BSc Finance and Investment Management

 Course summary

• Gain a solid foundation in financial trading and investment management.
• Develop deep analytical, critical thinking and problem-solving skills in finance.
• Study for a degree and a professional qualification in state-of-the-art facilities.
• Learn from qualified experts – many who are active in business and research.

Apply multiple areas of financial knowledge to a range of real-world settings. Based in our renowned Business School in your first and final year – in your second year you’ll work with our experienced trading partner in finance and investment insudtry. It’s an incredible chance to gain valuable market knowledge in financial capitals – where you could also complete an extended placement, or even in another global location.

How you learn

You’ll study BSc Finance and Investment Management at our Business Schoo, IBSF, rated among the top business schools globally for excellence in teaching and research. Here, you’ll join a global community where business leaders, researchers and students all come together to solve problems and make things better. 

Our academics are highly skilled professionals, bringing their cutting-edge knowledge and diverse experience into the classroom. Not only are they academically qualified – they’ve also worked in a range of industries, with some actively engaged in research. 

You learn through:

• Lectures 
• Tutorials 
• IT sessions 
• Regular formative feedback 
• Teamwork and group-based learning 
• Practice-based applied learning 
• Authentic learning experiences 
• Engagement with guest lectures 
• Discussions 
• Self-managed study 
• Problem-solving
• Self-development activities

 Key Themes

You’ll begin by developing a strong understanding in finance, investment management, equipping you with the practical skills essential for investment management, and the quantitative skills to apply the fundamental concepts of finance. You’ll develop your understanding of how and when to use appropriate processes, tools, technologies and trading techniques. 

As you progress, you’ll further refine these fundamentals through real-world projects, collaborating in teams to create reports, presentations, and recommendations inspired by real industry challenges. After completing your second year in London, and potentially a placement year there or further afield, you’ll then undertake a trading and investment management project in Sheffield. 

We promote flexibility, aiming to empower you to customise your course to align with your interests and aspirations. You can choose from elective pathways including forensic accounting, sustainable accounting/environmental accounting, sports finance and other traditional routes.

Course Support

You’ll be supported in your learning journey towards highly-skilled, graduate-level employment. This includes: 

• Access to specialist support services to help with your personal, academic and career development
• Access to our Skills Centre for support with one-to-ones, webinars and online resources, where you can get help with planning and structuring your assignments and assessment preparation
• Industry-specific employability activities, including work placements, live projects, simulated learning environments, and networking opportunities

90% of students on this course were satisfied with how well teaching staff supported their learning in the 2025 National Student Survey.

 Applied learning

Live Projects

In your second year, you’ll actively engage in the formulation and execution of trading strategies in real financial markets – making use of live data and integrating your expertise in investment management.

In your final year, rather than a dissertation, you’ll construct a simulated trading or investment portfolio, which serves as the focal point of your major project. 

This final project is an innovative opportunity to demonstrate your applied knowledge and practical competencies in finance and investment. It also offers a real-world perspective that can significantly enhance your career prospects.

Work Placements 

You’ll have the opportunity to take part in an extended work placement between your second and third years. This gives you hands-on work experience to prepare you for your future career – immersing yourself in the industry you’ve been learning about.

This is such valuable work experience to prepare you for your future career. 

Modules

 Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.

You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course.

See the modules table below for further information.

YEAR 1

Compulsory modules

Module 1: Assets and investment management

This module explores asset class categories of investments with similar characteristics and risks – from equities and fixed income to real estate and alternative investments. You’ll consider diversification of investment capital across asset classes to match an investor’s goals, risk tolerance and investment horizon – as well as the active or passive nature of investment management, from choosing individual securities to buy and sell within asset classes, to investing in a diversified portfolio of index funds or ETFs that track a particular asset class.  

