Course description

The demand for highly skilled experts in financial economics continues to increase rapidly in the modern economy. This demand exists in the public sector (central banks, international organisations, academic institutions) and especially, in the private sector (commercial banks and insurance companies).

This course is designed to meet this demand, for those of you who seek a quantitative degree in financial economics, by combining a solid training in microeconomic and macroeconomic principles, as well as the quantitative methods and theory needed for the analysis of financial markets.

Financial economics is a fascinating area, having a history marked by outstanding achievements. A remarkable feature of this discipline is that its theoretical highlights (such as the Black-Scholes formula) turned out to be extremely important in practice. Fundamental ideas and tools of financial economics that were developed at the interface between mathematical economics and finance created new markets essentially based on concepts suggested by academics. 

A central goal of the course is to demonstrate the use of these ideas and tools in contexts where they are indispensable and widely exploited. The course will expose you to quantitative techniques and theory that will be useful in the financial industry - a portfolio manager, risk management consultant, or financial analyst.

UG Example - Example course module (PDF, 10KB)

Course content and preliminary reading for the Econometrics module, provided as an example.

Special features

Quantitative methods preparation for the MSc

1. Please visit our Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Economics website where you will find information about the minimum level of knowledge of mathematics and statistics that you should possess from your current or previous training.

2. On the same website, please look at the details and content of our Introduction course on Quantitative Methods in Economics which builds on the knowledge resumed in (1) and which is designed to equip you with further technical skills that you will require before starting the MSc.

3. You are strongly advised to attend this course which is offered, free of charge. The course will run during induction week and we recommend that you spend some time between July 1 and September studying and familiarising yourself with the course material on the website, especially if you might not be able to attend the course. The significance of this course is illustrated by the fact that the obtained marks contribute 10% to the final marks of the Maths Methods and Econometrics compulsory units of semester 1.

Teaching and learning

Part-time students complete the full-time programme over two years. There are no evening or weekend course units available on the part-time programme.  

You must first check the schedule of the compulsory modules and then select your optional modules to suit your requirements.  

Updated timetable information will be available from mid-August and you will have the opportunity to discuss your module choices during induction week with your Course Director.

Coursework and assessment

Assessment is usually by written examination at the end of each semester in which a course unit is taught.

Some units may require a course work element that may be assessed. Progression to the summer dissertation element requires completion of the taught element at least at pass-level.