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Study for an MBA at one of Europe's foremost
Banking & Finance Schools
At the Centre for Banking and Financial Studies,
we offer a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degree
programmes in the areas of banking and finance.
The MBA Banking & Finance is designed for
candidates with degrees or relevant business backgrounds,
who wish to develop their expertise and further their professional
careers. The MBA programme provides a more practical postgraduate
course to complement our long established MA course in banking
and finance and our distance-learning MBA with Manchester
Business School.
A primary objective of the MBA Banking &
Finance is to develop knowledgeable and capable executives
to move quickly to key positions in the financial services
sector. The programme will provide executive training at an
advanced level covering the latest developments in the management
of financial institutions.
The Centre has long held a strong international
reputation in the study of banking and finance. Our MA programme
has run since 1973 and over this period we have also had a
strong PhD programme where research typically focuses on banking
and financial sector issues. Postgraduates have enjoyed a
mix of both theoretical and practical elements covering contemporary
developments in the banking and financial field. The MBA aims
to extend and develop advanced training relating to the practical
managerial issues faced by modern financial service firms.
Our past postgraduates have strongly benefited from their
experience of studying in a convivial, yet demanding, academic
environment. The main aim of our full-time MBA is to introduce
a much stronger practical emphasis focussing on the strategies
and financial management of financial firms. We believe that
candidates following the MBA will benefit in the same way
as our past postgraduate students, who have found living in
Bangor and studying in the Centre to be both rewarding and
enjoyable.
The Banking and Financial Studies team has a
lively group of staff, who are always willing to share their
knowledge and expertise. Your teaching staff at Bangor are
active researchers, combining high levels of expertise with
a desire to extend their subject area, and, most importantly
from a postgraduate viewpoint, an enthusiasm to encourage
others to develop their academic, financial and business skills.
We are pleased that you are considering joining
the MBA Banking & Finance in the Centre for Banking and
Financial Studies. If you decide to do so, we are confident
that we can offer you the guidance, stimulation and support
which will make the next year a happy and productive time
for you.
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Financial systems and financial firm strategies
are now involved in a fundamental, far reaching process of
realignment and change. The strategic priority of banks and
other financial institutions has shifted away from growth
and size alone towards a greater emphasis on profitability,
performance and shareholder value creation. The growing economic
importance of financial sectors has also re-emphasised that
bankers, fund managers, multinational companies, securities
firms, regulators and financial advisers must have a clear
understanding of the theory and practice relating to banking
and finance.
The Centre for Banking and Financial Studies
aims to build on our long-established expertise in the area
of postgraduate training in banking and finance by offering
a one-year modular MBA in Banking and Finance, which aims
to develop participants' academic and managerial skills in
these areas. An important objective is to provide relevant
analytical training to familiarise participants with the latest
strategic, managerial and industrial developments in the financial
services industry.
The course provides a coherent analytical framework
for the study of banking and financial developments from a
management perspective. The emphasis throughout the programme
is on the application of contemporary, financial, managerial
and strategic developments that affect real-world decision-making
in the global financial industry.
We recognise that a thorough understanding of
recent developments in banking and financial firm strategies,
financial management, risk management, international financial
markets, marketing strategies and performance evaluation are
essential requirements for all those involved in financial
sector activities (or those who wish to gain a deeper understanding
of these important business and managerial areas).
The course will be of interest to the following
people:
- graduates who have professional experience in the financial
sector;
- managers and accountants in public and private organisations
who wish to develop their financial management skills;
- managers employed in the financial services industry;
- graduates contemplating a career in the banking and financial
services industry;
- graduates who have relevant practical experience and
wish to enhance their skills in the areas of banking and
finance
- finance professionals (like corporate treasurers and accountants)
who deal with the financial services industry
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The Centre for Banking and Financial Studies
is part of a major school within the University of Wales,
Bangor. We are a multi-disciplinary school, employing 15 full-time
academic staff (including 4 professors), together with external
lecturers, tutoring assistants and other support staff. The
Centre houses three research institutes (described below),
which provide specialist expertise and facilities to our more
senior students. The Centre brings together four major strands
of teaching and research:
- the analytical power of economics, asking
fundamental questions about economic activity ranging from
the operations of individuals, firms and markets through
to government policy issues.
- the specialist expertise of banking and finance,
which looks in detail at financial institutions and financial
markets.
- accounting with its emphasis on the measurement
of economic activity for internal decision making and external
scrutiny.
- management and business studies with their
concern for understanding the organisation and how its human,
physical and financial resources can best be deployed.
