Course description
In today’s global competitive marketplace, the successful corporate executive needs to understand how the legal system and legal regulation can impact on their own area of expertise. Accordingly, the Bangor Business School and the Bangor School of Law have combined to offer an innovative suite of interdisciplinary MBA and MA programmes.
The MA in Banking and Law is an interdisciplinary programme that will enable the student to study key legal and regulatory developments affecting the financial sector. This includes the regulation of financial services, security instruments, corporate finance, arbitration and other issues affecting modern banks at UK, EU and international level. As well as the general principles of International Banking Law, you will also choose from a wide range of law and business. The programme will equip candidates with higher level knowledge in both the Banking and Law areas, as global Banking practice today is heavily influenced by the Law. In particular the financial and regulatory lessons to be drawn from the so-called ‘credit crunch’ in the USA and the UK will be examined. The MA degree is suitable for those who wish to adopt a predominantly non-quantitative approach to their studies.
Part 1 is a wholly taught component, contributing 120 credits. Part 1 is taught during the two semesters which make up the academic year. Teaching during semester 1 normally runs from late-September to December, with examinations in January. Teaching during semester 2 normally runs from late-January to early-May, with examinations in May and June.
Part 2 is a supervised dissertation of around 10,000 words, contributing 60 credits. The dissertation provides you with the opportunity to critically review, and possibly (but not necessarily) produce an original contribution to, the literature in any part of the taught syllabus. Part 2 is completed during the summer months, from June to September. You are expected to submit you dissertation by the end of September in the calendar year following your initial registration for you MSc or MA degree programme.
Continuous assessment is an integral part of all our taught modules. The weightings attaching to coursework and other forms of continuous assessment vary from module to module, from a minimum of 25% to a maximum of 100%
MA Banking and Law course structure
Compulsory modules:
* Bank Financial Management
This module provides a grounding in the nature, strategic context and managerial functions of financial management in banks, and other financial services firms.
* Research Methods
This module equips students with knowledge of intermediate and advanced research methods, which they will encounter in other modules and in their dissertation.
* Bank Strategy and Performance
This module examines the main theoretical and practical issues concerning banking business. You will develop a critical awareness of the theory of the banking firm, the motives for international banking, and regulatory and structural issues impacting on bank behaviour.
* International Banking Law
This module will provide students with a sound understanding of the law and practice of modern international banking. It will examine the legal framework of international banking, current trends, and analysis of the regulation and prudential supervision of banks, international banking facilities, capital markets and the international banking industry.
* Credit and Security Law
The supply of credit is the lifeblood of industry but of course a lender will require security. This course will examine in detail the provisions relating to the regulation of the supply of credit to consumers and business.
* International Commercial Arbitration
The module considers the theoretical and institutional structure of arbitration and alternative dispute resolution (ADR), examines the legal framework within which arbitral disputes are resolved and reviews the principles and practices of international commercial arbitration.
BANKING (choose 1):
* Corporate Risk Management
This module provides an analysis of pure risk and its management. You will develop a critical awareness of the issues that arise in identifying, controlling and financing loss exposures. The module demonstrates the application of risk management concepts and techniques to practical problems.
* Financial Analysis
This module analyses the techniques that are used to evaluate a company’s financial position and performance. You will examine the principles underlying inter-firm comparison (comparing the performance of one firm with another) and trend analysis (comparing the performance of the same firm over different periods).
* International Financial Markets
This module provides an overview of financial instruments in a multi-currency world, taking account of insights from portfolio theory concerning the relationship between risk and return, the diversification of risk, and the pricing of assets.
* International Financial Management
In this module, the financial management of multinational companies, and the influence of the macroeconomic, fiscal, currency and political environments on business and financial decision-making are examined in an international and global context.
* Islamic Banking
This module provides an insight into the key features of Islamic banking business.
* Islamic Finance
This course provides an insight into topical issues relating to Islamic financial instruments and related risk management issues.
LAW (choose 1):
* International Insurance Law
Insurance plays a very important role in the world of commerce and is one of the methods used to manage risk. Insurance contracts are governed by the rules of general law of contract and the module will explore the nature and scope of the contract of insurance, evaluate its salient features, consider the general principles of insurance, and examine the relationships between the parties to the contract.
* World Trade Law
The module will study in-depth aspects of the regulation of international trade through the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the World Trade Organisation. It will consider the institutional framework of the treaty scheme, the removal of tariff barriers to trade, international control of dumping and subsidies, intellectual property rights under the TRIPs Agreement, environmental, health and labour conflicts, protection of human rights, services and dispute resolution.
* Industrial Property Law
The course will consist of seminars relating to the history and development of industrial property law in a UK, EU and international context. It will include the law relating to trade secrets, patents, copyrights, design rights and trade marks.
* Intellectual Property Law
The course will address the fundamentals of intellectual property law, the definition and scope of copyright; the authorship, ownership, duration and qualification for copyright protection.
* International Corporate Finance Law and Merger Regulation Law
This module focuses on the study of leading case law and selected legislation relating to large scale international corporate mergers and their financing, from several common law countries such as the USA, Britain, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and other appropriate examples from China, India and civil law jurisdictions as well as relevant European Union laws.
* Competition Law
The module will consist of seminars and lectures relating to the theory and law of competition, focusing on UK competition law, EU competition law in particular Articles 81 & 82 EU Treaty, relating to the control of restrictive practices, vertical and horizontal restraints and abuse of a dominant position. Comparative regimes, in particular that of the USA, will be looked at.
* International Financial Instruments Law
This course will examine the often complex contractual and security documents used in major financial transactions such as syndicated loans and project finance. A comparative approach will be taken and there will be particular emphasis on transactions involving business in various jurisdictions.
