BA (Hons) Finance Investment Management

You’ll gain first-hand experience of financial markets by using our trading room and suite of Bloomberg terminals, examining real and current market developments to enhance your skills and understand the factors shaping the modern financial services world.

The course by its very nature is internationalised; your awareness of the multi-cultural environment that modern finance operates is developed throughout the course.

A significant underpinning of the course content is the importance of you being prepared for employment or promotion. As such, you will undertake modules in Building Business Practice and Building Professional Practice, both are key to experiential learning, as well as the module Employability and Career Planning.

A career in finance can be fascinating, wide-ranging and very rewarding. Recent graduates are now working with Bloomberg, Deloitte, Brewin Dolphin and other leading companies in the finance and investment management sector.
The course is covered by the prestigious AACSB accreditation for Newcastle Business School, which was ‘Business School of the Year’ at the Times Higher Education Awards 2015. The relevance, rigour and internationalisation of the course has been tested through the EPAS accreditation process. In addition, this programme is accredited by CISI (Chartered for Securities and Investment).

MODULES – Year 1

REF	COURSE NAME	COURSE DETAILS	CREDITS
EF3001	GLOBAL STUDIES AND GRAMMAR	This module has a lecture and seminar component and helps to prepare students for this type of module approach used by the university in their target degree programmes. Each week the topic will alternate between grammar and global studies. The global studies topics will also be explored over two weeks of the Reading and Critical analysis module. A key focus is to understand key points of a lecture, ask relevant questions and then analyse further in the weekly seminars.	20 Credits
EF3002	READING AND CRITICAL ANALYSIS	This module provides weekly reading texts covering Global Studies that provide students with exposure to and the experience of the types of academic texts they will be expected to read during their course. A key focus of the module will be to develop critical and analytical skills to enable students to select appropriate ideas to support argument and to paraphrase these ideas effectively in speaking and writing.	20 Credits
EF3003	ESSAY AND REPORT WRITING	This module introduces students to academic writing and focuses in particular on allowing the students to acquire skills in essay and report writing, basic research, and academic conventions. The main focus is on planning, outlining and constructing coherent discursive and persuasive essays and research reports	20 Credits
EF3004	INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION	This module aims to develop reflective, intellectual, analytical and oral skills. Its focus will be to raise students’ awareness of themselves as carriers of culture, to investigate concepts of otherness and to reflect on how they and others are represented within society The module will develop oral skills, as students will be involved in discussions, debates, presentations and role-play, with the aim of developing communicative competency and confidence.	20 Credits
EF3009	INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY	This module aims to provide a thorough introduction to the study of ICT. There is a focus on both practical sessions for applied ICT as well as some of the underpinning theory and concepts behind this including data protection and safe storage of data. On the applied side of the module, the focus is on gaining practical skills for future undergraduate study with a knowledge of relevant theory to understand good practice. The module encourages students to produce work through a range of Microsoft Office applications at the standard required by university including spreadsheets, presentations, databases and a variety of report and word-based documents.	20 Credits
NX0005	AN INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT	This module has been designed to give students an overview of some of the key issues in relation to business and management. It aims to give students a greater understanding of some of the principal functions of business and an awareness of the impact of the internal and external environment. The module will allow students to learn about what happens in the key functions and how they interact with each other in order to meet organisation´s vision, mission and values. Students will learn from a range of case studies so that they can start to develop their skills in bringing together theory and practice. The teaching and learning on this module will include a variety of techniques to enable the students to develop their understanding and consider the implications for business and management. Lectures will be used to go through the theory and this learning will be explored within the accompanying seminars so that we can ensure that students have understood the content and the implications of it. Formative assessment will be provided within each seminar and will be reinforced with a number of short tests and quizzes available on the eLearning portal.	20 Credits

