(MSc) Master of Science
Accounting and Financial Management
Current
University of Essex
University of Essex
Essex Business School
Colchester Campus
Masters
Full-time or part-time
None
MSC N4N324
28/11/2012
Details
Professional accreditation
None
Admission criteria
A degree with an overall high 2:2.
IELTS (International English Language Testing System) code
IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum component score of 5.5
Course qualifiers
A course qualifier is a bracketed addition to your course title to denote a specialisation or pathway that you have achieved via the completion of specific modules during your course. The
specific module requirements for each qualifier title are noted below. Eligibility for any selected qualifier will be determined by the department and confirmed by the final year Board of
Examiners. If the required modules are not successfully completed, your course title will remain as described above without any bracketed addition. Selection of a course qualifier is
optional and student can register preferences or opt-out via Online Module Enrolment (eNROL).
None
Rules of assessment
Rules of assessment are the rules, principles and frameworks which the University uses to calculate your course progression and final results.
Additional notes
None
External examiners
External Examiners provide an independent overview of our courses, offering their expertise and help towards our continual improvement of course content, teaching, learning, and assessment.
External Examiners are normally academics from other higher education institutions, but may be from the industry, business or the profession as appropriate for the course.
They comment on how well courses align with national standards, and on how well the teaching, learning and assessment methods allow students to develop and demonstrate the relevant knowledge and skills needed to achieve their awards.
External Examiners who are responsible for awards are key members of Boards of Examiners. These boards make decisions about student progression within their course and about whether students can receive their final award.
Programme aims
To provide students with the opportunity to broaden and deepen their knowledge of advanced concepts in finance and investment.
To provide students with the opportunity to analyse the role of financial information and data.
To equip students with a knowledge of advanced research methodologies covering quantitative approaches to empirical research.
To provide students with the advanced knowledge and skills to enable them to proceed to independent, self-directed research.
To develop students' critical and analytical skills which will prepare them for employment in the financial or business sectors or an education environment.
Learning outcomes and learning, teaching and assessment methods
On successful completion of the programme a graduate should demonstrate knowledge and skills as follows:
A: Knowledge and understanding
A1: Role and nature of advanced concepts and theoretical models in finance and data analytics
A2: Competing perspectives and associated empirical evidence relating to finance and management issues.
A3: Epistemological and social scientific influences and interpretations of finance and management
A4: An in-depth understanding of the various research methodologies available to investigate finance and management issues and the influences of these methods on the understandings generated.
A5: In-depth understanding of particular areas in which the student has chosen to specialise.
Learning methods
Assessment methods
Informal: Outcomes A1-A5 are informally assessed via oral presentations.
The associated informal feedback provided enable students to explore and enhance their understandings and develop presentation skills.
Formal: Outcomes A1-A5 are formally assessed via unseen written examinations and coursework assignments.
B: Intellectual and cognitive skills
B1: Capacity to appraise theoretical ideas.
B2: Assimilate and synthesise advanced theories and concepts from a variety of relevant frameworks.
B3: Formulate logical and coherent arguments
B4: Interpret and critically evaluate empirical evidence
B5: Plan and undertake a substantial piece of independent research
Learning methods
Assessment methods
Informal: Skills B1-B4 are assessed informally via oral presentations.
The associated informal feedback provided enable students to explore and enhance their understandings, and develop presentation skills.
Formal: Skills B1-B4 are assessed formally via unseen written examinations and coursework assignments.
The MSc Dissertation provides a further opportunity to assess skills B1-B4.
Skill B5 is assessed through the dissertation.
C: Practical skills
C1: Access and retrieve information from a variety of primary and secondary sources
C2: Research presentation and written presentation skills.
C3: Plan and undertake independent research
C4: Evaluate the strengths and limitations of different approaches to analysing financial and management information and data
C5: Analyse and evaluate financial and management data
C6: Role and nature of advanced concepts and theoretical models in banking and international finance
Learning methods
Assessment methods
Informal: Skills C1-C5 are assessed informally through presentations along with the associated informal feedback.
These further enable students to explore and enhance their understandings, and develop research and presentation skills.
Formal: Skills C1-C5 are assessed formally via unseen written examinations and coursework assignments.
These facilitate demonstration of knowledge of the relevant financial theories and of a critical and reflexive approach to empirical evidence.
Skill C6 is assessed through the dissertation
D: Key skills
D1: Communicate ideas and arguments in a coherent and effective manner.
D2: Participating in group work in undertaking research and preparing informal presentations
D3: Manipulate numerical data and apply appropriate statistical or econometric techniques
D4: Problem-solving and analytical skills
D5: Use information technology, such as word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and Internet in order to source, download and analyse data.
D6: Reflectively analyse own performance and feedback
Learning methods
Assessment methods
The assessment of the majority of key transferable skills forms an integral part of the overall assessment of the finance degree schemes.
However the approach to assessment varies.
Written communication skills, problem solving, numeracy and IT skills are assessed directly throughout the degree programme.
Personal skills are assessed through coursework.
Verbal communication skills are not formally assessed although feedback on communication skills forms part of the formative feedback provided in tutorial sessions.