Finance, BSc (Hons)

This specialist degree equips students with essential quantitative and analytical skills for careers in the financial services industry, as global markets become increasingly interconnected. Delivered by expert lecturers and guest speakers, the program combines academic rigour, research insights, and global business networks to foster innovative thinking. The flexible curriculum integrates theory with practical experience, allowing students to tailor their studies. Options include completing the course in three years, or extending it with a placement year or study abroad. The first year covers foundational finance concepts; the second focuses on global markets, data interpretation, and securities pricing; and the final year offers customisable modules and a dissertation, which constitutes one-third of the marks.Core modules in the first year include foundations of finance, financial accounting, quantitative methods, introduction to financial economics, and global financial systems. Optional modules may cover ethics and finance or principles of taxation. Assessment combines examinations, written assignments, reports, projects, and presentations to evaluate knowledge, problem-solving, communication skills, and real-world application, with the 12,000-word dissertation forming a significant part of final-year evaluation.

Year 1 Core modules: Foundations of Finance introduces the key principles of corporate finance and their importance to firms. From bonds and stocks to capital structure and dividend policy, it provides you with a solid grounding in issues of finance as they relate to the business and financial markets. Financial Accounting covers the basic concepts and techniques involved in financial accounting reports, including the preparation of basic financial statements. Quantitative Methods 1 provides you with a rigorous introduction to the fundamental mathematical techniques you will need throughout your degree. Quantitative Methods 2 introduces the analytical and statistical techniques widely used in finance and business. Introduction to Financial Economics examines the basic principles of economics of microeconomics and macroeconmics in a financial context. The study of subjects like market structure, fiscal policy, stock market and economic growth will provide a solid foundation for modules in micro- and macroeconomics. Global Financial Systems and Markets develops the knowledge of the operations of financial institutions within the global financial system and the products and services these institutions provide; the markets in which financial institutions operate and that facilitate the process of intermediation; and the purpose and scope of financial oversight and regulation. In recent years, optional modules have included: Ethics and Finance Principles of Taxation