MODULES – Year 2

REF	COURSE NAME	COURSE DETAILS	CREDITS
AF4002	FINANCIAL DECISION MAKING	You will learn how financial information can be used to assist managers and external user groups in their decision making processes. You will initially explore the motivations for entrepreneurial activity and techniques that can be used to appraise investment decisions. Topic areas will include: • Investment appraisal techniques (payback, accounting rate of return, net present value and internal rate of return) • Practical aspects of investment appraisal (inflation and capital rationing) • Risk and uncertainty You will then examine how financial information can facilitate managers in making operational decisions in relation to planning and control. Topic areas will include: • Cost and revenue behaviour • Break-even analysis • Costing (full and variable costing, activitybased costing and whole life-cycle costing) • Budgeting and variance analysis • Working capital management Finally you will look at the informational needs of outside user groups, the nature of the information they are provided with, and how this information can be analysed and interpreted in order to enhance the effectiveness of their decision making. Topic areas will include: • The reporting frameworks and ethical principles that underpin financial reporting • The nature of international financial reporting standards	CORE, 20 Credits
AF4003	PRINCIPLES AND THEORIES OF FINANCE	In this module, you will learn the key aspects of financial theory, the financial system, its markets and products. The topics that you will learn in this module include, the concepts of the financial system, interest rate and foreign exchange dynamics and the operation of the money, fixed-income and equity markets. The theories of finance that you will learn include the concept of utility, stock market efficiency, portfolio theory and the capital asset pricing model (CAPM). Further, in this module you will also enhance your knowledge and skills of basic financial arithmetic, statistics through Microsoft Excel which are essential for both placement and graduate employability. To apply the knowledge acquired in this module, you will be using real-time financial information and data which would be available through the QFBA Trading Room.	CORE, 20 Credits
BM9400	BUSINESS ANALYSIS FOR DECISION MAKING	The module aims to provide you with the knowledge and skills of applying a variety of quantitative analytical tools to support business decision making. The module is delivered to you using weekly lectures and IT workshops, the workshops principally concentrate on the development of your spreadsheet skills and interpretation of the analysis undertaken. The module will lead you to the development of basic analytical skills and confidence in handling numeric data using a spreadsheet. In doing so, it will expose you to a wide range of quantitative techniques for use in modelling, analysis and interpretation of business problems. You will become aware of the role of modelling as an aid to business problem solving. Furthermore, you will gain an understanding of the role of MS Excel as an aid to data analysis and the development of various business problem solving models.	CORE, 20 Credits
HR9405	MANAGING PEOPLE AT WORK	This module aims to provide you with an introduction to the foundation theory and practice of management. It encourages you to understand the principal challenges facing managers and will give you an overview of the key themes within organisational behaviour (OB). Through weekly lectures you will be introduced to principles of OB and explore the relationships between theory and practice. In weekly seminars you will apply your understanding of theories and relevant research findings to Human Resources (HR) practice related case studies and draw connections to your own experiences of work. Issues you will discuss in this module may vary in order to reflect contemporary circumstances. The module will lead you to develop your own understanding of managerial challenges and skills necessary to tackle them. You will be challenged to reflect on your learning and how OB theories and relevant research findings have impacted you and your journey in becoming a practicing manager. On completing the module you will understand theoretical foundations of OB and its links to HR practice. You will further critically reflect on your own views of management and HR practice.	CORE, 20 Credits
NX9410	BUILDING BUSINESS PRACTICE	This module aims to provide you with the skills and abilities to tackle real life business problems and projects. These problems and research projects will be appropriate to your specific programme of study and will result in an extensive and flexible knowledge base. THERE ARE SIX MAIN FOCUS AREAS BASED ON: • An ability to demonstrate and apply an understanding of relevant theory from your professional / academic area where appropriate • Group Work skills (Team work) • Research Skills (Information Literacy) • Problem Solving Skills (Project Management) • Communication Skills • Self-Directed Learning. On completion of this module you will have developed effective problem-solving skills, become an effective collaborator and team player and further developed self-directed, lifelong learning skills.	CORE, 20 Credits
SM9411	GLOBAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT	The module is comprised of three blocks of material. The three blocks are: GLOBALISATION This block will cover topics such as the process of globalisation, barriers to globalisation, the benefits and costs of globalisation for business, international trade, analysis of the external business environment, corporate social responsibility issues in the global economy, etc. ECONOMICS This block will focus on the market forces of supply and demand, supply and demand elasticity, government policy, gross domestic product (GDP), the consumer price index, a macroeconomic theory of the open economy, etc. ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS Topics covered in this block include foreign market entry modes, process of foreign direct investment, analytical frameworks for assessing national competitiveness, the risk assessment for business decisions, etc.	CORE, 20 Credits

