Our Finance and Investment degree teaches you how to apply economic and financial principles to real business situations. It prepares you for a career in a broad range of sectors including financial management, investment banking and equity trading.
Kent Business School delivers a high standard of business education and is the largest school at the University of Kent. Our academic research and links with global business inform our teaching, ensuring a curriculum that is both rigorous and current.
This four-year programme prepares you for a career in a broad range of sectors including financial management, investment banking and equity trading. In your first year, you study financial accounting, data analysis, statistics, financial markets and instruments, economics for business and quantitative methods for finance. This gives you a thorough understanding of the core principles of finance and investment.
In your second and final years, you deepen your knowledge and focus on specialised topics. A wide range of options means you can choose modules that interest you: areas covered include corporate finance, investment analysis, financial econometrics, portfolio management, business law and employment rights.
Elements of practical work are carried out in the finance lab with the aid of the Bloomberg virtual trading platform. You can apply the theories you learn in the classroom to real situations, accessing and engaging with market data via case studies and online databases.
This course is has been acknowledged under the CFA University Affiliation Program. Being recognised by the CFA’s University Affiliation Program indicates that our BSc Finance and Investment with a Year in Industry is closely tied to the industry practice of investment management and embeds a significant portion of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge (CBOK) including the Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.
As part of this degree, you take a compulsory paid business placement between your second and final years. The placement runs for at least 44 weeks and starts between June and September, following your second-year examinations. Placements help develop your skills and knowledge and aid your final year of study.
Find out more about the placement year with the Kent Business School.
It is possible to take this as a three-year course without a year in industry. See Finance and Investment BSc (Hons).
Kent Business School has excellent links with business schools globally, including in China, USA, Hong Kong, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden and Italy. Our wide array of exchange partners give you the opportunity to gain international experience. Our partners are committed to enhancing their international outlook while providing excellent teaching. You will gain invaluable work experience, develop your understanding of a new culture and improve your language skills.
Our exchange partners include these top ranked institutions amongst others:
Alongside your studies, you can discover how to turn your idea into a successful business at our ASPIRE centre, which provides practical advice and support, and runs our Business Start-up Journey initiative.
Kent Business and Kent Enterprise are two of our student-run societies. Their activities have included events with guest speakers from industry and support for budding entrepreneurs.
Kent Business School also puts on special events and schemes. These may include:
At Kent Business School, we pride ourselves on the strength of our global connections. These include links with:
Kent Business School also has excellent links with business schools globally, including in China, Hong Kong, France, Germany, Spain, Finland and Italy.
Kent Business School is accredited by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). We are committed to excellence by providing world-class, thought-provoking programmes. We champion sustainable innovation through high-quality research and education, impacting business and society and are committed to developing employable, ethical graduates who can make a positive difference.
All of our programmes at Kent Business School address the challenges of modern global business and we aim to meet industry demands of producing quality graduates by ensuring we unlock our students’ potential, expand their thinking and nurture their talent.
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications. Typical requirements are listed below. Students offering alternative qualifications should contact us for further advice.
Please note that meeting this typical offer/minimum requirement does not guarantee an offer being made.Please also see our general entry requirements.
If you’ve taken exams under the new GCSE grading system, please see our conversion table to convert your GCSE grades.
BBB
Mathematics grade B (or 6) and English grade C (or 4)
The University will not necessarily make conditional offers to all Access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis.
If we make you an offer, you will need to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above.
The University will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF; OCR) on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us for further advice on your individual circumstances.
A typical offer would be to achieve Distinction, Distinction, Merit
34 points overall or 16 points at HL, including Mathematics 4 at HL or SL (Mathematics Studies 5 at SL)
The University welcomes applications from international students. Our international recruitment team can guide you on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about entry requirements for your country.
However, please note that international fee-paying students cannot undertake a part-time programme due to visa restrictions.
If you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes.
For more advice about applying to Kent, you can meet our staff at a range of international events.
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of 'pre-sessional' courses in English for Academic Purposes. You attend these courses before starting your degree programme.
Duration: 4 years full-time
The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.
On most programmes, you study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also be able to take ‘elective’ modules from other programmes so you can customise your programme and explore other subjects that interest you.
This module will cover the key concepts of microeconomics and theories related to the individual, firm and industry in the short and long run, underpinned by existing evidence on past and current economic trends in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world.
Indicative topics are:
Key microeconomic concepts such as opportunity cost and equity versus efficiency
Supply and demand; elasticity
Cost and revenues
Profit maximisation under different market structures
Input markets; labour and capital
The aim of this module is to give students a solid grounding in key statistical techniques required to analyse effectively business data and data relevant for business. Indicative content:
• Maths and statistical skills for business; revision of algebra and basic mathematical functions.
• Summarising data with histograms, bar charts, frequency distributions, measures of central tendency and dispersion.
