Finance

Study mode:On campus Study type:Full-time Languages: English
Local:$ 11.4 k Foreign:$ 20.8 k  
149 place StudyQA ranking:7319 Duration:36 months

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About

Our specialist BSc Finance degree places considerable emphasis on the key quantitative and analytical skills needed to pursue a career in finance and financial markets. The degree prepares you for a career in the financial environment by providing a technical curriculum to strengthen the link between academia and practice. The BSc Finance enables you to acquire a critical understanding of theories, empirical evidence and practical application whilst maintaining a rigorous academic underpinning. In particular you will learn about corporate finance, investments, financial institutions and the vast array of sophisticated financial products traded in today’s global financial markets. Furthermore, you will develop the quantitative techniques needed to analyse, in depth, financial data and financial securities.

Students on this programme learn through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops, informal but scheduled one-on-one support, and self-directed learning, such as research, reading, and writing. All of these are supported by a state-of-the-art virtual learning environment, Durham University Online (DUO).

Seminars, tutorials, and workshops are much smaller groups than lectures, with tutorials often involving no more than eight students working with teaching staff; seminars and workshops can be larger but are still small enough to allow one-on-one interaction with tutors. Workshops also allow hands-on experience of solving business problems. This emphasis on small-group teaching reflects a conscious choice to enhance the quality of the learning experience rather than the quantity of formal sessions. In fact, the degree programme is designed to feature fewer formal sessions and more independent research as students move from their first to their final year.

Small-group teaching and one-on-one attention from the personal academic advisor (provided for all students when they enter the programme) are part of the learning experience throughout, but by the final year classroom time gives way, to some extent, to independent research, including a capstone dissertation – supported by one-on-one supervision – that makes up a third of final year credits. In this way the degree programme gives the student the opportunity to transform from a consumer of knowledge in the classroom to a generator of knowledge, ready for professional or postgraduate life.

These formal teaching arrangements are supported by “drop-in” surgeries with teaching staff and induction sessions that begin in the week before the start of the programme and continue at key times throughout each year of the programme.

Students can also attend an extensive programme of research-focused seminars where staff and visiting scholars present their cutting-edge research.

Flexibility – subject to optional module choice and successful completion of your first year – it may be possible to change your degree path to either Accounting and Finance or Accounting and Management. (Students who require a Tier 4 visa will need to check this in advance with the Tier 4 regulations which are in place at the time).

Content

Year 1

In the first year, compulsory modules will provide you with the key fundamentals to examine and evaluate modern financial markets. These include:

  • Introduction to Financial Accounting
  • Introduction to Management Accounting
  • Foundations of Finance
  • Introduction to Economics
  • Quantitative Methods.

Students will also choose one further business, economics or language optional module.

Year 2

In the second year you will study three compulsory modules, including:

  • Corporate Finance
  • Financial Markets and Institutions
  • Introduction to Financial Econometrics.

By studying these modules you will be able to examine financial issues and the institutions, markets and securities that facilitate the vast array of financial transactions that occur continuously across global markets. Furthermore you will acquire numerous quantitative tools which enable you to interpret financial data and price financial securities.

The finance modules are complemented by two compulsory economics modules:

  • Microeconomics
  • Macroeconomics and International Finance.

You will also choose one further module from a selection which in previous years have included, for example:

  • Corporate Financial Reporting
  • Auditing and Assurance
  • Introduction to Taxation
  • Or a language.

Year 3

In the third year you will study three compulsory modules, including:

  • Financial Econometrics
  • Financial Theory and Corporate Policy
  • Security Investment Analysis.

You will also complete a Dissertation which will allow you to analyse, in great depth, your choice of research question in finance. These modules facilitate the development of your theoretical and empirical knowledge of core and topical issues in finance.

You will also choose one module from a selection which have previously included, for example:

  • Financial Engineering
  • International and Multinational Finance
  • Behavioural Finance
  • Computational Quantitative Finance.

The course is founded in the disciplines of Finance and Economics and has significant application to practice whilst maintaining a rigorous academic underpinning.

Subject requirements, level and grade

In addition to satisfying the University’s general entry requirements, please note:

  • We require AAB from A-levels.
  • We consider all A-level subjects, with the exception of General Studies – therefore General Studies would not be included in any offer.
  • For all Business, Marketing, Accounting and Finance degrees a strong proficiency in Mathematics is required. If Mathematics is not taken as an A-level subject a grade A in Mathematics at GCSE is required.
  • We consider each application holistically, on an individual basis and against the other applications we receive. Whilst academic achievement is important, it is not the only factor that we consider when assessing applications and applicants who have achieved, or are predicted to achieve, close to our typical offer, but who have not met it exactly, will be welcome to apply if they have a strong application in other key elements, for example if they can demonstrate merit and potential through their personal statement or their reference.
  • We welcome applications from those with other qualifications equivalent to our standard entry requirements and from mature students with non-standard qualifications, please email us for more information.
  • Applicants for whom English is not their first language will be required to offer IELTS of 6.5 (no component under 6.0); or the University approved equivalent. We also require proof of English Language proficiency for students from the European Union.
  • We are willing to consider applications for deferred entry from those who have well- structured plans for work or travel, for example. We may, however, need to restrict the number of deferred entry offers we make because we have to be careful not to fill too many of next year’s places in advance. However, if you do apply for a deferred place and are unsuccessful, you are welcome to reapply the following year.
  • You are welcome to apply if you are taking resits; we do not make higher offers to students who declare resits.
  • If you do not satisfy our general entry requirements, the Foundation Centre offers multidisciplinary degrees to prepare you for a range of specified degree courses.

Preferred Tests:

a. IELTS: 6.5 (no component under 6.0)

b. TOEFL iBT (internet based test): 92 (no component under 23)

c. Cambridge Proficiency (CPE): Grade C

d. Cambridge Advanced (CAE): Grade A

e. Cambridge IGCSE First Language English at Grade C or above [not normally acceptable for students who require a Tier 4 student visa]

f. Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language at Grade B or above [not normally acceptable for students who require a Tier 4 student visa]

g. GCSE English Language at grade C or above

h. Pearson Test of English (overall score 62 (with no score less than 56 in each component))

Alternative accepted tests when those listed in a.-h. above are unavailable to the applicant (if the applicant requires a Tier 4 visa to study, advice on the suitability of these alternatives must be sought from the Student Recruitment and Admissions Office):

i. Certificate of Attainment (Edexcel)

j. GCE A-levels (AQA, CIE, Edexcel, CCEA, OCR, WJEC) at grade C or above in an essay based, humanities or social science subject from the following list: History, Philosophy, Government and Politics, English Language, English Literature, Geography, Religious Studies, Economics, Business Studies, Law and Sociology. Modern or Classical Languages are not acceptable in meeting this requirement.

k. International Baccalaureate with a minimum of grade 5 in Standard Level English or a minimum of grade 5 if taken at Higher Level.

l. NEAB (JMB) Test in English (Overseas)

m. Singapore Integrated Programme (SIPCAL) at grade C or above in an essay based, humanities or social science subject from the following list: History, Philosophy, Government and Politics, English Language, English Literature, Geography, Religious Studies, Economics, Business Studies, Law and Sociology. Modern or Classical Languages are not acceptable in meeting this requirement.

n. Singapore Polytechnic Diploma and Advanced Diplomas at GPA 3.0 or above

o. WAEC and NECO Grade B3 or above from Nigeria and Ghana

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