Triangle

Course overview

Our Banking and Finance MSc will help to enhance your lucrative career opportunities in the fast-paced world of multinational banking and finance. It will give you specialist skills combined with advanced level business management techniques.

Core modules will help develop an advanced understanding of essential areas, while optional modules allow you to tailor your degree to your specific interests and career goals.

You will be able to understand and analyse financial institutions, markets, consumer demands and competition. You will also explore the latest concepts in banking, policy, economics and risk management.

As this course is accredited by the Chartered Banker Institute (CBI), you will have valuable networking opportunities with leading industry experts, and it will help to bring you to the attention of top multi-national employers.

You have the option to take industry-recognised digital qualifications by Microsoft and SAP alongside your course, which will develop your digital skills and help you stand out to future employers.

Why choose this course?

Accredited

by the largest professional body for bankers in the UK

Top 100

in the world and top 20 in the UK

Delivered by our

research centre focused on financial services consumers, markets and institutions

Gain digital skills

Business School students have the opportunity to gain digital skills with industry-recognised Microsoft and SAP certifications

Triple accredited

Part of an elite group of business schools worldwide to gain ‘triple crown’ accreditation

EQUIS, AMBA and AACSB accredited

More than 27,000

Business School alumni connect you to a powerful global network of business contacts

Course content

Across the autumn and spring semesters, you will take 120 credits of taught modules. Each module typically consists of 10 two to three hour sessions.

You will complete a 60-credit dissertation over the summer, and will be allocated an appropriate dissertation supervisor who will oversee your progress.

Modules

Core modules

Semester one

Bank Theory, Operations and Management

The module content includes:

  • an examination of the theories of the retail bank
  • an overview of the sector
  • central banking
  • bank capital
  • analysis of the balance sheet and income statement of banks
  • bank data and performance analysis using FRA
  • managing liquidity and liabilities
  • asset management and the lending decision
  • managing the investment function
  • the use of loan sales and securitisation
Consumers, Ethics and Regulation in Finance

This module covers the context of financial services with a particular focus on the UK, including:

  • current regulatory developments, consumer policy initiatives and current market developments and controversies
  • a focus on the challenges associated with the marketing of financial services and how the principles and tactics of marketing are employed in financial services markets 
  • coverage of the debate surrounding the importance of ethics and professionalism in financial services provision 
  • detailed analysis of consumer behaviour and in particular decision making in financial services markets
Corporate Financial Strategy

The module covers:

  • investment, capital structure and divident decisions from a shareholder value perspective
  • capital market behaviour (background)
  • mergers
  • real options
Research Methods for Banking

This module covers:

  • bank data sources
  • analysing bank data
  • stata – panel data analysis
  • bank modelling theory
  • estimating asset scale bank economies
  • estimating translog and share equations (clustering)

Semester two

Financial Security Valuation

Equity, fixed income and derivative securities will be considered individually and portfolios. These will be presented as extensions of previously studied material as well as new topics.

Among individual security classes topics will be:

  • Equities: Mean-variance efficient portfolios, CAPM, dividend discount valuation
  • Fixed Income: Basic bond terminology and valuation, interest rate term structure and forward rates, duration, convexity and hedging
  • Derivatives: Common options, real options
  • Principles of financial derivative valuation and analytic and numerical methods for valuation
Quantitative Research Methods for Banking

This module covers:

  • data sources in banking
  • analysis of bank accounts and interpretation, dynamic modelling of financial ratios
  • estimation of economies of scale and X-efficiency
  • empirical estimation of market concentration
  • risk management modelling

Summer

Resources Management and Organisation Dissertation 60 credits

The module aims to allow you to synthesise, apply, and extend the knowledge you have gained in the taught component of the programme by engaging in primary data collection. Through investigating a current research topic and gathering original data, you will develop a deeper theoretical and practical understanding of contemporary issues in your area, while also enhancing your research, communication, and data analysis skills.

Business Project

The Business Project requires students, working as groups, to undertake research in a topic which is relevant to business, management, marketing, finance, accounting, or information system. You must choose their research topic that is relevant to your named degree programme. The specific topic is subject to a formal approval process.