You’ll study topics such as:  

• Asset classes and investment management
• Equities and stock market analysis
• Fixed income securities, duration and bond market analysis
• Real estate investments and property analysis
• Alternative investments: private equity, hedge funds and commodities
• Portfolio management: asset allocation and diversification
• Active investment management: fundamental and technical analysis
• Passive investment management: index funds and ETFs
• Behavioural finance: investor biases and emotions
• Capital asset pricing model (CAPM) and modern portfolio theory (MPT)  

Module 2: Data Analytics for Finance and Business

This module develops your understanding of various quantitative processes for collecting, analysing, managing, interpreting and utilising data within the context of business and economics. You’ll gain the knowledge and analytical and mathematical skills to tackle advanced material in later years, along with transferable insights for other disciplines and applications.

You’ll study topics such as:

• Summarising data by tabulation, graphs and summary measures 
• Analysis through measures of change and index numbers
• Examine the relationships between variables using scatter diagrams and correlation coefficients  
• Time series analysis using graphs, moving averages and linear regression
• Forecasting using additive and multiplicative models
• Creating future cash flows based on forecast figures and estimation
• Calculate present, future and outstanding values and the internal rate of return of a project
• Descriptive statistics, measures of central tendency, variability and graphical representation  
• Trend analysis, seasonal factor and time series model forecasting 

Module 3: Fundamentals of Finance

 This module develops your understanding of the principles of finance, including the ability to read, understand and perform fundamental analysis of financial statements – such as income statements, statements of financial position and cash flow statements. It’s an applied project module, working collaboratively with a client to explore real-world challenges while developing and employing professional behaviours.    

You’ll apply skills and learning such as:  

• Reading, comprehending and providing basic analysis of core financial statements
• Describing and interpreting financial ratios  
• The principle of risk and return and the time value of money  
• The concept of investment analysis – present and future values
• The role of financial firms (corporate objectives)  
• The principal-agent relationship
• Conducting and explaining basic investment appraisal analysis  
• Work experience through a client-led experiential project 
• Reflecting on your strengths
• Recognising your professional behaviours, limitations and experiences

Module 4: Introduction to trading algorithms

 This module provides students with an awareness of trading algorithms so that they have a basic understanding that will help them make sense of other more complex trading platforms later. Students will use variants of Jupyter Notebooks to explore the Python coding language and its libraries such as Pandas, that run on the Linux operating system in a cloud. After mastering basic coding skills students will be guided through more advanced coding that models stock data as a time series and uses “Back Testing” to check if an algorithm would make money or not.

The module will be delivered weekly as a one-hour lecture that explains underpinning theories before a two-hour practical seminar to embed and reinforce learning from the lecture.

Indicative content:  

• Jupyter notebooks
• IT infrastructure
• Linux operating system
• Getting and preparing data
• Introduction to Python
• Introduction to Trading Algorithms
• In-built and custom-made functions
• Pandas, Numpy and other modules
• Stock data as a data set
• Time series analysis
• Visualisation
• Back testing

YEAR 2

Compulsory modules

Module 1: Financial Management and Risk

This module provides an understanding of financial markets to enable evaluation of choices in funding and financing investment decisions, with an appreciation of the role of cash in firm, managing working capital and the management and measurement of risk for decision-making. You’ll apply core concepts of finance to reduce risk or engage in risk taking activities, while gaining immersive work experience in partnership with external organisations.

You’ll study topics such as:  

• Business risk and financial risk
• Sources of equity finance, debt finance and leasing decisions
• Working capital management of cash, inventory, receivables and payables
• Investment appraisal techniques with risk and capital rationing
• Foreign exchange rate risk management using both internal and external techniques
• Interest rate risk management using both internal and external techniques
• Other financial risks facing global companies, including liquidity, commodity and operational risk
• Credit rating factors determining ratings, covenant tests and ratings methodology
• The adoption and implementation of enterprise-wide risk management
• Work-integrated learning  

Module 2: Financial Markets and Institutions

This module provides an in-depth understanding of the structure and functioning of financial markets and institutions, including the roles and functions of financial intermediaries – such as banks, central banks, insurance companies, pension funds and stock exchanges. You’ll consider how they contribute to the efficient allocation of capital in the economy, while developing analytical and critical thinking skills, and making informed decisions when investing or managing financial risk.