MODULES – Year 3

REF	COURSE NAME	COURSE DETAILS	CREDITS
AF5002	Derivatives & Risk	You will learn about the simplest forms of complex financial instruments, including the way that they work, the risks they are often designed to manage or speculate upon, and the ways that money flows ‘through’ the transactions and the means of calculating whether they have made either a profit or a loss. Instruments covered include: • Futures • Forwards • Options and Swaps You will also examine the way that the market for underlying commodities can impact the way that such derivatives operate as well as examining the way that such derivative instruments have been used to construct a derivative market for carbon. You will learn about these instruments in the context of the worldwide markets using real-time data taken from the NBS Trading Terminals.	CORE, 20 Credits
AF5004	Finance, Financial Markets and Institutions	You will learn the key aspects of the regulations, ethics and law that define the ‘rules’ for finance, and the main financial instruments that are used, including: Money market instruments, Bonds, Equities, Foreign exchange and Insurance. You will draw from a range of historical case studies to see how regulation within the financial system has transformed. You will be encouraged to discuss and critique the latest regulation changes using academic literature to back up your arguments. You will learn about these instruments in the context of the worldwide markets in which they are traded as well as the principal institutions that use these instruments and that trade them worldwide. To apply the knowledge acquired in this module, you will be using real-time financial information. Therefore throughout the module you will be required to keep up to date with the latest developments within the financial markets to enable you to contribute to this module.	CORE, 20 Credits
AF5007	Personal Finance and Wealth Planning	You will learn about personal finance and wealth planning with a view to understanding how different financial products can be used to satisfy different client needs and circumstances. You will learn about client appraisal; personal taxation (to include income tax, capital gains tax and inheritance tax); building an investment portfolio; mortgage finance; the handling of personal debt; insurance planning; retirement planning and estate planning in the financial planning process.	CORE, 20 Credits
AF5008	FINANCIAL MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS	The module aims to provide you with the knowledge and skills of applying a variety of advanced mathematical and statistical methods to help you with financial data analysis and interpretation. You will examine the mathematical and statistical methods that feed into complex financial models, tools and techniques. All mathematical and statistical techniques which you will study as part of this module will be considered in the context of finance. Within this module, you will cover such topics as limits (continuous compounding, mathematical constant annuity and perpetuity), geometric & physical interpretation, least squares problem, serial correlation, market randomness & mean reversion, conditional probability and stochastic volatility (the Poisson process). The module will lead you to the development of advanced analytical skills and confidence in handling numerical data using both mathematical derivations and statistical reasoning. In doing so, it will expose you to a wide range of mathematical techniques for use in analysis and interpretation of financial data. On completing the module you will be able to select and apply the appropriate mathematical and statistical techniques to support decisionmaking in a variety of situations. You will have developed relevant numerical skills to support the theoretical material introduced throughout the module. You will create, use and design appropriate spreadsheet models which directly relate to the concepts studied. For this real-time data from the NBS trading room can be used.	CORE, 20 Credits
HR9508	EMPLOYABILITY & CAREER PLANNING	This module gives you the skills and knowledge you need to successfully obtain an undergraduate placement and/or a graduate level role when you leave university. It is specifically concerned with your employability and therefore includes opportunities each week to practice and develop skills in a safe and supportive environment. You will study a number of important topics such as career planning, writing CVs, cover letters and application forms, psychometric testing, competency-based interviews, assessment centres and current trends in recruitment and selection practice, including use of social media. When you complete this module, you will have the skills, ability, and confidence to make an impactful application to any employer. The module also supports you if you have a compulsory year abroad as part of your programme.	CORE, 20 Credits
NX9523	BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE	This module aims to prepare you for your future studies at Level 6 and work-based learning. It focuses on developing your skills and abilities to critically assess, analyse and manage business-based problems and projects, with emphasis on a range of business models. The module will focus on specific discipline areas to support demonstration of understanding and application of relevant theory from your professional/academic area as appropriate. There also will be some opportunities to consider broader contemporary challenges for organisations in responding to changing practices of responsible and sustainable management. On completion of the module you will have enhanced your problem-solving skills and will be able to manage complex projects. By focusing on advanced group and team working skills, research and complex problem solving skills, project management, communication skills and self-directed learning, you will also develop employability and leadership attributes, including set direction, engage, drive, collaborate, learn, innovate and act with integrity.	CORE, 20 Credits

