MSc Finance and Investment

Course outline

The MSc in Finance and Investment has been developed to produce practical and proactive finance specialists able to meet the demand of the financial sector both locally and abroad with emphasis on their roles in and duties towards the financial community.

It is a rigorous and advanced intellectual training in the area of finance and investment based on the most current and modern academic thinking and industry best practice. The programme is designed for students who intend to pursue a career in the financial sector. It offers a well-focused education in the theories and methodologies that are utilised today for valuation using financial tools from both the investors and institutional perspective. It also examines the complexities behind the decision making processes required at all levels.

The programme is designed for students who have recently acquired their bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, investment and banking related fields and wish to enhance their knowledge of managing and working in organisations within an array of competing economic, social, political and cultural conditions. For completion students will be required to successfully complete 8 core modules, an optional module plus a written dissertation.

Teaching methods

Teaching across all of our postgraduate programmes is via a combination of formal lectures supported by tutorials and seminars. However, our lectures aim to be highly Socratic with healthy dialogue encouraged between faculty and students and between students themselves. A key feature of the Buckingham teaching method is the use of small tutorial groups, which provide a most effective means of ensuring that the students benefit from the academic expertise at their disposal. It is also the philosophy of the Business School faculty to be available to students outside the scheduled tutorial times and to build sound staff / student working relationships.

The use of case studies as a teaching and learning vehicle features prominently at postgraduate level. Some modules use business simulations / games to replicate decision making in the real world. Finally, more and more course material is being made available on the University’s own Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).

Dissertation

An opportunity for you, in agreement with your academic supervisor, to produce a substantial and creative research dissertation – which will impress prospective employers! This research must demonstrate familiarity with, and an understanding of the subject, its principal sources and authorities. It should display critical discrimination and a sense of proportion in evaluating evidence and the judgements of others. The subject should be dealt with in a competent and scholarly manner.

Entry requirements

The minimum entry level required is:

• a good command of written and spoken English (IELTS 6.5 as a minimum)
• a first or second-class honours degree in accounting, finance, investment or banking related subjects from any recognise university or,
• a recognised professional finance qualification with relevant work experience

Academic staff