ucl research risk assessment

Clinical trials monitoring toolkit

Monitoring of clinical trials is crucial to ensure   patient safety and data integrity, however monitoring activities can be very resource-intensive.   

Our clinical trial monitoring toolkit provides a range of resources designed to help the clinical trials community improve how they design, implement and report monitoring activities.  

How to use the toolkit

This toolkit contains research publications, guidance documents, training materials and templates to encourage the efficient conduct of clinical trial monitoring. Some material will need adapting to your SOPs. Please acknowledge our  work as indicated with each tool.  

Click the headings below to find more information and links to useful resources.

A recap of monitoring jargon

Data cleaning

Data cleaning addresses problems with data such as incomplete, invalid or inconsistent data. When data are entered, most databases have some automated checking of data and flagging of problems. On a regular basis or maybe before data monitoring committee (DMC) meetings, central trial team members run checks on the participant data and query any strange or required values with sites. Before any interim or final analysis, these processes will be repeated. These are all data cleaning activities. They happen often in the course of a trial. The main action is sending out data clarification requests.  

Central monitoring

This is the monitoring performed in a location away from the investigator research site and often at a CTU/Sponsor office. Central monitoring is looking to centrally identify any issues with trial conduct such as inadequate processes or procedures not being followed through a lack of clarity in the protocol or active fraud.

Looking through centrally held data by site, to discover odd patterns or features in the site’s data ( e.g. missing treatment data) or unacceptable data activity ( e.g. digit preference in white blood cell level), during the trial, at times specified in the trial’s trial monitoring plan, is best called ‘central monitoring ’. This may result in data queries to sites or may provoke dedicated communication with sites or an on-site monitoring visit.

The central monitoring should be targeted at risks to the trial patients or the trial. Central monitoring results are an indicator of the quality of a trial and show due diligence. Any issues found during central monitoring should be followed up by contacting the site and may also result in actions such as the delivery of (re)training or the making of an on-site visit.

Central monitoring need only be repeated periodically, the period depending on trial parameters such as the duration of treatment and recruitment rate and on the assessment of risk. Sometimes central monitoring is done across sites, comparing data between sites to show differences. In some instances, this may be done across trials run from the same organisation. Central monitoring can include review of trial management data such as records of protocol deviations.  

On-site monitoring

This is the monitoring performed at research sites at which the clinical trial is being conducted, via a physical visit by appropriately trained individuals from the Sponsor and/or its delegated representatives. It requires access to medical records and other source documents of trial participants for the purposes of protecting the rights, safety and well-being of patients, Source Data Verification (SDV)/Source Data Review (SDR), to confirm the accuracy of data transcription, compliance with the protocol, GCP and applicable regulatory requirements and verification of the existence of participants.   

Remo te monitoring

This is the remote evaluation performed by appropriately trained individuals from the Sponsor and/or its representatives, at a location remote from the investigator research site and which replicate some on-site activities. It may include documentation being sent to the central office (with appropriate encryption and consent for any document including patient identifiers) to enable a number of checks to be performed. Remote monitoring can also be conducted by review of site self-completed monitoring checklists, telephone/video monitoring calls with screen sharing or those performing monitoring activities having direct access to trial participants’ electronic medical records and electronic site master files.  

Metrics are numeric measurements, mostly obtained and calculated from data held in the trial database, that are used to evaluate a sites’ risk or performance.   

Threshold  

Metrics are compared with acceptability thresholds to highlight and assess potential or actual risks and/or under performance.   

The comparison between metric values and acceptability thresholds can also be called a trigger.

What is data cleaning, what is clinical trial monitoring and respecting their differences

Love SB, Yorke-Edwards V, Diaz-Montana C, et al. Making a distinction between data cleaning and central monitoring in clinical trials.  Clinical Trials . 2021;18(3):386-388.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1740774520976617    

Data cleaning   and clinical trial monitoring are   intertwined to the possible detriment of clinical   t rial conduct.   This paper concludes that “ it is important to correctly define data cleaning and central monitoring in order to communicate the conduct of a trial, to ensure adequate risks mitigation and to ensure that the data are appropriately corrected.”

The p a per   contains   definitions of d a ta cleaning and clinical trial monitoring and a   table  noting some similarities and differences.  

Clinical trial monitoring handbook

This monitoring handbook was written by the UKCRC Registered Clinical Trials Units (CTU) Network Task and Finish Monitoring group and reviewed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). It is aimed at academic trialists undertaking monitoring activities such as on-site, remote and central monitoring. It is intended as a resource to be used to support initial training and as a point of reference thereafter.

The handbook provides general information about monitoring, which should be supported by training on CTU/Sponsor specific SOPs, guidance documents and templates. This handbook provides information on the theory of monitoring, tips on conduct and real-life examples that may help to explain and support possible monitoring approaches and their application.

Read the handbook

Clinical trial monitoring webinars

The UKCRC Registered CTU Network Task and Finish Monitoring group has prepared a set of four training module webinars to provide context and understanding of the key clinical trial monitoring principles, together with practical examples.

As well as an introduction to monitoring, there is a session on on-site monitoring, one on remote monitoring and one on central monitoring. Including doing the exercises, each session should take about an hour to complete.

Watch the webinars

• An introduction to the principles of monitoring Emma Laing (NHS Blood & Transplant CTU) This module is an introduction to the monitoring activities in clinical trials. It covers the purpose, explains risk-based monitoring, touches on the different types of monitoring (on-site, remote and central), discusses the frequency of monitoring and explains the roles and responsibilities of a person involved in clinical trial monitoring.  
• On-site monitoring Emily Dight (Warwick Clinical Trials Unit) and Brian Finucane (Cambridge Clinical Trials Unit) This module is an introduction to on-site monitoring. It covers what data should be checked, how to prepare conduct and conclude an on-site monitoring visit and how to communicate with the site .  
• Remote monitoring Patricia Rafferty (Northern Ireland Clinical Trials Unit) This module is an introduction to remote monitoring. It describes the variety of methods and their advantages/disadvantages, covers how to select the best method for your trial, and describes the preparation and completion of remote monitoring.  
• Central monitoring Heather Cook (Exeter Clinical Trials Unit) and Sharon Love (MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL) This module is an introduction to central monitoring. It explains what central monitoring is, why its useful, how to conduct central monitoring, how you select the frequency, what to do if you find something worrisome and how it links to external trial committees.

