Banking and Finance - BA(Hons)

Year one

The first year provides a foundation in core banking and finance subject knowledge, as well as additional skills and attributes necessary for your future success.

You will study the following compulsory modules:

• Financial Institutions and Markets
• Introductory Microeconomics
• Understanding Business and Financial Information
• Macroeconomics
• Statistics and Data Management
• Academic Development for Accounting and Finance.

Year two

In the second year, you will build your knowledge in core banking and finance areas and begin to develop your specialist interests and your research and enquiry skills. All students are encouraged to spend their third year on placement and the curriculum in the second year also provides support for the process of securing this.

You will study the following compulsory modules:

• Principles and Practices of Banking
• Management and Cost Accounting
• Governance and Ethics in Banking
• Investment Banking
• Introductory Econometrics.

In addition, you will study two optional modules from the list below:

• Credit Management: Theory and Practice
• Market Analysis for Private Investors
• Economic Research Methods
• Economics of Money and Banking
• International Trade and Multinational Business.

Final year

The final year will include advanced study in the core subject areas and a major applied research project, integrating and applying the knowledge gained in the earlier years of study. You will also have a number of optional module choices to further your specialist interests and/or accumulate exemptions from professional examinations with bodies such as CIOB, CIMA and CII.

You will study the following compulsory modules:

• Final Year Project
• Contemporary Issues in Banking and Finance.

In addition, you will study four optional modules from the list below OR three if a Study Year Abroad (SYA) or Placement Year has been completed:

• Economics of International Financial Markets
• International Financial Management
• Personal Financial Planning
• Credit Risk Analysis and Management
• Investment Management
• Econometrics
• Islamic Banking and Finance
• Financial Crime
• Further Tax Theory and Practice
• Behaviour Economics.

The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we will inform you.

The course is taught through a diverse mix of learning environments including face-to-face tutor-led, independent student-led, online and group projects.

Lectures, workshops/seminars, group project work, and tutoring account for 12 hours of contact time per week and you will spend at least as much time again in essential independent study. This includes preparation for workshops/seminars study, reviewing lectures, online work, reading and other research activity, as well as in the preparation of assessed work and revision for end of module exams.

For more details see our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.

Learning through experience

All students are encouraged to gain high-quality work experience, ideally through the 40-week Placement in Year 3 (see Features) but if not, then through short-term internships, paid work e.g. as a Student Ambassador or as a Peer Assisted Learning Leader, or through volunteering.

Guest speakers, real-life case studies and the cutting-edge Financial Trading Room (see Features) broaden knowledge of the industry and ensure graduates are work-ready.

You will be assessed through a mix of coursework and examinations, all of which aim to assess not only what you know and can do but also develop the graduate attributes that are valued by employers. These attributes include communication and presentation skills, IT and numeracy skills, team work, project and time management skills as well as the intellectual skills of problem solving, critical thinking, analysis and evaluation, creativity and innovation.

Coursework comes in many different forms: essays and reports; business plans and applied research projects; portfolios and weekly notes; assessed group and individual presentations and posters. You will also be required to reflect and comment on your own learning and personal development.

For more details see our full glossary of assessment terms.