SEF PGT Induction and Pre-Sessional - September 2025 Starters
Section outline
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Welcome to SEF!
We are delighted to welcome you as a new postgraduate student to the School of Economics and Finance, Queen Mary University of London.
Full induction schedule here: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/sef/postgrad-study/induction/ please check for regular updates.
This introductory pre-sessional module aims to provide everything you need to prepare for your postgraduate MSc. programme and start your course with confidence.
Your Induction comprises of:
- Induction: essential programme information, schedule, socials and orientation
- Careers: explore careers in finance and economics through masterclasses with QMUL careers experts
- Maths: refresh and apply your maths and statistics to prepare for your MSc.
- Excel: test your Excel skills in preparation for your MSc. programme
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Meet your experienced Teaching Fellow from the School of Economics and Finance.
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View the Learning Goals and Objectives for the Pre-Sessional Excel Course.
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Use this forum to discuss the Excel Topics and applications of Excel within Finance and Economics with your fellow students.
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Watch this video which introduces the Microsoft Excel software and some useful terminology. -
Now view the complete set of Excel Foundations video presentations which take you through formatting cells, organising data, viewing data, keyboard short cuts and Excel applications.
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View and download this PDF guide which provides a list of Excel Shortcuts which you should find useful for this topic and the rest of the course.
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Topic 1 Review: Excel Foundations
Now you have worked through the Excel Foundations Topic, you should now be able to:
Understand the different components of an Excel worksheet
Format cells
Sort data using the function Sort
Filter data using the function Filter
Improve the visualisation of the data in the spreadsheet by using appropriate commands
Use keyboard shortcuts
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Watch this video in which Claudio Vallar introduces the concepts of Excel Formulas and Functions and how to use them.
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To continue to explore this topic, view and navigate the following Excel Formulas and Functions video presentations which take you through Mathematical Functions, Logical Functions, Cell References, Cell Auditing and an Excel Example Application applying the skills developed in this section.
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Topic 2 Review: Formulas and Functions
You should now be able to:
Understand formulas and functions in Excel
Use the main mathematical functions in Excel
Use the function IF and other logical functions
Perform nested functions
Use the main text and date functions
Use cell references
Understand different formulas’ errors
Audit formulas
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This video provides and introduction to Charts and how to use and apply them in Excel. -
To take this topic further, view the following video presentations which investigate the different types and characteristics of Excel Charts, how to create an effective Excel Chart, and an example application of Excel Charts.
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Topic 3 Review: Charts in Excel
You should now be able to:
Understand different types of charts
Make charts in Excel;
Customise your chart.
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Watch this video which provides an introduction to Managing Data in Microsoft Excel. -
To investigate the topic of Managing Data in more detail, now view the following video presentations which demonstrate Conditional Formatting Rules, using the Vlookup Function, Pivot Tables and examples of the application of Pivot Tables in Excel.
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Topic 4 Review: Managing Data
After working through this session, you should now be able to:
Set and manage a conditional formatting rule
Compute the Vlookup and Hlookup functions
Create a Pivot Table
Create a Pivot Chart
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Watch this video for an introduction to Data Analysis techniques in Excel.
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Now you have been introduced to the topic of Data Analysis with Excel, watch these video presentations which demonstrate the application of Statistical Functions, the installation and use of Analysis Toolpak, how to perform and interpret a Regression Analysis, and an example applying the Data Analysis skills used in this section.
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Topic 5 Review
Now you have worked through this section, you should be able to:
Use the main statistical functions in Excel
Perform an analysis using the Excel add-in Analysis ToolPak
Perform a regression analysis
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View and download the PDF with the Excel Project Financial Exercises
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Download the Excel Workbook Example
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Use this Forum to discuss Maths for Finance with your fellow students.
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The schedule of Lectures & Tutorials, and their Zoom links.
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Welcome to the Careers Pre-Sessional CourseA warm welcome to the Careers Section of the postgraduate Pre-Sessional Module. In this section you are going to investigate and evaluate potential career paths in Finance and Economics suitable for graduates. We hope you will find it valuable to start to plan your future career goals and objectives at this early stage in your postgraduate studies.
The Careers section of the Pre-Sessional Module aims to provide insights into career pathways for postgraduate students in Finance and Economics. You will learn about a wide range of diverse careers available to postgraduates, how to market yourself, and how to gain relevant work experience.
- An overview of the UK Finance and Job Market
- How to Market Yourself for a Career in Economics and Finance
- How to Gain Work Experience in the field
For more resources and support, please go to Careers Support for SEF Students
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An overview of the UK Finance and Job Market
IntroductionIn the first week of the Careers section of the module, you are going to explore a range of careers in both the private and public sectors that are suitable for graduates with a postgraduate degree in Finance and Economics.
You will explore private sector opportunities in areas such as Banking, Financial Services and Consultancy together with opportunities in emerging areas like FinTech, Data Analysis and Start-Ups. You will investigate opportunities in the public sector such as Civil Service and Government jobs as well as finance opportunities across a range of varied industries. You will learn about graduate schemes, internships and opportunities that can provide a route into your career of choice, as well as the many graduate jobs available.