Purpose of monitoring in plain English

Love SB, Yorke-Edwards V, Ward E, et al. What is the purpose of clinical trial monitoring?  Trials.  2022;23:836.

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-022-06763-2    

The sources of information on clinical trial monitoring often do not give information in an accessible language and do not give detailed guidance . In a three-step process, we synthesised materials from sources that describe clinical trial monitoring into   principles of monitoring . In this paper, the principles are clearly expressed in lay terms.  

Describing monitoring in protocols

Hsieh S-F, Yorke-Edwards V, Murray ML, Diaz-Montana C, Love SB, Sydes MR. Lack of transparent reporting of trial monitoring approaches in randomised controlled trials: A systematic review of contemporary protocol papers.  Clinical Trials . 2023;20(2):121-132.

https://doi.org/10.1177/17407745221143449    

Monitoring   should be briefly described in   protocols .   This is a systematic review of 811 published protocol papers for randomised controlled trials , extracting information on whether they mentioned clinical t r ial monitoring   and if they do, what information they give.

Monitoring advances in remote monitoring, electronic trial master files and e-consent

Love SB, Armstrong E, Bayliss C, et al. Monitoring advances including consent: learning from COVID-19 trials and other trials running in UKCRC registered clinical trials units during the pandemic.  Trials.  2021;22:279.

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-021-05225-5    

This paper describes informed   consent  and monitoring without going on-site. These advances were provoked by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Inconsistent approaches to monitoring across CTUs hamper research to improve monitoring

Love SB, Yorke-Edwards V, Lensen S, et al. Monitoring in practice – How are UK academic clinical trials monitored? A survey.  Trials  2020;21:59.

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-019-3976-1    

This paper describes the results of a survey to find out how clinical trial monitoring   i s carried out in the UK CRC registered clinical trials units.

Assessing the trial (and its monitoring metrics) over time

Yorke-Edwards V, Diaz-Montana C, Murray ML, Sydes MR, Love SB. Monitoring metrics over time: Why clinical trialists need to systematically collect site performance metrics.  Research Methods in Medicine & Health Sciences . 2022;0(0).

https://doi.org/10.1177/26320843221147855    

Monitoring metrics   are used at distinct timepoints to make decisions on the quality of the data. This paper investigates whether we can learn from looking at metric levels across the duration of the trial.  

The paper explains relevant background information and provides an example of how to look at clinical trial monitoring metrics as outlined in SWAT 167. Monitoring metrics have been used for the last two decades without much work looking at how they perform. This method needs to be followed in multiple trials to increase the understanding of metrics and further develop of the use of metrics.  

On-site monitoring may not always justify the cost

Wyman Engen N, Huppler Hullsiek K, Belloso WH, et al. A randomized evaluation of on-site monitoring nested in a multinational randomized trial.  Clinical Trials . 2020;17(1):3-14.

https://doi.org/ 10.1177/1740774519881616    

This paper reports on a trial which randomised sites to on-site or no on-site monitoring, to evaluate the value of on-site monitoring.   

Using central monitoring to assess site conduct

  Cragg WJ, Hurley C, Yorke-Edwards V, Stenning SP. Dynamic methods for ongoing assessment of site-level risk in risk-based monitoring of clinical trials: A scoping review.  Clinical Trials . 2021;18(2):245-259.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1740774520976 561    

This scoping review found 30 papers describing the methods for central monitoring .  

Remote monitoring hints and tips

Written by the UKCRC Registered Clinical Trials Units Network Task and Finish Monitoring group , this document contains information about remote monitoring and advice for minimising the burden to site staff.

Find out more about remote monitoring

Monitoring considerations for blinded trials involving sites using electronic hospital systems

Sydes MR, Wong WK, Bakhai A, Joffe N, Love SB. Protecting blinded trials in electronic hospital systems.  Clinical Trials . 2022;19(2):231-233.

https://doi.org/10.1177/17407745211069985    

With the increasing use of electronic health record systems in hospitals, care needs to be taken to avoid inadvertent unblinding of hospital staff or participants of trials. This paper gives a   table of actions   for those running blinded trials to ensure the trial stays appropriately blinded.  

Protocol deviation process

Looking for, processing and acting on protocol deviations are an important part of ensuring good trial conduct. There are definitions of protocol deviations in the International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH) Good Clinical Practice series but there is little practical advice on the process for protocol deviations. 

Using semi-structured discussions between 5 CTUs in the UK and a CRO in Kenya, we developed a protocol deviation framework 

We hope this framework will improve protocol deviation process and efficiency. It will also serve as a launchpad for further research on the collection, processing and relevant action for protocol deviations.

Visit the Protocol Deviation Framework

Guidance on greener monitoring

Travel for on-site monitoring is a major contributor to the carbon footprint of a clinical trial, thought to account for an estimated 10-15% of the total environmental impact. This newly published guidance, developed by the UKCRC Registered CTU  Network’s Monitoring Operations Group, offers a balanced approach to reducing carbon emissions whilst ensuring adherence to trial protocols, Good Clinical Practice, and regulatory requirements, alongside a risk-based approach to clinical trial monitoring.

The guidance provides actionable recommendations that can be applied at all levels of trial monitoring, from leveraging institutional sustainability policies to steps that individual staff members can take. It’s a practical tool for clinical trials units committed to conducting trials in an environmentally responsible manner.

Download your copy of the Greener Monitoring guidance

Coming soon!

• A collaboration is writing a template risk assessment template containing the essential contents along with prompts.  
• A collaboration is creating a metrics spreadsheet, indicating what you should think about when creating metrics to mitigate the risks in your trials. The spreadsheet will also give examples of metrics and their associated metrics and contain case studies for 4 trials giving the metrics they used and why.

Risk Assessment and Waste Management

Risk assessment.

The purpose of a risk assessment is to identify the hazards involved in a procedure, to set out how those hazards are to be controlled, and to communicate that information to those who need to know.

UCL policy requires that all hazardous activity must have a suitable and up-to-date risk assessment, and these assessments must be recorded in the RiskNet system.  Any person who is going to carry out any new activity involving a hazard must conduct a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk, and establish any required control measures, prior to starting the work.

To be valid, risk assessments must be authorised within RiskNet by a competent person. For research students, this person will usually be their supervisor, and likewise for researchers this will usually be their line manager. However, where someone is working in a lab outside of their supervisor or line manager’s direct control, it may instead be the laboratory or facility manager or a delegated deputy (such as an experienced researcher or technician). Any activity that involves a high hazard task also requires authorisation by the department safety officer.

