Entry requirements

Entry to this programme requires a 2(ii) undergraduate degree in a relevant subject, e.g. economics, finance, accounting or management from a university, or a similar qualification from any other institution. Alternatively, possession of a suitable professional qualification and relevant practical experience may also be accepted.

Months of entry

January, September

Course content

Banking and financial services represents a highly competitive and rapidly changing sector in every modern economy. Changes in customer requirements, technology, competitive conditions and regulation create the need for managers, traders and analysts to make rapid and often far-reaching decisions about their short term operations and long term strategies. The MSc and MA in Banking and Finance degree courses at Bangor offer you a unique opportunity to study advanced theory and practice relating to financial services, and to develop an appreciation of the causes and significance of current developments in this vitally important and dynamic sector of the economy.

Issues you will tackle as part of your MSc or MA Banking and Finance degree programme include:

Why are the banking systems in different countries (such as the UK, Germany, Japan and the US) so diverse?
What determines the structure, performance and efficiency of banking and financial markets?
Why do banks and financial intermediaries exist?
What are the main theories of the banking firm?
How relevant are financial intermediaries in a world of increasing securitization and with the evolution of virtual banking?
How do banks optimally allocate capital?
Does bank regulation increase or decrease risks?
How do we measure the risks undertaken by banks?
Can regulators reduce the likelihood of systemic (system-wide) risk?
What are the relationships between risk and return governing investment in company shares and other derivative instruments?
Can market risk be priced accurately? Can credit risk be priced accurately?
How should institutional investors go about constructing a portfolio of assets to maximise returns on behalf of investors?
How can we assess the investment performance of pension funds, insurance companies and unit trusts?
How do banks use futures, options, derivatives and swaps to manage their balance sheet and off-balance sheet risks?
What are the key principles of international portfolio management in a world of fast and unpredictable movements in exchange rates?
How do banks manage their business so as to maintain customer relationships, improve operational efficiency and add shareholder value?

With these needs in mind, the MSc and MA Banking and Finance programmes at Bangor are designed to develop participants’ existing skills through a scheme of specialist advanced study. An important objective is to provide participants with relevant analytical training, so that they are familiar with the latest theoretical and practical developments relating to banking, finance and capital markets. These programmes provide a coherent theoretical framework for the various subject areas, but the emphasis throughout is on advanced practical application of financial techniques in a real-world setting.

Information for international students

If your native language is not English, you must provide satisfactory evidence that you have an adequate knowledge and understanding of written and spoken English:

IELTS: 6.0 (with no element below 5.5)
Pearson PTE: a score of 56 (with no element lower than 51)
Cambridge English Test – Advanced: 169 (with no element lower than 162).