MSc/PgDip/PgCert Financial Technology

MSc/PgDip/PgCert

Financial Technology (FinTech) This Masters in Financial Technology programme addresses the knowledge gap created by the pace of technological transformation in financial services and markets; it has been designed to meet the latest employment needs in the FinTech industry. Experts working in the sector have helped shape the programme to ensure it is relevant and up-to-date. The degree is taught at our Salford campus close to Manchester city centre.

The course is multidisciplinary, using industry-specific business cases from our contacts in the FinTech sector to blend the relevant hard and soft knowledge and skills. While the programme focuses on the technical innovations in finance, you will also gain insight into how marketing, regulation, economic policy and financial governance contribute to your essential knowledge.

Greater Manchester is an ideal place for you to study Financial Technology; as the Northern FinTech Capital, the region has strengths across FinTech sub-sectors, including data analytics, cyber security etc. FinTech companies form an integral part of the supply chain to a number of financial services companies and many banks and financial services firms have FinTech departments based in Manchester, drawing on local expertise and supply chains. With constant investment in the FinTech future, these companies offer you access to wide range of live projects, networking and, ultimately, employment opportunities.

Six good reasons to choose Salford Business School: Real-world learning from guest lectures and practical business cases offered by our industry advisors

Study in Greater Manchester which is the Northern FinTech Capital

Develop the hard and soft skills that the FinTech sector needs

Practice your learning on the FinTech Practical Project

Learn against a background of ethical, responsible and sustainable practice

Beautiful campus just minutes from Manchester city centre

Course Content The course is delivered across two semesters of 15 weeks each, with semester 3 dedicated to your FinTech Project.

In semesters 1 and 2, you will have 9 hours of teaching each week plus one hour of Supporting Student Success.

In addition, you will undertake independent study in your own time with online support through the University’s virtual learning environment, Blackboard.

For the third semester, you will be working on your practical project. This is a live project related to financial innovation and technological transformation, as well as their impacts on Financial markets and services. It is briefed by an industry advisor and you will be supported by Business School academic staff. The project brief can be from your own or another organisation.

Part-time students study alternate modules (one module on, one module off) to complete their degree in two years.

Modules FINANCIAL MODELS, MARKETS AND INSTRUMENTS This module introduces you to the basic foundations of how modern capital markets function. The main objectives of the module are to: / Provide insight into the basic mechanics of capital markets and the different types of submarkets. / Give you an understanding of the different types of financial products that are available and how they are traded. / Explore different models that can be used to understand the behavior of capital markets and how they can be tested empirically. / Use modern econometric methods such as time series analysis and high frequency data to explore the behavior of financial market instruments in practice

Teaching: / Interactive lectures and seminars / Guest lectures to provide industry insight / Small group learning sets will provide the basis for problem-based learning scenarios using case studies, class-based activities, research articles and webbased materials / Guided personal study supported by additional reading list, lecture notes and relevant research articles Assessments: 50% Assignment including group and individual elements 50% Exam

FINTECH FUNDAMENTALS

Teaching:

Technological innovation is changing the way businesses operate and how they deliver products and services. Financial technology (FinTech) companies are transforming the financial services sector, providing new financial products and a seamless customer experience.

In this module, you will gain a multi-dimensional perspective on what FinTech means and gain the expertise to develop disruptive FinTech innovations. You will:

You will be encouraged to share your individual experiences and bring your diversity of knowledge to the course.

/ Look at how to identify and work with different products and services involved in the FinTech financial ecosystem / Apply enabling technologies to potentially create new financial services and products / Learn cutting-edge programming languages used in FinTech data analytics.

/ Interactive lectures and seminars / Guest lectures to provide industry insight / Small group learning sets will provide the basis for problem-based learning scenarios using case studies, class-based activities, research articles and webbased materials / Guided personal study supported by additional reading list, lecture notes and relevant research articles Assessments: 100% Case study

On successful completion of the module you will not only be able to work effectively in the development of innovative FinTech technologies, but also contribute finance and business insights and understand the big picture. This module is worth 15 credits.

THE ECONOMIC AND REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT OF FINTECH This module will equip you with the ability to analyse the FinTech industry. The module focuses on the external factors affecting this industry, including the economic and regulatory environment, micro and macro risks and how to mitigate these. You will be given plenty of opportunities to extract policy and managerial implications relevant for FinTech firms. This module is worth 15 credits.

Teaching: / Interactive lectures and seminars / Small group learning sets will provide the basis for problem-based learning scenarios using case studies, class-based activities, research articles and web-based materials / Guided personal study supported by additional reading list, lecture notes and relevant research articles Assessments: 100% Written report based on policy/regulation survey

INNOVATION IN FINANCE

Teaching:

The module will equip you with the skills of interpreting how disruptive FinTech innovations are developed, using appropriate tools and techniques. You will discuss the future of money, economy and financial marketplaces. You will look at both theoretical and practical understanding of how the financial services industry has been transformed through the adoption and use of digital innovation and information technologies.

