| Unit name | Financial Markets and Investments |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ACFIM0028 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Tran |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Accounting and Finance - Business School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
Students of this unit will obtain a comprehensive knowledge about financial markets and investment management. This unit will equip them with valuable analytics skills and knowledge that are applicable in both personal and professional contexts. Many career paths in finance, economics, and business require a solid understanding of financial markets and investments. Whether students choose to pursue a career in investment banking, asset management, financial analysis, or corporate finance, having knowledge of how financial markets operate is often an advantage. Furthermore, studying financial markets requires analytical thinking and the ability to assess and interpret data. These skills are transferable to various aspects of life and can contribute to a student's overall problem-solving ability.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit introduces students to a wide range of financial products and strategies to manage investment portfolio. This harmonizes well with different accounting and finance programmes in terms of providing students fundamental knowledge about financial markets, enhancing their analytical thinking and data analytics skills, which are transferable to various aspects of life and can contribute to a student's overall problem-solving ability.
An overview of content
This unit aims to provide students with knowledge of financial market instruments, trading strategies and contemporary issues in investment management and financial markets. The unit begins with an introduction of financial markets and instruments such as equities, bonds, and derivatives, and discusses the trading strategies employing these financial instruments. Students will also study about financial analysts, funds managers, and foreign exchange market. Finally, students will review and discuss contemporary issues in financial markets.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
Students will gain fundamental knowledge about financial markets and investment management, enhancing their analytical thinking and data analytics skills. These skills and knowledge will be useful for students if they decide to pursue a career in many accounting, business, economics and finance fields, including but not limited to investment banking, asset management, financial analysis, or corporate finance. These skills are also transferable in many aspects of life, including personal finance management.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of the module, students will be able to:
How you will learn
Teaching includes a combination of lectures and smaller group workshops.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
2 hour Exam (100%)
The exam will examine students’ understanding of key topics in financial markets and investments, their ability to solve analytical investment problems, discuss contemporary topics in financial markets, and make investment recommendations based on analytical analysis and critical thinking. The exam will also test the students’ capability of analyse and critically discuss key theoretical issues such as the relevance of efficient market hypothesis and application of basic asset pricing models in practice.
Relevant ILOs: ILO1, ILO2, ILO3, ILO4.
When assessment does not go to plan
When a student fails the unit and is eligible to resubmit, failed components will be reassessed on a like-for-like basis, a 2 hour exam (100%) (ILO1, ILO2, ILO3 and ILO4).
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. ACFIM0028).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
