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Undergraduate Programme Specification

BSc Finance with a Year in Industry

Academic Year 2021/22

A programme specification is required for any programme on which a student may be registered. All programmes of the University are subject to the University's Quality Assurance processes. All degrees are awarded by Queen's University Belfast.

Programme Title BSc Finance with a Year in Industry Final Award
(exit route if applicable for Postgraduate Taught Programmes)
Bachelor of Science
Programme Code FIN-BSC-P UCAS Code N300 HECoS Code 100107 - Finance - 100
ATAS Clearance Required No
Mode of Study Full Time
Type of Programme Single Honours Length of Programme Full Time - 4 Academic Year(s) Total Credits for Programme 480
Exit Awards available

Institute Information

Teaching Institution

Queen's University Belfast

School/Department

Queen's Business School

Quality Code
https://www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code

Higher Education Credit Framework for England
https://www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code/higher-education-credit-framework-for-england

Level 6

Subject Benchmark Statements
https://www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code/subject-benchmark-statements

The Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Degree-Awarding Bodies
https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/quality-code/qualifications-frameworks.pdf

Finance (2016)

Accreditations (PSRB)

Regulation Information

Does the Programme have any approved exemptions from the University General Regulations
(Please see General Regulations)

Degree classification weighting of 10% First Year, 20% Second Year, 10% Placement, 60% Final Year

Programme Specific Regulations

Awards, Credits and Progression of Learning Outcomes

This programme requires students to undertake a work-based placement at Stage 3 of the programme.

Stage 1
Students will be allowed to proceed from Stage 1 to Stage 2 only when they have passed all six Stage 1 modules.

Stage 2
Students will be allowed to proceed from Stage 2 to placement when they have passed at least 5 Stage 2 modules. All remaining modules must be completed in the August supplementary examining period.

Year of Professional Experience:
Students must, unless exempted, spend at least 9 months between Stage 2 and Stage 3 in obtaining professional experience in a manner approved by the School.

Students wishing to apply for exemption from their Professional Experience Requirement must do so in writing. Applications for exemption will be considered by a panel consisting of the Head of School, the Director of Internationalisation, the Subject Leader, the Programme Director, and a Placement Adviser, with advice from the students’ Advisers of Studies or other staff as appropriate.

Exemption will be granted only in circumstances where a student can demonstrate either personal extenuating circumstances supported by an Occupational Health assessment, or where there is a reasonable expectation that they would not be able to secure a placement even if they continued to make a determined effort to do so.

Students who have been granted exemption from the Year of Professional Experience will be required to transfer to the equivalent programme and may proceed directly to Stage 3, subject to meeting the normal Stage 2 to Stage 3 requirements.

Students may only undertake a second placement year or study abroad year with the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Education.

Students with protected characteristics

N/A

Are students subject to Fitness to Practise Regulations

(Please see General Regulations)

No

Educational Aims Of Programme

Foster a stimulating and supportive learning environment which promotes intellectual, professional and personal development

Encourage critical thinking, independent enquiry, and an international outlook

Develop students' skills base, leadership capacity and connections with practice in ways which will enhance their ability to make valuable contributions to the economy and society

Promote engagement with issues of ethics, responsibility and sustainability, and maintain respect for social and cultural differences, showing openness, fairness, and equality of opportunity in relation to selection, learning, assessment, and support

Create an academically demanding programme that equips students to integrate theoretical concepts and practical applied problems using rigorous data analysis.

Develop students' ability to analyse, interpret and communicate complex financial ideas to different audiences utilising relevant technology.

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes: Cognitive Skills

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

critically evaluate information

apply logic and reasoning

pursue independent enquiry

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Cognitive skills are developed across modules and between stages. A combination of teaching methods are used to enhance these skills. Students are encouraged to evaluate information and think independently throughout their course, in lectures, small group tutorials, and interactive learning sessions.

Methods of Assessment

A combination of assessment methods including assignments, presentations, class tests and examinations are used to evaluate cognitive skills. Students are awarded marks for their ability to demonstrate critical thinking and originality.

Learning Outcomes: Transferable Skills

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

communicate ideas in both written and presentational forms

use ICT software effectively

work both independently and in groups

manage their own time and workloads effectively

engage with employers and practitioners

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Transferable skills development permeates teaching and learning throughout the degree programme. The teaching and learning environment is supportive of the need to assist students in developing and enhancing their communication, IT, team working and employability skills.