MODULES – Year 4

REF	COURSE NAME	COURSE DETAILS	CREDITS
AF6003	BANKING RISK 1	In this module, you will learn and examine the banking risk faced by banks and financial institutions. This module takes you through the specific areas of credit and market risks within the context of the relevant regulatory framework (The Basel Accords) and draws on case study material provided by high profile banks and financial institution. You will be expected to develop an understanding of the nature of credit and market risks, its measurement models and management issues. The module will cover: • A typology of risk in banking and financial institutions – definitions, types, and its importance as well as discussions on certainty, risk, and uncertainty. • The nature and significance of market risk • Measuring market risk through Value-at-Risk (VaR) models (variance-covariance, historical simulation and Monte-Carlo simulation models), back-testing, stress-testing, bootstrapping, expected shortfall and other regulatory models. • Market risk regulatory framework using the Basel Accords. • Credit decision-making and credit risk in consumer and industrial loans. • Measuring credit risk through credit scoring models, credit VaR models (Creditmetrics, Creditrisk+). • Credit risk regulatory framework using the Basel Accords. • Counterparty Credit Risk (CCR) in derivatives and credit valuation adjustment (CVA).	CORE, 20 Credits
AF6006	INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT: RATIONAL AND IRRATIONAL MARKETS	The module aims to provide you with the knowledge and skills of applying a variety of quantitative and financial tools to construct, rebalance and evaluate portfolio consisting of financial assets mainly equities. The module is organised within the themes of rational and irrational decisionmaking in investments (A Nobel Prize was awarded in 2013 to Eugene Fama and Robert Shiller for their contributions in these areas). The module delivers on Fama’s claim of markets efficiency, with people incorporating all available information into prices. It then extends onto Shiller’s view that investors, being human, can be swayed by psychology. Therefore you will learn the psychological influence and market efficiency alongside principles in the context of investment in real world financial assets. You will be exposed to a wide range of understanding techniques for use in rebalancing, comparing and analysis and evaluation of portfolio made of financial assets. Furthermore, you will gain practical understanding of various aspects of asset allocation, portfolio management strategies and important behavioural issues affecting your portfolio choice. The module is delivered to you using lectures and IT workshops, the workshops principally concentrate on the development of your trading software and Excel spreadsheet skills. Overall within the module you will explore the assumptions of rationality and irrationality in investments and their impact on decisionmaking.	CORE, 20 Credits
AF6007	BANKING RISK 2	In this module, you will examine the interest rate, liquidity and operational risks face by banks and financial institutions. You will also learn the measurement and management aspects of these banking risks with the help of case studies within the banking and finance institutions. Further, a key aspect of the module is to determine why an effective fraud risk assessment framework is essential to the banking and financial institutions. You will be developing and communicating an effective fraud risk assessment framework. Prominent real life financial disasters would also be examined to demonstrate how these issues can impact upon banking and financial institutions.	CORE, 20 Credits
NX9625	DISSERTATION	The dissertation module aims to equip you with the necessary intellectual and practical skills for undertaking an individual student-led, ethical investigation into an applied business (or the named degree) problem or issue. In addition, the dissertation aims to equip you with key transferable, employability skills, including: time management, project management, communication (written and verbal), negotiation, persuasion and influence, discovery, initiative, creativity and innovation in problem-solving analysis. The module is student-led but you are supported by, initially, lectures and seminar-workshops which provide an introduction to undertaking Business-Management research followed by one-to-one or small-group supervision meetings.	OPTIONAL, 40 Credits
NX9626	UNDERGRADUATE CONSULTANCY PROJECT	The module aims to provide you with an opportunity to integrate the knowledge acquired during the programme and apply this to a consultancy project for a real organisation. This consultancy project provides a vehicle for participants to develop and demonstrate key employability skills, to relate theory to practice, and to undertake a significant piece of assessed work commensurate with a capstone module. You will work on behalf of an external organisation, which has identified a business problem or question, requiring a solution, working in small group of typically 4 individuals (you will select their own team members), participating in group and individual activities. The host organisation will provide a project briefing, and review; students will be supported by appropriate academic input and guidance from Newcastle Business School in the form of a mentor and via the Business Clinic.	OPTIONAL, 40 Credits
SM9627	SUSTAINABLE STRATEGIES	In the first instance the idea of sustainable strategies can be seen to be about a continuous and stable alignment between intent, formulation, implementation and outcome realisation for an organisation. However, from a more comprehensive perspective it is about engaging a wide range of stakeholder domains, including the players along the value chain, society, and the environment. This module will provide you with a perspective on core strategy from the vantage point of an organisation and the ability to analyse, formulate and critique business strategies. You will be able to understand and reflect on the scope and limitations of tools and techniques deployed to inform business strategies and their sustainability premises. It will, as a bolt on, impart an emphasis for stepping back and looking at strategies from a macro-level sustainability perspective as is very topical and at the forefront of policy and business concerns.	CORE, 20 Credits

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

In addition to a good secondary school profile, it is recognised that successful admission of the programme is dependent upon the ability of the students in the English Language. All students must have an adequate command of written and spoken English to be able to study any programme which leads to an award of the University.

The minimum pre-entry requirements into QFBA-Northumbria University programmes are as follow:

Mandatory for all years - a high school certificate recognized by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Qatar

Year 1: At least IELTS 5.0 or equivalent, with a minimum IELTS component score of 5.0
Year 2: Completed foundation year from a recognised institution by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Qatar (e.g. University Foundation College, Academic Bridge Program)
Year 3: Completed 2-year diploma from a recognised institution by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Qatar (e.g. College of the North Atlantic Qatar and Community College Qatar)

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Application Form - Online

ID / Passport

Passport Sized Photo

High School Transcript

College Transcript (if applicable)

IELTS (if applicable)

Application Fee: QR 300

APPLICATION TIMELINE

Application opens January 1

Application deadline July 1

Academic year starts in September

FEE SCHEDULE

Tuition fee: QR 64,000 per year
Application fee: QR 300

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘦𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘯

MODULES – Year 1

REF

EF3001

COURSE NAME

GLOBAL STUDIES AND GRAMMAR

COURSE DETAILS

This module has a lecture and seminar component and helps to prepare students for this type of module approach used by the university in their target degree programmes.

