BE318-5-SP-CO:
Financial Technology and Innovation (Fintech)
2024/25
Essex Business School
Colchester Campus
Spring
Undergraduate: Level 5
Future
15
08 April 2024
Requisites for this module
BE303 and BE304
(none)
(none)
(none)
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Financial technology (FinTech) is rapidly changing the financial services industries. The module introduces FinTech by analysing its impact on major banking and financial activities.
The module illustrates the effect of FinTech on lending activities (P2P lending, crowdfunding), credit evaluation tools (big data, machine learning and artificial intelligence tools), investment activities (trading and robo-advising), payments (crypto currencies and new payment tools), and insurance (InsureTech).
The aims of this module are:
- provide students with an in-depth understanding of recent FinTech developments and their impact on the financial services industries;
- provide students with an in-depth understanding of technology innovations, as machine learning, artificial intelligence and blockchain, influencing banking and financial services;
- provide students with an in-depth understanding of developments in payments, as cryptocurrencies and new services;
- provide students with an in-depth understanding of alternative lending technologies tools and new techniques for assessing credit standing;
- provide students with an in-depth understanding of innovative investment services;
- to apply machine learning in robo-advising and FinTech;
- provide students with an in-depth understanding of ethical and regulatory issues in FinTech
By the end of the module, students will be expected to:
- Demonstrate a systematic overview of technology innovations and their application in banking and finance;
- Comprehend the contribution provided by complex technology advances (as artificial intelligence and machine learning) to the assessment of a borrower’s credit standing;
- Accurately and critically evaluate the pros and cons of robo-advising and new investment tools
- Demonstrate a sound understanding of cryptocurrencies and new payment services;
- Understand the functioning and contribution provided to non-financial corporation alternative lending, as P2P lending, crowdfunding;
- Demonstrate familiarity with Ethical and regulatory issues in FinTech.
Transferable Skills
- Improve your research skills through the use Google Scholar search platform;
- Develop your critical thinking through the use of recent article journals;
- Enhance your written communication skills through writing assignment.
Indicative syllabus
- Introduction to Fintech
- Technology Risk Management
- Lending: Alternative channels, Crowdfunding, and P2P Technology
- Blockchain and Applications
- Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Application Programming Interface
- Payments: Crypto-Currencies and New Payments Services
- Cyber Risk
- Insurtech
This module will be delivered via:
The main aims of the lectures are to stimulate your intellectual interest in the subject and to provide you with a structured treatment of the more technical material and a framework to facilitate your private study.
Although lectures are not designed as interactive, you may have the opportunity in lectures to raise issues and confirm your understanding of the analysis where appropriate.
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Exam |
Main exam: In-Person, Open Book, 120 minutes during Summer (Main Period)
|
| Exam |
Reassessment Main exam: In-Person, Open Book, 120 minutes during September (Reassessment Period)
|
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Yes
No
No
No external examiner information available for this module.
Available via Moodle
No lecture recording information available for this module.
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