Methods of Assessment

Students are asked to prepare and deliver presentations, and structure and write assignments, which encourages them to improve their oral and written communication skills. These formats also give students experience of using a range of software, and allows them to advance their technical abilities. Some assessments are group based, which helps develop an awareness of how to work as a team, whilst others are individual based, which promotes time management skills.

Learning Outcomes: Knowledge & Understanding

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

appreciate the importance of internationalisation

engage with issues around ethics, responsibility and sustainability

understand the role, operation and functions of international financial institutions and markets which underpin the global financial industry, including an awareness of the broader economic, social, ethical, legal, political, regulatory and environmental issues which influence their operation.

critique and apply the theoretical concepts of finance.

understand the behaviour, financing, ethical considerations and regulations influencing the financial decisions of individuals, firms and governments.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Knowledge transfer in relation to financial institutions and markets primarily takes place in lecture format. Small group tutorials also provide the opportunity for students to discuss and debate these issues in more detail. Practical application of financial theories is typically developed in computer labs using statistical software or in the smaller group Trading Room. The international dimension to various issues are included in modules throughout the course, and concerns around ethics, responsibility and sustainability are embedded when discussing topics.

Methods of Assessment

Knowledge acquisition and practical application is assessed through a range of class tests, examinations, take home tests, multiple choice tests, projects and presentations. Relevant discussion of the international and ethical aspects to any subject is also regarded as a positive.

Learning Outcomes: Subject Specific

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

obtain, manipulate, empirically analyse and interpret financial data in the practical application of financial theory using relevant technology/statistical packages.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Students are encouraged to become proficient using a range of industry relevant software/statistical packages. In Stage 1 students will have the opportunity to identify and extract relevant data using the sources such as Bloomberg or other financial databases. In Stage 2 students are introduced to data manipulation and analysis using applications such as Excel, VBA and the statistical package Stata. In Stage 3 students engage in data analysis using empirical techniques in the statistical package R. Students also have the option to develop technical programming skills relevant to the financial industry using the software Python.

Methods of Assessment

Practical collection and analysis of data is typically examined using applied research projects. Theoretical content relating to this is assessed using a combination of class tests and examinations.

Module Information

Stages and Modules

Module Title Module Code Level/ stage Credits

Availability

Duration Pre-requisite

Assessment

S1 S2 Core Option Coursework % Practical % Examination %
Statistical Methods ECO1003 1 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 0% 20% 80%
Mathematics for Finance FIN1002 1 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Financial Reporting and Analysis FIN1003 1 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 20% 10% 70%
Instruments, Markets and Institutions FIN1004 1 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 25% 0% 75%
Placement Preparation Module FIN1005 1 0 YES 12 weeks N YES 0% 100% 0%
Economy, Society, and Public Policy 1 ECO1015 1 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 30% 0% 70%
Economy, Society, and Public Policy 2 ECO1016 1 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 30% 0% 70%
Placement Learning FIN2001 2 0 YES YES 24 weeks N YES 70% 30% 0%
Investment Analysis FIN2010 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 25% 0% 75%
Monetary Theory FIN2014 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 25% 75% 0%
Behavioural Finance FIN2019 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 25% 0% 75%
Excel and VBA FIN2020 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 25% 75% 0%
Futures and Options FIN2022 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 25% 75% 0%
Introduction to Financial Econometrics FIN2028 2 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 40% 0% 60%
Queen's Management School Placement Year FIN3333 3 120 YES YES 40 weeks N YES 70% 30% 0%
Equity Research FIN3013 4 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 30% 0% 70%
International Finance FIN3015 4 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 0% 100% 0%
Corporate Finance FIN3016 4 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 75% 25% 0%
Financial Engineering FIN3017 4 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 30% 0% 70%
Financial Econometrics and Data Science FIN3018 4 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Fixed Income Instruments FIN3020 4 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 25% 0% 75%
Financial Bubbles and Crises FIN3025 4 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 25% 0% 75%
Python for Finance FIN3028 4 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
Sustainable Finance FIN3029 4 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 100% 0% 0%
FinTech FIN3030 4 20 YES 12 weeks N YES 25% 0% 75%

Notes