Economics, Finance and International Business

This module examines the diversity of national policy approaches to labour market and social issues. You’ll undertake a comparative economic analysis of the behaviour of employers and employees operating in the global marketplace. Using a common framework of the economic theory of labour markets, you’ll also critically evaluate how governments, economic, social and other institutions alter outcomes in labour markets. 
By completing this module, you’ll be able to present a range of international labour market data, defend appropriate policy proposals and solutions to labour market issues, and recognise the implications for analysis of various social and cultural phenomena. 
 

In this module you will discover the link between innovation and economic growth, as innovation is the key driver for economic growth in both developed and developing economies. .

You will learn about innovation's economic policy role, in particular, intellectual property rights (e.g. patents and trademarks). That ensures that innovators receive a fair share of their economic efforts which spur further investments towards this direction. Also you’ll discuss the value of customers’ data, data Intellectual Property, and the role of governments to regulate policies and standards so that new technologies can reach into the market, improving efficiency and allowing a fair competition.
 

This module provides an introduction to the interpretation and analysis of economic data through the application of appropriate statistical and econometric methodologies. You will gain practice in applying theory and develop your skills of statistical and econometric analysis through the completion of problem sets. Practising quantitative techniques in seminars is essential in helping you to identify your learning needs and to encourage you to become critically self-aware of your relative strengths and weaknesses in relation to the acquisition of quantitative skills, a fundamental attribute of graduates in economics and finance.

On completion of the module, you will have an understanding of hypothesis testing and statistical inference; the ability to conduct essential statistical analyses of data; and an understanding of regression analyses.

This module provides an introduction to the historical development of economic ideas. In so doing it is designed to illuminate both the influence of such ideas within a variety of social and political contexts and against the background of debates in economic policy. It aims to demonstrate the variety of approaches which can be taken to the study of economic phenomena and the traditions to which they give rise.

Upon successful completion of this module, you will be able to appreciate the relationship between developments in economic thought and within general society, critically evaluate the ideas of economic thinkers, and appreciate the diversity of paradigms which have influenced the development of economic doctrine over time.
 

On this module, you’ll examine the nature of financial markets and the role of financial intermediaries. You’ll analyse the nature of market efficiency, and the extent to which asset prices reflect rational decisions in consideration of psychological or speculative factors. You’ll explore comparative merits and the question of financial regulation. You'll also explore different types of financial instruments and their valuation.

Upon successful completion of this module, you’ll be able to assess institution-based and market-based finance in a variety of contexts, understand the main principles underlying asset pricing models, and resolve general problems in selecting investments in a global market. 
 

This module will introduce you to the fundamentals of finance and to the finance function in a company or corporation. This will enable you to understand the sorts of decisions that are taken by financial managers along with their rationales. The content includes an explanation of the role of finance in business and the objectives of the finance function. You will also examine the decisions affecting capital structure and the cost of capital.

You’ll look at the environmental sustainability challenges facing society and businesses. You’ll discuss key environmental issues such as:

• global warming
• pollution
• biodiversity loss 
• freshwater depletion. 

You'll also look at the role of business in causing, as well as responding to, such issues. 

You’ll explore macro (economic, policy, governance) as well as micro (organisational and individual) perspectives. You’ll also be introduced to a variety of stakeholder perspectives and frameworks for evaluating business responses. Through the module you’ll develop your key competencies for sustainability that are endorsed by UNESCO (2017) and the QAA/Advance HE (2021). The competencies are:

• systems thinking
• anticipatory thinking
• normative competency 
• strategic thinking
• collaborative competency 
• critical thinking
• self-awareness 
• integrated problem-solving competency.
   

This module is also a 24-week work-based learning opportunity for you to develop your employability and enterprise skills. As on the other modules you will have the opportunity to obtain first-hand knowledge and experience of making applications to, and working in, a placement role. This could include employment, volunteer work experience or undertaking a consultancy type project. 

You will agree a brief before your work-based role begins, set work-based targets and reflect upon your success in your placement role. At the end of the placement, you will make a presentation to your line manager and placement tutor which summarises the knowledge and skills you have developed on your placement.

On this module, you will build your understanding of the concept called ‘homo economicus’ where individuals are considered to be perfectly rational and concerned only about maximising their own welfare. Your understanding of strategic behaviour in encounters with other individuals, modelled as games will broaden. You’ll examine concepts such as:

• bounded rationality
• cognitive bias
• market design
• equilibrium selection
• policies in detail.

By the end of the module, you’ll have a critical understanding of the new stream of thinking that has developed within economics in the last few decades. You’ll have knowledge of what allows people to make mistakes in decision-making and be altruistic – i.e. care about others’ utility, as well as their own.
 

This module uses economic theory to analyse the structure and forces behind economic growth and development. You will learn standard theory of economic growth and use those theories to analyse the process of economic growth across countries. You will familiarise yourself with a set of important issues that are central to macroeconomics and develop some dynamic economics knowledge useful in macroeconomics as well as in a number of other sub-disciplines. By the end of the module you will gain tools to analyse the economy with a long-run perspective that is normally overlooked in the other macroeconomic modules

On this module, you will build your understanding of modelling techniques and analytical tools of environmental economics. You will be able to critically analyse a range of environmental issues which impact environmental externalities on economic agents and the range of policy responses available to policymakers.
 

Throughout this module, you’ll explore the economic challenges of financing development in developing countries while using internal and external sources of finance. You’ll investigate the difference between development and growth, the roles of public and private sector, financial dualism, credit market failures, micro finance and international capital flows. 

Upon successful completion of this module, you’ll be able to interpret the implications of international financial flows on development, and you’ll gain an understanding of how a viable financial system can assist in economic growth and development.
 

This module focuses on selected important economic policy issues and relevant economic tools of analysis, with a balance between macro- and microeconomics. You will develop key skills and knowledge in the economics of public policy, which are a necessary requirement for a career as an academic economist or as an analyst in a wide range of national and international policy-making institutions.
 

This module extends the basic theory of corporate finance covered in previous years by developing more complex approaches to financial management which can guide decision-making in the face of risk and uncertainty. It also examines corporate decisions concerning capital structure and the choice between internal and external finance and sets these decisions in the context of developments in a range of financial markets. Your learning outcomes include being able to apply investment appraisal techniques to conditions of risk and uncertainty, assess the impact of cost capital for businesses and understand the key principles and techniques of risk management.

This module will further and broaden your knowledge of econometrics. You’ll progress and develop your econometric skills that are needed to be able to successfully investigate economic and financial relationships by using appropriate econometric methodologies. You’ll study examples based on both economic and financial data that illustrate the application of the methodologies you’ll learn to use.

In this module, you will develop a sound understanding of the concepts, tools and practical experience of using new data technologies to disintermediate and promote innovation and competition across financial services. 

You will learn, through case analysis, about the supporting technologies and how these allow a supporting ‘ecoSystem’ of third parties to compete in providing financial services. You’ll also examine the challenge posed for incumbents competing against challengers and maintaining and innovating bank’s own systems; and the associated public policy issues concerning financial, privacy and competition regulation, building your applicable knowledge of open data and distributed finance.

You will develop your critical and practical understanding of creating and analysing a sustainable investment portfolio. You’ll have access to our Bloomberg virtual trading terminals to develop your practical skills. You’ll also construct an investment portfolio aligned to sustainable investing principles. 

This module will include focusing on practical aspects of portfolio management, including establishing key performance metrics, risk measurement and fundamental analysis.