The module is intended for you to apply knowledge, concepts, skills, and techniques, acquired during the taught stage of your programme to real-world, business scenarios. You will be presented with real-word business problems for which you are required to review relevant literature, conduct research, analyse data, and formulate viable solutions.

Optional modules

One of:

Bank Risk Measurement and Management

This module covers:

  • a re-examination of bank asset transformation and risk exposure
  • measuring and managing credit risk
  • measuring and managing liquidity risk
  • measuring and managing interest rate risk
  • market risk exposure and management
  • using bank capital in risk management
  • operational and conduct risk
  • the use of derivatives in bank risk management
Quantitative Risk Management

The module covers:

  • Introduction and historical overview
  • Statistical underpinnings of quantitative risk management
  • Measures of financial risk
  • Risk measurement in practice: Parametric approaches, non-parametric approaches, Monte Carlo approaches, extreme value approaches
  • Liquidity risk
  • Backtesting
  • Credit risk

Two from:

Central Banking Theory and Practice

This module covers the following:

  • International finance and globalisation
  • Exchange rates regimes: to float or not to float?
  • In search of an international monetary system
  • Central banks and monetary policy
  • Bank vs. market based economies
  • Economics of bond markets and interest rates
Contemporary Issues in Banking

This module covers bank regulation, stress tests, digital banking, and current issues.

Contemporary Issues in Finance

The module starts with early phase of a typical firm’s life cycle with discussion of the role of venture capital in mentoring and leading them to possible exits including Initial public offerings. These will be followed by an in-depth analysis of financial markets with diversity of financial claims issued by both young and matured companies.

The module will then also explore corporate restructuring and financial decisions leading to analysis of corporate breakup transactions (divestitures, spinoffs, equity carve outs, tracking stocks), leveraged recapitalizations, and leveraged buyouts (LBOs) and study the value-drivers behind them with both theoretical framework and empirical analysis linking current events. It will also discuss factors that determine cross-border takeover, and the influence of cross-border M&As on corporate shareholders' wealth and corporate governance.

Finally topics dealing with corporate social responsibility and its value-enhancing capabilities and the link between corporate political connections (managers, board members, shareholders) and corporate financing activities will be discussed in detail from both theoretical and empirical perspectives.

International Finance

This module examines:

  • exchange rates and FX markets
  • FX market efficiency
  • real exchange rate and purchasing power parity
  • exchange rate determination
  • exchange rate forecasting
  • FX predictability: Statistical significance and economic value
  • FX volatility strategies
  • global equity analysis
  • global performance evaluation
Sustainable Finance

This module covers:

  • Fundamentals of sustainable finance 
  • Sustainable corporate finance
  • Sustainable financial investors and investments
  • Sustainable financial intermediaries
  • Green banks
The above is a sample of the typical modules we offer but is not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules that will be available in any given year. Modules (including methods of assessment) may change or be updated, or modules may be cancelled, over the duration of the course due to a number of reasons such as curriculum developments or staffing changes. Please refer to the module catalogue for information on available modules. This content was last updated on Friday 24 May 2024.

Due to timetabling availability, there may be restrictions on some module combinations.

Learning and assessment

How you will learn

  • Lectures
  • Seminars
  • Tutorials
  • Workshops

Digital professional skills certifications

We offer the opportunity for you to take industry-recognised Microsoft and SAP certifications alongside your degree programme. This will enhance your digital capability, differentiate your CV and help you stand out to future employers. Find out more on our digital professional skills website.

How you will be assessed

  • Dissertation
  • Essay
  • Examinations
  • Project work

You will be assessed through a combination of individual assignments or group projects and written exams.

Contact time and study hours

10-credit taught modules will consist of 100 student learning hours, of which around 22 hours are associated with lectures and seminars. The rest of the time will consist of assessment preparation, class preparation, and private study.

20-credit taught modules will consist of double this time.

Entry requirements

All candidates are considered on an individual basis and we accept a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements below apply to 2024 entry.

Undergraduate degree2:1 (or international equivalent) in finance, economics, accounting, business, or management. Outstanding degrees in any quantitative discipline also considered on a case by case basis. Applicants must have a strong quantitative/mathematics background and have achieved a 2:1 (60%) in a minimum of two modules covering at least two of the following subjects: mathematics, statistics, quantitative methods, quantitative finance specialisms, and econometrics.

