Postgraduate Studentships - Search for funding opportunities.
Postgraduate Studentships - Search for funding opportunities.
This course is designed to be a specialised degree course focusing on security/portfolio investment decision making. It is structured around the syllabus of the Chartered Financial Analysts Institute. The emphasis of the course is on issues related to investment in capital markets, such as investment strategies, the evaluation of investment performance, and the use of financial statement information in evaluating company performance.
The course will allow students whose career choices are likely to lie with financial institutions or in financial management to develop the relevant analytical tools and techniques necessary for such a career. The course should also be of interest to applicants who are already practitioners in the financial field.
Our range of general and specialist courses reflects our particular strengths in financial markets and institutions, financial accounting, macroeconomics, econometrics and microeconomics.
Academic staff are involved in international research, reflected in a strong publications record and a vibrant PhD programme. In the 2008 RAE, 95% of academics were rated as conducting research of international standing.
Students in Economics and Finance benefit from the combination of specialist lecturer expertise, access to wider disciplinary expertise, and a multi‑disciplinary approach to course development that is a particular strength of the School of Social Sciences.
A 2.1 degree in Economics; Finance; Mathematics; Statistics; Physics; Engineering; or an equivalent qualification from overseas. All applicants would be required to have a minimum background in mathematics or statistics and economics or finance. However a strong background in mathematics or statistics could be a substitute for the required background in economics and finance.
Brunel also offers our own BrunELT English Test and accept a range of other language courses. We also have a range of Pre-sessional English language courses, for students who do not meet these requirements, or who wish to improve their English.
Fees for 2012/13 entry
Home/EU: £9,430 full-time
International students: £13,860 full-time
For funding opportunities please visit: http://www.brunel.ac.uk/courses/pg/funding
The Department of Economics and Finance is proud to be celebrating 20 years of taught postgraduate education in Finance this year. The MS c in Business Finance started in October 1991: former students from this course are now themselves teaching in the Australian Business School, EdHec Business School, Nice, Glasgow University and Oslo Business School. Other MSc students hold senior positions in financial institutions and some students from the Business Finance degrees are at the Bank of Cyprus, HSBC in Istanbul, Standard Life in the UK and TD Bank Financial Group in Canada.
Modelling Financial Decisions and Markets
This unit provides a firm foundation in the theory and practice of econometric modelling of financial decisions and markets. The first half of the course is mainly theoretical, with examples of academic and professional applications used to illustrate and elucidate; the second half reverses the emphasis. The emphasis throughout is on the rationale of the econometric methods analysed and their use in practical applications.
Advanced Financial Theory and Corporate Policy
This unit provides a rigorous grounding in the theory and practice of corporate finance. This is achieved by giving particular attention to testable propositions and to the literature which has developed empirical tests of fundamental elements of modern finance theory. In particular, this module provides a thorough understanding of the three major decisions of corporate finance: the capital investment decision, the capital structure/financing decision and the dividend decision, within the framework of an uncertain operating environment. Both normative and positive aspects of the theory are examined, together with the supporting descriptive and empirical evidence. The emphasis is upon applications of the principles.
Security Investment Analysis
This unit provides a comprehensive and critical review of the various approaches to security investment analysis. The emphasis is on the use of financial information by external decision makers in a variety of decision contexts. In particular, the unit focuses on ratio analysis and the use of balance sheet information; the theory and practice of valuing assets such as equity and fixed interest securities; portfolio management and evaluation of portfolio performance; and credit decisions by banks and financial distress prediction. Those concerned with, or interested in, investment analysis and fund management will find this unit particularly interesting.
Dissertation
Recent examples of dissertations by students taking this course include:
Financial Engineering
This unit covers the theory and practice of financial engineering, with an emphasis on the pricing and hedging of derivative securities. The contents will encompass the definitions of the major classes of derivative instruments (futures, options, swapts), their use in complex deal structuring, their uses in risk management, and the mathematical theory of their valuation. The course will include coverage of interest rate modelling and exotic options.
Money and Banking
This unit explores the links between money, financial intermediaries and the economy. In particular, the unit seeks to address the following questions: can monetary policy be used to affect real economic variables? What are the possible sources of non-neutrality of money? How do monetary authorities conduct monetary policy? Why do capital markets sometimes fail to allocate credit efficiently? Can banking institutions improve the efficient allocation of credit? The unit investigates whether, in the light of recent banking failures, there is scope for tighter regulation and/or supervision. The latest developments in international banking are also discussed.
Financial Accounting
This unit provides a critical review of the principles that underpin accounting standards in the UK, at the Financial Accounting Standards Board in the US, and at the International Accounting Standards committee. It also examines the limitations of financial reporting in capturing all the aspects of company performance; the role of accounting information in the valuation of enterprises; and the role which a common set of accounting standards can play in international business.
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