Banking and Investment Finance BSc Honours

There are four compulsory modules in the first year. These modules are designed to give a solid grounding in the subject and bring all students to a standard level of competence to pursue further study in the subject.

This module introduces theoretical concepts of economic decision making. The module presents the principal elements of microeconomics as a basis for understanding the operations of markets, efficient resource allocation, an awareness of market failures and the microeconomic effects of economic policy, the trade-off between private and social incentives, with special attention given to theories around decision making under risk or incomplete information. Basic concepts of behavioural economics are also discussed.

This module develops your understanding of key concepts in economics, mathematics, statistics through practical application. It introduces the application of microeconomic and macroeconomic theories to analyse real-world economic issues. The module will enhance analytical thinking, reasoning skills, and the capability to abstract and solve problems, fostering an understanding of commonly used mathematical and statistical techniques for interpreting data.

This module presents an overview of key financial markets and institutions along with the key concepts of monetary policy to prepare you for more advanced and specialist studies in the second and third years. The module introduces you to monetary policy, basic macroeconomic indicators, different financial institutions and how they interact in the market. It adopts both a quantitative and qualitative approach to explaining the functioning and importance of financial markets and institutions, and monetary policy supported by real world examples.

This module provides a thorough grounding of the statistical methods and computer software for the analysis and presentation of accounting and economic data. It caters for students with some prior mathematical knowledge, and while you are expected to complete mathematical calculations by hand and using a computer the emphasis is on the interpretation and communication of quantitative results.

On this module you will undertake approved work experiences and personal and professional development activities, for a minimum of eighteen weeks full time employment. This will give you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of work and develop effective strategies to deal with and understand work and organisational life. The module will help you to demonstrate your commercial awareness.

In the second year you will study three compulsory modules which will enhance your capabilities in areas of banking and finance. You will choose one optional module.

At the end of your second year you may opt to take a year’s placement before returning to complete your final year of study.

This module builds your knowledge of banking and financial institutions. It approaches banking from an economic perspective with an aim to explore the complexity and integrated nature of financial systems with emphasis on the UK and identify and assess different systems of allocating funds for economic development. It develops your ability to apply introductory risk management tools and techniques in banking and investigate emerging issues and contemporary trends in banking theory and practice.

This module explores the mathematics that underlies financial processes and financial decision making and complements the study of these areas in economics and accounting. Specific areas include probability, extending interest ideas to mortgages and annuities, modelling financial data using time series models and Markov chains, applying discrete methods for option pricing, and using utility to make decisions in risky environments.

This module develops an understanding of securities and derivative products, and the markets in which they are created and traded. The module will focus on the rationale, mechanics, and risk/rewards for investors in fixed income instruments, equities, options, futures and forwards, commodities, and energy derivatives. A practical understanding of portfolio construction and management, along with the pricing mechanics of fixed income securities and derivative instruments will be developed. The module will also cover the applications of derivative instruments in hedging and investment. The structural and regulatory characteristics of each financial instrument and their respective markets will be analysed. Securitisation of financial assets, with a special emphasis on asset-backed securities (ABS), and its implication for financial stability will be analysed. The module will incorporate the use of financial databases such as Yahoo Finance in teaching the concepts, valuation principles and application of financial derivative products. 

This module provides you with a set of tools to analyse time-series economic data and use them to produce forecasts. You will be able to recognise issues arising when analysing time-series data, specify and estimate suitable econometric models to produce reliable forecasts.

This module provides you with the fundamental principles of personal financial decisions influencing factors and tools that could contribute to effective decision-making. You are introduced to decision theory, utility theory, prospect theory and variety of rational and irrational factors that could influence your decision-making and financial behaviour (cognitive and emotional biases, information manipulations, fake news, etc.). You will get knowledge on peculiarities of brain activity and influence of hormones on your personal financial decisions.

Building upon your first work experience module, you will undertake approved work experiences and personal and professional development activities, for a minimum of 18 weeks full time employment. This gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of work and develop effective strategies to understand work and organisational life. The module will help you to demonstrate your commercial awareness.

For this module you will undertake an approved work experiences and personal and professional development activities, for a minimum of 18 weeks full time employment. This will provide you with an opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of work and develop strategies to deal with and understand work and organisational life. The module will enable you to develop your ability to articulate your graduate competencies and demonstrate your commercial awareness.

On this module you will undertake an approved work experience and personal and professional development activities, for a minimum of thirty-six weeks of full-time employment. This will provide you with an opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of work and develop effective strategies to deal with and understand work and organisational life. The module develops your ability to demonstrate your commercial awareness.

On this module you will participate in an approved work experience and a range of personal and professional development activities, for  a minimum of 36 weeks full-time employment. This will provide you with an opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of work and develop effective strategies to deal with and understand work and organisational life. The module will develop your ability to demonstrate your commercial awareness.

In the final year you will study four compulsory modules designed to advance skills and knowledge appropriate to graduate level. You will choose one optional module. In the second and third taught years, there is more emphasis on discussion, critical evaluation, reflection and anticipation of likely future developments.