• Spreadsheets: features and functions of commonly-used spreadsheet software including: workbook, worksheet, rows, columns, cells, data, text, formulae, formatting, printing, , charts and graphs, data management facilities,
• Probability: The relationship between probability, proportion and percent, addition and multiplication rules in probability theory and Venn diagrams.
• Common Probability Density Functions.
• Sampling and its use in inference, and applications of sampling in business management.
• Regression and correlation: scatter plots; simple regression; interpreting computer output.
• Forecasting using spreadsheets.
• Hypothesis testing using z-scores and t-scores
• Simulations- random number generation
This module builds on knowledge gained from CB367: Introduction to Data Analysis and Statistics for Business. The module is designed to provide a sound mathematical and statistical foundation for studying finance. Students will learn the key mathematical and statistical tools necessary to analyse effectively financial data.
Topics covered include:
• Basics: algebra, linear equations
• Solving simultaneous linear equations
• Rates of change and Differentiation
• Optimization (minimisation-maximisation)
• Introduction to matrix algebra
• The classical simple and multiple linear regression model (estimation – inference)
This module begins by looking at the role of investments and finance in an organisational context. It then considers the role of financial markets and the links between investors and businesses. Students will learn different investment appraisal techniques used in capital budgeting decisions, such as NPV and IRR. The module also covers the basics of any investment decision, such as the relation between return and risk. In the second part of the module, student will learn about short and long term sources (i.e. capital structure) of finance available to businesses and how to determine the cost and value of each source of long-term finance.
Topics covered include:
- Short-term and long term investment appraisal and capital budgeting techniques
- Estimation of return and risk in the context of portfolio theory
- Short-term finance and working capital management
- Long-term finance and the cost of each source of finance
- Capital structure and weighted average cost of capital
- Interaction of investment and financing decisions
This module introduces students to different financial markets and their role in the economy. These markets include equity, bond/debt/interest rate, foreign exchange and derivative markets. In this module, students will also learn about the trading instruments used in these markets. Moreover, the module offers an exploration of current developments in the world's financial markets and institutions, including innovation, globalization, and deregulation, with a focus on the actual practices of financial institutions, investors, and financial instruments.
Topics covered include:
• The development of financial markets and instruments and their role in the economy
• Money, interest and bond markets and their major instruments
• Equity markets, their functions and instruments
• Derivative markets and their instruments
• Foreign exchange markets
The module will cover various aspects of the changing international business environment, and their impact upon business operations and strategy. It will give students an appreciation of the business difficulties faced; the variety of factors influencing the choices and compromises that have to be made in international businesses, and the implications of those for the future viability and effectiveness of the organisations concerned.
An list of topics is given below:
• Globalisation: Definition, Evolution, Implications for countries, firms and people
• The International Business Environment: World Institutions, Patterns of International Trade and FDI Activities
• The Triad: European Union, United States, Japan - Investment, Trade, Relations
• Developing and Emerging Economies: Opportunities and Challenges
• Cultural Frameworks for International Business
• Entry Modes: Theory and Practice
• Internationalisation Theories
• International Expansion Strategies
• International Stakeholders – Ethical Issues
This module aims to give students a better understanding of the importance of accounting in the modern world and how accounts are produced and regulated to produce meaningful information for all internal and external stakeholders.
This module provides fundamental knowledge of a range of business organisations, business purpose, ownership types and stakeholder influence. It further introduces organisational structures, functional areas and the impact of the external environment on business. Furthermore, this module introduces the many factors that shape the nature of organisations operating in an increasingly complex business environment such as innovation, internationalisation, entrepreneurship, and sustainability. Module participants explore this dynamic nature of business and consider successful existence within modern organisations through studying and applying employability skills such as leadership, teamwork, and resilience.
This module advances the topics learnt in BUSN3750 Fundamentals of Finance and Investments. In this framework, the module considers the impact of inflation, capital rationing, and taxation in capital budgeting decisions along with the understanding and use of sensitivity analysis in the context of risk in project appraisal. It then proceeds to introduce risk free asset in portfolio formation and concludes with learning about Capital Asset Pricing Model. Students also learn about the impact of taxes on capital structure and weighted average cost of capital. The module also covers another (in addition to investment and financing decisions) major financial management decision, that is, the dividend policy of the firm. Finally, the students also learn about mergers and acquisitions in the context of corporate restructuring. In sum, this module aims to cover the following topics:
- Impact of inflation, capital rationing and taxation on investment appraisal and capital budgeting techniques
- Risk free rate, portfolio theory, and Capital Asset Pricing Model
- Impact of taxes on costs of different sources of finance
- Capital structure and weighted average cost of capital in the presence of taxes
- Dividend based valuation and factors affecting dividend decision
This module is concerned with derivative securities used by the investors for hedging (risk management), speculation and arbitrage purposes. In this module students learn about various derivative instruments such as forwards, futures and options contracts on a range of different underlying assets. These underlying assets could be physical assets such as commodities (gold, oil, etc.) or financial securities (currencies, stocks, etc.). Students also learn about how these derivative instruments are valued. The main focus behind the use of these derivatives would be from risk management perspective. More specifically, this module aims to cover the following topics:
- Types of derivative instruments and their characteristics
- Forward contracts and their valuation
- Futures contracts and their valuation
- Options contracts and their valuation
- Uses of derivatives in portfolio management
The module aims to give students a solid understanding of the basic econometric tools that are often used in the empirical finance literature. The module also develops the IT skills of the students so that students are able to implement sophisticated statistical techniques to model, analyse and forecast financial data by means of Eviews (econometric software). Students will also improve their ability to critically evaluate the use of econometrics in the academic finance literature.
