BA(Hons)
Banking and Finance

About this course

• Entry year: 2012/13
• Course code: N300
• Applications: UCAS
• Level: Undergraduate
• Tariff points: 300
• Department: Bristol Business School
• Campus: Frenchay
• Duration: Three years full-time, Four years sandwich
• Delivery: Full-time; Sandwich
• Study Abroad: There are opportunities for students to undertake a study year abroad or international placement year.

Introduction

World wide, the banking and financial services sector is operating in increasingly competitive and rapidly changing environments. In terms of competition established providers of banking and financial services face competition from non-bank institutions such as supermarkets and telecommunications firms, while globalisation, technological change, deregulation and international integration present new challenges for all providers.

For those interested in a professional career in banking or the financial sector the BA(Hons) Banking and Finance has been designed to give you knowledge and understanding of this changing sector and the skills and knowledge you need to launch your career with confidence.

Designed with employability in mind, the course structure is contemporary, applied and reflects the links we have established with professional bodies and with employers. The course offers the opportunity to connect with the banking and financial sector, build your understanding of how the banking and finance sector really works and interacts with the broader economy, and to accumulate exemptions from professional examinations with relevant industry bodies.

Key Benefits

Practical courses designed for the real world

The course has been developed and designed with employer and professional body input, focusing on technical rigour but also bringing in real world applications using guest speakers, real life case studies and business simulations. You are encouraged to develop your engagement with the financial and banking issues of the day and reflect on the current and future applications of your learning as an integral part of your academic experience.

Employability

Employability starts from the very first term where you will be introduced to the expectations, requirements and contextual aspects of entering the banking and finance profession, in its widest sense.  Alongside your specialist banking and finance modules you will be asked to consider what it means to be a professional in the fields of banking and finance and to develop a strong sense of self, focusing on your personal development and the skills and attributes required from graduates in the business world.  

Your core modules will also develop your transferable skills facilitating the transition into higher education, underpinning your employability and supporting lifelong learning. As well as employer talks and involvement in modules activities, you will also have access to employability support through the UWE careers team, the placements office, and the graduate development programme.

Placements

We offer you the opportunity to complete a 40 week industrial placement during your third year of study as we know that this experience has a significant positive impact on your future degree classification and employability outcome.  The placement you secure may be in any area of banking and finance and if possible should link in with or match your career aspirations.

Alternatively, there are opportunities to undertake a study year abroad where courses are taught in English. Students are selected for a study year abroad through a competitive process. Employers look favourably upon those students that have studied abroad as they are able to gain a global perspective, which is becoming even more valuable with increasingly globalised markets.

Structure

Content

You will study three modules in each semester. The first year provides a foundation in core banking and finance subject knowledge, as well as additional skills and attributes necessary for your future success. In the second year, you will build your knowledge in core banking and finance areas and begin to develop your specialist interests and your research and enquiry skills. All students are encouraged to spend their third year on placement and the curriculum in the second year also provides support for the process of securing the placement. The final year will include advanced study in the core subject areas and a major applied research project, integrating and applying the knowledge gained in the earlier years of study. You will also have a number of optional module choices to further your specialist interests and / or accumulate exemptions from professional examinations with bodies such as CIOB, CIMA, CII etc.

Year 1

Semester One

• Meeting the Management Challenge, including 'Becoming a Banking and Finance Professional'
• Economic Principles in a Contemporary Context
• Understanding Business and Financial Information

Semester Two

• Financial Institutions and Markets
• Accounting and Finance: an Academic Context
• Statistics and Data Management

Year 2

Semester One

• Principles and Practice of Banking
• Managerial Accounting and Finance
• Economic Research Methods

Semester Two

• Governance, Regulation and Risk Management in Banking
• Economics of Money and Banking
• Choice of one Banking and Finance option module

Final Year

Semester One

• Project: Work-based, Enterprise or Conceptual
• Two Banking and Finance option modules; OR one Banking and Finance option module plus credits from Placement year*

Semester Two

• Managing Organisational and Individual Change
• Two Banking and Finance option modules; OR one Banking and Finance option module plus credits from Placement year*

Option Modules may include:

Year 2:

• Credit Management: Theory and Practice
• Market Analysis for Private Investors
• Marketing and Selling Financial Services
• Managing Business Processes

Final Year:

• Economics of International Financial Markets
• International Financial Management
• Personal Financial Planning
• Money Laundering and Financial Crime

* Students completing a Placement year do one fewer option in their final year.

Teaching and learning

The course is taught through a blend of learning activities which include tutor led and face-to-face learning, student led and independent study, online study, group projects and students supporting each others' learning.

