Banking and International Finance

Postgraduate

In Islington

Price on request

Description

  • Type

    Postgraduate

  • Location

    Islington

At The City Law School we offer education and training for every step of your legal career. Taught in the heart of legal London, our law courses give you the essential legal skills and knowledge needed to be successful in law.

Facilities

Location

Start date

Islington (London)
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Northampton Square, EC1V 0HB

Start date

On request

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Reviews

Subjects

  • Mergers and Acquisitions
  • IT Law
  • Management
  • Corporate Finance
  • Risk
  • Staff
  • Investment Banking
  • Risk Management
  • Trading
  • Market
  • Securities
  • Investment
  • Credit
  • Accounting
  • IT
  • Teaching
  • International
  • Global
  • Banking
  • Accounting MBA
  • Finance
  • Financial
  • Law
  • University
  • School
  • Project
  • Industry
  • IT risk
  • Equity
  • Financial Training
  • Derivatives
  • IT Management
  • Skills and Training

Course programme

Banking and International Finance
  1. 2017 Entry
  2. 2016 Entry
  • Overview
  • Course content
  • Teaching staff
  • Accreditations
  • Entry requirements
  • Tuition fees and term dates
  • Career opportunities
Overview

Intake: September only
Duration:
12 months full-time
Fees: tbc*
Financial support:
Please see our Scholarships page
Application deadline: None - rolling admissions
Applications: Will open in November 2016

The MSc in Banking and International Finance is designed to equip you for a very wide range of careers in banks, investment banks, securities firms, portfolio managers, finance departments of industrial and service companies, consultants, central banks, auditors, multinational financial organisations, etc.

Such organisations have a continuous demand for postgraduate-level executives. Consequently, this MSc is popular with high-calibre individuals driven by a desire to work in activities such as: traditional lending, securitisation, credit derivatives, bridge financing, asset management, trading foreign exchange and securities, derivatives and structured products, mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, securities custody, retail services, etc.

The course is a Chartered Financial Analyst Institute (CFA) Partner Programme. Please see the Accreditations tab for more information on how you can benefit from this partnership.

View our guide to finance MSc courses at Cass

Course characteristics

On a typical intake of around 80 students a year, a minimum of 35 nationalities will normally be represented. The international dimension of the course is further developed through the backgrounds of the permanent and visiting academic faculty. The international learning experience adds to range and depth to the student experience, while generating worldwide networking opportunities after graduation. The average age of students on the MSc in Banking and International Finance course is 25.

'I was very impressed by the students on my course. All of them were very strong.'
Nguyen Thi Xuan Nhu from Vietnam
MSc in Banking and International Finance

Nhu describes more of her experiences at Cass

Individual Appointments

If you would like to arrange an individual appointment to discuss this course please email Kate Hodson

*Tuition fees for 2017/18 will be confirmed before applications open in November 2016. Tuition fees for 2016/17 were £25,000

Course content

We review all our courses regularly to keep them up-to-date on issues of both theory and practice.

To satisfy the requirements of the degree course students must complete:

eight core courses (15 credits each)

and

five electives (10 credits each)

or

three electives (10 credits each) and an Applied Research Project (20 credits)

or

one elective (10 credits) and a Business Research Project (40 credits)

Assessment of modules on the MSc in Banking & International Finance, in most cases, is by means of coursework and unseen examination. Coursework may consist of standard essays, individual and group presentations, group reports, classwork, unseen tests and problem sets. Please note that any group work may include an element of peer assessment.

The Banking and International Finance course starts with two compulsory induction weeks, mainly dedicated to:

  • An introduction to careers in finance and the opportunity to speak to representatives from over 75 companies during a number of different industry specific fairs.
  • A refresher course of basic financial mathematics, statistics, computing and electronic databases.
Term 1

Four core modules

Commercial and Investment Banking
  • 15 credits
  • 3 hours per week in lectures
  • 12 hours per week self directed study

This module aims to provide students with an insight into the major features of the banking business and to provide a framework for the understanding of the different types of banks and banking activities. The first part of this module will examine the changing business characteristics of the commercial banking industry while the second part will focus on the global investment banking industry.

Financial Statements Analysis
  • 15 credits
  • 3 hours per week in lectures
  • 12 hours per week self directed study

The course is tailored to the needs of Banking and International Finance students and is designed to develop a solid understanding of how users of financial information interpret accounting reports when making business decisions. The emphasis is on the valuation of both equity and debt instruments. Coverage is not restricted to the existing U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, but includes a broad discussion of measurement issues and international accounting standards. The topics that are covered include earnings quality, ratio analysis, fundamental analysis, earnings management, equity-based executive compensation (stock grants and stock options).

