Finance and Economics MSc

Each compulsory module typically comprises:

• 20 lecture contact hours
• 5 or 10 contact hours for seminars, workshops and tutorials
• intensive independent study
• 50% continuous assessment
• 50% assessment by written end-of-semester examination.

You must take three compulsory modules in Semester 1. These are:

• Econometric Methods and Applications: advanced level training in econometric methods
• Investment Analysis: investment value analysis, risk and return

and one of:

• Macroeconomics: advanced treatment of the core models and concepts used in modern macroeconomics
• Microeconomics: advanced treatment of the core models and concepts used in modern microeconomics.

In Semester 2, students take one compulsory module and can choose two optional modules from a selection of topics. The compulsory module is:

• Corporate Finance: the relationship between corporate liabilities and corporate actions.

In your second semester, you will have the opportunity to choose two modules from a selection of topics. The assessment patterns for individual optional modules may vary from the details given above.

Examples of optional modules include:

• Behavioural Finance: examines the effects of behavioural biases in financial markets
• Corporate Governance and Risk: covers three key components: corporate governance, risk management, and financial management
• Econometric Time Series Analysis: advanced treatment of the core theory and practice of time series econometrics
• Experimental Economics and Finance: exposes students to the methodology of experimental economics
• Financial Intermediation: theoretical issues involved in financial intermediation with a focus on analytical models
• Game Theory: provides a thorough advanced treatment of the core models and concepts used in modern game theory.
• International Trade and Migration: examines the causes and consequences of international trade and migration, combining theory with empirical applications
• Monetary Policy: key issues in monetary policy.
• Portfolio Theory and Management: key issues in asset allocation and portfolio composition/management at an advanced level.
• Risk Management: standard techniques in risk and insurance.

MSc Economics students may take up to one advanced undergraduate module (coded EC4xxx) in the second semester with the prior permission of the MSc Finance and Economics programme director.

Dissertation

The final element of the MSc is a 15,000-word dissertation. The dissertation should be on an area of either finance or economics that you are interested in, chosen in discussion with your supervisor who will support you through the process.

You will receive training in Semester 1 in framing a hypothesis, conducting bibliographic research, writing a literature survey, and structuring a dissertation.