Finance with Banking BSc (Hons)

The module will equip students with a basic grasp of the underlying principles and concepts of personal and corporate finance, capital markets and risk management.

Key indicative topics covered are:

1. Introduction to Finance
2. Time Value of Money (TVM)
3. Financial Statements and Analysis
4. Basics of Investment
5. Corporate Finance Fundamentals
6. Financial Markets and Institutions
7. Personal Finance
8. Introduction to Risk Management
9. Behavioural Finance (Optional but Emerging)
10. Global Finance and Economic Concepts

The aim of this module is to equip you with the appropriate foundation in economic theory to enable you understand the environment within which business functions. Its focus is on the economic decision-making by individuals and businesses. You will be taught to consider the impact of government policies and actions on businesses. Some emphasis will also be placed on looking beyond national policies and its influence on wider economic and political groupings of states.

Indictive Contents are:

• Micro economic concepts: Market systems and competitive process, demand and supply, price elasticity, pricing, government intervention, market structures, perfect competition, monopoly, economic profit and accounting profit, agency theory, consumer behaviour, and output and costs.

• Macroeconomic concepts: national income circular flow of model, trade cycle, public finance  government policy, balance of payments, exchange rate policies, globalisation and economic development, and trade organisations.

This module is part-accredited by CIMA. It will equip you with the  essential skills to analyse, interpret, and present data effectively within a professional setting. It focuses on developing numerical literacy, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities. This module has the intention of enabling you address workplace challenges with evidence-based decisions in organisations. 

Core areas of interest covered within this module include basic statistical analysis, investment decisions, financial reasoning, application of numerical tools, data presentation and interpretation, personal management scheduling, professional writing development plans, career awareness and action planning in real-world scenarios.

The module also emphasises effective communication using essays, reports and quantitative information and fosters ethical considerations in professional environment. The intention is to bridge theoretical knowledge and practical applications to prepare you to use data to enhance the quality of decision making within the organisation.

This module seeks to equip students with the underlying principles and concepts of finance and accounting. It also develops students' understanding of the methods of financial reporting and performance analysis used in business. Furthermore, it introduces students to the process of using financial information to assist in managerial decision making within the business environment.

By the end of studying this module, students should be able to achieve the following learning outcomes:-

1. Examine financial information to assess business performance,
2. Understand and apply accounting and financial information to assist managerial decision making.
3. Evaluate and apply accounting and financial concepts to business reporting.
4. Deploy accounting and financial knowledge and related numerical calculations to "real world" business issues.

Indictive contents are as follows:-

• Preparation of simple financial statements-Income statements, Balance Sheets and Cash Flow statements.
• Financial Adjustments-depreciation, accruals and prepayments.
• Accounting conventions including rules and standards.
• Analysis and interpretation of financial statements-profitability, liquidity, working capital, capital gearing and investment ratios.
• Budgets-cash v profit, budgetary planning & control.
• Product costing-including absorption costing and activity based costing.
• Decision making analysis including cost-volume profit analysis, breakeven analysis and contribution costing.
• Investment appraisal-including payback (PB), accounting rate of return (ARR),net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR).

The module explores a number of key themes to introduce students to the concepts of people management and organisations and supports students to develop core skills for managing people and working in teams.  

• The development of management and organisations as subjects - changing theories of management and leadership perspectives.
• People in organisations – indicative content: motivation, culture, personality, identity, how people work in groups and effective teamworking, learning in an organisational context.
• Managing people in organisations - indicative content: organisation and job design, talent management, goal setting, communication, perception and the psychological contract, job satisfaction, stress.
• Skills for managing people in teams and organisations - indicative content: team formation, team working and leading, managing performance, giving feedback, managing conflict.

This module enables students with A-Level German or equivalent to further develop their grammar, vocabulary and expression and apply these to real world situations.You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop your oral and written communication skills at Post-A level.

This module is designed for students that have completed A-Level or equivalent in French. You will further develop your grammar, vocabulary and expression and apply these to real world situations. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop your oral and written communication skills at Post-A level.

