Masters in Finance and Financial Technology (FinTech)

An innovative short course designed and developed by Henley faculty on the Futurelearn platform, one of the leading online learning platforms.

This pre-study interactive course is designed by ICMA Centre faculty to prepare you for your learning journey at Henley if you are undertaking postgraduate study in any finance-oriented subject.

A course delivered online by Henley faculty and you will receive online support from one of our teaching staff members and be able to interact with other prospective students in your course.

This course will provide building blocks of knowledge to help you prepare for your learning journey in the area of your choice as well as equip you with key employability and study skills for successfully navigating your studies and professional career.

In this module, you will learn how banking is transitioning toward digital forms of financial intermediation and how payment systems are evolving with the deployment of new technologies. We will explore the role of banks, central banks and money in the economy, how technology is reshaping the role of banks and how money is becoming decentralised. New business models for banking services and their regulatory implications will be discussed. Examples and case studies will be used to illustrate the key aspects of digital banking.

Academic authors

Emeritus Professor Brian Scott-Quinn

This module equips you with the quantitative tools used by market participants. The module uses a mixture of (1) lectures where the theory and concepts are introduced and (2) seminars and workshops where we apply the knowledge to practical cases.

It is an introductory applied econometrics module with an emphasis on finance.

Academic authors

Dr Lisa Schopohl

Professor Michael P. Clements

This module provides an introduction to international financial markets and an overview of financial institutions. The main characteristics and risks of a range of financial markets are presented: equity, fixed income, foreign exchange, futures and commodity markets. A series of interactive workshops are used to learn about ethical investing and alternative trading systems.

In this module you will be introduced to Python, a programming language that has become an industry standard and is widely used to produce innovative financial products and services. Common applications include big data analysis and manipulation, algorithmic trading, portfolio analysis, and machine learning algorithms. Students who complete this course will be able to write programming functions in Python, process data files including reading, modifying and writing data to external files. Specifically, students will be able to read and write to Excel, CSV and Text files, connect to databases, obtain and process data from the Web, as well as use Python for Finance and Econometrics applications including developing event based trading strategies and back testing with historical data. By the end of the module students are expected to produce a simple Python application to solve real world financial problems. No prior programming experience is required.

This module focuses on cash securities evaluation (fixed income, equity, and FX) and the use of these securities for investments (derivatives and portfolio theory).

Part I of the module applies general valuation methods to specific financial instruments: fixed income, equity securities, and FX. It describes the characteristics of each security/market and develops practical strategies for finding its value and assessing its risk.

Part II of the module provides an in-depth introduction to financial derivatives (futures and options) and their evaluation. Part III of the module analyses the main framework behind portfolio theory and optimum asset allocation, followed by the introduction of the main pricing models, their applications and limitation.

Equity and FX trading simulations sessions (INVEST sessions) are paired with the modules. Exercises based on Eikon, and Bloomberg data will be used.

Academic authors

Dr Miriam Marra

Blockchain technology is rapidly changing the financial industry and beyond. Countless applications are being explored in payments, insurance, lending, fund raising, settlement of securities transactions and contract execution. In this course we will explore what a blockchain is and how you can create one with simple Python codes. Cryptocurrencies, one of the most popular uses of blockchain, are explored in detail. The module will present technical concepts at a high level suitable for students whose main interest is finance and the financial applications of blockchain.

Academic authors

Professor Andrew Urquhart

Regulation is often seen as an obstacle to innovation, or innovation as a way of avoiding regulations. However, successful Fintech products and services must comply with the letter and spirit of financial regulations, and effective regulation of Fintech is essential to protect wider public interests. This module will place the relationship between financial innovation and regulation at the centre of students' understanding of Fintech.

Academic authors

Dr Tony Moore

The availability of unprecedented amounts of data made available by ever increasing computing power and data storage capacity, widespread use of Internet of Things devices, and powerful communications networks, have led to major changes in the insurance industry. The services it provides, how they are offered to its customers and at what price, and insurance risk analysis are undergoing rapid innovations. In this module you will learn how the evolution of the sector is unfolding and gain insights to the challenges and opportunities that it is generating.

Academic authors

In this module you will learn how industry standard machine learning and data science techniques can be applied to solve predictive modelling problems in finance. You will also learn how state of the art big data techniques can be applied in finance at the level of a business problem, a complex project and at the level of a whole organisation.

Academic authors

Dr Mininder Sethi

This module is concerned with using business intelligence and data mining techniques for managerial decision making. Data mining is the process of selection, exploration and analysis of large quantities of data, in order to discover meaningful patterns and rules which in turn structure business intelligence in context. In another words, data mining converts the raw data into useful knowledge required to support decision-making.

Academic authors

This module develops critical digital knowledge and skills in digital concepts, leadership, teambuilding, capability and change planning and control to support the development of a digital technology solutions in businesses. It integrates leadership and e-leadership principles with a knowledge of digital technology and the practice of leading digital solution approaches and teams in a variety of leadership types at strategic level required by a business or consulting client. It provides appropriate capability and analysis tools and techniques to enable students to identify, manage and resolve digital leadership and supporting digital technology issues and enables the development of appropriate digital leadership approaches necessary to support digital business technology and related consulting situations.