Our most hazardous environments are our department laboratories and research facilities. Each laboratory or laboratory facility should have general risk assessment prepared, which details the hazards anyone with unsupervised access to the area must be aware of and any controls they must follow. 

All laboratory workers are expected to become competent in performing risk assessments; they are required to complete the University’s Principles of Risk Assessment eLearning course before they commence work, so they are able to carry out a proper assessment of the risks involved and the precautions necessary to ensure their safety and the safety of others.

When is a new risk assessment required?

If proposed laboratory work falls within the scope of the activities already covered in the general laboratory or facility risk assessment, there is no requirement to do a full, separate new assessment. However, line managers and supervisors should ensure that their staff and students are familiar with the hazards & controls and receive any necessary training required by the risk assessment.

Otherwise, it is still a good starting point for a new assessment to use the existing laboratory assessment as your starting point. This way, you ensure you include all of the hazards and controls that already exist in your workplace.

When an existing risk assessment for a similar task to your work exists in RiskNet , it is both permitted and encouraged to use this as the basis for your new assessment. In this way, you can make good use of existing expertise. Remember, if the risk assessment was for work in different lab or was completed a long time ago, it will need to be changed to include the latest safety information for the correct lab.

Similar to laboratory risk assessments, certain equipment and specialised processes often have their own risk assessments. Examples include X-ray generators, high power laser systems, and processes involving hazardous chemicals. Often it is not appropriate for non-specialists to attempt risk assessment for these types of equipment and processes, so you will instead be provided suitable training covering the safe operation and safety controls required by the existing risk assessment.

Creating a new risk assessment

If you do have to create a new risk assessment from scratch, how you approach this may vary considerably depending on how specialised the activity is. Below is a useful basic guide to approaching general laboratory work that requires risk assessment. It assumes that you have already determined that a suitable risk assessment does not currently exist in RiskNet and the work does not require specialised assessment.

• The first step in a new risk assessment for a completely new process should be to draft a very basic procedure; write a step-by-step guide in bullet points describing the process, for example for a lab experiment which instruments/apparatus are involved and how they will be used, etc
• Next think about the hazards that may be present, and how likely something might go wrong and lead to harm, and record this for each step. It is useful at this stage to consult any safety documentation available e.g., from equipment manufacturers.
• Then consider the environment the work will take place in- not only the location, but also who else may be working in the area. Review your assessment of the hazards for each step based on this information- how does it affect their severity and how likely they are to cause harm, not only to you but also to others nearby?

• Finally, review your draft process with the assistance of your supervisor/line manager, or the lab manager (as appropriate) before transferring to RiskNet for formal review.

It is much easier to edit and review the information in a risk assessment this way, as your draft document can be more easily shared and edited than a RiskNet form.

The RiskNet System

UCL requires that all risk assessments be recorded in the RiskNet system.  A step-by-step guide to creating risk assessments can be found here. Your supervisor, line manager or the laboratory manager will also be able to provide guidance in preparing risk assessments using the RiskNet system.

As well as risk assessments, RiskNet also hosts a number of other functions, like DSE assessments. Explaining the full functions of RiskNet are beyond the scope of this document, but an overview of RiskNet systems may be found on the Safety Services RiskNet web pages .

EEE Hazardous Waste Management Plan

Waste Management

All departments generating hazardous waste have a  waste management plan.  

The plan will detail

• Types of hazardous waste generated.
• Who is responsible for the waste.

The responsibility is held at a local lab level with PIs to ensure they are in line with UCLs waste streams and will monitor their waste streams including

• Information on when waste is reduced, reused or recycled as well as how it is processed (landfill, heat treatment etc)
• How the quantity of waste generated will be monitored

Please refer to the UCL main website for further information on waste and recycling. 

Heirachy of Control measures.jpg

Student and Registry Services

Delayed Assessment Scheme

Information and guidance for staff about the Delayed Assessment Scheme.

The Delayed Assessment Scheme allows students to use a maximum of three permits per year to get automatic mitigation on a chosen assessment, such as a 5-working day extension or a deferral. The scheme is designed to support students to better manage the complexities of study, student life, and wellbeing.

Each taught student is granted three Delayed Assessment Permits (DAPs) to use as they wish throughout the year to automatically receive mitigation on a chosen assessment. This will normally be either a five working day extension or deferral. There are no minimum grounds to use a permit and students do not need to request permission or provide evidence - they simply inform us by using the Delayed Assessment Scheme task in Portico.  

Note that Delayed Assessment Permits replace self-certified Extenuating Circumstances claims with the following exceptions:

• PGT students who are due to complete their studies by Oct 2024 will be able to submit self-certified ECs, not DAPs, for their dissertation.
• Students with reassessments without tuition for modules with a due date in academic year 23/24 will be able to submit self-certified ECs, not DAPs, for these assessments.

From 30 September, students will be able to submit a Delayed Assessment Permit from their MyStudies tab on Portico (step by step guidance for students on submitting a DAP is provided in Student Guidance_Submitting a Delayed Assessment Permit). 

Mitigation is automatically applied once a student has submitted a DAP. 

Following submission, a system generated email is sent to the student confirming receipt of the DAP.  The content of this email is tailored to signpost further support where applicable and as appropriate to the reason that the student selected for using the DAP: DAP student email template text (LINK to pdf doc, doc to follow) shows the email content.

Departments / Programmes should use the Delayed Assessment Scheme Quick View report to monitor DAPs submitted and update Moodle with extended deadlines or pass information on to Module Leads.

From 19 Sept, staff with access to the Data Quality Reports section on the Awards, Assessments and Achievements page on Portico will see a link to the Delayed Assessment Scheme Quick view and will be able to view the DAPs reporting functionality (link to reporting guidance).

Guidance is provided in the Delayed Assessment Scheme Reporting Guidance document. (LINK)

Departments should inform students of the new assessment date for deferrals. (Note that there is no need for departments to communicate new deadline dates for extensions, the student will see this new date on Portico once they have submitted the DAP).   

Reporting guidance for staff

Delayed Assessment Scheme Reporting guidance (link to doc, pdf to follow)

Frequently Asked Questions

Please visit the Extenuating Circumstances staff webpage for FAQs relating to Extenuating Circumstances. 

These questions are grouped by the following categories:  

Policy overview / background 

Process / how it works , daps, soras and ecs .

