Banking and Finance MSc

Compulsory

• Banking

  The course aims to explore the nature of banking as well as links between financial intermediaries, risks and the broader economy. The course seeks to conceptualise the economic function of banks and also show how banks are subject to important risks, which necessitate both a complex system of regulation and sophisticated risk management by the bank itself.

• Bank Regulation and Macro Prudential Policy

  This module aims to develop a sound understanding of the nature of the market failures in banking that that require regulatory responses, and the potential problems with regulation, to develop sound knowledge of the role of bank regulation in ensuring financial stability in the international economy, especially in periods of crisis, and to develop a framework for understanding the nature and use of the wide range of other tools used in macro-prudential regulation.

• Global Financial Markets

  The aim of this module is to provide an advanced theory of financial markets and banking with global and regulatory aspects. This module covers financial markets (e.g., bond markets, stock markets, derivative markets, foreign exchange markets) in more depth and relates with international financial system, regulation (e.g., Basel I, II, III, regulatory capital, economic capital), financial crisis, and banking (e.g., central banks, commercial banks, investment banks).

• Macro and Financial Econometrics

  The aim is to help students use statistical methods to estimate the parameters of economic models, and test economic hypotheses. This module provides a firm foundation in the theory and practice of econometric modelling of financial markets including a number of empirical examples and applications.

• Banking and Finance Workshop

  This module will provide the opportunity for students to demonstrate a sound knowledge of the operation of financial institutions and their regulators and the theory underpinning macro prudential policy. It will also identify how theory and applications are linked in practice and be able to relate this to the techniques used to model financial institutions and their regulators decisions.

• Dissertation

  The objective of the dissertation is to bring to bear the techniques and perspectives covered in the taught part of the course upon a specific issue of interest. The dissertation should provide an independent and critical appraisal of an issue, normally (although not always) involving an empirical analysis of the topic being investigated.

• Placement

Optional

• Foundations of Finance

  This module provides an understanding of various financial instruments, markets and concepts which are necessary when conducting the corporate investment decision. In particular the course looks at bond and equity markets and instruments, decision rules relating to the capital budgeting techniques, and their application, and the incorporation of risk/uncertainty into an investment decision (including portfolio theory and the Capital Asset Pricing Model).

• Security Analysis and Funds Management

  This module aims to provide an overview of securities traded in fixed income, stock and derivative markets and their characteristics along with the stylised facts of financial markets, and to introduce classical models used for portfolio selection and risk management.

• International Finance

  While a large part of Economics and Finance, in theory and practice, can be treated as a mainly domestic exercise, there exists an increasing number of areas that apply to a multi-country setting. This module aims to equip students with knowledge necessary to work in an international, multi-currency professional environment, and to provide students with knowledge on whose basis future academic research and doctoral studies in the area of international finance can be pursued.

• Financial Analysis

  This module aims to understand the importance of book values and earnings in deriving the intrinsic value of a firm and to analyse empirically their informative role over explaining future cash flows, earnings and returns, and to provide an overview of the relation between accounting-based equity models, excess volatility and efficiency in securities markets.

• Risk Management

  The module aims to equip students with comprehensive multifaceted knowledge of risk management and hand-on skills for industry-oriented risk management. In particular, the module will help them to understand the concepts of volatility and value-at-risk, liquidity and deleveraging, credit and counterparty risks in a real-life context. 

• Finance and Big Data Analytics

  This course is designed to provide students with fundamental knowledge and skills of how to handle and analyse big data with a focus on financial applications. Students will also gain knowledge on designing and applying machine learning predictive models in finance.

• FinTech and Digital Banking

  This course is designed to provide the student with a thorough knowledge of key technological trends in financial markets and how these have transformed financial services such as payments, lending and trading. This involves artificial intelligence and machine learning, open APIs and marketing channels and blockchain and cryptocurrency. The students will consider cases studies of fintech innovation and start-ups which will help them understand how traditional banking and financial services are challenged.