Each week the topic will alternate between grammar and global studies. The global studies topics will also be explored over two weeks of the Reading and Critical analysis module. A key focus is to understand key points of a lecture, ask relevant questions and then analyse further in the weekly seminars.

CREDITS

20 Credits

REF

EF3002

COURSE NAME

READING AND CRITICAL ANALYSIS

COURSE DETAILS

This module provides weekly reading texts covering Global Studies that provide students with exposure to and the experience of the types of academic texts they will be expected to read during their course.

A key focus of the module will be to develop critical and analytical skills to enable students to select appropriate ideas to support argument and to paraphrase these ideas effectively in speaking and writing.

CREDITS

20 Credits

REF

EF3003

COURSE NAME

ESSAY AND REPORT WRITING

COURSE DETAILS

This module introduces students to academic writing and focuses in particular on allowing the students to acquire skills in essay and report writing, basic research, and academic conventions.

The main focus is on planning, outlining and constructing coherent discursive and persuasive essays and research reports.

CREDITS

20 Credits

REF

EF3004

COURSE NAME

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

COURSE DETAILS

This module aims to develop reflective,intellectual, analytical and oral skills. Its focus will be to raise students’ awareness of themselves as carriers of culture, to investigate concepts of otherness and to reflect on how they and others are represented within society.

The module will develop oral skills, as students will be involved in discussions, debates, presentations and role-play, with the aim of developing communicative competency and confidence.

CREDITS

20 Credits

REF

EF3009

COURSE NAME

INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

COURSE DETAILS

This module aims to provide a thorough introduction to the study of ICT. There is a focus on both practical sessions for applied ICT as well as some of the underpinning theory and concepts behind this including data protection and safe storage of data.

On the applied side of the module, the focus is on gaining practical skills for future undergraduate study with a knowledge of relevant theory to understand good practice. The module encourages students to produce work through a range of Microsoft Office applications at the standard required by university including spreadsheets, presentations, databases and a variety of report and wordbased documents.

CREDITS

20 Credits

REF

NX0005

COURSE NAME

AN INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT

COURSE DETAILS

This module has been designed to give students an overview of some of the key issues in relation to business and management. It aims to give students a greater understanding of some of the principal functions of business and an awareness of the impact of the internal and external environment.

The module will allow students to learn about what happens in the key functions and how they interact with each other in order to meet organisation´s vision, mission and values. Students will learn from a range of case studies so that they can start to develop their skills in bringing together theory and practice. The teaching and learning on this module will include a variety of techniques to enable the students to develop their understanding and consider the implications for business and management. Lectures will be used to go through the theory and this learning will be explored within the accompanying seminars so that we can ensure that students have understood the content and the implications of it. Formative assessment will be provided within each seminar and will be reinforced with a number of short tests and quizzes available on the eLearning portal.

CREDITS

20 Credits

MODULES – Year 2

REF

AF4002

COURSE NAME

FINANCIAL DECISION MAKING

COURSE DETAILS

You will learn how financial information can be used to assist managers and external user groups in their decision making processes. You will initially explore the motivations for entrepreneurial activity and techniques that can be used to appraise investment decisions. Topic areas will include:
• Investment appraisal techniques (payback, accounting rate of return, net present value and internal rate of return)
• Practical aspects of investment appraisal (inflation and capital rationing)
• Risk and uncertainty
You will then examine how financial information can facilitate managers in making operational decisions in relation to planning and control. Topic areas will include:
• Cost and revenue behaviour
• Break-even analysis
• Costing (full and variable costing, activitybased costing and whole life-cycle costing)
• Budgeting and variance analysis
• Working capital management

Finally you will look at the informational needs of outside user groups, the nature of the information they are provided with, and how this information can be analysed and interpreted in order to enhance the effectiveness of their decision making. Topic areas will include:
• The reporting frameworks and ethical principles that underpin financial reporting
• The nature of international financial reporting standards

CREDITS

CORE,20 Credits

REF

AF4003

COURSE NAME

PRINCIPLES AND THEORIES OF FINANCE

COURSE DETAILS

In this module, you will learn the key aspects of financial theory, the financial system, its markets and products. The topics that you will learn in this module include, the concepts of the financial system, interest rate and foreign exchange dynamics and the operation of the money, fixed-income and equity markets.

