Course summary

Our specialist BSc Finance degree places considerable emphasis on the key quantitative and analytical skills needed to pursue a career in finance and financial markets. The degree prepares you for a career in the financial environment by providing a technical curriculum to strengthen the link between academia and practice. The BSc Finance enables you to acquire a critical understanding of theories, empirical evidence and practical application whilst maintaining a rigorous academic underpinning. In particular, you will learn about corporate finance, investments, financial institutions and the vast array of sophisticated financial products traded in today’s global financial markets. Furthermore, you will develop the quantitative techniques needed to analyse, in depth, financial data and financial securities. Flexibility – subject to optional module choice and successful completion of your first year – it may be possible to change your degree path to either Accounting and Finance or Accounting and Management. (if you require a Tier 4 visa you will need to check this in advance with Tier 4 regulations in place at the time). Year 1 In the first year, you will study five compulsory modules that provide the key fundamentals to examine and evaluate modern financial markets, including introductions to financial and management accounting, economics, finance and mathematics and statistics. These will be complimented by an optional module from the areas of business, global economics or foreign languages. Year 2 In the second year, you will study three compulsory finance modules to allow you to be able to examine financial issues and the institutions, markets and securities that facilitate the vast array of financial transactions that occur continuously across global markets. Furthermore, you will acquire numerous quantitative tools which enable you to interpret financial data and price financial securities. The finance modules are complemented by one compulsory economics module – macro – and an optional module from the areas of law, accounting, tax or foreign languages. Year 3 In the third year, you will study one compulsory finance module to develop skills in the theory and applications of investment and portfolio management. You will also complete a dissertation which will allow you to analyse, in great depth, your choice of research question in finance. You will also choose three optional modules to facilitate the development of your theoretical and empirical knowledge of core and topical issues in specific areas of finance, depending on your interests. The course is founded in the disciplines of Finance and Economics and has significant application to practice whilst maintaining a rigorous academic underpinning. Please note: the finance degree is currently under review and details may have changed by October 2023. For more information on this course, please see our website.