Finance and Investment BSc(Hons)

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Course structure

In your first year, you will gain academic and professional skills in economics and financial accounting and an introduction to financial markets.

In your second year, you’ll learn about trading, modelling and dealing before you specialise and extend your studies to include more optional modules. You can choose to take a paid placement year between your second and third year, which gives you essential experience and improves your skills and your employability.

In your final year, you will study advanced core modules in financial management and risk, and then choose from a range of option modules including econometrics and taxation to help widen your knowledge.

Learning is delivered through a stimulating mix of seminars, academic and industry lectures, and workshops. You will mainly be assessed through group work, presentations, exams and essays.

Making sure that what you learn with us is relevant, up to date and what employers are looking for is our priority, so courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis. If you apply to us, you’ll be told about any new developments through Student View.

Year 1

In your first year you will be introduced to the core disciplines of economics, finance and accounting.

Modules

• The Economy, part 1

  The Economy Parts 1 and 2 introduce you to economics and provide a foundation for further study in economics and related disciplines. We closely follow the CORE economics curriculum which emphasises real-world issues, empirical evidence and recent developments in economics. It also highlights the importance of institutional, historical, political and environmental contexts in economic analysis. Part I covers the first half of the CORE curriculum. 

• The Economy, part 2

  The Economy Parts 1 and 2 introduce economics and provide a foundation for further study in economics and related disciplines. We closely follow the CORE economics curriculum which emphasises real-world issues, empirical evidence and recent developments in economics. It also highlights the importance of institutional, historical, political and environmental contexts in economic analysis. Part II covers the second half of the CORE curriculum.

• Quantitative Methods for Economics and Finance

  This module will provide you with a basic, but essential, introduction to statistical and mathematical methods and concepts that will equip you with the skills and knowledge to understand the economic/financial theory presented in the first and subsequent years of study.

  By the end of the module you'll be able to effectively undertake and present empirical research/investigations and demonstrate an ability critically evaluate your own work and the work of others on statistical and mathematical grounds.

• Applied Statistics

  This module introduces you to using real-world data to understand and solve problems in economics and finance. You'll learn basic techniques required for data acquisition, processing and analysis across a range of computer packages.

  Three important resources are introduced – Excel, R and Bloomberg – which are key tools for professional economists and finance practitioners in banks, businesses, government, and academia.

• Introduction to Financial Markets

  This module introduces you to the interactions between the elements that make up financial markets and the institutions that operate and oversee financial markets at both a national and international context. You will also examine the rapid innovation that takes place in both financial instruments and markets.

• Financial Analysis

  This module introduces company financial statements and the techniques used to evaluate a company's financial position and performance. You will explore the uses of financial data by capital markets for valuation purposes, and gain a theoretical and practical understanding of the ways in which stakeholders, in particular the stock market, analyse and interpret company reports.

Year 2

In your second year, you will begin to specialise in your studies, developing your financial modelling and trading skills, as well as practical skills such as research techniques.

Modules

• Introduction to Econometrics
• Money, Exchange Rates and Trade
• Financial Modelling and Dealing
• Financial Management

Options*

• Intermediate Microeconomics
• Intermediate Macroeconomics
• Personal Financial Planning
• Business Ethics and Corporate Governance
• Corporate and Business Law
• Applied Business Analytics

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Placement year

The paid work placement year is a great opportunity to apply your learning to real-life situations and challenges. You'll meet and network with potential employers, and have opportunities to get real work experience before you graduate – something that employers value highly.

Our students have completed placements at:

• American Express
• Bank of America
• Merrill Lynch
• Credit Suisse
• Dow Jones
• Goldman Sachs FTSE Group
• KPMG
• PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and OSTC.

It is also possible to undertake a placement year abroad.

On your placement, you will complete a business project. This project contributes to your degree and, depending on the topic you choose, could provide valuable insight for your placement employer.

Final year

During your final year, you will study advanced core modules in financial management and choose option modules to tailor your course to your interests and ambitions. Depending on your module choices, this may give you exemptions from the examinations of the accrediting bodies.

Modules

• Investment Management
• Finance and Risk Management
• Quantitative Trading and Investment with R
• Fintech

Options*

• Placement project (for students who undertake the placement year)
• International Finance
• Taxation
• Banking and Money
• Finance and Capital Markets
• Applied Econometrics
• Carbon Accounting and Measurement
• Dissertation for Economics and Finance

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Student society

The Investment and Trading Society gives students the opportunity to take part in real-time trading competitions against other universities, guest talks and field trips.

You can also receive advice about applying for jobs, internships and postgraduate posts that can help you towards a higher grade and improve your prospects once you leave university.

Bloomberg suite

During your course you will have access to our Bloomberg suite. This real-time trading room recreates the pressure of a trading floor with up-to-the-minute market data. Bloomberg is a system used around the world in bank dealing rooms and investment houses to show business leaders the most up-to-date information on markets.

You'll learn how to analyse financial markets, assess economic scenarios and developments that impact the global economy.

Course leader

Dr Catherine Matthews

Catherine is the course leader on our BSc (Hons) Finance and Investment.

She specialises in teaching corporate finance, but has also taught modules across the subject areas of accounting, economics and finance at both postgraduate and undergraduate levels. Catherine holds two awards for teaching excellence.

Her research interests are in the area of small business finance - in particular working capital management and trade credit management, which formed the focus of her doctoral research and the basis of her publications to date.

Catherine has held external examiner and associate editor roles, and supervises several PhD students.

Course fees

If you choose to take the professional placement (sandwich) year offered on this course you will pay a reduced fee during this year. Our fee for the professional placement year is £1,500 for UK students and £2,280 for international students. This fee may be subject to small increases, in line with inflation.

The fees listed here are for the first year of full-time study if you start your course in the academic year 2024–25.

You will pay fees for each year of your course. Some fees may increase each year.

UK undergraduate and some postgraduate fees are regulated by the UK government and increases will not be more than the maximum amount allowed. Course fees that are not regulated may increase each year by up to 5% or RPI (whichever is higher).

If you are studying part-time your fee will usually be calculated based on the number of modules that you take.

Find out more

• Fees, bursaries, scholarships and government funding info for UK and international undergraduate and postgraduate students
• Student finance and budgeting while studying
• About the university’s fees by checking our student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

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