Finance - MSc

This module is designed to help you to critically analyse the key theories, concepts and principles of corporate finance grounded in the academic literature and pertinent for the practitioner. In particular, this module provides a thorough treatment of the key aspects in the financial decision making process in a corporation, including project appraisal under uncertainty, cost of capital, source of finance, capital structure, dividend policy, corporate governance and working capital management.

The module assumes that students have the basic knowledge of risk management concepts. It is designed to review the risk management process and risk governance in organisations. It will provide the skills to identify and evaluate company’s or portfolio’s exposures to financial and non-financial risk factors in the business environment. It will also provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate a deep understanding and critical awareness of the risk factors around international business environment. Numerical skills in the calculation and evaluation of value-at-risk (VaR) and other credit risks of investment positions or financial derivatives such as forward contracts, swaps and options. The module will also provide the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills of risk budgeting, the use of risk-adjusted return on capital, the use of credit derivatives in managing credit risk, Sharpe ratio and other methods of managing market risk.

This module provides an overview of the nature and activities of the main groups of financial institutions within the UK. It aims to offer insight into bank regulation within which financial institutions operate, especially those emanating from financial crisis. This module focuses on students developing and having a good grasp of recent and ongoing events within financial institutions and its regulation, with the aim of appraising and developing potential changes in the landscape.

This module is highly technical and is best suited for students who have a good grounding in Finance at an undergraduate level. Its overall aim is to enhance your knowledge and understanding of various advanced theories in finance. This is an applied module which is designed to help students to develop problem solving as well as independent analytical skills. The module has high quantitative and mathematical content. However, the ability to read, interpret and critically analyse financial figures also forms an integral part of the module. To this end, you will be encouraged to use the finance theories to think creatively in coming up with finance related solutions

The module explores the attributes of financial econometric modelling and forecasting in the field of finance. You are expected to develop the skills to construct, apply and critically assess various econometric models for effective decision making. It will also empower you to carry out an independent data empirical analysis including critical thinking and analysis.

The purpose of the Research Project module is to provide a framework for you to undertake a substantial piece of disciplinary-relevant research. It is founded upon Birmingham City Business School’s teaching and learning philosophy which integrates theory and practice.

This module is consistent with the programme philosophy. It covers important irrationalities on financial markets. Traditional theories in Finance assume that investors and managers are rational, making the best decisions in every situation. Nevertheless, research in psychology has shown that peoples’ actual behaviour exhibit systematic ‘errors’ that violate this assumption. Hence this module’s main aim is to provide you with a deeper and more realistic understanding of emotional and cognitive behavioural biases, how these biases may influence individuals’ perceptions, investment and financing decisions. It also provides insights into issues such as market anomalies. You will learn about mainstream models and techniques in behavioural finance.

This module allows you to apply the critical analysis and thinking skills that you acquired in the Analytical Skills module in a problem based learning approach to investigating a specific area of your finance studies and/or finance practice in which you have a particular interest. The critical analysis and critical thinking skills required in the module characterise a master’s level (level 7) piece of work. These are also highly relevant employability skills allowing you to demonstrate to potential employers that you are able to research a topic and then synthesise and analyse the results of that research in order to draw reasoned conclusions and make relevant recommendations. The ability to integrate theoretical knowledge with practical application is something that supports your development of professional and employability skills. The teaching, learning and assessment strategy to deliver this at Masters level develop an independent and self-directed learning culture and a challenging learning experience.

This module is designed to help you to critically analyse the key theories, concepts and principles of entrepreneurial finance grounded in the academic literature and pertinent for the practitioner. In particular, this module provides a thorough treatment of the key aspects in the financial decision making process in an entrepreneurial firms (small and medium sized) and venture firms. We first consider different sources of financing for entrepreneurial firms including bank loans, government funding, angels, venture capital, peer-to-peer financing, on-line banking and various types of private equity as well as the process of obtaining these sources. It will also include innovative ways of raising funds such as crowdfunding.