This module is designed for students that have completed a A-Level or equivalent in Spanish. You will further develop your grammar, vocabulary and expression and apply these to real world situations. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop oral and written communication skills at Post-A level.

This module is designed for students who have completed GCSE in Chinese or equivalent. You will further develop your grammar, vocabulary and learning conventions for spelling and pronunciation. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop oral and written communication skills at an intermediate level.

This module is designed for students who have completed GCSE or equivalent in French. You will further develop your grammar, vocabulary and learning conventions for spelling and pronunciation. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop oral and written communication skills at an intermediate level.

This module is designed for students that have completed GCSE or equivalent in Spanish. You will further develop your grammar, vocabulary and learning conventions for spelling and pronunciation. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop oral and written communication skills at an intermediate level.

This module provides the opportunity to study a new language from scratch and introduces you to basic grammar, vocabulary and cultural contexts. You will apply the language to practical situations using both oral and written skills. 

This module seeks to: 

1. Provide students with an analytical framework for understanding complex global financial markets
2. Explore the key drivers of financial market activity (in debt, equity and FX markets)
3. Analyse available risk management strategies for market participants.  
4. Understand the role of central banks and other market regulators. 

It will cover topics such as, but not limited to:

1. The importance of financial markets in the economy through the efficient allocation of capital 
2. Financial intermediation and the evaluation of key driving factors shaping the financial markets
3. Critical evaluation of risk management strategies (liquidity, interest rate and credit risk) within financial institutions and the effect these have on profitability
4. Monetary policy, and the links to economics and financial markets. 
5. Regulation of financial markets and institutions and management of financial crises.

The intention of this module is to equip you with the skills and knowledge expected of a financial manager in any organisation. Specifically, the unique functions of making an investment, financing and dividend decisions for the organisation. As a result, this module is part of the jigsaw which will broaden your knowledge of the financial strategy of an organisation. It also worth noting that this is an accredited module, implying that it is recognised by professional bodies when seeking an exemption. Again, there is an expectation that this module will equip you with key concepts required for some of your modules to be taken in the final year (Level 6). The indicative contents to be covered to achieve the above objectives include the following:

• Financial management function - the nature and purpose of financial management, financial objectives and the relationship with corporate strategy. Organisational objectives including not-for-for profit organisations will also be covered under this theme.
• Financial management environment, that is, the economic environment of the business including the nature and role of financial markets and institutions. 
• Working capital management, this will focus on the nature, elements and importance of working capital, management of inventories, funding strategies, account receivables, account payable and cash.
• Investment appraisal, that is, the evaluation of investment opportunities in the context of inflation and taxation, adjustment for risk and uncertainty. Decisions relating to lease or buy, replacement and capital rationing will be covered in this area.
• Business finance, this will include, sources of and raising business finance, the estimation of cost of capital, capital structure theories and their practical considerations in the context of the impact on the statement of financial positions of organisations.
• Business valuations, the focus will be on  the nature and purpose of valuations of business and financial assets. Models used for the valuation of shares, debt and other financial assets will be covered. Also, the theories underpinning the operations of financial markets such as the Efficient market Hypothesis (EMH) and the practical implications will be adequate attention within this topic.

These contents have been mapped to relevant subject benchmarks to ensure that  this course makes you competitive upon graduation. Your understanding of the operations within accounting, finance and banking will be significantly enhanced after covering this content. Your enhanced confidence within this subject area will help the quality of financial decision making at the work place.

This module aims to gain understating of credit risk and sustainability in the banking context. It includes understanding of financial difficulties for customers and clients leading to collections and recoveries and losses, and demonstrates the importance of policies and procedures and the PRA requirements on capital adequacy and liquidity for banks. It also covers the growing importance of the societal purpose and practices of sustainability in the banking industry including description of how the types of sustainability today change the way we operate in banking and identifying the key performances indicators in banking that reflect sustainability.