Finance and Investments
  • 15 credits
  • 3 hours per week in lectures
  • 12 hours per week self directed study

This module will provide students with a clear understanding of the investment principles of modern investment management. Students will be introduced to the variety of approaches used to price financial assets and to assess both individual asset risk, and the risks embodied in an investment portfolio. This background is crucial for understanding how derivatives can help to manage these risks; how hedge funds operate; how we evaluate the performance of all professional fund managers today; and how high level asset allocation decisions are taken and implemented.

Quantitative Methods for Finance
  • 15 credits
  • 3 hours per week in lectures
  • 12 hours per week self directed study

This module will provide a review of the classical linear regression model and a discussion of how economic models can be validly estimated. Both univariate time-series and multivariate structural models will be considered. Via case studies and computer modelling exercises, students then learn how to apply these techniques to real data. Emphasis is placed on practical applications of methods, and the teaching involves an examination of some empirical studies using the models for the equity and fixed income markets.

Term 2

Four core modules

Corporate Finance
  • 15 credits
  • 3 hours per week in lectures
  • 12 hours per week self directed study

The main purpose of this module is to develop a clear understanding of the fundamentals of corporate finance and company valuation (and their relationship with the theory and practice of corporate investments through the examination of real-life case studies and contemporary examples). Classes will discuss and compare the main valuation techniques and financing methods. Through the use of examples and case studies, these techniques will be linked to the theory of market efficiency, and then asset pricing models will be discussed. Corporate policy issues such as: capital structure, debt policy and corporate restructuring will be discussed.

Fixed Income & Currency Derivatives
  • 15 credits
  • 3 hours per week in lectures
  • 12 hours per week self directed study

Over the past two decades or so, the world economy has changed profoundly: it has become a truly global system, international flows of goods and money have grown explosively, and capital roams freely around the world. It now makes sense to consider the international dimension as an integral part of financial management. This module will provide students with a clear understanding of options and structured products and their role in financial management for companies engaged in international business (with special focus on banks, investment banks and asset managers.)

Risk Management
  • 15 credits
  • 3 hours per week in lectures
  • 12 hours per week self directed study

This module will analyse the most important approaches to financial (market) and credit risk management for banks and financial institutions. Students will analyse the best practice techniques used to measure and manage these risks as well as the role of risk-management to guide business strategy and achieve shareholder value. Risk management will also be set in the context of the international prudential regulation of financial markets activity.

International Finance
  • 15 credits
  • 3 hours per week in lectures
  • 12 hours per week self directed study

The purpose of this module is to provide a clear understanding of the main topics of foreign exchange markets and the range of financial decisions that must take FX rates into account. This topic is crucially important in a world where international trade and international investments have experienced a fast rate of growth. Moreover, a number of decisions by banks and financial institutions are taken against the background of exchange rate variations.

Research Methods Module
  • 10 credits
  • 3 x 3 hour lectures over the ten week term
  • 52 hours self directed study over the ten week term

This compulsory module, run over terms 1 and 2, trains students to undertake independent research either in the context of a single organisation or by using third-party sources. It provides the necessary tools and skills to initiate, research and write up a business project and includes training in research methodology, availability of data sources, project writing, time-management and presentation skills. These skills will be invaluable to students in their future career whether or not they choose to complete a project.

Term 3

A Business Research Project (40 credits) and one elective (10 credits)

OR

An Applied Research Project (20 credits) and three electives (10 credits each)

OR

Five electives (10 credits each)

Electives

You may choose from a wide variety of electives, each worth ten credits.

Electives that were offered in 2016 were:

  • Banking Strategy
  • Financial Statement Analysis and Valuation in Banks
  • Hedge Funds
  • Investment Banking in Corporate Finance
  • Money and Central Banking
  • An introduction to Islamic Banking, Finance and Insurance
  • Credit Risk Management
  • Trading & Market Microstructure
  • Ethics, Society and the Finance Sector
  • Mergers and Acquisitions
  • Energy Markets
  • Risk Strategy & Decision Making
  • Trading and Hedging in the Forex Market
  • Energy Project Investment & Finance
  • Financial Derivatives
  • Ethics, Society and the Finance Sector
  • Mergers and Acquisitions
International Electives
  • Project Finance & Infrastructure Investment (Taught in a block format in Madrid)
  • Investment Strategy (Taught in a block format in New York)
  • Global Real Estate Markets (Taught in a block format in Dubai)
  • Monetary Policy (Taught in a block format in Singapore)

There are no additional tuition fees for international electives, with the exception of the Buenos Aires elective for which students are required to contribute £320 towards translators and in country transportation. Students are responsible for their own travel and accommodation costs for all international electives.

More details of programme specification are available here.