Goals and Objectives
Understand what Careers support is available to you at the School of Economics and Finance
Gain a detailed overview of the sectors available to you
Understand the typical Recruitment Process and learn how we can support you in it
Learn how to job hunt effectively
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Watch this set of Careers Masterclass presentations narrated by Careers Consultant Serena Spoendlin. The presentations cover the topics of Careers Support Services, an Overview of the Finance Job Market, Investment Banking, Recruitment and Selection, and Tips for Job Hunting. Each presentation is accompanied by a set of careers links and resources. Please click on the arrow in the top right corner to go to the next video.
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Week 1 Review
This week you have investigated the UK Financial Jobs Market, learned about opportunities for postgraduate masters graduates and reflected on your own career goals and objectives. We would like you to take a moment to review what you have learned over the last week and explore further resources through the QMUL Careers Services.
Throughout your postgraduate studies, you will be encouraged to continue to explore job opportunities relevant to your own interests and aspirations. In the second week of the Pre-Sessional Careers section of the module, you will investigate approaches to marketing yourself and to gaining work experience
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Introduction to Week 2
In the second week of the Careers section of the module, you will explore approaches to marketing yourself and investigate ways you can start to gain work experience relevant to your career goals.
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Self Marketing: How To Impress with Applications
Transcript: SlidesIn the video, Careers Consultant Serena Spoendlin provides an introduction to strategies for Self Marketing and ways to impress with your applications
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Watch this set of Career Masterclass presentations by Careers Consultant Serena Spoendlin with a focus on Self Marketing yourself in Applications, CVs and Cover Letters, and approaches to Networking and gaining Work Experience. Please click on the arrow in the top right corner, to go to the next video.
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This video from professional services network PwC introduces approaches to creating a successful elevator pitch to self market your unique skills and experience.
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Gaining Work Experience
Over a third of recruiters say that graduates who have had no previous work experience at all are unlikely to be successful during the selection process and have little chance of receiving a job offer for their organisations’ graduate programmes.
Martin Birchall from the High Fliers graduate jobs research institute which publishes the annual UK Graduate Careers Survey says:
"In this highly-competitive graduate jobs market, new graduates who've not had any work experience during their time at university have little chance of landing a well-paid job with a leading employer, irrespective of the university they've attended or the academic results they achieve”High Fliers (2020) Available at: https://www.highfliers.co.uk/
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Video: What does it mean to be Commercially Aware?
For an insight into ways to develop your commercial awareness in Finance and Economics, take a look at this video from EY Careers.
Developing commercial awareness of the bigger picture factors relevant to the jobs you are applying to will help you to be successful in applications and job interviews. So what does it mean to be commercially aware? In the article ‘Commercial Awareness: Its How the Industry Fits Together’ Target Jobs defines commercial awareness:
“Commercial awareness is prized by graduate recruiters across all industries and in the private and public sectors alike. Commercial awareness is not so much a skill as a way of thinking and may be described on a graduate job advert in various ways, including: commercial thinking, having a commercial attitude, having big picture focus”Target Jobs (2020) Commercial Awareness: Its How the Industry Fits Together
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Recommended Reading on Sampling and Central Tendency to take this topic further
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Recommended Reading on Probability Distributions to take this topic further
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Topic 3: Estimation and Hypothesis Testing
In this topic, we introduce:
- Basic concepts in inferential statistics.
- How to infer population parameters from a random sample drawn from a population
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Recommended Reading to take the Topic of Estimation and Hypothesis Testing Further.
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Recommended Reading on Simple Functions to take this Topic further
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Recommended Reading to take the Topic of Derivatives and Matrix Algebra Further.
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Recommended Reading to take the Topic of Regression Analysis Further.
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Here some videos presented by Dr. Yu Zheng. In these videos you will explore the topic of Sampling and Central Tendency in more depth and prepare for the problem sets.
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Here some videos presented by Dr. Yu Zheng. In these videos you will explore the topic of Probability Distribution in more depth and prepare for the problem sets.
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Here some videos presented by Dr. Yu Zheng. In these videos you will explore the topic of Estimation and Hypothesis Testing in more depth and prepare for the problem sets.
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This set of narrated slideshow presentations will enable you to explore the topic of Simple Functions in more depth and prepare for the problem sets.
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This set of narrated slideshow presentations will enable you to explore the topic of Derivatives and Matrix Algebra in more depth and prepare for the problem sets.
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This set of narrated slideshow presentations will enable you to explore the topic of Regression Analysis in more depth and prepare for the problem sets.
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Welcome to your postgraduate journey!
Welcome Week 2025: 15–26 September
We are delighted to have you join School of Economics and Finance (SEF) and look forward to supporting you as you settle into university life. Welcome Week is designed to help you get started — it’s a chance to meet your fellow students, connect with staff, and learn more about the resources and opportunities available to you.
Each programme has its own induction schedule, including a programme-specific Welcome Talk that gives you the opportunity to meet your Programme Director and learn more about your course.
In addition, there are university- and faculty-wide events that you are encouraged to attend, offering a great way to meet postgraduate students from across disciplines.
The School has organised social events and excursion for you to attend, giving you the opportunity to network with peers from different postgraduate taught programmes, as well as your academic advisors, module organisers, and the postgraduate support team
On this page you’ll find the full schedule of Welcome Week activities for your programme. Make the most of these exciting two weeks!