Students will be able to achieve the following learning outcomes by the end of this module:-

1. Understand how credit arrears are formed and the wider impact on the profit and loss account
2. Critically evaluate the regulatory framework within the banking sector and understand how losses, capital adequacy and liquidity have been determined to ensure compliance with PRA regulations.
3. Understand the importance of sustainability in banking including culture, conduct and ethics. 
4. Analyse the relationships between businesses and stakeholders with regards to sustainable practice
5. Interpret the principles and types of sustainability and assess how sustainability is measured within banking organisations.

Indictive contents:-

• Financial analysis of credit losses.
• Understanding arrears and losses.
• Collections and recoveries practices.
• Policies and procedures.
• Financial conduct authority policies and regulations in banking and finance including PRA, capital adequacy and stress testing.
• Why sustainable finance, ethics and conduct are important in banking.
• Business and its stakeholders.
• Principles of sustainability.
• The types of sustainability (human, social, economic, environmental).
• Finance practices and KPIs reflecting sustainability.
• Industry case studies.

This module seeks to develop knowledge and understanding of the banking sector in the UK by guiding students through the history of banking, banking technology evolution, key services and products banks offer, and the key functions of the bank that would support the delivery of these services. It seeks to provide the foundations as to how banks make money and how the banking sector is regulated in an ever changing economic context, espousing on the role of the key regulators, adaptation of banking structure to allow for monitoring and control, demonstrate the importance bank's compliance and consequences of non-compliance.

The topics cover will be, but not limited to:

• History of the banking sector
• How banks are structured
• Banking services offered to customers and clients
• The Trust Concept - How Banks make money and other functions of banking
• Governance and supervision of banks
• The role of the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) and how it monitors conduct
• Liquidity and capital adequacy; role of the Bank of England and how the PRA (Prudential Regulation Authority) keeps banking safe
• The role of the FOS (Financial Ombudsman Service) in finance dispute resolution
• Structure of banks to ensure compliance, and the importance of accounting and data
• Regulatory developments and trends

This module is designed to enhance student’s professional skills in a real-world job setting and is structured to bridge theory and practice, featuring engagement with industry through guest lectures, business networking and practical case study applications. It will enhance student’s practical skills and broaden their professional networks, aligning with the university's goal of preparing students for impactful graduate careers.

It will provide learners with hands-on experience of real-world scenarios in the finance sector and help them understand business expectations on them as professionals, build confidence, and prepare them for the world of work.   

The module will also enhance students’ knowledge of the graduate employment market focussing them on developing their employability skills and build a comprehensive toolkit of skills and knowledge to enable them to stand out from the crowd and achieve success in finding graduate employment.  

This module provides a structured, university-level work placement for 5 weeks as one continuous block / period with a placement provider (i.e. a local employer from the private, public, or charitable sector). It is designed to enhance your professional skills in a real-world job setting.  

The placement can either be organised by you or with support from university staff.  

All work placements within this module must be university-level; this means:  

• Undertaking high-skilled work commensurate with level 5 study (e.g. report writing, attending meetings, delivering presentations, producing spreadsheets, writing content on webpages, social media, marketing services/products etc)  

• Physically placed (albeit part of it can be hybrid) within an employer setting in one continuous block / period for 5 weeks for a minimum of 140-147 hours over the course of the entire work placement 

• Where applicable, your existing part-time employer can be approached/used as the placement provider, if the high-skilled work criterion above is fulfilled for the full duration of the placement.   

• All quality assurances/agreements provided by the University are adhered to, by you and the employer.  

The work placement context may not necessarily, reflect your degree discipline per se, but rather, it will give you an enriched experience to enhance your professional skills in a real-world job setting. 

The module will provide the opportunity to further develop your language skills, building on your previous learning at advanced level. The second half of the module includes a placement abroad or, alternatively, a project on a sustainability issue in a target language country. The first half of the module will prepare you for placements abroad where appropriate as well as a deeper understanding of sustainability in target language contexts. Students of more than one language may take one language in the first half of the module and spend their time abroad developing a different language. 