The theories of finance that you will learn include the concept of utility, stock market efficiency, portfolio theory and the capital asset pricing model (CAPM). Further, in this module you will also enhance your knowledge and skills of basic financial arithmetic, statistics through Microsoft Excel which are essential for both placement and graduate employability. To apply the knowledge acquired in this module, you will be using real-time financial information and data which would be available through the QFBA Trading Room.

CREDITS

CORE, 20 Credits

REF

BM9400

COURSE NAME

BUSINESS ANALYSIS FOR DECISION MAKING

COURSE DETAILS

The module aims to provide you with the knowledge and skills of applying a variety of quantitative analytical tools to support business decision making. The module is delivered to you using lectures and IT workshops, the workshops principally concentrate on the development of your spreadsheet skills and interpretation of the analysis undertaken.

The module will lead you to the development of basic analytical skills and confidence in handling numeric data using a spreadsheet. In doing so, it will expose you to a wide range of quantitative techniques for use in modelling, analysis and interpretation of business problems. You will become aware of the role of modelling as an aid to business problem solving. Furthermore, you will gain an understanding of the role of MS Excel as an aid to data analysis and the development of various business problem solving models.

CREDITS

CORE, 20 Credits

REF

HR9405

COURSE NAME

MANAGING PEOPLE AT WORK

COURSE DETAILS

This module aims to provide you with an introduction to the foundation theory and practice of management. It encourages you to understand the principal challenges facing managers and will give you an overview of the key themes within organisational behaviour (OB).

Through weekly lectures you will be introduced to principles of OB and explore the relationships between theory and practice. In weekly seminars you will apply your understanding of theories and relevant research findings to Human Resources (HR) practice related case studies and draw connections to your own experiences of work. Issues you will discuss in this module may vary in order to reflect contemporary circumstances. The module will lead you to develop your own understanding of managerial challenges and skills necessary to tackle them. You will be challenged to reflect on your learning and how OB theories and relevant research findings have impacted you and your journey in becoming a practicing manager. On completing the module you will understand theoretical foundations of OB and its links to HR practice. You will further critically reflect on your own views of management and HR practice.

CREDITS

CORE, 20 Credits

REF

NX9410

COURSE NAME

BUILDING BUSINESS PRACTICE

COURSE DETAILS

This module aims to provide you with the skills and abilities to tackle real life business problems and projects. These problems and research projects will be appropriate to your specific programme of study and will result in an extensive and flexible knowledge base.

There are six main focus areas based on:
• An ability to demonstrate and apply an understanding of relevant theory from your professional /academic area where appropriate
• Group Work skills (Team work)
• Research Skills (Information Literacy)
• Problem-solving Skills (Project Management)
• Communication Skills
• Self-Directed Learning.

On completion of this module you will have developed effective problem-solving skills, become an effective collaborator and team player and further developed self-directed, lifelong learning skills.

CREDITS

CORE, 20 Credits

REF

SM9411

COURSE NAME

GLOBAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

COURSE DETAILS

The module is comprised of three blocks of material. The three blocks are:

Globalisation This block will cover topics such as the process of globalisation, barriers to globalisation, the benefits and costs of globalisation for business, international trade, analysis of the external business environment, corporate social responsibility issues in the global economy, etc.

Economics This block will focus on the market forces of supply and demand, supply and demand elasticity, government policy, gross domestic product (GDP), the consumer price index, a macroeconomic theory of the open economy, etc.

Economic Competitiveness Topics covered in this block include foreign market entry modes, process of foreign direct investment, analytical frameworks for assessing national competitiveness, the risk assessment for business decisions, etc.

CREDITS

CORE, 20 Credits

MODULES – Year 3

REF

AF5002

COURSE NAME

Derivatives & Risk

COURSE DETAILS

You will learn about the simplest forms of complex financial instruments, including the way that they work, the risks they are often designed to manage or speculate upon, and the ways that money flows ‘through’ the transactions and the means of calculating whether they have made either a profit or a loss.

Instruments covered include: • Futures • Forwards • Options and Swaps
You will also examine the way that the market for underlying commodities can impact the way that such derivatives operate as well as examining the way that such derivative instruments have been used to construct a derivative market for carbon. You will learn about these instruments in the context of the worldwide markets using real-time data taken from the NBS Trading Terminals.

CREDITS

CORE,20 Credits

REF

AF5004

COURSE NAME

Finance, Financial Markets and Institutions

COURSE DETAILS

You will learn the key aspects of the regulations, ethics and law that define the ‘rules’ for finance, and the main financial instruments that are used, including: Money market instruments, Bonds, Equities, Foreign exchange and Insurance.

