for their organisations.
Who should attend?
This course is designed for professionals who want to develop a strong foundation in financial decision-making and analysis. It is particularly suitable for those looking to transition into a finance-related role, as well as managers and professionals from non-finance backgrounds who want to use financial concepts to inform business decisions and communicate more effectively with finance teams and colleagues across their organisation. The course is also relevant for entrepreneurs, executives, and leaders who need to evaluate financial information, assess investment opportunities, and make informed decisions that support organisational success. More broadly, it is open to anyone seeking to gain a deeper understanding of finance theory and practice and to strengthen their financial literacy.
How you’ll learn
This is an online MBA course delivered over 12 weeks, requiring approximately 100 hours of study.
You will learn through a combination of pre-recorded lectures, case studies, and live online tutorials. The tutorials are interactive sessions where you will revisit the topics covered in the lectures through hands-on activities and applied analytical exercises, helping you to embed and deepen your understanding of finance. They also provide a valuable opportunity to share experiences and learn from other participants.
Online tutorials are typically scheduled every two weeks on weekdays from 12:00–14:00, most often on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Final scheduling will be confirmed within eight weeks of the course start date.
Participants will join the existing Online MBA cohort, providing an excellent opportunity for networking, discussion, and idea exchange. The course pace is designed to be manageable alongside a full-time role, while still requiring steady weekly engagement.
Assessment and certification
At the end of the course, you will complete an individual assessment. This requires you to undertake a financial evaluation based on a provided case study and to critically discuss the validity of the approach you use. This assignment will help you embed your learning and practically apply your newly acquired skills and strategies in your workplace.
On successful completion, you will receive a University of Edinburgh Business School certificate, plus 10 Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) credits, equivalent to 5 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits. These credits can be put towards the University of Edinburgh MBA or Online MBA.
Course impact
By mastering the principles of financial decision-making, you can make a significant impact on your organisation's financial performance and strategic direction. With a strong foundation in financial analysis and evaluation techniques, you will be able to inform strategic business decisions, optimise investment portfolios, and drive growth. The course will equip you with the skills to critically assess financial data, identify areas for improvement, and develop effective solutions to complex financial challenges. By applying the knowledge and skills gained from this course, you will be able to enhance your organisation's financial performance, mitigate risk, and contribute to its long-term success.
Course lead – Dr Lavinia Rognone
Dr Lavinia Rognone is a Lecturer / Assistant Professor in Sustainable Finance at the University of Edinburgh Business School (UEBS), where she is also part of the Centre for Business, Climate Change, and Sustainability (B-CCaS). She is Co-Director of the Nature Finance Lab and serves as Associate Editor of the International Review of Economics & Finance (IREF) and Research in International Business and Finance (RIBAF). She is also a Board Member for the Government of Jersey, advising on the development of a strategic framework for Jersey’s financial sector. In addition, she serves as Academic Advisor to QuanTess London, a practitioner-oriented quantitative finance network connected with leading financial institutions such as BlackRock, J.P. Morgan, Bloomberg, and others, where she contributes to research-driven knowledge exchange between academics, asset managers, investment banks, and policy institutions. She has also been a Visiting Research Fellow at King’s Business School, King’s College London. She holds a PhD in Finance from Alliance Manchester Business School.
At UEBS, Lavinia teaches the MBA Finance module and Research Methods for Climate Change Finance and the Climate Change Consulting Project MSc modules. Through the latter, she has secured student collaborations with leading policy and financial institutions, including the Financial Conduct Authority, the Bank of England, the Bank of Italy, and the National Bank of Slovakia, enabling students to work on applied projects with real-world institutional partners.
Before joining UEBS, Lavinia worked at the European Central Bank (ECB) in the Monetary Policy Division as an Economist and Climate Change Expert. She was previously a Research Associate in Finance at Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, where she was part of the Centre for Financial Technology Studies.
Her research lies at the intersection of asset pricing, portfolio management, international finance, and sustainable finance, with a particular focus on climate and nature-related financial risks. Her work often applies advanced data analytics techniques, including textual analysis, to study financial markets, investor behaviour, sustainability-related risks, and their financial implications.
Course dates
3 March 2027 – 31 May 2027
Course fees
£2000
Application terms
Applications are accepted until 5pm UK time on 16 February 2027.
Our participants typically hold a 2:1 honours degree or higher. We do, however, take a holistic view of every application. If your academic background does not meet these specific criteria, your application may still be considered if supported by a good professional track record.
Successful applicants must also evidence a minimum of three years’ management experience.
Before applying, please ensure you have gathered all the required supporting documents, including a CV and your sponsor letter (if applicable). For further details, please see the application form.
Cancellation requests must be received by 5pm UK time on Wednesday 10 March 2027 to qualify for a full refund. After this date, a refund will no longer be possible.
For more information about this course, please email us: executive@business-school.ed.ac.uk