The Delayed Assessment Scheme provides students a limited amount of flexibility each year for a small number of assessments, so that they can better manage the complexities of study, student life, and wellbeing. Each taught student is granted three Delayed Assessment Permits (DAPs) to use as they wish throughout the year to automatically receive mitigation on a chosen assessment. This will normally be either a 5 working day extension or deferral. There are no minimum grounds to use their permits. Students simply notify UCL that they are using a DAP to receive the mitigation for that assessment. 

No. Extenuating Circumstances are designed for emergencies, in circumstances that are sudden, unexpected and beyond the student’s control. If students have such circumstances, it is important they engage with the EC process to receive appropriate support.  

The policy has been developed to support students in balancing academic, non-academic student life, and their wellbeing. Whilst self-certification has provided supportive mitigation for students over the last few years it has been a continued source of frustration for both staff and students. Under the current EC policy, students can self-certify for a period of two-weeks and request various types of mitigation for any assessments during this period. Whilst there are minimum grounds for self-cert EC’s it is understood that the grounds reported are not always done so genuinely. Self-certification had an approval rate of 94.2% in AY22/23, and yet represented at least 2,000 staff hours of administration and decision making, meaning it largely operated as guaranteed mitigation without restrictions and the benefit of automation.  

The Delayed Assessment Scheme allows for not only an automated process, but also represents a shift in our approach to support and empower students to take responsibility for their studies and learning. 

Features of this new policy allow not only for greater automation in process, but also greater consistency such as fixed mitigations for each assessment, rather than different mitigations for different students under self-certified ECs. 

It would not be appropriate, or beneficial, to allow unlimited flexibility, but we wanted to ensure the decision was data informed. We examined the data from the previous “self-certification policy” and found that it was essentially operating like a free pass system with over 94% claims being approved. We also found that most students who submitted at least one EC in previous years claimed for, on average, approximately 3 assessments a year.  

No, group work is excluded.  

This scheme recognises the need to empower students with some autonomy and flexibility to manage their lives and wellbeing, however when it comes to group work you are accountable to more than just yourself and therefore need to meet these deadlines. As ever, the EC procedure is available for students who experience significant disruption. 

Delayed Assessment Permits replace self-certified Extenuating Circumstances claims with the following exceptions:  

• PGT students who are due to complete their studies by Oct 2024 will be able to submit self-certified ECs, not DAPs, for their dissertation. 
• Students with reassessments without tuition for modules with a due date in academic year 23/24 will be able to submit self-certified ECs, not DAPs, for these assessments. 

Other than these exceptions, formal EC submissions must be accompanied by evidence. In some exceptional circumstances a faculty may choose to waive the requirement for evidence due to particularly difficult circumstances, but it is rare. 

Data has shown that even with the introduction of Self-Certification over the last six years the proportion of exams running in the LSA and the proportion of students requiring an exam in the LSA has remained relatively stable. Even via the Self-Certification policy, students rarely wish to delay exams to the LSA, but it is important we accommodate flexibility for those that need it. The scheme also restricts the number of exams individual students can defer, which self-certification does not. 

The use of the Delayed Assessment Scheme will be monitored and results shared with Education Committee next year to consider changes for 2025-26 if required.

Ensuring academic standards has been central to the design and consultation of this new scheme. Standards are maintained by the assessment of learning outcomes, rather than the flexibility under policies such as extenuating circumstances. Many universities already allow short term extension under schemes similar to the DAS. However, it will be possible for a small number of assessments to be listed as ineligible for flexibility under this scheme. Approval must be given by the relevant Faculty for a component to be excluded from the scheme.

Assessments should only be excluded from the scheme in exceptional circumstances, for instance where the nature of the assessment is particularly unique and self-cert ECs were normally managed differently for this assessment. This may include logistical difficulties of practical/in-person attendance, such as assessments completed during lab work where rescheduling is not normally done.

Whilst students no longer need to meet minimum grounds to get an extension, the Delayed Assessment Scheme has more limits than self-certification as only 3 individual assessments can be claimed for, rather than any number of assessments within a 2-week period.

In addition, students are provided guidance within both the scheme and the system itself regarding the impact and consequences for extending or deferring an assessment. They will also be automatically signposted to appropriate support or guidance depending on the reasons for using a permit.

The Delayed Assessment Scheme seeks to support students as autonomous learners and balance the challenges of study, life and their wellbeing. As such, ongoing assessment throughout the term should be eligible for flexibility under the scheme rather than be excluded due to administrative set up of the component.

In cases where there are hidden assessment components, such as weekly problem sheets within one low weighted component, it may be possible to amend the assessment component before the start of term- please contact your Faculty Team to see how feasible this might be.

Whilst these assessments are normally marked weekly, we know that consolidation of these marks is often not completed until the end of term. To still provide students an opportunity to manage their assessments, it is advised that students should have access to DAPs once for such a series of assessments.

To do this: Set the deadline for the overall component as the last date of term, and record the mitigation as “Other, see Moodle page”.

On Moodle, explain to your students that if they miss one of their weekly assessments, they can use one of their DAPs to mitigate against one weekly assessment. However, it cannot be submitted until the last 2 weeks of term- it is the student’s responsibility to heed this instruction, as part of their duties as a learner. The missing weekly assessment should then be excluded when calculating the mark for the overall component. Alternatively, if you wish to instead grant a 5 working day extension and check the student submitted it late, that is your choice but will incur additional administration.

Yes, for <10% weighted assessments. When in doubt, consider what mitigations were standard for self-certified ECs. 

Students submit a Delayed Assessment Permit from their MyStudies tab on Portico using the link shown below. 

Step by step guidance for students on submitting a DAP is provided in Student Guidance_Submitting a Delayed Assessment Permit. 

Mitigation for each assessment is predetermined, with each assessment type having a default mitigation:

• Coursework type assessments (including dissertations)- 5 working day extension. The new deadline date is automatically populated in Portico, there is no need for staff members to communicate this date to students. 
• Exam, and fixed duration online, type assessments- deferral to the next normal occasion (normally LSA). Departments should inform students of the new assessment date. 

DAP standard mitigations against assessment types  provides a list of all assessment types and the default mitigation under the Delayed Assessment Scheme.

Faculties and Departments will have the opportunity to amend the default mitigation, including to exclude assessment <10% weighting. The length of extension for coursework cannot be changed.

Students submit their Delayed Assessment Permits on Portico and mitigation is automatically applied once they have done this.