Lectures, workshops/seminars, group project work, and tutoring account for 12 hours of contact time per week. However, you will be expected to spend at least as much time again in essential independent study: preparation for workshops/seminars study; reviewing lectures; online work;  reading and other research activity, as well as in the preparation of assessed work and revision for end of module exams.

Our learning and teaching approaches are student focused with the emphasis on helping you to actively find out things for yourself. You will be expected to work with a mix of theory and practice, academic rigour and a practical approach, so that you can appreciate the relevance and application of concepts learnt. To help in this, you will be expected to gain high quality work experience, ideally through the   Placement but if not, then through short term internships;paid work e.g. as a Student Ambassador or as a Peer Assisted Learning Leader; or through volunteering.

Assessment

You will be assessed through a mix of coursework and examinations, all of which aim to assess not only what you know and can do but also develop the graduate attributes that are valued by employers. These attributes include communication and presentation skills, IT and numeracy skills, team work, project and time management skills as well as the intellectual skills of problem solving, critical thinking, analysis and evaluation, creativity and innovation.

Coursework comes in many different forms: essays and reports; business plans and applied research projects; portfolios and weekly notes; assessed group and individual presentations and posters. You will also be required to reflect and comment on your own learning and personal development.

Special Features

Placements

As stated above, we strongly recommend that you spend your third year in a work placement in an area of accounting and finance as you will gain valuable work experience and have the chance to put theory into practice in a real business environment - as well as earning a salary.

This is a period of commercially related work experience in an organisation, usually in the UK but occasionally overseas. Your placement will enable you to obtain valuable work experience and to apply knowledge and skills in a practical situation. Students in previous years have undertaken placements in organisations ranging from large multinational corporations to small businesses.

The School's placements team will support you in finding a placement, providing guidance on CV writing, applications and interview skills, as well as access to an extensive database of placement opportunities. Whilst working, the Placements office continues to support you and your progress is monitored by both your employer and the Business School. The portfolio you complete whilst working is a valuable resource to support your future employability and evidences your achievements in your placement.

The fee for the placement year for 2012/13 starters is £1,125. The final year fee will then be £7,875.

Study year abroad

As an alternative to a placement year, there are opportunities to undertake a study year abroad where courses are taught in English. Students are selected for a study year abroad through a competitive process. Employers look favourably upon those students that have studied abroad as they are able to gain a global perspective, which is becoming even more valuable with increasingly globalised markets.

GDP

The Graduate Development Programme (GDP) is a programme of activities to help you develop the confidence and skills for academic and employability success.

Study facilities

Your learning is supported by the provision of high quality study facilities: an excellent library and a dedicated Business Librarian and online support to help to develop the information literacy skills essential in helping to identify and evaluate resources. We also have flexible learning spaces in the Business School with wireless Internet access and study areas, meeting tables for group and sofas.

Careers/further study

The strong demand for graduates with this degree makes it an ideal launch pad for a career in banking and finance, but also broader areas such as personal and corporate finance , management, IT, and in both the public or private sector.

Further study is also an option open to Business school graduates and in 2010 graduates went on to study Masters courses in areas such as Financial Management, Marketing, Human Resource Management and Economics, as well as professional qualifications studied alongside working, such as Accountancy professional body qualifications like ACCA and CIMA.

Graduate destinations

Find out what our graduates are doing six months after graduating- includes examples of careers, employers and further study. Download a PDF from graduate destinations.

Creating employable students

UWE places strong emphasis on employability and skills development at every level. Through work placements, volunteering, study abroad and UWE initiatives which nurture talent and encourage innovation, students gain valuable real world experience and graduate with diverse career opportunities and a competitive place in the job market.

See great graduate prospects for further information.

Be inspired

Read about some of the key jobs in the banking and finance sector.

Useful links

UWE - graduate occupations

Prospects - careers for banking and finance graduates

The UWE careers service provides guidance and support throughout your studies in addition to useful resources, CV checks, career coaching and details of current job vacancies.

Entry

Typical offers

• Tariff points: 300
• GCSE: Maths and English Language at grade C or above required.
• Specific subjects: None specified
• Relevant subjects: Business, Management

Advice on typical offers

In addition to the 'typical offer' given here, please read the general information about entry requirements.

Entry requirements

We welcome applications from students who do not have the entry requirements outlined. The university will consider applications on the basis of evidence of personal, professional and educational experience which indicates an applicant's ability to meet the demands of the degree.

International students

A large percentage of our student community is of international origin. We welcome enquiries from international applicants. Further information can be found on our international web pages.

How to apply

Please see the general information about applications.

For further information

• Telephone: +44 (0)117 32 83333
• E-mail: Admissions@uwe.ac.uk