As well as our undergraduate degrees which span
financial studies, management and economics areas, we also
offer postgraduate Master of Arts (MA) and Master of Business
Administration (MBA) degrees in Banking and Finance, and run
an active PhD programme, in which postgraduate students study
for a doctorate by means of research. All the postgraduate
programmes have a very strong international flavour, attracting
students from around the globe.
Some of the Centre's research takes place under
the auspices of our two research institutes. The Institute
of European Finance (IEF) is based in its own Information
Centre within SBARD. The Centre contains one of the best specialised
banking and finance libraries of any European university,
whose facilities are open to all students. The IEF employs
its own full time staff and publishes the bi-monthly World
Banking Abstracts. Recently, the IEF and researchers from
Cambridge University completed (for the European Commission)
one of the biggest studies of its kind ever undertaken on
the impact of the European Single Market on EU banking.
The European Accounting Research Centre (EARC)
provides additional research facilities in accounting and
finance and increases our links with the accounting profession.
The emphasis within the Centre is very much
on friendly and informal relationships between staff and students.
One of the advantages of studying in a school with a relatively
small number of postgraduate students (in comparison with
some of the 'big city' campuses) is that you will easily make
personal contact with members of staff, who are always ready
and willing to help out with any difficulties which you may
encounter during your studies. The Centre for Banking and
Financial Studies therefore offers you the opportunity to
study in a school which combines an international academic
reputation with a friendly, welcoming and hospitable atmosphere.
External contact with active practitioners in
all of the Centre's disciplines is seen as one of our top
priorities. This takes place through joint research and consultancy,
and invitations to visiting speakers from commerce, industry
and other universities.
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The Centre for Banking and Financial Studies
aims to pursue a teaching and learning strategy which will,
"... maintain and promote the University's national and
international reputation for the quality of its teaching and
learning. In particular it will be mindful of its responsibility
for the intellectual and personal development of its students."
- Research Methods
- Bank Financial Management
- International Financial Markets
- Corporate Risk Management
Any 4 modules from:
- Banking and Development
- Financial Institutions Strategic Management
- Financial Analysis
OR International Financial Management
- International Banking
- Investment & Private Banking
- Marketing Strategy
- Personnel & Human Resource Management
- Quantative & Qualitative Analysis for Managers
All participants take the equivalent of four
modules in Semester 1 and four modules in Semester 2. The
full modules run for 12 weeks; the half modules run for 6
weeks.
The basic module delivery method will centre
around a two hour lecture slot and one hour tutorial every
fortnight. Total contact hours will be approximately 27 per
module and together with private study and preparation for
tutorials, seminars and assessment, each student is expected
to dedicate approximately 100 hours to each module.
Teaching methods will include lectures, seminars,
tutorials involving the discussion of concepts or directed
to problem solving, case study sessions and workshops (including
computer based sessions).
A Personal Tutor will be allocated to
each MBA candidate in order to address any difficulties that
might arise in relation to the course. The School follows
an 'open door' policy whereby MBA students will be able to
seek advice on academic as well as pastoral matters from any
of the School's staff when required.
Continuous assessment is an integral part of
the course, and for each module the assessment is split 40%
for course work and 60% for examinations. Semester 1 modules
are examined in January and Semester 2 in May/June. The guidelines
determining progression to the dissertation stage or the award
of a Diploma will be provided with documentation on registration.
At the end of every module, each student will
also complete a module evaluation form. These will be collected
by the lecturer concerned and submitted to the Postgraduate
Director of Studies.
Successful completion of the taught modules
allows progression to the dissertation stage of the programme.
(Students who do not achieve sufficient grades to progress
to the dissertation stage may be awarded a Diploma subject
to fulfilling minimum requirements.)
The dissertation is an advanced and useful programme
of study which can be chosen from any area of relevance to
the MBA in Banking and Finance. It must be at least 12,000
words (but no more than 20,000) and is undertaken under guidance
from staff supervisors.
Support for the dissertation stage of the MBA
programme will commence from a project workshop that will
be held at the end of the first semester. You will then undertake
an assignment in the form of a project proposal which will
be jointly assessed by the course leader and the member of
staff who has expertise in the subject area. This allows you
to plan for the dissertation during the second semester. Over
this period you will have both formal and informal support
from lecturing staff, as well as PhD students and other researchers
in helping to formulate suitable subject areas for their dissertations.
The Centre's staff will oversee the research design, methodology,
results, draft chapters and final project submission.
Project (to be completed by no later than end
of the calendar year in which the taught programme is completed).
Teaching and research within the Centre are
enhanced by the School's excellent computing facilities. The
School has its own dedicated computer teaching laboratories
with links to commercial databases and the Internet, and students
have access to other computer laboratories throughout the
University.
