School of Computing and Mathematics

Rapid changes in information technology, a changing and complex industry and the globalisation of the economic and financial systems place numerous demands on the modern day finance professionals. It requires them to have analytical and technical skills alongside the intellectual curiosity to enable them to learn and adapt throughout their working lives. They must also be able to work in teams of diverse technical and cultural backgrounds. To meet these demands, Keele Management School and the School of Computing and Mathematics jointly offer an MSc in Finance and Information Technology for students who wish to pursue a career in finance or wish to apply their IT skills within a financial framework.

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

All applicants must hold at least a second-class honours degree (2.1 or 2.2) or overseas equivalent, in a business related or quantitative subject area. 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 an official test of English language obtaining at least IELTS 6.5/TOEFL 79 or above.

Overseas applicants are advised that although it is not an entry requirement, submission of a GRE or GMAT score will be taken as a positive indication of readiness for graduate study.

For overseas students who do not meet all direct entry requirements, we offer the opportunity to take an intensive Business Pre-Masters programme leading to the MSc.

The following indicates the range of modules that may be offered, subject to availability and timetabling:

• Financial Markets: Studies national and international financial markets and introduces the basis for asset pricing and portfolio choice
  
  
• Quantitative Methods in Finance: Introduces the key mathematical and statistical techniques used in finance. Practical use of software tools is made
  
  
• Finance and Accounting: Financial accounts provide needed information about an organisation for external decision makers such as shareholders, banks, suppliers and government. This module provides an understanding of the underlying business transactions that are needed in constructing financial accounts
  
  
• 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
  
  
• Metrics, Estimation, Analysis and Teams: A modern project manager must be comfortable with a number of underpinning technologies and skills if they are to be effective at both a project and an organisational level. In particular, the majority of techniques involve the collection and use of metrics and their subsequent analysis for either project monitoring or process improvement. This module aims to provide the student with the requisite skills and knowledge in these areas. The student will also understand the construction of teams and be able to function as both a team member and a team leader. These address the lower level team working skills and knowledge as opposed to the higher level ones addressed by the People and Organisation module.
  
  
• 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

• 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
  
  
• 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
  
  
• 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 and acquisition formalisation
  
  
• Systems Development: This module will provide students with knowledge of the techniques and processes to undertake the design of a system once the requirements and analysis activities have been completed
  
  
• 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. 

The Course Director 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.