More specifically the module will look at blockchain, cryptocurrency, payment infrastructures, digital economy, FinTech ecosystem and crime detection, forensic analytics. This module is worth 30 credits.

/ Interactive lectures and seminars / Small group learning sets will provide the basis for problem-based learning scenarios using case studies, class-based activities, research articles and web-based materials / Guided personal study supported by additional reading list, lecture notes and relevant research articles Assessments: 100% Portfolio

FINTECH DATA ANALYTICS

Teaching:

FinTech companies heavily depend on machine learning, artificial intelligence, predictive analytics and data science to simplify financial decision-making and optimise solutions. In this module, you will learn and apply a range of established Big Data and analytics techniques to critically analyse information and propose solutions to FinTech and other financial sector problems.

You will gain a core set of skills and expertise in relevant programming languages and computational modelling skills such as Python and artificial intelligence and data mining to generate data-driven insights for new and existing financial services and products.

You will be encouraged to share your individual experiences and bring your diversity of knowledge to the course.

On successful completion of the module you will not only be able to collect and analyse data to underpin business decisions, but also be able to work effectively in the development of innovative FinTech data analytics technologies. This module is worth 15 credits.

/ Group work presentations will be used to refine understanding through discussion and explanation, give and receive feedback on performance, challenge assumptions and develop stronger teamwork and communication skills

/ Lectures introduce ideas and stimulate group discussions / Demonstration practical classes will be used to develop problem solving strategies / Workshops will be used to develop and practise hands-on programming skills, using FinTech datasets of increasing complexity

Assessments: 70% Individual written report summarising group coursework experience 30% Group presentation of coursework

FINTECH ORGANSATIONS

Teaching:

Through digital innovation, FinTech companies have the scope to make financial services more inclusive, accessible, streamlined and better aligned with consumer values. FinTech for good is the concept that finance can and should be used to generate environmental and social benefits for a more sustainable future. This module will allow you to explore the business and marketing models of FinTech and the ethics and corporate governance issues facing FinTech.

You will consider the potential for FinTech organisations to engage and lead the sustainability agenda in the 21st century. This module is worth 15 credits.

/ Interactive lectures and seminars / Small group learning sets will provide the basis for problem-based learning scenarios using case studies, class-based activities, ethics vignettes, research articles and web-based materials / Guided personal study supported by additional reading list, lecture notes and relevant research articles Assessments: 100% Time constrained assignment based on preseen case study

PRACTICAL PROJECT

Teaching:

You will work on an industry - focussed project addressing gaps arising from the fast growth of technological transformation in financial services and markets. Supported by advisors from the FinTech industry, you will work with industry to apply the learning you have obtained from the taught modules of the programme. This module is worth 60 credits.

/ Interactive lectures and seminars / Guest lectures to provide industry insight / Small group learning sets will provide the basis for problem-based learning scenarios using case studies, class-based activities, research articles and webbased materials / Guided personal study supported by additional reading list, lecture notes and relevant research articles Assessments: 50%

Assignment including group and individual elements

50%

Exam

Entry requirements: A minimum 2:2 degree or equivalent or successful completion of the Graduate Certificate International Management programme. A wide range of professional qualifications are also accepted. We welcome applications from students who may not have formal/traditional entry criteria but who have relevant experience or the ability to pursue the course successfully. Please contact us for information on our Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) process All of our courses are taught and assessed in English, so as an applicant you must meet our minimum English language entry requirements. An IELTS score of 6 (no element below 5.5) is proof of this however we accept a range of equivalent qualifications.

We also offer several English language courses which help you gain entry onto our degrees. For more information go to salford.ac.uk/international/english-language-requirements

Career prospects: This qualification will equip you for a broad range of career opportunities in, for example, fintech companies, digital payment companies, new trading firms, security protection firms, risk management and regulatory compliance, credit management, etc.

Opportunities are growing in areas such as Compliance, which has seen steady job growth since the financial crisis; and cyber security where a report by Cybersecurity Ventures recently estimated that cybercrimes will triple the number of job openings in the next five years and it is estimated that there will be at least 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity positions by 2021.

Start dates: September Duration: MSc (one year full-time, two years part-time) PgDip (eight months full-time or two years part-time) PgCert (four months full-time or one year part-time) The MSc is the only route available for international students. If you are a high-achieving international student, you may be eligible for one of our scholarships.

Find out more at salford.ac.uk/international/scholarships WANT TO KNOW MORE? Visit salford.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/financial-technology-fintech STILL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS? Contact us: By email (UK applicants): enquiries@salford.ac.uk By email (international applicants): international@salford.ac.uk @salfordbusinessschool

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