Banking & Finance

Course detail Description

The Banking and Finance MSc course is an innovative course designed to provide you with an in-depth understanding of the finance and banking industry. The programme will also equip you with essential research, analytical and critical thinking skills.

Our programme focuses on such areas that have major practical and theoretical application as: investment analysis and management, portfolio creation and management, investment and commercial banking, asset and risk management, mergers and acquisitions, financial derivatives, quantitative financial analysis, taxation and banking regulation.

The course is made up of optional and required modules, and you will complete the course in one year, studying September to September. You must take modules totalling 180 credits to meet the requirements of the qualification, and 60 credits will come from a dissertation of around 15,000 words.

You will study a range of required modules such as Quantitative Methods for Finance, Investments, Commercial and Investment Banking, Financial Derivatives and Statements. In addition to a compulsory 15,000-word dissertation, you will choose further related modules to support your study interests.

Course purpose

This course will provide the skills you need to work in a wide range of careers in finance or banking.

Whether you’re a student or a working professional, our aim is to maximise your employability. And we have a great track record, with a number of innovative postgraduate programmes and great graduate employment statistics.

We design the programme so you’ll be exempt from the exams normally needed for professional qualifications.

Our careers consultants and links with industry will give you a head start in the job market. Many students find internship placements and we offer optional short courses designed to equip you with even more practical skills for working life.

Course format and assessment

We use lectures, seminars and group tutorials to deliver most of the modules on the course. You will also be expected to undertake a significant amount of independent study.

Teaching Module Lectures, seminars and feedbackSelf-study Per 15-credit taught module Between 20 and 30 hours which typically consist of a combination of lectures, case discussion and class activities; there may be some variation in the precise format. Each 15-credit taught module has approximately 120-130 hours of self-guided learning time. Dissertation module Dissertation workshops and one-to-one supervision. Approximately 596 hours self-study and project work.

Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

Throughout the degree students are assessed by a variety of methods, which could include written examinations, coursework and individual or group projects and presentations. The dissertation will be assessed on one 15,000-word extended piece of writing. Assignment feedback is provided within four working weeks of submission.

Extra information

Some unique features of our MSc Banking & Finance are:

• Our programme is designed with a view to securing exemptions from exams run by professional bodies providing professional qualifications.

• Extensive contributions from respected city professionals and industry experts who also teach you, bringing practical insights into the classroom by applying the theory to real-world scenarios.

• A fully developed careers programme with careers consultants and extensive industry links that aim to maximise your employment prospects.

• A set of optional short courses designed to equip you with further practical training and key technical skills for the finance industry

• State-of-the-art facilities such as a virtual trading floor which provides exclusive access to the latest financial software used in the banking and finance industry, and access to specialised financial and economic databases and software used by economists in finance or in government. These facilities are coupled with a range of courses that familiariseyou with such practical skills as trading and database use.

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Structure

Year 1
Courses are divided into modules. You will normally take modules totalling 180 credits. Required Modules

You are required to take:

• Quantitative Methods for Finance (15 credits)

• Investments (15 credits)

• Commercial and Investment Banking (15 credits)

• Financial Statements (15 credits)

• Financial Derivatives (15 credits)

• Dissertation (60 credits)

Optional Modules

In addition, you are required to take 45 credits from a range of optional modules, which may typically include:

• Asset Pricing (15 credits)

• Empirical Finance (15 credits)

• Applied Risk Management for Banking (15 credits)

• Financial Econometrics (15 credits)

• Corporate Finance (15 credits)

• Empirical Macroeconomics (15 credits)

• Financial Regulation & Governance (15 credits)

• Topics in Applied Finance (15 credits)

• Behavioural Finance (15 credits)

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.