The Centre's specialist library/research database
facility, the Institute of European Finance (IEF), is also
particularly important for postgraduate students. The Institute
has three library staff and one research officer who provide
information relating to sources and access to banking and
finance information. On-line databases such as Datastream
and the CD-Rom Bankscope are also based in the IEF and will
be used by MBA candidates for course project work as well
as their dissertations. This invaluable resource provides
the Centre with its own dedicated research and library facilities
which helps produce a postgraduate studying environment conducive
to high level education and training. It will also provide
you with frequent contact with lecturers, research staff,
PhD students and other postgraduate students who also use
the facility.
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Bank Financial Management examines the role
of the financial manager in the modern banking and financial
services firm. The role of modern finance theory within the
financial firm is explored. It is argued that in a deregulating
world where efficiency and shareholder value are emphasised,
the financial management function is increasingly important.
The module also aims to consider how financial management
fits into other important strategic functions, like planning
and marketing. Main topics covered include: financial management
functions of the financial firm; financial analysis; asset
and liability management; lending performance and risk management;
capital allocation and value-at-risk (VAR).
Research Methods examines the main methodological
approaches to research in management and business, and their
applications to banking and finance. In this context the module
covers approaches to data collection; data analysis and modelling
techniques. The final part of the module will examine how
these techniques can be used for undertaking practical research.
International Financial Markets provides an
introduction to capital market theory and an overview of financial
instruments in a multi-currency world. The first part of the
module covers: debt and money market instruments; pricing
risky assets; foreign exchange determination; and international
portfolio diversification. The second part covers: swaps;
futures; options; financial engineering. The course will include
the use of financial software and the financial information
service, Datastream.
Corporate Risk Management aims to provide an
understanding of pure risk and its management and shows how
risk management concepts and techniques can be applied to
practical problems. The emphasis will be on risk management
in the financial sector. Specific topics covered include:
perspectives on risk management; risk identification; corporate
loss exposures; risk measurement and probability distributions;
risk control tools; risk financing; insurance versus alternatives;
legal aspects of insurance and dealing with insurers.
Personnel and Human Resource Management covers
practical issues faced by managers in the area of personnel
and human resource management. The module identifies the main
human resource challenges currently facing organisations and
formulates the kind of human resource strategies that can
be implemented by firms in order to achieve a sustained competitive
advantage. It also examines how organisational issues (such
as empowerment, motivation and productivity) affect human
resource management practices (staffing, training, appraisal
and benefits administration) and how these can be managed.
International banking examines the factors that
have shaped and influenced the strategies of international
banks. The motivations and methods adapted by banks wishing
to have a presence in a foreign banking market are discussed.
International banking strategies and international commercial
banking operations, including syndicated lending, are examined,
together with the supervision of the international financial
system.
Financial Institutions Strategic Management
develops practical solutions to some of the main strategic
management problems faced by banks and other financial service
firms. It examines the bank strategic environment, strategic
analysis and strategy formulation in modern banking. The main
topics covered include: modern banking functions; structure
of the financial services industry; analysing the strategic
environment; strategic analysis; planning and firm strategy;
developing profitable strategies.
International Financial Management examines
the investment and financing decisions of corporate managers
operating in international markets. The course commences with
an examination of how managers can reduce their cost of capital
by using international capital markets and the barriers to
investing and borrowing abroad. Issues of market efficiency
are then considered including whether corporate managers can
influence their company's value. The module then addresses
other related corporate finance issues, including agency theory,
capital structure and international mergers and restructuring.
Corporate motives for investing overseas, such as diversification
and differential taxation are also considered.
Modelling Financial and Economic Data develops
participants' skills in the statistical modelling of data
analysed in empirical research in accounting, banking, finance
and economics. The course is divided into four parts and covers:
generalised models of tabulated data and binary responses;
time series modelling of financial prices; modelling the determinants
of bank performance and efficiency. The areas of statistical
modelling covered by the course are: the analysis of count
data; binomial models; seemingly unrelated regression; Garch
Models and stochastic frontier analysis.
The aim of this module is to explore the various
philosophical, epistemological and methodological issues inherent
in research within the business and management context. The
module will consider the various approaches to management
research, the conception of science and the creation of knowledge.
The course will emphasise certain qualitative and quantitative
methods of data collection and analysis that are essential
for conducting research in the management sciences.
Marketing Strategy examines the main marketing
principles and practices so as to provide a critical appreciation
of the need for organisations to have "the right product,
in the right place, at the right price, and the right time".
The main components of marketing will be introduced (product,
price, place, promotion). Case studies of specific marketing
strategies will be examined, including some in the financial
services sector and critical implications drawn. Topics covered
include: segmental marketing; buyer behaviour and market research;
the marketing mix; marketing of services; product portfolios
and the role of branding; evaluating the effectiveness and
efficiency of marketing strategies; and sustaining competitive
advantage.
