Banking and Finance MSc

Do you want a rewarding, exciting and challenging career? Then this is the course to set you on the path to a wide variety of careers that are available in banking, financial services, finance and financial consultancy. It is aimed at students from a variety of academic backgrounds, including those who have not studied economics, finance or accountancy at bachelors' level.

What will you study?

Like all UK masters degrees, this course requires you to accumulate 180 credits. There are eight taught modules worth 15 credits each, plus a research project and dissertation worth 60 credits. The taught modules are delivered in two 15 week semesters, with the third semester given over to the research project and writing the dissertation. There are six core modules and two electives.

After an induction programme introducing you to the Business School and the expectations and ethos of the course, you will go on to address the main operations of banks, money markets, capital markets and the role and functions of major central banks. You will cover major OECD and emerging countries' financial services, including offshore banking and Islamic banking and insurance. You will also develop a critical knowledge and understanding of the core theories and concepts in the field of corporate finance and investment.

In the second term you will examine key risks to which banks are exposed, and their measurement and management techniques. You will also consider the theoretical background to the regulation of financial services and study the main operations of investment banks. The research project will enable you to focus in depth on a specific area of banking or another area of financial services.

Research is an essential part of the day-to-day life of Kingston Business School and is embedded in its intellectual activities and development. In the most recent RAE (Research Assessment Exercise) undertaken in 2008, the research output of Kingston Business School was the highest rated of any new university. Ninety per cent of our research submitted was assessed as 'recognised internationally' or higher. Of this, 10% was classified as 'world leading' and 35% as 'internationally excellent'.

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The course consists of eight taught modules, plus research methods and a dissertation.

Please note that this is an indicative list of modules and is not intended as a definitive list. Those listed here may also be a mixture of core and optional modules:

Core modules

• Bank Operations and Strategy

• Bank Operations and Strategy

  The module details the principles of general and strategic management and links to banking and other financial institutions. You will gain a critical awareness of the evolving structure of financial institutions and balance-sheet analysis. You will also look at operations in more detail, eg managing liquidity and liabilities, asset management – the consumer lending decision and the business lending decision, and loan sales and securitisation. Finally, you will analyse how financial institutions create value through marketing, distribution, diversification and innovation.

  
   
• International Financial Services

• International Financial Services

  This module will develop your awareness of international issues in the financial servicesmarket, including the prominent OECD countries' and other emerging countries' banking; other financial services and the role ofWTO and GATS; the development and growth of offshore banking, Islamic banking and Takaful; and bancassurance and the global insurance and reinsurance markets, including the role of the London market.

  
   
• Corporate Finance

• Corporate Finance

  This module aims to develop a critical knowledge and understanding of the core theories and concepts in the field of corporate finance and of the issues related to the corporate decision-making process and the application of corporate finance theories in real life.

  
   
• Bank Financial Risk Management

• Bank Financial Risk Management

  The module will develop your critical awareness of financial risk within financial institutions and in a wider context. You will begin with an analysis of financial institutions and then analyse themeasurement of key risks to which financial institutions are exposed.

  
   
• Investment Banking

• Investment Banking

  The module aims to develop an advanced understanding of the theory and practice of investment banking.

  It will cover analysis of the main operations of investment banks, including the types of investment banks; strategies employed; private equity investments; debt and equity underwriting; mergers and acquisitions; securitisation; trading techniques; repos; investment management; clearance and settlement; Euromarkets; and emerging markets.

  It will provide you with the computer and research skills required by employers in this highly competitive sector. There will be also a programme of guest lecture from banking and financial services sector experts.

  
   
• Financial Services Regulation and Compliance

• Financial Services Regulation and Compliance

  This module considers the theoretical background to financial services regulation and sets theory in context through the study of the structure and practice of regulation in a number of different financial service settings.

  
   
• Financial Engineering

• Financial Engineering

  The module aims to provide students with a broad understanding of the nature of derivative securities and howthey can be used successfully by banks and other financial institutions. It starts by examining the nature of derivative securities.Using this as the basis it goes on to look at the valuation methods available and themathematics behind derivatives valuation. This module also focuses on numerical schemes such as the binomial lattice to value derivative securities. The module then switches focus on market calibration of alternative derivative models to illustrate how such models can be fitted to observed derivative prices. Finally the module focuses on risk management both in terms of market risk and credit risk

  
   
• Research Methods and Dissertation

• Research Methods and Dissertation

  Initially this module will equip you with the skills and knowledge needed to successfully complete a research project.

  You will then investigate a specific business problem via a substantial piece of independent work, which demonstrates your proficiency in:

  • the design of a research project;
  • the application of appropriate methods;
  • the collection and analysis of data; and
  • the presentation of results.
  
   

Option modules (choose one)

• Islamic Banking and Insurance

• Islamic Banking and Insurance

  The module provides an overview of the Islamic banking and insurance industry, Islamic financial instruments, Islamic financial contracts, Islamic financial institutions and regulations.

  
   
• Financial Management

• Financial Management

  This module covers how organisations arrange their external financing and manage their internal resources. It looks at:

  • sources of capital and theories of how capital structures behave in response to changes in the choices of capital sources;
  • methods and costs of protecting the firm's capital and operational cash flows against currency, interest and maturity risk;
  • treasury and working capital management; and 
  • the firm's choice in of growth through acquisition or or reduction through spin-off, demerger or reconstruction will be studied.
  
   
• International Money and Finance

• International Money and Finance

  This module explores the theories and empirical evidence about international risk management with respect to foreign exchange and interest rates. It also looks at how firms utilise risk management techniques and source debt on the international financial markets.

  
   

The Faculty of Business and Law runs a number of postgraduate and post-experience open days. Visit us to find out how we can help you achieve your career ambitions.

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Learn more about the facilities available to our Banking and Finance MSc students.

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This course is taught by staff from Kingston Business School.

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