This programme is accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). From September 2017, students of this programme will graduate with the dual award of a Bangor University Masters and a Level 7 CMI qualification in Strategic Management and Leadership.

This degree programme provides the opportunity to follow the prestigious CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) specialist pathway and acquire the skills to complete the CFA Level 1 examination (for both September-intake and January-intake students). Click here for more information.

The ever-changing nature of business firms and the markets in which they operate, has made it increasingly important for corporate managers to have a clear understanding of the theory and practice relating to strategic management and the interrelationships between the firm, its employees and its markets, and the implications for corporate financial strategy. Familiarity with the most recent developments in risk appraisal, valuation, marketing, human resource management (HRM), organisational behaviour and strategic management are essential requirements for all those involved directly in business, or in financing business activities, or those who wish to gain a deeper understanding of these important areas.

Issues you will study as part of your MSc or MA Business and Finance degree programme include:

How can organisations ensure their own survival in a rapidly changing competitive

What are the key strategic management problems facing organisations?

Are organisations as complex as they seem?

How can you analyse the strategy process, evaluate the strategic choices that may be made and place a value on the strategic options that are available?

How would you recognise effective approaches to HRM?

What are the costs and benefits of the alternatives?

Do contemporary employment practices lessen conflicts and tensions in the employment relationship?

Which factors are most likely to influence the evaluation and implementation of investment projects?

How can we calculate a suitable cost of capital to appraise the capital investment decision?

What are the relationships between risk and return governing investment? Can market risk be priced accurately?

Can credit risk be priced accurately?

What are the key principles of international portfolio management in a world of fast and unpredictable movements in exchange rates?

Can futures, options, derivatives and swaps be used to manage the risks involved?

How can financial forecasts be used in business valuation, and what techniques should be used to improve trend analysis and interfirm comparison?

With these needs in mind, the MSc and MA Management and Finance programmes at Bangor are designed to develop participants’ existing skills through a scheme of specialist advanced study. An important objective is to provide participants not only with an insight into organisational behaviour and strategic choices in HRM and marketing, but also with an understanding of theoretical developments relating to corporate finance and the capital markets, and competence in the techniques required to assess the consequences for business management. These programmes provide a coherent theoretical framework for the various subject areas, but the emphasis throughout is on advanced practical application of business management and financial techniques in a real-world setting.

The availability of parallel MSc and MA degrees in Management and Finance allows you to choose between registering for a more technical MSc degree (including a compulsory element in Financial Econometrics), and a less technical MA degree (for which Financial Econometrics is optional). The MSc degree may be more suitable for applicants with some previous background in mathematics, statistics or econometrics, while the MA degree is more suitable for applicants who prefer to adopt a predominantly non-quantitative approach to their studies. However, both degrees include a compulsory module in Research Methods, which includes coverage of both quantitative and non-quantitative research techniques. Provided you are registered for the correct modules for your chosen degree, it is normally possible to transfer between the MSc and MA degrees during the first few weeks following your initial registration.