The first half of this module examines commercial
banking, central banking, financial regulation, principles
of intermediation, financial markets and the term structure
of interest rates. The second half of the module examines
some of the major conflicting economic opinions about the
role of money and the financial system in developing economies.
Particular attention will be paid to the role of the IMF and
other international organisations in promoting the development
of financial systems throughout the world.
Financial Analysis is concerned with the evaluation
and interpretation of financial statements. The module aims
to provide an introduction to the techniques used in financial
analysis in addition to highlighting the many problems associated
with analysis. The course focuses on the provision and use
of financial information as well as the analysis of data through
the use of ratios. In addition it examines other techniques
available to financial analysts such as cross- section and
time-series analysis. The response of capital markets to the
information produced by financial analysts will also be studied
as will forecasting models and the techniques analysts use
to predict financial failure.
Private Banking covers practical issues relating
to the high-quality provision of a range of financial and
related services to wealthy clients, principally individuals
and their families. This module covers: origins and historical
evolution of private banking business; institutional structure
and defining client needs; asset management services; risk
management services; offshore versus onshore private banking.
The second part of the module on investment
banking provides an up-to-date perspective of how investment
banking strategies are being shaped. It provides a practical
insight into the workings of the main financial markets in
which investment banks operate and the services that they
provide. This module covers: evolution and industrial structure
of the investment banking industry; investment banking strategies;
operations of investment banks in key money and capital markets;
competitive positioning; organisation and management.
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Entry to the MBA Banking and Finance requires
a first degree and preferably financial sector experience.
Alternatively, possession of a suitable professional qualification
and practical experience may also be accepted. In general,
however, applicants will be judged on their individual merits,
and age, work experience and other factors will also considered.
If English is not your native language, then
satisfactory evidence must be produced to show an adequate
knowledge and understanding of written and spoken English.
IELTS and TOEFL test scores of no less than 6.0 or 560 respectively
are acceptable. It may be necessary for applicants falling
short of this minimum standard to attend an intensive English
Language course before registering for the academic course.
Such a course is available at Bangor through ELCOS. Please
contact:
,
ELCOS Director,
University of Wales
Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DG
e-mail: els002@bangor.ac.uk
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7. Other Opportunities
Within the School
Three-year degree schemes leading to bachelor's
degrees in accounting and finance, banking and finance, economics,
business studies and marketing, and management are offered
including various permutations. In addition a range of joint
degree programmes are also available. All these courses provide
an excellent training for those wishing to pursue a career
in finance, business and management.
An intensive one year MA in Banking & Finance
is provided. The course covers both advanced theoretical and
practical issues, as well as developments in banking and finance.
This programme is for students who have already obtained a
good undergraduate degree in economics, accounting, or finance
areas.
The Centre for Banking and Financial Studies
has a highly regarded postgraduate programme which concentrates
on PhD study in the areas of banking and finance. Successful
completion of the MA in Banking & Finance counts as the
first year of research training for PhD students.
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Lecturer in Finance and
Risk Management
Teaching and research interests span finance,
risk management and insurance.
Lecturer in Research Methods
Main teaching and research interests are in
the areas of quantitative analysis and modelling bank and
other financial data
Senior Lecturer in Economics
Main teaching and research interests are microeconomic
theory, social choice and welfare economics
Msc PhD Wales FCIS
FCIB MIMgt
Professor of Banking
Main teaching and research interests are in
bank regulation, capital adequacy and the strategies and management
of financial institutions.
Lecturer in Accounting
Research interests focus on the interface between
corporate finance and taxation, and on market-based accounting
research. Teaching interests in the areas of corporate finance,
taxation and financial modelling.
Senior Lecturer in Economics
Recent research has explored the value of computer-based
personnel data as a means of evaluating aspects of corporate
personnel practice. Teaching interests in the area of macroeconomics
and labour economics.
Lecturer in
Management Studies
Teaching interests focuses on marketing and
entrepreneurship, with a particular emphasis at post-graduate
level on both issues in the context of organisational and
personal development in the delegateÕs own operating
environment.
TSB Professor of Treasury
Teaching and research interests in financial
analysis, statistical modelling of financial ratios and international
finance.
Professor of Banking
& Finance
Main area of teaching and research is on the
structure and efficiency of banking markets and financial
systems.
Lecturer in Accounting
Teaching and research interests focus on the
objectives of financial reporting.
Lecturer in Human Resource Management
Teaching and research interests cover a broad
spectrum of HRM areas including career development and renumeration
Lecturer in Banking
Teaching and research interests include
modelling performance and efficiency and corporate governance
in banking.
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