Entry requirements
The programme is designed to attract students from a wide range of backgrounds, disciplines and nationalities. Applicants are welcome from any academic discipline including those with accounting and finance degrees. Admission is normally open to those with a good UK undergraduate honours degree (or equivalent overseas degree from a recognised institution) or equivalent professional qualification, or other qualification. Applicants, who do not possess a good degree, but hold a diploma, may be eligible for entry provided they have compensatory work experience and can demonstrate career development. Proof of English language competence is required if your first language is not English; for example: * IELTS level 6.5 overall with a minimum of 6.0 in the reading and writing components * TOEFL score of 575 or above (paper-based), or 233 or above (computer-based), or 90 or above (internet-based), plus 4.5 in TWE.
Course description
MSc
The study of finance provides a key to understanding financial decisions in business corporations. This course is practical and provides students with the theoretical background to grasp how decisions are made in practice. It provides an understanding of the framework for decision making both within organisations and in the contexts of financial markets in the UK and abroad.
The MSc in Finance is designed for those who have not studied for a degree in finance and for those students who may have studied elements of accounting and finance and wish to increase their knowledge of finance with a view to specialising in the area of finance and financial management either within a corporation or in financial institutions.
Oxford Brookes Business School is acknowledged as a leading provider of professional business management training in the UK. We have over 100 teaching and research staff and our students are drawn from all over the world. Our reputation is built on our student-centred approach, our teaching and research excellence, our innovation and service to the community and professional organisations, and our educational philosophy, which seeks to embrace education in its widest sense.
The course is delivered over two semesters, starting in September; the summer is dedicated to the completion of a dissertation. You should plan for one calendar year of study.
Course content
The MSc is based on the completion of compulsory modules, plus an elective module and a dissertation.
Compulsory module elements:
* Finance in Context provides an understanding of the determinants of financial decisions. These decisions are set in the context of the translation of the overall corporate strategy into strategic decisions. Organisational and motivational issues are explored. Control mechanisms to monitor the effectiveness of decisions are examined.
* Corporate Finance provides a theoretical grasp of the determinants of company value. It focuses on how financial decision making contributes to meeting the objectives of a corporation. The module has a practical focus and concentrates on understanding how financial decisions are commonly taken by companies.
* Financial Markets and Institutions examines the way in which markets and institutions link the users and providers of funds within financial systems. Markets are examined by focusing on issues of asset pricing and market efficiency. The effect on institutions as a result of globalisation, technical innovation and regulatory change is examined. This module focuses on an international and comparative dimension of markets and institutions.
* International Finance gives an understanding of the international financial system. It focuses on the operation of foreign exchange and derivative markets. It examines the main theories of exchange rate determination and considers the issues related to currency risk management and hedging instruments.
* Corporate Governance questions assumptions about the objectives of corporations that impact on financial decisions. It considers the objectives of a range of stakeholders in a corporation which may impact on the overall objectives of the corporation and corporate governance structures that monitor their achievement. Issues related to risk management and ethical investment are considered.
* Research Methods and Dissertation incorporates a quantitative research methods module. This is a key component of the master's degree. The dissertation provides an opportunity to explore a specialist area of interest, and students are encouraged to choose topics that will be valuable in their future careers. Students are allocated a supervisor who will work with them, providing guidance and advice throughout the process.
Students are offered a choice of one elective from the two specialisations below:
* Financial Modelling
* Finance and Development
* Operations Research.
Teaching, learning and assessment
Learning methods include lectures, directed reading, workshops and seminars. Some modules include group work and teamwork activities.
Lectures, discussions, role-play exercises, learning packages and seminars are linked with selected case studies and assessments to strengthen your practical analysis and decision-making skills. You will have the opportunity to develop your skills in team working through structured syndicate work and group assignments.
Teaching is organised on a module-credit basis, involving a total of approximately 1,800 hours of student input, and is delivered over two semesters each lasting 12 weeks.
Each course module is assessed individually. Assessment methods may include written examinations, coursework and presentations. The majority of assessments are based on students' personal assignments but there is some assessed group work.
Quality
The reputation of the Business School is underpinned through membership of and programme accreditations received from the Association of MBAs, and the Association of Business Schools; professional associations such as the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development; and the European Foundation for Management Development. The Business School is, therefore, widely regarded as one of the best within its peer group
The Business School's programmes benefit from rigorous quality assurance procedures and regularly receive excellent feedback from external examiners, employers, students and professional bodies. In 2005, Business and Management achieved 'Broad Confidence', the best possible result, in the discipline audit trail as part of the Quality Assurance Agency Institutional Audit.
Many students who graduate from Business School programmes go on to achieve high status in the industry of their choice.
The Business School has an active programme of research based around six key research areas:
* Accounting, Governance and Information Management
* Economics and Strategy
* Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism Management
* Human Resource Management and Organisational Behaviour
* Marketing and Operations Management
* Pedagogy
The School maintains a rigorous and dynamic doctoral programme leading to the higher degrees of MPhil and PhD. Postgraduate students join a supportive, friendly and multicultural research environment.