You will draw from a range of historical case studies to see how regulation within the financial system has transformed. You will be encouraged to discuss and critique the latest regulation changes using academic literature to back up your arguments.
You will learn about these instruments in the context of the worldwide markets in which they are traded as well as the principal institutions that use these instruments and that trade them worldwide. To apply the knowledge acquired in this module, you will be using real-time financial information. Therefore throughout the module you will be required to keep up to date with the latest developments within the financial markets to enable you to contribute to this module.

CREDITS

CORE, 20 Credits

REF

AF5007

COURSE NAME

Personal Finance and Wealth Planning

COURSE DETAILS

You will learn about personal finance and wealth planning with a view to understanding how different financial products can be used to satisfy different client needs and circumstances.

You will learn about client appraisal; personal taxation (to include income tax, capital gains tax and inheritance tax); building an investment portfolio; mortgage finance; the handling of personal debt; insurance planning; retirement planning and estate planning in the financial planning process.

CREDITS

CORE, 20 Credits

REF

AF5008

COURSE NAME

FINANCIAL MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS

COURSE DETAILS

The module aims to provide you with the knowledge and skills of applying a variety of advanced mathematical and statistical methods to help you with financial data analysis and interpretation.

You will examine the mathematical and statistical methods that feed into complex financial models, tools and techniques. All mathematical and statistical techniques which you will study as part of this module will be considered in the context of finance. Within this module, you will cover such topics as limits (continuous compounding, mathematical constant annuity and perpetuity), geometric & physical interpretation, least squares problem, serial correlation, market randomness & mean reversion, conditional probability and stochastic volatility (the Poisson process). The module will lead you to the development of advanced analytical skills and confidence in handling numerical data using both mathematical derivations and statistical reasoning. In doing so, it will expose you to a wide range of mathematical techniques for use in analysis and interpretation of financial data. On completing the module you will be able to select and apply the appropriate mathematical and statistical techniques to support decisionmaking in a variety of situations. You will have developed relevant numerical skills to support the theoretical material introduced throughout the module. You will create, use and design appropriate spreadsheet models which directly relate to the concepts studied. For this real-time data from the NBS trading room can be used.

CREDITS

CORE, 20 Credits

REF

HR9508

COURSE NAME

EMPLOYABILITY & CAREER PLANNING

COURSE DETAILS

This module gives you the skills and knowledge you need to successfully obtain an undergraduate placement and/or a graduate level role when you leave university.

It is specifically concerned with your employability and therefore includes opportunities each week to practice and develop skills in a safe and supportive environment. You will study a number of important topics such as career planning, writing CVs, cover letters and application forms, psychometric testing, competency-based interviews, assessment centres and current trends in recruitment and selection practice, including use of social media. When you complete this module, you will have the skills, ability, and confidence to make an impactful application to any employer. The module also supports you if you have a compulsory year abroad as part of your programme.

CREDITS

CORE, 20 Credits

REF

NX9523

COURSE NAME

BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

COURSE DETAILS

This module aims to prepare you for your future studies at Level 6 and work-based learning. It focuses on developing your skills and abilities to critically assess, analyse and manage business-based problems and projects, with emphasis on a range of business models.

The module will focus on specific discipline areas to support demonstration of back-testing, QFBA NORTHUMBRIA BROCHURE 2018 39 understanding and application of relevant theory from your professional/academic area as appropriate. There also will be some opportunities to consider broader contemporary challenges for organisations in responding to changing practices of responsible and sustainable management. On completion of the module you will have enhanced your problem-solving skills and will be able to manage complex projects. By focusing on advanced group and team working skills, research and complex problem-solving skills, project management, communication skills and self-directed learning, you will also develop employability and leadership attributes, including set direction, engage, drive, collaborate, learn, innovate and act with integrity.

CREDITS

CORE, 20 Credits

MODULES – Year 4

REF

AF6003

COURSE NAME

BANKING RISK 1

COURSE DETAILS

In this module, you will learn and examine the banking risk faced by banks and financial institutions. This module takes you through the specific areas of credit and market risks within the context of the relevant regulatory framework (The Basel Accords) and draws on case study material provided by high profile banks and financial institution.

You will be expected to develop an understanding of the nature of credit and market risks, its measurement models and management issues. The module will cover:
• A typology of risk in banking and financial institutions – definitions, types, and its importance as well as discussions on certainty, risk, and uncertainty.
• The nature and significance of market risk
• Measuring market risk through Value-at-Risk (VaR) models (variance-covariance, historical simulation and Monte-Carlo simulation models), back-testing, stress-testing, bootstrapping, expected shortfall and other regulatory models.
• Market risk regulatory framework using the Basel Accords.
• Credit decision-making and credit risk in consumer and industrial loans.
• Measuring credit risk through credit scoring models, credit VaR models (Creditmetrics, Creditrisk+).
• Credit risk regulatory framework using the Basel Accords.
• Counterparty Credit Risk (CCR) in derivatives and credit valuation adjustment (CVA).