The module will provide the opportunity to further develop your language skills, building on your previous learning at intermediate level. The first half of the module includes intensive taught sessions in interactive workshop mode which will prepare you for placements abroad or self-directed language development. The second half of the module includes an placement abroad or, alternatively, a project on a business or tourism issue in a target language country. Students of more than one language may take one language in the first half of the module and spend their time abroad developing a different language. 

The module will provide the opportunity to further develop your language skills, building on your previous learning at beginner level. The first half of the module includes intensive taught sessions in interactive workshop mode which will prepare you for placements abroad or self-directed language development. The second half of the module includes a placement abroad or, alternatively, a project on a cultural issue in a target language country. Students of more than one language may take one language in the first half of the module and spend their time abroad developing a different language. 

• The multiple facets of global citizenship
• Ethical engagement and practice
• The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
• Cross-cultural issues and sensitivity
• Intercultural communication
• Culture shock
• Cultural adjustment
• Self- assessment of needs: identification of the range of transferable skills, competencies and attitudes employees need and employers expect graduates to possess-with a strong focus on understanding the intercultural competencies (ICC) needed to live and work abroad.
• Critical analysis/evaluation of individual requirements in relation to culture/cultural adjustment/culture shock/visas/medical.
• Critical analysis/evaluation of skills already acquired in relation to key skills related to ICC.
• Devising strategies to improve one’s own prospects of working abroad in the future.
• Devising an action plan to address gaps in transferable skills based on organisational analysis and sector opportunities.

Part A:      

Preparation for Experiential Overseas Learning will take place at the University of Chester during level 5 and will include:  

• The multiple facets of Global citizenship
• Ethical engagement and practice
• Cross-cultural issues and sensitivity
• Intercultural communication

Theories, models and strategies of learning

• Theories and models Intercultural competence
• Theories and models of Integration and Multiculturalism
• Critical thinking skills and models of Reflection

• Experiential learning models
• Self-directed experiential learning

Personal and placement-related skills

• Enhanced independence
• Improved command of multicultural behaviour
• Increased knowledge and confidence in their individual facets of personal identity
• Effective time management and organisational skills
• Project management – working away from University and independent study
• Self-management and personal development
• Team building and team work

Part B:            Overseas

Students will engage in experiential learning activities overseas for at least 150 hours 

The traditional academic programme structure is not applicable in relation to this experiential learning intern-ship opportunity. The experiential content is freely structured and determined by negotiation between the student, placement supervisor and host organisation. It is generally informed by the aims and learning outcomes and by the objective of optimising added value for both the host organisation and the student experience. 

A placement conference will enable peer to peer sharing of experiential learning permit feedback and allow an analysis of the range of skills and benefits derived from the placement, it will also further develop the construction of learning logs and the portfolio.  For those unable to attend, for whatever reason, online via Teams will permit engagement and feedback.  In addition, the conference will provide an opportunity to acquire an overview of final year options and dissertation and/or project research.

For those students where costs or other geographical/logistical difficulties render visits, conference attendance or participation via teleconferencing prohibitive, there will be an augmented portfolio of activities to substitute the conference activities.

All students will engage in the drawing up of a learning agreement on acceptance of the placement that will cover a contact plan and agreed learning outcomes with their designated academic tutor and placement coordinator.

Preparation for the year abroad will take place in Chester during level 5 and will include:

• Cross-cultural issues and sensitivity
• Host-country orientation, study methods– economic, political and social reality of the country
• Orientation specific to exchange – health, education, gender issues
• The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
• Practical matters relating to living and studying in the wider world

Theories, models and strategies of learning

• Critical thinking skills, experiential learning and models of reflection

Personal and placement-related transversal skills

• Effective self-motivation and independent resourcefulness
• Effective time management and organisational skills
• Project management – working away from University and independent study
• Self-management and personal development

Whilst abroad:

You will undertake study at one of the University of Chester's partner universities or undertake and approved work placement or virtual placement. If you are a student,  it is expected that you will choose a series of modules at the university abroad which must be agreed by the host institution and the Module Leader. you must supply details of you modules on a learning agreement within 4 weeks of arrival at the host university.