Departments / Programmes should use the Delayed Assessment Scheme Quick View report to monitor DAPs submitted and update Moodle with extended deadlines or pass information on to Module Leads. For further information, see our Delayed Assessment Scheme Reporting Guidance document.

This depends on whether the student has submitted a DAP for an extension or a deferral:

• For extensions, the new deadline date is automatically populated in Portico and the student will see that once they have submitted the DAP. There is no need for staff members to communicate this date to students.
• For deferrals, departments should inform students of the new assessment date.

When using the Portico workflow to submit a DAP, the student is shown a list of Assessments for their selected module and if the assessment is eligible for a DAP, they will see the Select Assessment button next to the assessment as shown below.  

Where the assessment is not eligible for a DAP, they will see the text “Unable to select this assessment” and the reason for this. 

Reasons that a DAP may not be available to students on Portico:  

• The assessment has been recorded as not eligible for a DAP. 
• There is no due date recorded for the assessment. 
• They have already used 3 DAPs this Academic Year. 
• They have already used a DAP for this assessment. 
• The assessment deadline has already passed. 
• The assessment deadline is more than 2 weeks in the future. 
• If using a DAP for this assessment will mean that they have deferred more than 30 credits. 

When submitting their Delayed Assessment Permit, students are asked to select a reason for using the permit from the following list of options. 

• Minor physical illnesses or injuries (e.g., cough, cold). 
• Minor mental health/wellbeing difficulties (e.g., temporary and manageable stress/anxiety). 
• Caring Responsibilities. 
• General domestic/family problems.  
• Childcare.  
• Major physical or mental health challenges that require further support. 
• Travel arrangements. 
• Missed, delayed, or failed transport. 
• Visa problems.  
• Balancing multiple assessment deadlines. 
• Paid or voluntary work commitments. 
• Participation in extra-curricular activities. 
• Time spent on job/internship applications/interviews. 
• General financial problems. 
• Moving home. 
• General housing problems. 
• Failure of IT equipment/printers. 
• Failure to back up documents. 

Collecting these reasons enables us to capture support needs and signpost students to relevant support (e.g. academic support if they cite issues with managing workload. When they submit a DAP, the student will receive a system generated email to confirm receipt of the DAP. The selected reason is used to tailor the content and links provided in the email, enabling us to direct them towards the most relevant support package available. The DAP student email template text (LINK) shows the email content that the student will receive according to the reason that they select.  

This is necessary because deadline times are not currently captured in Portico. We also want to ensure that students are not working during unreasonable hours to attempt to complete their assessment before submitting a DAP. 

Not at present but we are working on a solution and plan to have this in place by Christmas.  

Note that the system does take weekends into account.  

Technically yes as the deadline to submit is going to be 5pm, but ideally they shouldn't as this should really be an EC claim. 

No. If a student has an EC and needs an extension / change to the mitigation granted by the EC, they should discuss this with their EC panel.  

A 5 working day extension to the original due date will be applied as per all other students. The student is still entitled to use their SoRA extension in addition to the new DAP deadline. 

No - all SORA students have different mitigations and SoRA data is not currently held in Portico so we can't calculate a DAP + SORA deadline yet.  

For further support

If you have any questions or feedback, please contact your EC / DAPs champion: 

Useful Links

• Academic Manual Student Support Framework: Delayed Assessment Scheme
• Academic Manual Student Support Framework: Short-term Illness and other Extenuating Circumstances
• Student information and guidance: Delayed Assessment Scheme (placeholder for now, this is being built)
• Student information and guidance: Extenuating circumstances

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A survey of risk and threat assessors: Processes, skills, and characteristics in terrorism risk assessment

Threat and risk assessment have become an integral part of counterterrorism strategies. This process currently relies heavily on the judgment of professionals, who play a vital role in a potentially high-stakes environment. However, thus far, little research focuses on the professionals themselves. This study provides insight into the experiences and opinions of professional threat and risk assessors, particularly regarding how they conduct terrorism risk assessments, their expectations for training, and the experience and characteristics of those that conduct them. An online survey solicited quantitative and qualitative responses from a sample of 41 professional threat assessors. The findings highlight that the training and experience required differ greatly across different disciplines involved, and the importance of considering the context in which threat and risk assessment takes place. These findings also highlight cognitive abilities and personality characteristics that may be desirable for risk assessors in this context, and provide avenues for further research to examine the role of these factors in risk assessment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)

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UCL School of Management

University college london, msc strategic accounting and finance (online).

Start date: September 2025  Duration: 12 months (Full-time), or 24 months (Part-time) Fees: UK - £20,500 (per annum). Overseas - £20,500 (per annum). Application deadline: Applications open in October 2024. Entry: A quantitative undergraduate degree at 2:1 Honours (or equivalent) from a recognised university. Applicants are also required to meet the Level 2 English Language requirements.  Learn more . Location: This programme is delivered online, with asynchronous materials and weekly live online seminars, with some optional non-credit bearing extra-curricular activities occurring in-person.

The MSc in Strategic Accounting and Finance (online) is a unique postgraduate programme, developed by the UCL School of Management, to provide you with the necessary skills to evaluate accounting and financial data, and use insights to drive business performance.  

Whether an organisation’s focus is on new opportunities, maintaining its current standing, or simply seeking to survive, they require management teams to make strategic decisions, drawing upon a range of criteria, both financial and non-financial.

Managers who understand and are able to apply financial ideas are in high demand as employers seek their ability to synthesise financial and analytical data, to strategically advise on a range of scenarios. Whether in marketing, HR, technology, logistics or other areas – managers are expected to incorporate financial data and information into the decision-making processes. Through this online MSc Strategic Accounting and Finance programme, you will be able to apply financial expertise to a range of decision-making scenarios, blending theories and concepts with practical applications.  

Whether you are an experienced professional or a new or aspiring manager looking to take the next step in your career, you will develop a broad range of financial skills in the areas of accounting, finance, and their interplay with management, and cultivate a portfolio of new insights and abilities as part of your own professional self-development, to support your career ambitions.  

Beyond this, you will also learn to lead with purpose beyond financial objectives by executing strategy, managing risks and opportunities, and creating inclusive cultures. 

If you’re seeking to take the next step on your chosen career ladder, you will leave this programme well-versed with the language of business through a strategic and financial lense, able to make an immediate impact wherever you choose to go. 

Programme structure

The development of the programme  .

The programme draws on the expertise of leading educators, researchers and practitioners at the UCL School of Management and has been designed in conjunction with industry experts and employers to understand the skills they seek in future leaders of finance and accounting. 