CREDITS

CORE,20 Credits

REF

AF6006

COURSE NAME

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT: RATIONAL AND IRRATIONAL MARKETS

COURSE DETAILS

The module aims to provide you with the knowledge and skills of applying a variety of quantitative and financial tools to construct, rebalance and evaluate portfolio consisting of financial assets mainly equities.

The module is organised within the themes of rational and irrational decisionmaking in investments (A Nobel Prize was awarded in 2013 to Eugene Fama and Robert Shiller for their contributions in these areas). The module delivers on Fama’s claim of markets efficiency, with people incorporating all available information into prices. It then extends onto Shiller’s view that investors, being human, can be swayed by psychology. Therefore you will learn the psychological influence and market efficiency alongside principles in the context of investment in real world financial assets. You will be exposed to a wide range of understanding techniques for use in rebalancing, comparing and analysis and evaluation of portfolio made of financial assets. Furthermore, you will gain practical understanding of various aspects of asset allocation, portfolio management strategies and important behavioural issues affecting your portfolio choice. The module is delivered to you using lectures and IT workshops, the workshops principally concentrate on the development of your trading software and Excel spreadsheet skills. Overall within the module you will explore the assumptions of rationality and irrationality in investments and their impact on decisionmaking.

CREDITS

CORE, 20 Credits

REF

AF6007

COURSE NAME

BANKING RISK 2

COURSE DETAILS

In this module, you will examine the interest rate, liquidity and operational risks face by banks and financial institutions. You will also learn the measurement and management aspects of these banking risks with the help of case studies within the banking and finance institutions.

Further, a key aspect of the module is to determine why an effective fraud risk assessment framework is essential to the banking and financial institutions. You will be developing and communicating an effective fraud risk assessment framework. Prominent real life financial disasters would also be examined to demonstrate how these issues can impact upon banking and financial institutions.

CREDITS

CORE, 20 Credits

REF

NX9625

COURSE NAME

DISSERTATION

COURSE DETAILS

The dissertation module aims to equip you with the necessary intellectual and practical skills for undertaking an individual student-led, ethical investigation into an applied business (or the named degree) problem or issue.

In addition, the dissertation aims to equip you with key transferable, employability skills, including time management, project management, communication (written and verbal), negotiation, persuasion and influence, discovery, initiative, creativity and innovation in problem-solving analysis. The module is student-led but you are supported by, initially, lectures and seminar workshops which provide an introduction to undertaking Business-Management research followed by one-to-one or small-group supervision meetings.

CREDITS

OPTIONAL, 40 Credits

REF

NX9626

COURSE NAME

UNDERGRADUATE CONSULTANCY PROJECT

COURSE DETAILS

The module aims to provide you with an opportunity to integrate the knowledge acquired during the programme and apply this to a consultancy project for a real organisation.

This consultancy project provides a vehicle for participants to develop and demonstrate key employability skills, to relate theory to practice, and to undertake a significant piece of assessed work commensurate with a capstone module.
You will work on behalf of an external organisation, which has identified a business problem or question, requiring a solution, working in small group of typically 4 individuals (you will select your own team members), participating in group and individual activities. The host organisation will provide a project briefing, and review; students will be supported by appropriate academic input and guidance from QFBA in the form of a mentor and via the Business Clinic

CREDITS

OPTIONAL, 40 Credits

REF

SM9627

COURSE NAME

SUSTAINABLE STRATEGIES

COURSE DETAILS

In the first instance the idea of sustainable strategies can be seen to be about a continuous and stable alignment between intent, formulation, implementation and outcome realisation for an organisation.

However, from a more comprehensive perspective it is about engaging a wide range of stakeholder domains, including the players along the value chain, society, and the environment. This module will provide you with a perspective on core strategy from the vantage point of an organisation and the ability to analyse, formulate and critique business strategies. You will be able to understand and reflect on the scope and limitations of tools and techniques deployed to inform business strategies and their sustainability premises. It will, as a bolt on, impart an emphasis for stepping back and looking at strategies from a macro-level sustainability perspective as is very topical and at the forefront of policy and business concerns.

CREDITS

CORE, 20 Credits

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Application Form - Online

ID / Passport

Passport Sized Photo

High School Transcript

College Transcript (if applicable)

IELTS (if applicable)

Application Fee: QR 300

APPLICATION TIMELINE

Application opens January 1

Application deadline July 1

Academic year starts in September

FEE SCHEDULE

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