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2022 - 20232023 - 2024
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Course summary

Our BSc Finance (including foundation year) is open to Home and EU students. It will be suitable for you if your academic qualifications do not yet meet our entrance requirements for the three-year version of this course and you want a programme that increases your subject knowledge as well as improves your academic skills. This four-year course includes a foundation year (Year Zero) on the Essex Business School Pathway, followed by a further three years of study. During your Year Zero, you study four academic subjects relevant to your chosen course, preparing you for further study, as well as a compulsory English language and academic skills module. You are an Essex student from day one, a member of our global community based at the most internationally diverse campus university in the UK. After successful completion of Year Zero in our Essex Pathways Department, you progress to complete your course with Essex Business School. This course prepares you for a fast-paced career in any area of finance. You have access to our virtual trading floor, where you can trade multiple markets from a single screen with industry leading software, X_TRADER. You can also use real-world Bloomberg Market Data Feed (B-PIPE), within minutes of it being released, so you can practise making business decisions in the same way you might in the workplace. The course examines international financial markets, as well as how finance shapes leadership, strategy and planning within organisations. Topics may include:

  • the pricing of securities in financial markets
  • risk management
  • corporate finance and financial decision making
  • business economics
  • quantitative methods
  • financial modelling
  • portfolio analysis
We use real-life examples to apply theory to practice and develop your capacity to analyse statistics. Ethics underpins all of our teaching, so you can graduate with the ability to make sound, responsible financial decisions for the benefit of organisations and their stakeholders. Your first year ensures you receive a fully-rounded business education by introducing you to topics such as marketing, economics, management and accounting. In your final year, you have the opportunity to put your knowledge into practice by completing an in depth, independent research project or dissertation. This gives you the chance to further develop vital employability skills in areas of research, project management and critical thinking. BSc Finance also gives you the option to follow a specialised pathway in Applied Quantitative Methods (AQM). With employers looking for graduates with data analysis skills, The University of Essex is one of just three UK universities to have received Q-Step Affiliate status. By completing necessary AQM modules, your quantitative skills are evidenced on your degree transcript to give you the competitive edge in the jobs market. We can also provide work placement bursaries to develop your skills in evaluating numerical evidence, analysing data and designing research. Essex Business School, where this course is taught, is an IMC Advantage Partner. This course is aligned to the Investment Management Certificate (IMC) syllabus, the industry’s benchmark entry-level qualification. The University of Essex is also a member of the CFA Institute University Affiliation Program, enabling us to award up-to six exceptional students each year with a scholarship that goes towards the fees for the CFA Program Level One exam, so you can start your journey of becoming a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). Achieving this accolade is one way to enhance your CV if you're interested in pursuing a career in investment management.

Modules

Many of our courses offer a choice of optional modules to tailor your learning experience. More information about these can be found on the University of Essex website.

How to apply

26Jan

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
N301
Institution code:
E70
Campus name:
Colchester Campus
Campus code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Foundation

International applicants

Please note that this course is not open to international applicants.

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

All applicants must also hold GCSE Maths at grade C/4 or above (or equivalent). We may be able to consider a pass in Level 2 Functional Skills Maths where you cannot meet the requirements for Maths at GCSE level. However, you are advised to try to retake GCSE Mathematics if possible as this will better prepare you for university study and future employment. UK and EU applicants: All applications for degree courses with a foundation year (Year Zero) will be considered individually, whether you • think you might not have the grades to enter the first year of a degree course; • have non-traditional qualifications or experience (e.g. you haven’t studied A-levels or a BTEC); • are returning to university after some time away from education; or • are looking for more support during the transition into university study. Mature applicants and non-traditional academic backgrounds: We welcome applications from mature students (over 21) and students with non-traditional academic backgrounds (might not have gone on from school to take level 3 qualifications). We will consider your educational and employment history, along with your personal statement and reference, to gain a rounded view of your suitability for the course.

Unistats information

Operated by the Office for Students
78%
Student satisfaction
70%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
90%
Go onto work and study

The student satisfaction data is from students surveyed during the Covid-19 pandemic. The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

England £9250 Year 1
Northern Ireland £9250 Year 1
Scotland £9250 Year 1
Wales £9250 Year 1
EU £17700 Year 1

Additional fee information

Fees displayed are for 2022-23 entry. Fees will increase for each academic intake and each academic year of study.
Finance (Including Foundation Year) at University of Essex - UCAS