The faculty have extensive experience building and delivering engaging online programmes to global cohorts, with professors winning awards for their innovative approaches to online accounting education worldwide. 

Areas you'll study

Top employers seek emotionally intelligent leaders, who have experience with financial management, corporate governance, and strategic operations, and can make difficult, but financially necessary decisions. The MSc in Strategic Accounting and Finance (online) equips you with the skills necessary to digest financial and accounting information and make serious contributions to organisational strategy. 

Not only will you gain the technical know-how to evaluate organisational risks, but you will also dive into the science behind better decision-making – this will include aspects of behavioural psychology which drive people’s decisions, their biases, and their preferences to risk and reward.  

The MSc in Strategic Accounting and Finance programme strategically incorporates both qualitative and quantitative modules, equipping you with a broad range of accounting and finance skills that will help you lead, or strongly contribute to, decision-making processes in any organisation. 

The areas you can expect to cover on the programme include, but aren’t limited to:  

• The global financial reporting landscape. 
• How financial and non-financial activities are mapped, identifying what and how organisations are required to report to interested parties. 
• How interested parties receive assurance that the activities reported on have been conducted in compliance with regulations and protocols. 
• How accounting information is used to make sound business decisions. 
• A range of approaches to determine financial performance and health – such as dissecting financial statements, predictive attributes, creative accounting, financial engineering, and forensic accounting. 
• Behavioural finance and its impact on decision-making – exploring topics such as loss aversion, herding, over-confidence, anchoring, and confirmation bias. 
• Techniques used to evaluate financial and business opportunities. 
• Identifying, critiquing, and applying knowledge to risk-return trade-offs. 
• Evaluating decision-making scenarios regarding global capital markets and investment portfolios to weigh how to generate value for organisations. 
• The art of influencing and negotiating, building business cases, and presenting investment opportunities or other financial decisions.

The programme culminates in a Strategic Financial Project where your learnings on financial strategies and business research will be applied to a project of your own choosing. The project may be work-related, or an academic study. The preparation of this project is supported by online meetings with a mentor and is intended to provide you with a tangible piece of work which you can take away at the end of the programme.  

Programme delivery

Our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) on Moodle gives you access to a range of engaging learning content, from study materials to revision guides, and forums to connect with your tutors and fellow students, allowing you to engage in self-reflective and collaborative experiences. You will also have access to the UCL online library which features access to a variety of journals, databases and other resources. 

The asynchronous materials for each module cover a 10-week period within each term and will consist of conducive online teaching and learning mediums, including: videos, readings, problem-based learning challenges, case studies, quizzes, peer forum discussions, presentations and team-based activities, supported by live online weekly seminars. This blend of learning mediums ensures that your learning experience is highly interactive. 

You will work individually and in groups ahead of and during online seminar activities, and sometimes in summative assessment to foster a collaborative working style, learn from your peers and help build lasting connections within your cohort.  

You will be given guidance on how to achieve effective group interactions, and tutors will facilitate these interactions as appropriate. Having launched a successful online MBA over 5 years ago, the School's faculty are experts in delviering online peogrammes and fostering a collegial and collaborative community. 

The programme’s online delivery makes it globally accessible for you to study at a top 10 global university ( QS 2025 ) from wherever you are in the world. It offers a full-time (12-month duration) and part-time (24-month duration) study option. 

The content is delivered each week through asynchronous (pre-recorded) videos totaling up to 90 minutes (covering a different topic on the given module), selected readings from textbooks and/or articles, reinforcement and development activities, and a live 90-minute online seminar in small groups. 

No more barriers. Drive your career forward, from wherever you are in the world.  

This programme is specifically designed to be delivered online, giving you the flexibility to enhance your career prospects from the comfort of your home or office. The flexibility of the programme means there is no need to put your career on hold, and you can put your learnings into practice immediately. 

Collaboration and relationship-building are central features of the programme's online delivery structure. The small seminar class sizes and interactive features ensure you can engage in rich discussion and build lasting connections with other members of the UCL School of Management community.  

Optional extra-curricular activities and events  

Each term we will organise a series of optional non-credit bearing online webinar events focusing on areas of topical interest in the accounting and finance arena with speakers from the faculty, industry leaders, and the School’s community.  

Optional, in-person Immersion Weekends  

The programme team will arrange optional non-credit bearing Immersion Weekend events throughout the year. Their location will depend on the geographical concentration of the student cohort in your year of study.  

These events will involve learning and development activities, as well as guest talks from academics, alumni, and industry experts. It is also an opportunity for you to network with your classmates in person, and further enhance the relationships you’ve developed with your global, online community of future leaders.  

The locations will be determined and announced once the cohort has enrolled. Whilst those opting to attend in person will be responsible for their own travel and accommodation costs, it is likely that many will reside in the geographical location. If you do choose to travel, the Programme Team will advertise dates well in advance.  

For those unable to travel but wishing to participate in these optional events, online provision and recordings will be made where possible to ensure that all on the programme can be involved in and benefit from these events.  

Full-time programme across one year 

Part-time programme across two years

In a constantly evolving world of business, finance, and accounting, business managers are dealing with more information and complexities than ever before.  

These modules are designed to provide you with the skills necessary to use that information to build convincing business cases, negotiate and persuade effectively, and perform qualitative trade-offs in uneasy and ever-changing circumstances. In Term 3, you can apply your learnings into practice with the design, execution, and delivery of a Strategic Financial Project.  

Teaching Methods and Typical Contact Hours

This programme comprises 10 core modules all at 15 credits and a final project worth 30 credits. It is delivered through a combination of asynchronous online lectures materials and live weekly online seminars. There are no optional/elective modules on this programme.  

Assessment is through, illustratively, individual/group presentation, individual coursework, authentic assessments which are designed to demonstrate the application of your learning in real-life scenarios and the Strategic Financial Project c of up to 7,000 words. 

Full-time structure  

Those on the full-time programme will typically study 4 compulsory modules in each of Term 1 and Term 2, and 2 compulsory modules in their third term alongside working on the Strategic Financial Project for submission at the end of September. 

Each taught module in Terms 1, 2 and 3 is delivered over 10 weeks through asynchronous (pre-recorded) videos totalling up to 90 minutes (each week/topic on a module), selected readings from textbooks and/or articles, reinforcement and development activities, and a live 90-minute online weekly seminar.  