This module is going to focus on primary, secondary and mixed data and how using data analysis can support decision making. It will equip students with essential skills to analyse, interpret, and present data effectively in professional settings. Equip students with the relevant practical skills through the application of advanced Ms Excel techniques and SPSS usage, to analyse variables to address decisions. Provide students with the critical skills required to collect and analyse data; and its presentation by means of relevant methods. 

Data - databases (such as FAME, Yahoo Finance and Investing.com), types of financial data with emphasis on big data, ethics in data handling, annual reports and other source. Data in SPSS - Entering data into SPSS, measuring and setting variables. 

Data mining - Data Visualisation Techniques in Excel-creation of dashboards using pivot tables, lookups and logical statements, use financial ratios to conduct performance analysis of companies with data on available databases.

Data Collection - Exploring techniques and tools for primary data collection and methods to analyse for understanding and presentation. Transferring and exporting collected data into Excel and SPSS for data analysis. 

Financial Statistics in Excel - use the 'Analysis ToolPak' -  and SPSS, descriptive statistics (mean, median, mode, standard deviation and variance), Anova (single factor, 'with and without' replication), correlations, regressions, T-Test, and Excel solver (for linear programming).

Financial Markets - market sensitivity (beta estimation), portfolio diversification (variance and covariance matrix), market reaction to announcement (event study-single and multiple events), market efficiency (use time series models such auto-regression and moving average concepts).

The module aims to develop students' ability to apply financial models and related advanced analytical techniques to inform business decisions and to evaluate possible decision outcomes in a competitive business environment.

This module will include topics such as, but not limited to:

• Principles of business and financial planning
• Introduction to financial modelling for business finance
• Techniques of quantitative and qualitative financial analysis
• Decision Making under risk and uncertainty
• Analysing and interpreting the financial performance

This module seeks:

• To provide the foundations of knowledge to understand the role of investment and wealth management companies 
• To understand the key services and products that are offered and how there is an increased focused on sustainability in the investment market
• To assess the effectiveness of the portfolio management techniques and approaches that are taken with portfolios

The topic to be covered are as follows, but not limited to:

• The role of Investment Banking in the global economy 
• The main investment banking activities
• Wealth Management 
• ESG investing
• Fund management 
• Alternative investments
• Performance evaluation techniques
• Risk and portfolio design

This module seek to provide a critical and extensive knowledge and understanding of the business and corporate banking environment, enabling the student to synthesise issues through the application of principles and techniques and to make informed professional judgements.

This module will include topics such as, but not limited to:

• Critical examination of the environment in which the bank's business and corporate customers operate.
• Analysis of the finance function of business and corporate customers including strategy and liquidity management.
• Appraisal of financing structure and evaluation of suitable finance options.
• Critical analysis and evaluation of investment projects.
• Interest rate and currency exposure management.
• Critical analysis of corporate banking customer financial plans.
• Appraisal of customer relationships.

This is a dissertation module for Finance students. The prerequisite will be  Data Analysis for Decision Making. 

The module is designed to enable students to develop and apply business research and analytical skills that will enhance their employability and rapid progression to management positions in the workplace. It requires them to: 

• Undertake a research project that is 'scoped and framed' within a required degree programme of study.
• Design and conduct appropriate in-depth research in an elected area of study.
• Acquire, consolidate and apply theoretical knowledge, methodologies, and research approaches in a ‘real world’ environment.
• Develop and utilise skills in critical investigation; analysis and synthesis of evidence; reflection and autonomous learning.

This is a self-directed module which enables and empowers students to initiate and develop their own project concept appropriate to their discipline of study.

Students within their final year of studies are very focussed on their ultimate work aspirations, and this module aids them to gain 'graduate trajectory' and enable them to better move into their chosen profession / industry as seamlessly as possible upon graduation.  

After the initial lectures setting out the style and scope of the module and opportunities, students decide on the content of their project and assessment (co-creation), and pitch this to staff by way of an initial project proposal.

Students then receive tutorial support and supervision throughout the year and agree the form that their final assessment will take. Students are encouraged to work with other stakeholders (internally or externally) where appropriate in the developing the project or work.