Applying

If you have not yet completed your undergraduate degree, please provide a list of modules to be studied in your final year.

Please note: this is a highly competitive course and there are a limited number of places available. The school reserves the right to close applications when capacity is reached – this may be ahead of the advertised closure date for PGT courses. Early applications are encouraged to avoid disappointment.

Our step-by-step guide covers everything you need to know about applying.

How to apply

Fees

Qualification MSc
Home / UK £14,700
International £30,200

Additional information for international students

If you are a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you may be asked to complete a fee status questionnaire and your answers will be assessed using guidance issued by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) .

These fees are for full-time study. If you are studying part-time, you will be charged a proportion of this fee each year (subject to inflation).

Additional costs

All students will need at least one device to approve security access requests via Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). We also recommend students have a suitable laptop to work both on and off-campus. For more information, please check the equipment advice.

As a student on this course, you should factor some additional costs into your budget, alongside your tuition fees and living expenses.

You should be able to access most of the books you'll need through our libraries, though you may wish to purchase your own copies or more specific titles.

Funding

Business School MSc scholarships

There are many ways to fund your postgraduate course, from scholarships to government loans.

We also offer a range of international masters scholarships for high-achieving international scholars who can put their Nottingham degree to great use in their careers.

Check our guide to find out more about funding your postgraduate degree.

Postgraduate funding

Careers

We offer individual careers support for all postgraduate students.

Expert staff can help you research career options and job vacancies, build your CV or résumé, develop your interview skills and meet employers.

Each year 1,100 employers advertise graduate jobs and internships through our online vacancy service. We host regular careers fairs, including specialist fairs for different sectors.

International students who complete an eligible degree programme in the UK on a student visa can apply to stay and work in the UK after their course under the Graduate immigration route. Eligible courses at the University of Nottingham include bachelors, masters and research degrees, and PGCE courses.

Graduate destinations

Our in-house Postgraduate Careers Team provides expert advice and guidance so that you can make an informed decision about the right career path for you.

Prior to commencing your course you can take part in pre-entry careers discussions and once on programme our MSc Accelerated Career Leader Programme is complemented by one to one career coaching.

Increasingly, graduates are required to be cloud and data-ready for the workplace with 66% of employers wanting to see graduates achieve professional qualifications as well as their main degree (CMI 21st Century leaders report). The school works with some of the world’s leading business software providers including SAP and Microsoft, offering the option to take their globally recognised professional digital qualifications alongside your course. Our Digital Centre of Excellence will support you so that you can develop the digital skills necessary to pursue your chosen career and stand out to future employers.

Our support continues throughout your time at Nottingham and after you graduate. Business School postgraduates also have access to events and resources provided by the Careers and Employability Service.

Career destinations for our postgraduates include:

  • accountants
  • finance and investment analysts
  • higher education teaching professionals
  • investment bankers
  • IT business analysts
  • management consultants
  • marketing professionals
  • public relations professionals
  • university researchers

Some MSc graduates have gone on to doctoral studies, others have become entrepreneurs. Our Ingenuity Lab has supported a number of our MSc graduates in starting their own company.

Career progression

86.2% of all postgraduates from Nottingham University Business School secured graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation. The average annual salary for these graduates was £31,419.*

* HESA Graduate Outcomes 2019/20 data published in 2022. The Graduate Outcomes % is derived using The Guardian University Guide methodology. The average annual salary is based on graduates working full-time within the UK.

Chartered Banker Institute

This course is accredited by the Chartered Banker Institute, the gold standard for banking professionals.

Two masters graduates proudly holding their certificates
" I chose the University of Nottingham for its positioning in the world rankings and the diverse combination of business subjects. The course has the right combination of banking and is also accredited by the Chartered Banker Institute. "
Maria Theresa Famila, MSc Banking and Finance

This content was last updated on Friday 24 May 2024. Every effort has been made to ensure that this information is accurate, but changes are likely to occur given the interval between the date of publishing and course start date. It is therefore very important to check this website for any updates before you apply.