In addition, students spend approximately 7-12 hours a week for each module on assessment and independent study to further develop the skills and knowledge covered in lectures and seminars.   

The preparation of the final project is supported by online meetings with a mentor.   

Part-time structure  

In Year 1 of the Part-time study mode, you will complete up to 30 credits (two modules) in each of Terms 1, 2 and 3. In your second year of study, you will continue with two modules in Terms 1 and 2 before embarking upon your capstone project in Term 3, completing by the end of September. 

The teaching methods and additional study requirements remain the same for the Part-time programme and the total number of weekly hours will vary according to the module and the weekly activities being undertaken. 

How is this programme unique?

The MSc Strategic Accounting and Finance programme has been developed to address the need for talented managers to understand financial data to make informed strategic decisions to improve an organisations' performance within and across an array of functions. 

The School has an established and continually growing network of connections with industry and has particularly strong relationships with practising accountants and finance professionals, and with professional accountancy bodies, some of whom are directly involved in professional standard setting with such bodies. This knowledge and expertise have been at the forefront of the building of the programme and in developing the curriculum. 

The programme has been developed for a global cohort and designed to be delivered online from the outset with many of the teaching team having extensive experience building and delivering successful online programmes. The programme offers a dynamic learning environment with technological integration, to provide engaging live sessions and dynamic online resources as well as ample opportunities to facilitate peer-to-peer collaboration online and in-person.   

Optional non-credit bearing Immersion Weekends and a series of online networking events and industry talks to connect with peers, academics and industry leaders and further build your global professional network. 

Upon successful completion of the MSc in Strategic Accounting and Finance (online), you will be able to apply financial ideas and models appropriate for solutions to management challenges in the context of effective financial decision-making. 

You will develop a deep understanding of financial frameworks and have practical experience working with financial data to effectively communicate complex situations and analyses regarding organisational challenges and opportunities to improve organisational performance. You will be able to demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving abilities in the context of accounting and financial management, skills widely sought out by employers across all industries and corners of the globe. 

The option to study full-time or part-time over 12 or 24 months allows you to balance your studies alongside work or other commitments and apply your new knowledge and skills to your current role right from the start. 

Student experience and teaching quality at the UCL School of Management

For over ten years, UCL has ranked in the top 10 universities globally and currently holding the 9th spot in world rankings ( QS World University Rankings, 2025 ). UCL is proud to hold the title of University of the Year 2024 judged by the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024.   

The teaching staff on this programme draw upon vast industry and academic experience. They collaborate with global companies to research and implement best-practice approaches to accounting and finance, which they then use to inform their teaching, ensuring the programme and its modules are innovative and reflect the latest leading research and practice in the field. 

UCL School of Management offers carefully designed programmes to prepare future leaders in the next generation of innovation-intensive organisations. The majority of the research carried out in the UCL School of Management was rated as “world-leading” and “internationally excellent” in the 2021 Research Excellent Framework (REF), placing us second in the UK for business and management. 

LIST OF SELECTED FACULTY PROFILES  

Alan Parkinson , Deputy Director (Education), Professor (Education), and Lead (Finance, Accounting, and Economics Teaching Team) at UCL SoM

Lynsie Chew , Professor (Education) and Programme Director at UCL SoM

Danusia Wysocki , Lecturer (Education) at UCL SoM

Michael Manlangit , Associate Professor (Education) and Director of International Programmes at UCL SoM

Barry McCarthy , Associate Professor (Education) and Programme Director at UCL SoM

Leila Pinto Campillo , Associate Professor (Education) at UCL SoM

Daphne Sobolev , Associate Professor and Honorary Research Fellow at UCL SoM

Susan Smith , Professor (Education) and Deputy Director for Student Experience at UCL SoM

Global network and perspectives  

UCL is London’s Global University, with students from over 150 countries, providing you with a global network and perspective. 

Not only will your online programme cohort be immensely international and diverse, but the content of the programme also considers the nuances of accounting and finance customs and practices in an international context.   

By joining our global network on this online programme and across wider UCL, you will develop a mindset able to manage and understand the complex issues facing international businesses through the lens of accounting and finance.  

Applications

This programme is designed for individuals across all educational and career backgrounds, whether that be your undergraduate degree, your level of work experience, or your career location aspirations. For example, you may be a recent graduate, or a junior or middle manager seeking to make the jump to a more senior role within your organisation. This programme would also be beneficial if you are an aspiring entrepreneur seeking to acquire a comprehensive understanding of business practices that will enable you to create the right business structures and processes. We encourage a variety of unique applicants to apply. 

As this programme is delivered online by the UCL School of Management faculty, we anticipate a widely diverse and global cohort of students who are inquisitive, critical and creative thinkers, resilient, collaborative, and possess sound global and cultural awareness.  

We’re looking for applicants who want to move forward and excel in their careers and aspirations by making an immediate difference applying theory to practice, who can weight evidence and make difficult decisions when necessary, and strongly appreciate the need for sound accounting and finance competences in management decision-making.  

Teaching and faculty support is available to you throughout the entire duration of your programme. However, as a global top 10 university, we expect a great deal from our students, so if you choose to study with us, you can expect to be working hard, challenging yourself as we challenge you, and regularly finding yourself out of your comfort zone.  

Application Process

Applications for the 2025/26 open in October 2024. You are advised to apply as early as possible due to high competition for places. 

Entry Requirements

When we assess your application, we are looking for students with drive, intelligence, passion, and the right aptitude and attitude. To ensure we enrol students who meet those four criteria, we use the following methods to assess applications: 

• Students who go above and beyond in their interests, education, and can provide tangible evidence of working towards their aspirations. 
• Students who seek to be the future leaders of global organisations 
• Students who wish to make a difference in the business and management world, domestically and/or internationally.

Academic Entry Requirements

A quantitative undergraduate degree at 2:1 Honours (or equivalent) from a recognised university. International students can find their international equivalency on the UCL international students website.

There are no requirements for a specific undergraduate background. We welcome all subject backgrounds, as long as you can cogently outline why you want to study this programme, critically evaluate how it will help you excel in your career trajectory and provide tangible evidence of your commitment to your goals. 

GMAT/GRE •    GMAT/GRE are not required for MSc Strategic Accounting and Finance (online)  •    Applicants who took such tests are however encouraged to submit their results if they have scored well and think it would add weight to their application. 

English Language Requirement •    The English language level for this programme is Level 2. •    Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

CV You are required to submit a CV. Please make sure to provide all relevant and accurate information (exact degree title, beginning and end dates, location for professional experience, etc.).

