BE300-4-FY-CO:
Quantitative Methods and Finance
PLEASE NOTE: This module is inactive. Visit the Module Directory to view modules and variants offered during the current academic year.
2023/24
Essex Business School
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 4
Inactive
Thursday 05 October 2023
Friday 28 June 2024
30
31 March 2021
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
BE312, BE313, BE314, BE317, BE334, BE339, BE610, BE910, EC251, EC252, EC322, EC368, EC371, EC372, EC383, MA212
The aim of this module is to provide an introduction to the subject of quantitative methods and their applications in finance, accounting and management. The module is designed to provide a sound foundation for your future studies. The topics covered include maths revision, the time value of money, rates of change (calculus), statistics, probability distributions and simple regression.
1) To develop and transmit knowledge about and proficiency in quantitative methods and their applications in finance, accounting and management, at an introductory level.
2) To give students an appreciation of the role that quantitative methods play in finance, accounting and management subject areas.
3) To provide students with a firm foundation for further studies in finance, accounting and management.
4) To develop and transmit knowledge about the financial system, instruments and markets and ideas about finance concepts and problems at an introductory level;
5) To make students aware, at an introductory level, of different ways of thinking about and analysing financial phenomena;
6) To give students an appreciation of the role that finance plays in society;
7) To provide students with a firm foundation for further studies in finance.
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
1. Solve a variety of algebraic problems;
2. Understand and apply the concepts of compounding and discounting;
3. Apply calculus techniques to solve problems in finance and economics;
4. Understand and solve problems involving descriptive statistics and probabilities;
5. Understand and apply significance tests and regression analysis
6. Discuss the various traditions, concepts and techniques within finance as a subject discipline;
7. Describe the major features of the financial system including markets and institutions;
8. Understand the relationship between risk and return and the concept of diversification;
9. Understand the role of present value in bond and equity valuation models;
10. Have an appreciation of the issues underlying the efficient market hypothesis.
Skills for Your Professional Life (Transferable Skills)
After completing this module, students have developed and improved the following employability-related skills:
1) Improve your literacy and numeracy skills;
2) Develop your IT skills by learning to work on Bloomberg and Excel to solve financial problems with the use of statistical tools;
3) Improve your commercial awareness by familiarizing with the current developments in finance;
4) Enhance your communication skills in class discussions;
5) Develop your personal plan of setting targets and time management to undertake coursework and exam.
The module material will be delivered in the following way:
2-hour lecture each week;
1-hour weekly class.
Bloomberg
Bloomberg lab sessions are scheduled in Spring Term. During these sessions you will be introduced to Bloomberg and will obtain a username and password and will be given tips on how to explore Bloomberg in your own time. Bloomberg is invaluable for linking the theory we teach during the Spring Term with practice.
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Exam |
Main exam: Remote, Open Book, 120 minutes during Summer (Main Period)
|
| Exam |
Reassessment Main exam: Remote, Open Book, 120 minutes during September (Reassessment Period)
|
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Sam Astill, email: sastill@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Anna Sarkisyan, email: asark@essex.ac.uk.
Sam Astill, Udichibarna Bose, Anna Sarkisyan, Senyu Wang and Xiangshang Cai
ebsugcol@essex.ac.uk
No
No
No
No external examiner information available for this module.
Available via Moodle
Of 679 hours, 488 (71.9%) hours available to students:
99 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
92 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).
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