This module provides you with a working knowledge of econometrics and big data analysis techniques applied to finance and investment management. Expertise will be acquired in big data collection and analysis, in the use of appropriate computational software packages (e.g. Stata, R, Python), and in the skills needed to communicate the results of empirical work. You will be able to apply the concepts and the statistical and computational techniques to real-life issues and conduct empirical work in different fields of finance, asset management and economics. 

This module focuses on societal values that advance the well-being of people. In this regard, you will be equipped with the knowledge and capabilities to critically evaluate societal structures and institutional influences that promote ethical and sustainable frameworks. An evaluation of progress in the implementation of initiatives is strongly encouraged with the view to assess how the principle human dignity is promoted. 

This module covers topics in financial markets and macroeconomic risk management. It allows you to develop an understanding of the process of risk management in banking and financial markets. Real-world macro-level policies and the mechanisms through which they regulate the financial markets will be discussed using some case studies. This module provides you the opportunity to develop risk modelling skills, analytical and numerical skills in financial risk management practice. 

The module increases the knowledge and understanding of climate change and its impact on the financial services industry, and on the financial requirements of low carbon and renewable energy industries (LCREE) and other businesses aiming to transition to Net-Zero (NZ). The module will focus on the analysis of the characteristics of green financial instruments, such as green bonds, and on the financial challenges of green businesses, including environmentally oriented small and medium enterprises (SMEs). International frameworks, such as the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and national government policies on NZ transition- and just NZ in emerging markets will be critically analysed. 

This module  presents the main developments in automated trading and FinTech in the past two decades. A practical understanding of automated trading will be developed by using extensive worked examples of Python and R codes, which are the main languages used in automated finance. The module provides you with a working knowledge of financial technology applications such as blockchain, cryptoassets, crowdfunding and P2P finance.

This module immerses you in the multifaceted landscape of launching a new venture. You will gain knowledge and develop skills relevant to conceptualising start-up commercial activities. Through practice-led learning, you will craft a business plan enriched by industry-led insights and experiential pedagogies, fostering hands-on application of concepts beyond traditional classroom settings. Sustainable development goals will underscore the curriculum, emphasising ethical and socially responsible business practices essential for sustainable growth.

This module provides you with a set of tools to understand and analyse economic data for policy evaluation. The module will expose you to econometric strategies frequently used in applied microeconomics and behavioural research. You will be able to recognise data problems and how they may affect causal interpretations, specify and estimate econometrics models for policy evaluation, and be able to undertake empirical research individually and independently.

On this module you will undertake an approved work experience and personal and professional development activities, for a minimum of 30 days full time employment. This will provide you with an opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of work and develop effective strategies to deal with and understand work and organisational life. The module will develop your ability to articulate your graduate competencies and demonstrate commercial awareness.

You will gain knowledge and understanding through guided reading of textbooks, academic journals, computer exercises, labs, workshops and seminars.  
 
You will learn cognitive skills through reading the required texts and articles, listening, discussing and presenting a series of topics and theories, identifying suitable research articles to support your learning, organising and analysing datasets with appropriate software in labs, applying theory to specific problems and producing a significant piece of work based on your analysis. Practical skills are developed in supervised labs and workshops, online activities and guided research and reflection. 

Whether you are studying full or part-time – your course timetable will balance your study commitments on campus with time for work, life commitments and independent study.

We aim to make timetables available to students at least 2 weeks before the start of term. Some weeks are different due to how we schedule classes and arrange on-campus sessions.

Teaching vs independent learning

Outside of teaching hours, you’ll learn independently through self-study which will involve reading articles and books, working on projects, undertaking research, and preparing for assessments including coursework, presentations and exams.

Here is an indication of how you will split your time.

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Our excellent teaching and support teams will help you develop the skills relevant to your degree from research and practical skills to critical thinking. Our Sheppard Library is open from 7am to 11pm Monday to Sunday during term time. And we offer free 24-hour laptop loans with full desktop software, free printing and Wi-Fi to use on or off campus, even over the weekend.

This course is mainly assessed through coursework, written assignments, presentations and group exercises. The exact balance will depend on the modules you are taking. The table below is a good approximate guide.

Your knowledge and understanding is assessed by presentations and practical, authentic written assignments.  
 
Your cognitive skills are assessed by practice based individual and group coursework assignments, oral presentations and in class tests. 

To help you achieve the best results, we will provide regular feedback.

Placements

A 12-month placement is offered at the end of year two.    
 
Alternatively, you can opt for two smaller placements over the years one and two of the course including the summers between their years of study.   
 
A dedicated employability advisor will help in the search for an employer who can provide you with an appropriate placement.  They will also provide you with guidance and support in preparation for, as well as during and after the placement.    
 
The placement forms the basis for an assessed report based on the organisation.    
 
At the start of the placement you will be allocated an individual supervisor who provides support and advice for the duration of the project.    
 
You are supported throughout the placement with a series of award-winning talks, workshops and engagement with professional bodies and employers.