Keele Management School

Welcome

A very warm welcome to our MSc in Finance and Information Technology. Rapid changes in information and technology, a changing and complex industry and the globalisation of the world’s economic and financial systems demand that modern day finance professionals have the analytical and technical skills alongside the intellectual curiosity to enable them to learn and adapt throughout their working lives. They must be able to work in teams of diverse technical and cultural backgrounds.

To meet these demands the areas of Computer Science and Economics jointly offer an MSc in Finance and Information Technology designed for students who wish to pursue a career in finance or wish to apply their IT skills within a financial department or organisation.

We think that our programme provides an exciting learning environment that enables our students to develop their potential to work in the fast-paced and challenging finance industry. It will build up your range of knowledge and skills that will be relevant for your later professional life.

Please use this page to find out about our course, teaching methods and application procedure, and if you have further questions feel free to come back to us and ask.

Course Information

Aims of the Course

The MSc in Finance and Information Technology is designed to provide the systematic understanding of finance together with the technical ability and professional skills to help work with, manage or develop information systems within a financial organisation.

Successful students will gain

• A systematic understanding of knowledge in the relevant areas of finance and information technology.
• A command of analytical techniques, computing and appropriate software in the relevant areas of finance and information technology.
• Increased confidence in the analysis, synthesis and evaluation of problems and their solutions.
• Improved employability through enhanced professional and practical skills, including project management, team building and communication skills.

Career Destination Information

The course provides students with career related skills and expertise. Typical career destinations may include corporate treasury functions (such as cash management, risk management, capital budgeting), fund management and investment banking. Some graduates are likely to be employed in the management, control or design or development of information systems within these sectors.

Course Structure and Content

The MSc programme starts in September and lasts 12 months. During the first semester (September to January) students take the following four core modules:

In the second semester (January to May) students take the following modules:

Each taught module is worth 15 credits so :

• From May to September, students undertake a project or a dissertation, which is worth 60 credits.
• Students gaining 120 credits from taught modules and successfully completing the dissertation will be awarded an MSc.
• Students gaining 120 credits but not proceeding to the dissertation/project will be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma.
• Students who do not gain 120 credits but pass modules worth 60 credits will be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate.

* Some options may require prior programming ability.

Course Modules

Below are brief module descriptions for some of the modules on this programme.

Quantitative Methods

Introduces the key mathematical and statistical techniques used in finance.  Practical use of software tools is made.

Financial Markets

Studies national and international financial markets and introduces the basis for asset pricing and portfolio choice.

Corporate Finance

Analyses the capital structure, dividend policy and capital budgeting decisions of corporations

Financial Modelling

The module examines modelling of bond and option pricing and also strategies in interest risk management using MS Excel with Visual Basic Application. It explores simulation and programming tools with application to selected areas of finance.

Networks and Security

In this module, students will gain an understanding of contemporary networks and the abstractions and protocols which underpin them.  They will be able to reflect on the appropriate measures to adopt in order to secure information held within an organisation and communicated across networks and finally be able to critically assess the software and hardware architectures which might best assure security in typical scenarios.

Systems Analysis

The aim of this module is to provide skills in systems analysis using an object oriented approach to modelling and specifying system requirements.  In particular, students will understand the scope, nature and purpose of systems analysis, be provided with an overview of systems analysis within the context of the phases of the Unified Process and then be taught the appropriate techniques for requirements, acquisition formalisation.

Enterprise Information Systems

Key to the effective use of IT within an organisation is the ability to analyse the business and be able to assess the IT needs to support the business strategy.  This module focuses on providing the student with the skills to do this analysis and the knowledge of enterprise information systems to enable the selection and introduction of effective IT solutions at all levels within an organisation.

International Money and Finance

The module examines the linkages between financial markets that tie together asset and goods prices through the operation of the foreign exchange market.  This module also studies how the market responds to international arbitrage opportunities and examines relevant hedging strategies.

Behavioural Finance

The module studies the conceptual basis of behavioural finance, including heuristics and biases that inform financial decision making. In this respect this module examines the influence of trader psychology on the market behaviour and related market outcomes.

Enhanced e-Commerce

The module provides a theoretical and practical understanding of the problems and techniques involved in the development of web-based electronic commerce applications.

Enhanced IT Architecture

The module studies the concepts, methods and tools involved in the IT architecture discipline and it examines the role of IT architects and software architecture within development projects. This module also outlines current architectural developments, such as service-oriented architectures. 

N.B. The schedule may be re-arranged with minor adjustments.

Teaching and Assessment

There is a Course Director who is responsible for running the programme and providing support and information for students. Modules are taught in lectures, tutorials and computer laboratory classes. Practical use is made of standard software and data sources. Taught modules are usually assessed by a combination of unseen examination and coursework which may include essays, mini projects and tests. Guidance is provided on dissertation /project topics and each student will be assigned a supervisor.

Entry Requirements

All applicants must hold at least a Second-Class Honours degree (2.2) or overseas equivalent in a business-related subject area demonstrating quantitative content or in an alternative quantitative subject. Students who have appropriate professional qualifications or relevant work experience may also be considered. The University uses a range of relevant selection criteria including academic qualifications, professional experience, evidence of likely commitment to academic study, and an estimate of a candidate’s future potential.

Anyone applying from a country where English is not the first language is required to take one of the internationally recognised English language tests such as Academic IELTS or equivalent English language qualification. The minimum entry level is IELTS 6.5 or equivalent English language test scores.

For overseas students who do not meet all direct entry requirements, the opportunity to take an intensive pre-MSc programme leading to MSc entry may be offered. For more information follow the link to the International Study Centre.

How to Apply

Further details on the application procedure can be found here. 

If you have any queries regarding the application procedure please contact:

For UK/EU admission enquiries:

UK/EU Admissions Office
Tawney Building
Keele University
Staffordshire
ST5 5BG
UK 

Tel: +44 (0) 1782 7334472
Email: ukeuadmissions@paa.keele.ac.uk
Fax: +44 (0) 1782 632343

For international admission enquiries:

International Admissions
Keele International
Walter Moberly Building
Keele University
Staffordshire
ST5 5BG
UK 

Tel: +44 (0) 1782 733501
Email: international@keele.ac.uk
Fax: +44 (0) 1782 734238 

Please indicate the course(s) you are interested in.

Applicants whose first degree was not taught in the English Language will be required to show competency in English (IELTS 6.5 or equivalent)

Applicants from Overseas for the MSc in Finance and Information Technology will increase their chances of acceptance if the can provide a GRE or GMAT score to indicate their readiness for graduate study.

We welcome informal enquiries about our MSc in Finance and Information Technology and these should be addressed to the Course Director (Prof. Robin Bladen-Hovell)

There is no application deadline, but early applications may increase the chances of acceptance.

Fees

The Graduate Attributes Statement is designed to raise awareness of the attributes that will be developed whilst you are a student at Keele University. It explains each of the attributes in detail, tips on how to achieve them and how they relate to your chosen programme of study.

The Graduate Attributes Statement for this course can be downloaded as a PDF here.