The Banking and Finance (with Integrated Financial Training) BSc (Hons) includes a year-long sandwich year, combining theory and practice to give you the best chance of securing a career in the industry. The course focuses on global banking and financial services, examining the development, significance and challenges of banking and finance in the modern world. You’ll learn specialist methods, theory and application related to banking and finance, you’ll also explore the impact of globalisation on the industry.

You’ll examine the roles of consumers, regulators, governments and other agents within financial services, and develop your analytical skills to identify factors that influence corporate and individual investment behaviour. You’ll also develop communication skills and build confidence in presenting financial and non-financial data. You also have the option to move to our Banking and Finance BSc (Hons) degree course at the end of Level 4 or Level 5 without loss of time.

As well as sharpening your skills in investment theory, banking, insurance and law, you’ll learn hands-on skills such as the use of Bloomberg and IBM technology. The Level 6 module Financial Instruments and Financial Engineering makes extensive use of the University’s Bloomberg lab where you’ll analyse financial markets, and value and price financial instruments. In EU and Financial Regulation, you’ll use our Bloomberg terminals to assess European and international economies, financial markets and governments.

Our Bloomberg trading room is a unique facility used for developing skills that will provide you with a competitive edge in the employment market. The world’s leading financial platform, Bloomberg brings real world financial and economic news, data and analytics into the classroom, equipping you with hands-on knowledge and valuable experience. You’ll also use Bloomberg when researching for coursework, projects and presentations.

The integrated professional training aspect of this degree gives you an edge when entering the competitive banking and finance industry. Our Placements and Employability Unit will help you to search and apply for posts in a wide variety of organisations/ Through the year-long work placement, you’ll gain invaluable and extensive work experience and deepen your understanding of concepts, build personal networks, and increase your employability and graduate career prospects. 

In your final year, you’ll be able to choose from a variety of optional modules including IT, personal finance, marketing and corporate social responsibility, allowing you to focus on your own interests and careers goals.

Assessment

You’ll be assessed through essays, coursework assignments, individual and group research projects, exams and a final-year dissertation.

Modular structure

The modules listed below are for the academic year 2018/19 and represent the course modules at this time. Modules and module details (including, but not limited to, location and time) are subject to change over time.

Year 1 modules include:

• Accounting (core, 30 credits)
• Contextualising Theory (core, 15 credits)
• Economics for Finance and Business (core, 30 credits)
• Introduction to Financial Markets and Institutions (core, 15 credits)
• Quantitative Methods for Banking, Finance and Economics (core, 30 credits)

Year 2 modules include:

• Corporate Finance and Investment (core, 30 credits)
• Econometrics and Financial Modelling (core, 30 credits)
• Creating a Winning Business 1 (alternative core, 15 credits)
• Learning through Work (alternative core, 15 credits)
• Bank Lending and the Legal Environment (option, 30 credits)
• Corporate Financial Services Strategy (option, 15 credits)
• Economics and Ethics (option, 15 credits)
• Information Technology for Professional Practice (option, 15 credits)
• International Business and World Markets (option, 30 credits)
• Money and Banking (option, 15 credits)
• Statistical Methods and Modelling Markets (option, 30 credits)

Year 3 modules include: 

• Empirical Research in Global Banking, Finance and Economics (core, 30 credits)
• International Finance (core, 30 credits)
• Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethics (option, 15 credits)
• Creating a Winning Business 2 (option, 15 credits)
• Development Economics and Emerging Markets (option, 30 credits)
• Economics of Human Resources (option, 30 credits)
• Economics of Multinational Business (option, 15 credits)
• Fin Instruments and Financial Engineering (option, 30 credits)
• Learning through Work 2 (option, 15 credits)
• Personal Finance (option, 15 credits)
• Professional Experience Year Placement (core, 30 credits)