About Finance, MSc - at University of Plymouth
Aim of the programmeFinancial managers operate within an increasingly sophisticated environment and are required to possess not only sharp analytical skills, but also a clear understanding of the finance function. The MSc in Finance is designed to provide participants with such skills and financial expertise. The programme aims: to help you to develop skills, competencies, knowledge, and understanding demanded by a complex financial environment to enhance problem-solving skills in corporate financial management to foster an understanding of the global financial environment, with particular reference to stock markets and institutional issues, and the implications of this for financial management decisions and policies to develop an understanding of the implications of a firm`s financial strategies on investor income, wealth and risk to develop an understanding of the complex, diverse and international nature of financial management to promote in-depth knowledge and understanding of financial management decisions and policies to meet the needs of commerce, industry and society in producing postgraduates with high analytical skills and a critical appreciation of financial issues and their implications to provide you with an opportunity to take an elective, for example, in quantitative or maritime finance; and to demonstrate technical competence and knowledge in econometrics, which can provide a sound basis for dissertation preparation and the possibility of subsequent postgraduate research in finance
General programme structureAt the beginning of the programme, you study the core module principles of finance. It is here that fundamental principles of investment and financing are introduced, including capital investment appraisal (including risk), cost of capital, capital structure, capital market efficiency and mergers. Investments are studied in term one, focusing upon equity derivatives, the valuation of shares and bonds, and portfolio analysis. Alongside these two modules, all students take econometrics. This provides an introduction to research and develops a range of statistical and econometric techniques. In term two, there is an international focus. Given the importance of international trade for the expansion of markets for products and services, international finance is a core module. Exchange rate movements are studied in relation to inflation and interest rates across national boundaries. Currency options, financial futures and swaps are also studied. The other core module is financial statement analysis, which deals with international financial reporting implications for valuation.
