Today's world faces unprecedented challenges and complexities. The finance and banking industry is at the forefront of many of these challenges, which are both diverse and pressing, ranging from financial crises to digital transformation, economic slow-downs, cost-of-living crises, debt sustainability and climate change.
The Department of Banking and Finance has been set up to address many of these issues in a rigorous quantitative manner through both research and education. Our work is based on the use of complex, and often large datasets, the consideration of sophisticated but practical empirical methodologies, and on solid theoretical economic and financial underpinnings.
Areas of relevance include financial markets, central banks and other policy-making institutions. We also have broader interests, and some of our current work evaluates how we can use Big Data and Machine Learning to aid financial and economic analysis.
Study
Our educational offerings are mainly postgraduate and focus on banking, asset pricing and data analytics. Applicability and an emphasis on providing skills for the rapidly innovating finance industry rare paramount. Our academics have strong links with the finance industry and policy makers as well as with a large number of individual finance professionals who provide their hands-on expertise for the benefit of our students.
MSc in Finance Analytics
The MSc in Finance Analytics helps prepare students for a career in the new world of finance. Recent technological advances mean that huge amounts of financial data are generated every second, fostering new challenges in terms of processing and analysing this data. Finance analytics aims to address these challenges. For example, it can be used to combine the great variety of structured and unstructured data, to filter information and gain valuable insights and to improve forecasts.
Our MSc teaches the fundamentals of finance analytics, focusing on recent developments and applications. It offers academic rigor as well as a unique practitioners’ view of these issues, looking, for example, at how to apply big data to risk management, fintech to banking, text analysis to forecasting, and automation to robo-trading. The programme has been developed in close collaboration with senior industry professionals, who are also involved with teaching several of our modules. Our main industry consultant is Dr Giles Spungin, Managing Director and Head of Enterprise Risk Analytics at Lloyds Banking Group.
MSc in Banking & Finance
The MSc in Banking & Finance is an innovative course designed to provide students with an in-depth understanding of the finance and banking industry. The course will equip students with essential research, analytical and critical thinking skills. Students will learn about a wide range of topics including the principles of investment analysis, financial derivatives, commercial and investment banking, quantitative financial analysis, and financial statement analysis.
As part of the course, we provide a cutting-edge offering to enhance students’ understanding of databases, software, programming and technology, including programs such as STATA, Matlab, R, Python, etc. In addition to a compulsory dissertation, further related modules are available to instill financial skills geared towards maximizing students’ employability.
MSc in Finance (Asset Pricing)
The MSc in Finance (Asset Pricing) is an innovative course designed to provide students with an in-depth understanding of the finance industry. The course is developed to combine academic rigor with financial practitioners’ views of finance. Students will learn a wide range of topics including principles of investments, quantitative techniques, asset pricing, financial markets and institutions and corporate finance.
As part of the course, we offer cutting-edge topics to enhance students understanding of databases, software, programming & technology, including program such as STATA, Matlab, R, Python, etc. In addition to a compulsory dissertation, students can choose from a range of other modules that will develop their financial skills and enhance their employability.
MSc in Financial Policy & Regulation
The MSc in Financial Policy and Regulation is designed to introduce students to cutting-edge theoretical and applied research in the fields of financial regulation and monetary policy, focusing, in particular, on data analytics methodologies. By completing this programme, students will gain an in-depth knowledge of the tools of central bank policy and financial regulation and develop the ability to analyse data effectively, using it for evidence-based decision making.
The programme is intended for those planning to pursue a career in finance, with an emphasis on careeer paths in policymaking and regulation, for example in central banks and financial supervision authorities. It targets students with an economics or finance background and some work experience in banking or financial regulation industries.
Online Programmes
MSc in Global Finance & Banking (online)
The MSc in Global Finance & Banking (online) is a CFA-accredited programme that aims to equip students with a critical understanding of analytical methods. an understanding of quantitative (mathematical, statistical and econometric) techniques as they are adopted in the finance industry. the ability to apply core finance theory and reasoning to applied issues. the ability to understand verbal, mathematical, graphical, and econometric representation of financial ideas and arguments. the ability to assess the functioning of the UK and other countries’ financial and banking sectors. and the ability to use the appropriate techniques and econometric packages in order to analyse and interpret statistical data.
MSc in Global Finance Analytics (online)
The MSc in Global Finance Analytics (online) programme offers excellent provision in both theoretical and computational finance through programming. In particular, the programme seeks to provide a research-based and inellectually challenging education that is of practical relevance for financial/business analysts. The programme is driven by a combination of research, theoretical development and critical analysis, and practical application.