The banking and finance industry has become a major end-user and even a major driver of technological innovation, such as machine learning, big data analysis and algorithm trading. This course uniquely combines theory and applications of finance, economics, quantitative methods, and big data analysis to allow you to increase your career opportunities in this fast paced field.
The MSc Banking and Finance is an academically solid programme that provides the foundations of a career in financial services, and in the banking industry. This course has an emphasis on relevant and prominent issues for the sector such as financial regulation, risk management, international systems, banking institutions and securities markets.
The programme covers all aspects of the industry from macroeconomic and corporate to regulatory, computational and quantitative. Advanced skills preparation in financial modelling, econometrics, and quantitative risk management will prepare you for the practical requirements of your profession. You can also choose what you study with optional modules covering accounting and corporate finance, big data analysis, and FinTech.
You'll be taught by academics who are currently involved in pioneering research in areas such as portfolio management, corporate finance and ethics in finance. Many have also been practitioners with organisations such as Standard & Poor's and The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. We value skills training as highly as we value theory, so you can also expect to learn the practical ways in which you can use this knowledge within your profession, including training in a range of financial software systems.
*Please note this course is subject to review.
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Our modules are specifically structured to give you plenty of time to utilise large amounts of data and explore complex subjects to their fullest. The course will equip you with the theory and practice needed to communicate and evaluate empirical work, as well as giving you valuable training in specialist databases and software packages.
You will then move on to explore relevant theories such as financial derivative products, international financial regulation, financial risk management and key aspects of corporate finance, as well as how to apply them to practical situations in the financial sector.
The dissertation research project is a chance for you to extend your knowledge of a selected topic and to apply it to the formulation and design of a substantive investigation.
Upon completion of this course, you will have further developed your professional experience and have solid theoretical and practical knowledge and understanding of:
The aim of this module is to develop an understanding of the major issues in corporate finance. In particular you will develop your ability to analyse corporate finance issues, apply finance theories to deal with practical issues in corporate finance and investigate emerging issues and contemporary trends in the field.
This module aims to provide an overview of the nature and operation of international financial markets and their traded instruments. You are introduced to the organisation of the international financial system, the markets for foreign exchanges, stocks, bonds, commodities, and the risks and opportunities offered in these markets and systems. You gain essential knowledge for their future career in business, especially in the financial sector.
This module aims to equip your with knowledge essential to critically engage with modern financial risk management theory and practice undertaken by both financial and non-financial institutions. It offers advanced study of key issues, including categories of managed financial risk, the arbitrage-free theory of spot-forward price relations, valuing optionality in a financial risk environment, a comparison of over-the-counter and exchange-traded risk management arrangements, the limitations of risk management techniques and the evolving regulatory environment. You will be able to develop risk modelling skills, analytical and quantitative skills through engagement with current market data on Bloomberg Financial Database and Capital IQ.
This module allows you to develop an understanding of the process of financial risk regulation in domestic and international banking. You will have the opportunity to develop skills in banking risk management practice, including knowledge of financial instruments used by financial institutions to manage credit, operational, and market risk. The module will place a strong emphasis on the knowledge of existing international regulatory frameworks, such as the Basel Capital Accords, the European Capital Directives. You will analyse the impact of international financial regulation and accounting standards on emerging markets.
This module aims to build your knowledge of banking as preparation for more further study. You will approach banking from an economic perspective with an aim to:
This module deals with basic statistical methods and explores the application of these methods to analytical models in finance. You will gain the analytical and programming skills necessary to pursue empirical studies in finance. You will also be encouraged to use previous knowledge in statistics and computer programming.
This module provides a critical understanding of management accounting techniques and practices and their relevance to contemporary business. The relevant concepts and theories, together with a range of emerging issues will be presented and critically evaluated.
This module deepens your knowledge and practical understanding of fixed income products and their pricing mechanics. The module will also incorporate new developments in fixed-income derivatives such as mortgage-backed securities, collateralised debt obligations, and other structured fixed-income financial products. You will have the opportunity to use the Bloomberg Financial Database in learning the concepts, valuation principles and application of financial derivative products.
The quantity of data available to analysts is growing at an ever-increasing rate. This data has become a vital tool for decision-making in a competitive world. However the size which makes the data so valuable also makes it difficult to analyse using traditional statistical methods. This module introduces you to a variety of methodologies now employed to explore, analyse, categorise and visualise data from large data sets and multiple related data sets. You will also explore the issues with data sets that are too large even for established data mining methods (“big data”).
The module provides you with the opportunity to select your own specialised research topic in the area of financial management. You will be expected to apply relevant theoretical frameworks, the existing seminal and the most up-to-date scholarly literature together with the relevant research methodologies and methods whilst conducting your research. You will be required to independently plan, organise, and coherently produce a limited but a well-researched work.
You can find more information about this course in the programme specification. Optional modules are not offered on every course. If we have insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, or there are staffing changes which affect the teaching, it may not be offered. If an optional module will not run, we will advise you after the module selection period when numbers are confirmed, or at the earliest time that the programme team make the decision not to run the module, and help you choose an alternative module.
As well as standard lectures and seminars, the course will also entail individual and group presentations. This academic focused work will be augmented by sessions and training in computer labs, including the Financial Markets Lab. You will also be shown how to collect data from resources such as Datastream, IQCapital, and Fame.
The course also includes several workshops on the different aspects of writing a dissertation delivered by academics who have produced high-quality, internationally-known research.
Your knowledge and understanding is assessed by presentations, examinations and written assignments, and through the research and writing undertaken to complete your dissertation.
Only the 30 credit module, Banking Theory and Practice, has a formal 2 hour examination. The assessment of the remaining compulsory modules comprises in-class tests, presentations and individual or group coursework.
This MSc course has been designed to allow you to develop your analytical skills, acquire a body of knowledge, and be exposed to the frontiers of the subject.
Potential careers span across many sectors and can include:
Dr Deshmukh joined the Business School in 2012. Before joining academia, he worked for several years in industry as a successful fund manager.
Dr Bace specialises in transmitting his experience and expertise in credit, commercial and investment banking in educational settings, having gained experience with Standard & Poor's, Lehman Brothers and EBRD.
Author of eight books and over 90 papers in professional and academic journals, Professor Clark has been a full-time academic since 1989. He has two PhDs from the University of Paris, one in Development Economics and the other in Financial Economics.
We’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.
Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.
Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.
At all times we’ll aim to keep you well informed of how we may need to respond to changing circumstances, and about support that we’ll provide to you.
Start: October 2021
Duration: 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
Code: PGN399
Start: October 2021, EU/INT induction: September 2021
Duration: 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
Code: PGN390