You’ll study topics such as:  

• Overview of financial markets and institutions
• Financial instruments, bonds, equities and derivatives
• Foreign exchange markets and currency risk management
• Money markets and capital markets
• Securities markets and trading
• Financial intermediary banks, insurance companies and pension funds
• Asset-backed securities and mortgage-backed securities
• Listing rules and the listing authority

 Module 3: Financial Trading

 This module is initially taught by specialist trading education partners – six weeks full-time Monday to Friday in an internship environment, where you learn how to trade a range of markets from professional traders in a purpose-built trading room using industry-standard technology. You’ll then join us for two weeks, focusing on the employability skills you’ll need in financial services.  

You’ll study topics such as:

• Fundamental analysis
• Technical analysis
• Trade planning and execution
• Trade management
• Using industry-standard hardware, software and news services
• The behaviours and professionalism required to succeed
• Critical analysis and reflection of your strengths

Module 4: Law, Ethics and Investment Professionalism

 This module introduces law, the English legal system and professional ethics in financial services. You’ll develop your understanding of legality and morality to inform decision-making in financial services organisations.

You’ll study topics such as:   

• The English legal system  
• Contract law   
• Legal and ethical principles and theories   
• The relationship between law and ethics   
• Law and ethics in professional practice  
• Legal trusts   
• Ethical decision-making  
• The role of financial advisers

 YEAR 3

Compulsory modules

Module 1: International Derivatives and Risk

This module provides an in-depth understanding of derivatives and their characteristics or uses in financial markets – from futures, options, swaps and credit derivatives to the various strategies used to manage risk and enhance returns. Through applied learning you’ll learn to value derivatives, price options using different models and hedge positions using different instruments – while considering the relevant regulatory framework surrounding derivatives.

 

You’ll study topics such as:  

• Introduction to derivatives
• Underlying assets
• Exchange traded futures and options OTC derivatives
• Clearing
• Delivery and settlement
• Portfolio research and construction  
• Trading, hedging and investment strategies
• Investment selection and administration  
• Regulatory requirements

Module 2: Investment Taxation

This module provides the knowledge and skills you’ll need to manage investment risks and understand the impact of taxation on investment decisions – from risk analysis and management techniques to the taxation of various investment products. You’ll learn how to identify different types of investment risk and about applying appropriate risk management strategies to mitigate them – as well as the taxation implications of income, capital gains and inheritance tax.

You’ll study topics such as:  

• Reducing portfolio risk
• Income tax calculations
• Investment income taxation
• National Insurance contributions
• Capital gains, inheritance tax and stamp duty
• Corporation tax and VAT
• Advising clients and fact finding
• Risk and product suitability
• Investment recommendations
• Tax planning

Module 3: Regulations of Markets, Firms and Clients Advice

This module provides a comprehensive understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks governing the financial services industry in the UK. You’ll learn how to provide effective and ethical financial advice to clients –identifying their needs, assessing their risk tolerance, and developing appropriate investment strategies that comply with regulatory requirements and ethical standards.

You’ll study topics such as:  

• The key principles and rules of financial regulation  
• The rationale for regulation
• Approach to regulation
• FICA and PRA regulation
• Conduct of business rules  
• Regulation relating to financial crime  
• Types and characteristics of clients  
• Client circumstances and risk profile  
• Advising clients and providing personal recommendations  

Module 4: Trading and Investment Management Project

This module’s outcomes are similar to a dissertation – a project where you’ll conduct independent research, visit industry clients, make informed decisions in financial markets, and present your findings clearly and concisely. The project may involve creating trading strategies, evaluating the risk-reward trade-off and assessing the performance of investment portfolios – as well as advanced statistical and financial modelling techniques to analyse data and make predictions about market trends.

 

You’ll apply learning and skills such as:

• Research design, methods, questions, hypotheses and ethical considerations
• Literature review searches and reviews
• Research design, sampling techniques and data collection
• Quantitative and qualitative research
• Data analysis, preparation and statistics
• Writing a proposal and reporting findings
• Consultancy, communication and team-work
• Process focus vs results focus
• Real-life consultancy projects and cross-team collaboration
• Reflection on your knowledge and skills to support graduate employability

Future careers

This course prepares you for a career in a wide range of roles in Financial Services including:  

• Financial markets trading
• Investment management 
• Wealth management 
• Financial planning and advice