(BSc) Bachelor of Science
Banking and Finance
Current
University of Essex
University of Essex
Essex Business School
Colchester Campus
Honours Degree
Full-time
Finance
BSC N390
03/06/2014
Details
Professional accreditation
Recognised by the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute (CFA).
Admission criteria
A-levels: ABB-BBB
GCSE: Mathematics C
IB: 32-30 points, including Standard Level Mathematics grade 4, if not taken at Higher Level
Entry requirements for students studying BTEC qualifications are dependent on units studied. Advice can be provided on an individual basis. The standard required is generally at Distinction level.
IELTS (International English Language Testing System) code
English language requirements for applicants whose first language is not English: IELTS 6.0 overall. (Different requirements apply for second year entry.)
If you are an international student requiring a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK please see our immigration webpages for the latest Home Office guidance on English language qualifications.
Other English language qualifications may be acceptable so please contact us for further details. If we accept the English component of an international qualification then it will be included in the information given about the academic levels required. Please note that date restrictions may apply to some English language qualifications.
Course qualifiers
A course qualifier is a bracketed addition to your course title to denote a specialisation or pathway that you have achieved via the completion of specific modules during your course. The
specific module requirements for each qualifier title are noted below. Eligibility for any selected qualifier will be determined by the department and confirmed by the final year Board of
Examiners. If the required modules are not successfully completed, your course title will remain as described above without any bracketed addition. Selection of a course qualifier is
optional and student can register preferences or opt-out via Online Module Enrolment (eNROL).
None
Rules of assessment
Rules of assessment are the rules, principles and frameworks which the University uses to calculate your course progression and final results.
Additional notes
Courses offered in Singapore through our partnership with Kaplan Higher Education Institute and Kaplan Higher Education Academy in Singapore, are modelled on the courses on offer in the UK and are contextualized to meet the needs of students in Singapore. Please contact the team at Kaplan in Singapore for full details.
External examiners
External Examiners provide an independent overview of our courses, offering their expertise and help towards our continual improvement of course content, teaching, learning, and assessment.
External Examiners are normally academics from other higher education institutions, but may be from the industry, business or the profession as appropriate for the course.
They comment on how well courses align with national standards, and on how well the teaching, learning and assessment methods allow students to develop and demonstrate the relevant knowledge and skills needed to achieve their awards.
External Examiners who are responsible for awards are key members of Boards of Examiners. These boards make decisions about student progression within their course and about whether students can receive their final award.
Programme aims
The BSc in Banking and Finance is a three-year programme of study designed for students with particular interests in banking and finance.
Its main aims are:
1. To provide students with the academic training in the principles of banking and finance.
2. To provide students with the opportunity to analyse the role of financial and banking information and data.
3. To equip students with knowledge of fundamental research methodologies covering quantitative or qualitative approaches to empirical research in finance, with a focus on banking.
4. To develop students' critical and analytical skills and to encourage the acquisition of autonomous study skills in the learning process.
5. To produce students who will have a sufficient variety and depth of knowledge to start careers in the financial sector, most notably in the City of London (banking, stockbroking, derivatives, insurance, regulation and other areas of finance).
6. To provide students the knowledge and analytical skills to pursue postgraduate courses in finance at Essex and elsewhere.
Learning outcomes and learning, teaching and assessment methods
On successful completion of the programme a graduate should demonstrate knowledge and skills as follows:
A: Knowledge and understanding
A1: The contexts in which finance can be seen as operating including knowledge of the institutional framework necessary for understanding the role, operation and function of markets and institutions.
A2: The major theories of asset pricing and their relevance and application to theoretical and practical problems.
A3: The major theories associated with the management of risk, such as portfolio management, asset allocation and the application of financial derivatives to practical problems.
A4: The major theoretical tools necessary for advanced study in finance.
A5: An ability to interpret and analyse financial data using appropriate statistical packages.
A6: The relationship between financial theory and empirical testing and an ability to evaluate empirical evidence.
A7: The factors influencing the investment behaviour and opportunities of private individuals investing in bond, equity, and derivative markets.
A8: The basics of financial statements and appreciation of the limitations of financial reporting practices and procedures.
A9: Understanding of particular areas of banking in which the student has chosen to specialise.
A10: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of fundamental issues in banking such as risk management and regulation.
Learning methods
Lectures and tutor-led seminars.
Directed reading.
Individual and group tasks.
Assessment methods
Unseen written examinations.
Assessed essays.
Class tests.
Pre-published class assignments.
B: Intellectual and cognitive skills
B1: A capacity for the critical evaluation of arguments and evidence.
B2: An ability to analyse and draw reasoned conclusions concerning structured and, to a more limited extent, unstructured problems from a given set of data which must be acquired by the student.
Learning methods
Lectures and tutor-led seminars.
Directed reading.
Individual and group tasks.
Assessment methods
Unseen written examinations.
Assessed essays.
Class tests.
Pre-published class assignments.
C: Practical skills
C1: Ability to locate, extract and analyse data from multiple sources, including the acknowledgement and referencing of sources.
C2: Communication skills, including the ability to present quantitative and qualitative information together with analysis, argument and commentary in a form appropriate to a different intended audiences.
Learning methods
Lectures and tutor-led seminars.
Directed reading.
Individual and group tasks.
Assessment methods
Unseen written examinations.
Assessed essays.
Class tests.
Pre-published class assignments.
D: Key skills
D1: Present ideas and arguments in a coherent and effective manner.
D2: Use appropriate Information Technology to locate, acquire and analyse data.
D3: Manipulate and analyse numerical (including financial) data and appreciate the nature and limitations of basic statistical concepts.
D4: Identify and analyse problems and apply appropriate knowledge and skills to develop effective solutions;
D5: Problem-solving and analytical skills
D6: Time management, task prioritisation and working to deadlines
Learning methods
Lectures and tutor-led seminars.
Directed reading.
Individual and group tasks.
Assessment methods
Unseen written examinations.
Assessed essays.
Class tests.
Pre-published class assignments.