*If you are a Tier 4 student visa holder and wish to follow the five electives route in the third term your formal course end-date will be moved forward to 31 July. City University has a legal obligation to report the change in your circumstances to UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration). Consequently, your Tier 4 student visa will be curtailed (shortened) to 60 days after the new course end date (to the end of September). The University cannot continue to sponsor your Tier 4 visa after the completion of the electives as continued engagement with the course is no longer required.

If you choose to undertake the Business Research Project as part of your Masters course then your visa will run for the full the length of programme.

If you want any advice about the implications of taking the elective modules on your Tier 4 visa, please contact the University's International Student Advice team.

MSc Research Project

The MSc Research Project

Students have the option of studying five specialised electives in term three to give them a breadth of subject matter. Alternatively if students would like to study one particular area of interest in depth they have the option of taking one elective and completing a Business Research Project, which in some cases may be completed in partnership with a sponsoring organisation.

The Project will be of approximately 8,000 words. This offers an opportunity to specialise in a contemporary finance topic related to students' future careers. The Project should be based on independent research either in the context of a single organisation or using third-party sources.

Students are encouraged from the start of the course to think about a topic for their Project. A member of academic staff supervises the project, and the student may choose whom they would like to work with. The Project must be submitted by the end of August. Company sponsored projects are encouraged and a number of such projects may be available.

Many students use this opportunity to complete a project in conjunction with an organisation they might want to work for. This gets their foot in the door and can lead to permanent employment post programme, whilst earning course credit. Cass Careers Service works to coordinate projects with organisations and students.

Some recent projects:

  • Investment Styles in Hedge Funds
  • Investment Banking - Conflict of interest within departments, Derivatives or Consulting
  • The Future Development of Derivatives in China
  • Liberalisation of exchange rate in emerging markets
  • Comparison of different systems of taxation for derivatives products
  • Government agencies' role in secondary mortgage market
  • The impact of the Continued Linked Settlement in the Banker Sector
  • Developing of advanced Portfolio Approach for the appropriate determination of the exchange rate
  • Asset Prices in Emerging Markets and Future Real economic developments
  • The Smile Effect

Teaching staff

The teaching staff on the MSc in Banking & International Finance have many years of practical experience working in the financial services sector and are also active researchers in their fields

This knowledge and experience inform the highly interactive lectures that make up the MSc in Banking & International Finance.

Course Director

Dr Barbara Casu Lukac

Other Module Leaders include:
  • Dr Anh Tran
  • Prof. Giorgio Questa
  • Prof. Ian Marsh
  • Prof. Richard Payne
  • Dr Giacinta Cestone
Teaching staff on Cass Talks

Some of the lecturing staff on the MSc in Banking & International Finance have taken part in recent editions of Cass Talks.

Prof. Richard Payne argues banning short-selling could do more harm than good.

Accreditations

Cass Business School is among the global elite of business schools that hold the gold standard of 'triple-crown' accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Association of MBAs (AMBA) and the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS). We are consistently ranked amongst the best business schools and programmes in the world which, coupled with an established 40-year reputation for excellence in research and business education, enables us to attract some of the best academics, students and businesses worldwide into our exclusive Cass network.

CFA Programme Partner

The CFA Institute, the global association of investment professionals, recognises the rigour and the relevance of the MSc in Banking and International Finance and has awarded this course partner status. CFA Programme Partner status is awarded to a select number of universities around the world whose degree courses incorporate at least 70% of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge. The CFA Program is the essential qualification for those wishing to pursue a career in the finance sector and the CFA Institute recognises the MSc in Banking and International Finance as strong preparation for their professional exams.

Cass students on CFA partner courses have the option of taking some additional preparatory classes for the CFA exams. They also have access to CFA study materials (including an online Level 1 sample exam) and complimentary access to Financial Newsbrief, a daily investment brief by the CFA. In addition, there is the opportunity to take part in the CFA Global Investment Research Challenge.

Each year 5 CFA scholarships are available to Cass students, offering financial assistance with the CFA exam registration fees.

ICAEW

The MSc in Banking & International Finance is accredited by Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW).

Entry requirements

Documents required for decision-making

  • Transcript/interim transcript
  • Current module list if still studying
  • CV
  • Personal statement (500-600 words)
Documents which may follow at a later date
  • IELTS/GMAT, if reports available
  • Confirmation of professional qualification examinations/exemptions/passes, if applicable
  • Two references
  • Work experience is not a requirement of this course
  • For a successful application to receive an unconditional status all documents must be verified, so an original or certified copy of the degree transcript must be sent by post to Specialist Masters Programme Office, 106 Bunhill Row, London, EC1Y 8TZ, UK

We cannot comment on individual eligibility before you apply and we can only process your application once it is fully complete, with all requested information received.

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The entry requirements for the MSc Banking & International Finance are as follows:

Degree Level
  • A UK upper second class degree or...

Banking and International Finance

Price on request