Financial Systems Engineering

This MSc provides an ideal foundation for graduates who wish to pursue a career as software engineers. The programme provides the opportunity to undertake a significant group software engineering project sponsored by a financial services company, allowing students to specialise in software systems engineering from a financial computing perspective.

Students gain instruction in all aspects of software engineering needed for the development of large, complex, highly dynamic, distributed software-intensive systems. The programme covers requirements engineering, software design, validation and verification, tools for the development of software intensive systems, and provides instruction in financial information systems.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of seven core modules (105 credits), one optional module (15 credits) and a group project (60 credits).

Core modules

• Requirements Engineering and Software Architecture
• Software Abstractions and Systems Integration
• Validation and Verification
• Tools and Environments
• Financial Institutions and Markets
• Professional Practice
• Financial Information Systems

Optional modules

• Compliance, Risk and Regulation
• People and Security
• Networked Systems
• Distributed Systems and Security

Dissertation/report

All students participate in a group project, encompassing the full software development lifecycle and applying techniques learned, such as the technical skills of analysis, design and implementation.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, written and laboratory exercises, and project work. Student performance is assessed through written exercises with modelling notations, laboratory exercises with tools and environments, unseen examination papers, and a significant, comprehensive group project.

A minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or in a science or engineering subject with significant computer science content, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Relevant work experience may also be taken into account.