Personal Statement

A professional statement is a key component of the application process and must accompany the initial application. The statement should capture and articulate your motivation to pursue the MSc Strategic Accounting and Finance (online), demonstrating a clear interest in finance and accounting, leadership, and people management. This should feed into a statement of well-researched and grounded, short and long-term professional and personal objectives. We also require a copy of your CV. 

Please ensure that your statement covers aspects around: 

• Your professional aspirations and a critical analysis of your past experience in line with the content of this programme, i.e. why this programme, and why you? 
• How you will apply the skills learned on this programme to your future career and/or study aspirations. 
• What tangible steps have you taken to prepare yourself for this online programme?   
• Why UCL, why the School of Management, and why this online mode of study?

Applicants who meet the entry requirements and provide an appropriate professional statement will be reviewed. Some may receive an offer based on a combination of academic qualifications and personal statement. Others may be invited to an online video interview.

Tuition fees and scholarships

Tuition Fees

​The 2025-26 fees will be published in Autumn 2024.  Learn more about tuition fees .

Scholarships and Funding

All full-time students are required to pay a fee deposit of £2,000 for this programme. All part-time students are required to pay a fee deposit of £1,000 for this programme. 

Additional Costs

This programme does not have any compulsory additional core costs apart from any monies you may choose to spend on stationery, printing or photocopying.  As a student, you are required to have a laptop or computer to be able to complete this online programme. UCL students can obtain a copy of Office 365 at no cost from UCL. Any other software that may be prescribed as part of your studies will also be provided at no extra cost.  

Students who wish to attend optional non-credit bearing immersions or in-person extracurricular activities/events are responsible for all travel, accommodation and spending fees associated. These costs will vary depending on personal travel, incidental preferences, and prevailing exchange rates.

For further information regarding the MSc Strategic Accounting and Finance (online) programme, please contact the Postgraduate Team via: [email protected]  

For further queries regarding admissions please see the UCL Postgraduate Admissions Webpage.  

The UCL School of Management’s MSc graduates are highly in demand by employers and starting salaries are very attractive. Visit our UCL Graduate Outcomes Tableau to view our latest graduate employment data at UCL. 

There is a growing recognition that professionals with a comprehensive grasp of business operations as well as a robust accounting and finance foundation, play a pivotal role in steering organisations through both challenges and opportunities. Therefore, demand to recruit individuals with a unique blend of accounting, finance management, and leadership skills continues to surge. 

As an MSc Strategic Accounting and Finance graduate, you will demonstrate to employers that you can apply financial ideas to practice and develop the appropriate models for solving management challenges and help future-proof organisations.  

You will therefore be well-equipped to succeed in roles which require you to: 

• Become a financially literate business partner and collaborator at the heart of decision-making in organisations 
• Deliver trust and confidence in the governance and leadership of organisations by driving the right conversations to ensure business resilience and build strongly evidenced business cases 
• Use critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity as the basis for driving organisational transformation 
• Uncover new areas of opportunity and risk  

During your time on this programme, you will have access to careers advice and opportunities through from the UCL School of Management’s Bespoke Careers Team and services , as well as the UCL central Careers Team . Employer events will cover a range of companies and sectors, with some specialist to certain PGT programmes and others more general across the School. Our Careers Team will work closely with you to enhance your employability, provide tailored individual career support, and facilitate connections with employers globally. 

The nature of this programme is such that graduates would feel at ease in a diverse range of types of organisations and roles, including large multinational corporations, SMEs, start-ups, and public sector organisations. The programme will also help you to prepare for job applications and interviews. 

In addition to career development in general and functional management, the degree will provide pathways into a range of areas including financial reporting, treasury management, and management accounting. 

Upon completing the programme, you will be able to demonstrate that you can apply financial ideas and models appropriate for solutions to management challenges in the context of effective financial decision-making, through the assimilation and critical appraisal of data for those financial decisions, reflecting appropriate research applications. This will lead to alumni of the programme being able to think critically about a range of scenarios for diverse business cases and contribute to economies around the world through the generation of monetary and qualitative value added. 

Alumni connections  

Our dedicated Alumni Relations team at the UCL School of Management are committed to cultivating meaningful connections for our students through strong alumni relations. 

Through a wide spectrum of networking and employer events, you can engage with accomplished alumni representing the diverse portfolio of School of Management programmes. These interactions provide invaluable insights, mentorship opportunities, and potential career pathways.  

Our Alumni Relations team strives to bridge the gap between current students and successful graduates, fostering a vibrant community where experiences are shared, networks are strengthened, and professional aspirations realised. 

Register for more information

You may apply now for a place on a programme without a current English test as long as you send your qualification as soon as you receive it. If you are offered a place, it will be conditional on you providing evidence of meeting UCL's English Language Requirements before the start of the programme. For more information on English Language test deadlines, and other postgraduate admissions queries, please contact the Graduate and Teacher Training Admissions team using their contact form .

My referees are not able to provide references electronically; can I provide hard copy reference letters?   

Real-time discussions and activities:  You will be expected to participate in weekly live classroom sessions hosted on the Microsoft Teams video conferencing platform. You will engage in dynamic discussions and activities with other students and academics, share what you learned from required asynchronous work and learn from one another’s diverse financial and business experiences and perspectives. 

Collaborative classroom features:  In addition to lively discussions and activities, students may use chat, breakout rooms and presentation-sharing options to communicate with others while mastering important concepts. 

Recorded content:  Weekly live online seminars are recorded, which means you can review concepts and discussion points at length after class has ended. 

Tutor support:  You will receive ongoing support from your module leaders and online seminar tutors, and particularly so through office hours. 

The MSc in Strategic Accounting and Finance (online) benefits from its unique flexibility, accessibility, and the innate diversity stemming from its online delivery model, as well as its openness to applicants from all undergraduate disciplines and backgrounds. 

The UCL SoM MSc Finance and MSc Finance with Data Science programmes are very quantitative in nature, leaving students well placed to pursue a wide range of technical careers in the finance industry. Therefore, they require a strong background in a quantitative undergraduate degree. Please view their respective pages for more information. 

The MSc Strategic Accounting and Finance (online) programme has a very different grounding as its focus is to help you craft the key financial management skills necessary to succeed in any future leadership role. You will graduate from the programme with the skills and confidence to make difficult decisions, evaluate risk, and apply strong financial management capabilities.