Crucial to the success of any organisation, financial management is an exciting discipline with complex challenges and far-reaching effects in today's global business world. Its importance lies in the constant need for evermore effective management of funds to enable organisations to realise their potential and achieve their goals. Only with efficient financial management can a business truly survive and grow in a sustainable way.
Combining an in depth theoretical understanding and essential skills training, you can expect to learn the advanced concepts behind financial management, from corporate governance to data analysis, and the practical ways in which this knowledge can be applied within your chosen profession. Our approach is to arm you with theories and methods that are used by real businesses worldwide, enhancing your appeal to future employers who look for graduates with practical know-how as well as academic qualifications.
Our academic body is made up of researchers and practitioner who teach you the essential topics such as how to interpret and critically evaluate financial statements, and relate it back to the practicalities of the profession, such as how to apply decision-making skills to complex financial situations. In a highly student focused Accounting and Finance department the support you receive will enable you to graduate with the confidence and capability to pursue senior financial positions at a variety of stimulating organisations.
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Focusing on corporate finance and the relationship between financial decision-making and capital market behaviour the early stage of the course prepares you with the capabilities to apply key financial and management accounting skills and theories to real-world business operations. As the course moves on it equips you with the tools an international manager or entrepreneur would need, including business plans, financial management tools, capital budgeting and valuing ventures. You’ll also examine how corporate governance can impact your work, and how investors and financiers use corporate reports to assess stability and form valuations.
Now with the skills and knowledge developed through the course you will be able to apply them to a dissertation research project of your choice. This 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.
There are three different awards available for this course:
This module aims to develop identification, understanding and critical evaluation of the problems that are commonly faced by corporate decision makers using the relevant conceptual framework. The module examines the techniques that have been developed in applied corporate finance, together with a critical appreciation of the interaction between financial decision-making and capital market behaviour.
This module examines the evolution of corporate governance and accountability mechanisms from theoretical and practical viewpoints. More specifically, topical issues in corporate governance and social reporting are covered to elevate students understanding of how such mechanisms can be applied to enhance corporate accountability. In doing so, the module highlights the significance of corporate transparency and how it links with corporate accountability. High profile cases of corporate failure and other relevant cases are critically discussed and evaluated to draw attention to the issues discussed in the module.
The module aims to provide students with an awareness and understanding of various theories, knowledge, and financial tools an entrepreneur needs including business plan, financial management tools, financing a new venture, valuing ventures, process of going public, capital budgeting and measuring financial performance to start, build, and harvest a successful venture.
Financial analysis and valuation provides students with an understanding of how investors and corporate financiers use corporate reports and other publicly available information to assess the overall stability as well as the future prospects and valuation of companies.
This module aims to provide a critical understanding of the financial accounting techniques and practices and their relevance to contemporary business. The impact of international regulatory frameworks on these practices will be evaluated.
This module aims to provide an overview of research methodology, develop quantitative analytical skills and provide training for data analysis using the IBM SPSS software. Specific aims include: summarising data findings, hypotheses testing statistical inference, develop simple models draw supportable conclusions.
This module aims to provide 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 provides you with the opportunity to select your own specialised research topic in the area of financial management and work under the supervision of an academic member of staff. 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 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.
You will attend lectures and take part in seminars and workshops to explore concepts and issues. You will also work on problem-solving exercises and case studies, as well as using a variety of media and online tools to engage with resources, quizzes and learning materials. You will be expected to collaborate with your peers as part of the learning process which will involve group activity and involvement in online discussions and learning.
You will be assessed through a variety of exams, essays and reports, for which you will receive feedback as part of the learning process, as well as a grading that measures learning outcomes of the module. As group work is an integral element of your course you may also be assessed as a group, receiving a mark for this collaboration.
This course is an excellent preparation for a financial career in banking, insurance, pensions, privatisation, and funds management, in areas such as corporate finance, financial analysis, credit analysis, commercial lending, financial consulting, risk management and investment banking. Our graduates have gone on to work in a wide range of roles at companies including Barclays, RBS, Bank of England and Credit Suisse.
Careers that this course will set you on the path towards can include:
Sepideh is particularly interested in how companies endeavour to attain and maintain the level and standard of social reporting in different cultural contexts. She has published in a range of journals, amongst which are the British Journal of Management, Journal of Business Ethics and International Journal of Human Resource Management.
Prior to joining Middlesex University, Sina taught in Durham University where he obtained his PhD. He holds a Master’s degree from Glasgow University and A BSc from the Lebanese American University.
Nemanja is an author of several publications in top peer-reviewed journals. Prior to joining Middlesex University, Nemanja held positions in Huddersfield University, London Metropolitan University and University of Rome where he obtained his PhD.
Firoozeh graduated from University College London with a BSc and MSc in Economics. She trained and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers in London and then worked as a group financial controller in Canada. She is the Vice-Chair of Heads of Departments of Accounting and Finance in UK. She is also a member of the Governing Body of two educational institutions.
Kooi See Yeap has extensive accounting experience in public accounting firm prior to joining the teaching profession. She has taught in Malaysia, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam
Ellie is a Middlesex University alumna. She trained and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Deloitte gaining experience of a diverse range of clients in the banking and finance industry. She is heavily involved with the activities of the British Accounting and Finance Association – Accounting Education Special Interest Group.
Ann Ngoc was awarded her Master degree by the Johns Hopkins University Graduate School of Advanced International Studies. She subsequently obtained her Doctorate at Brunel University. During her career, Ngoc has been awarded a number of prestigious commercial and governmental scholarships. Prior to joining Middlesex University, Ngoc held appointments within the educational sector and government agencies.
John is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and holds Qualified Teacher Status from the General Teaching Council for England. He is a Bachelor of Commerce graduate from University College Cork, Ireland. He has spent most of his professional life working in industry (manufacturing, engineering, motor, telecoms, pharmaceuticals, retail and drinks) as an accountant/finance professional. He has a wide range of teaching experience including preparing accountants for their final CIMA exams.
Toby joined Middlesex University in 2003 but continues involvement with private companies through corporate consultancy and advising social enterprises. Toby sits on the board of a social enterprise, is Treasurer of St Matthew's Westminster and parent governor and Chair of Finance at Queens Park Community School.
Gloria Botchway
MSc Financial Management
I had always had a passion for finance but it took me a few years to follow my ambition – in fact I studied English and Theatre Studies as an undergraduate. This course is excellent because you don't need a financial background and it trains you in all the key areas of finance. However, you do have to work very hard to make up for it; I spent a lot of time in the library poring over accountancy and finance articles and drew on the support and advice of lecturers, who were outstanding.
My dissertation was on the operating financial review; it used to be mandatory for companies to complete it until Gordon Brown made it optional, so I looked at why he may have taken that decision and whether it was the right one. It's great to be able to use my knowledge to investigate issues that affect businesses in reality. The academic side of finance has been very stimulating and I'm toying with the idea of doing a PhD. Alternatively, I would look for a job as a financial analyst so I can really utilise all the skills I've learnt on the course.
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: PGN302
Start: October 2021, EU/INT induction: September 2021
Duration: 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
Code: PGN390
Start: October 2021
Duration: 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
Code: PGN399