Academic authors

Building on the material introduced in Quantitative Methods for Finance, this module covers a number of more advanced techniques that are relevant for financial applications, and in particular for modelling and forecasting financial time series. These include an introduction to maximum likelihood estimation and two-stage least squares, models of volatility, simulation techniques, and multivariate models. Case studies from the academic finance literature are employed to demonstrate potential uses of each approach. Extensive use is also made of financial econometrics software to demonstrate how the techniques are applied in practice.

Academic authors

Professor Michael P. Clements

This investment portfolio management module covers key topics, techniques and discussions, including investment styles, in relation to constructing and maintaining an optimal investment portfolio. The teaching approaches all topics from academic and market, practical perspectives. More detailed aims and learning outcomes are included below.

The module consists of theoretical foundation with practical focus for the topic of IT project management. The assessment uses a real life case scenario asking the students to apply theories and techniques learned from this module.

Academic authors

The objective of the module is to develop students’ appreciation of the practical aspects of raising venture capital finance for a private company, working with the venture capital investor in growing the business and achieving a successful exit. The focus of the module is on venture capital and high-growth ventures from the viewpoints of both the entrepreneur or management team and of the investing institution (general partner), although private equity as a whole is covered as well as the relationship between the private equity or venture capital firm and its own investors (limited partner institutions). Extensive use will be made of case studies and a business plan project in addition to guest lectures from invited experienced practitioners.

Academic authors

Dr Keith Arundale

The aim of the research project is to allow students to define and execute a piece of research in finance on a topic of their choice, with direction from an academic supervisor and with assistance from a doctoral student support supervisor.

Academic authors

Professor Charles Sutcliffe

The aim of the module is to familiarise students with the main strategies employed in sustainable investments and the role that sustainable investment can play in addressing societal challenges such as climate change. Using real-world examples and ESG data, students will learn about the key challenges and opportunities that investors incorporating ESG criteria face.

Academic authors

Dr Lisa Schopohl

In order to raise capital from financiers or secure funding via government grants it is always necessary to produce a robust financial plan. This plan will then be used as a yardstick by all parties to monitor the performance of the business. Typically a detailed twelve month plan is required in addition to a summary level five year plan. Typically these plans will include comprehensive sections on revenue forecasts, profit and loss, cash flows, balance sheet, capex, financing and a commentary with further detail to help explain the figures. The aim of the module is to introduce students to the practicalities of developing and utilising financial models with a view to achieving the overall strategic objectives of an organisation. Students will also gain a thorough understanding of the interaction between the separate statements within a financial model.

Academic authors

Xi Li

This module examines the steps involved in carrying out a PhD at the ICMA centre.

Academic authors

Dr Alfonso Dufour

This module is designed for advanced Master’s students and doctoral students. It has a very high technical content. It aims to equip the students with the foundations of theoretical asset pricing and with the relevant skills for performing empirical tests. Additionally, a few important corporate finance topics will be covered in the format of student presentations. The objective of the module is to prepare students to become independent and quality researchers.

Academic authors

Professor Marcel Prokopczuk

This module aims to provide students with an understanding of financial decision making in the context of alternative investments.

Academic authors

Dr Alfonso Dufour

In this module, alternative forms of financial investments are discussed. In particular, the following topics are covered:

· Introduction to Alternative Investments: Hedge Funds: Market Structure, Strategies and Performance Evaluation

· Macro and Managed Futures Funds

· Funds of Hedge Funds

· Commodities: Physical and Financial Markets. Energy, Agricultural, Metals.

· Real Estate: Investment Types. Commercial and Residential markets. Valuation Approaches

· Collectables: Art, Wine and other Special Forms of Investments

Academic authors

Professor Marcel Prokopczuk

The module is less quantitative option open to all MSc students that builds on the coverage of futures contracts from term 1. By the end of the module it is expected that students will be aware of the different ways of constructing stock market indices and the implications of these differences, how futures contracts are traded and the identity of some of the close substitutes for trading index futures, how futures can be priced using an arbitrage relationship, how futures can be used for hedging the price risk of the underlying, and the various uses that fund managers make of these instruments.

Academic authors

Professor Charles Sutcliffe

An applied, innovative approach to the structured product market from a practical point of view. Topical issues are addressed in a systematic way to discuss the principles of financial engineering and application to structured products.

Academic authors

Professor Marcel Prokopczuk

This module gives students the opportunity to pursue a work placement with an external organisation broadly related to the general sphere of their degree studies. The aim of the module is to allow participants to gain work experience in a career path of interest, develop a wide range of employability skills, build their network and enhance market awareness. The maximum duration of the placement is 3 months and it takes place during the summer period (June-August). Placements should be secured by students independently. The Centre’s career development office can support students in their search and application process. Placements secured by students are subject to the approval of the module convenor. The module is assessed by a 3,000-word project based on the work experience gained.

Academic authors

Dr Michael Smith