Topics covered include:
• Dummy variables in linear regression models
• Time series models (ARIMA models)
• Forecasting
• Unit root tests
• Simulation analysis
The module aims to provide students with a thorough understanding of the financial accounting techniques at an advanced level and gain an appreciation of the regulatory and social environment within which financial reporting takes place. They will also be able to analyse corporate financial statement information and to make performance evaluations and investment decisions.
Topics covered include:
• Conceptual framework of financial reporting
• Financial Reporting environment
• Off Balance sheet financing
• Group Accounting
• Ratio analysis
• Economics of valuation and valuation models
• Financial reporting model
In the wake of the largest economic crisis in recent times many causes have been proposed for the turmoil. At the centre of the argument is banks' excessive risk-taking behaviour, especially through abundant lending, over-leveraging and dramatic expansion in the usage of credit transfer products in the years leading up to the crisis. On the policy side, incompetence of regulators overseeing the banking system is voiced. Therefore, understanding the banking business and regulation from an international perspective is of paramount importance to prevent future economic crises that may be caused by banks. In this perspective, the module examines the different types of banks, their financial features and risk in banking. It introduces several international banking activities that link national financial markets globally. Particular focus is placed on the importance of regulation from an international perspective through Basel accords.
Topics covered in this module include:
• Introduction to financial intermediation
• Activities of International Banks and relationship banking
• Banks’ balance sheet and income statement
• Perceptions of the global banking before/after 2007/08 financial crisis
• Income structure and balance sheet of banks and bank risks: Retail vs. Investment banks
• International activities of banks: Syndicated lending and asset securitisation
• Bank regulation and supervision: Basel I, II and III
• The 2007/2008 global banking crisis: Causes, the aftermath and implications for banks and regulators
The module will introduce students to the investment environment providing an explanation of the major types of markets in which the securities trade, the trading process and the main players in these markets. It will then follow with a detailed discussion of asset classes, such as stocks, bonds, real estate, commodities and so on. The module will also include a discussion on the asset pricing theories (capital asset pricing model, arbitrage pricing theory and multifactor models). It will mainly focus on the valuation techniques of financial securities, in particular stocks, bonds, and derivative contracts. The module will also introduce students to the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.
Topics to be included in this module are as follows:
- Investment Environment
- Asset classes and financial instruments
- Trading of Securities
- CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct
- Review of Equilibrium in Capital Markets (Capital Asset Pricing Model, Efficient Market Hypothesis, Arbitrage Pricing Theory, Multifactor models)
- Technical and Fundamental Analysis
- Security Analysis: Macroeconomic and industry analysis
- Equity Valuation Models
- Financial Statement Analysis
- Bond prices and yields
- Term structure of interest rates
- Derivative contracts
The module helps prepare students to acquire and develop the employability and transferable skills necessary to search and successfully apply for work experience and graduate opportunities in the commercial and public sector and postgraduate study.
The curriculum builds on employability support offered at Stage 1 providing intermediate level knowledge and exercises in application writing, CVs, careers advice, interview and assessment centre techniques, numeracy and competency tests, and psychometric evaluation.
This module will cover the core principles of macroeconomics; including the measurement of key macroeconomic variables and limitations to existing practices. Students will consider competing theories related to the macro economy in the short and long run and their overall consequences for the business environment. This will be underpinned by existing evidence on past and current levels of macroeconomic indicators in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world. Indicative topics are:
• The Macro economy – as a system: the circular flow (including injections and withdrawals), national income measurement, economic growth and
international comparisons
• Macroeconomic variables: GDP, unemployment, inflation, money supply and balance of payments
• The open macro economy; including imports and exports; the role of exchange rates and trade theory.
• Macroeconomic theories: including the classical approach, the Keynesian demand management approach and monetarism
• Macroeconomic policies: demand versus supply side economic management
The aim of the module is to develop an understanding of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability informed by ethical theory and stakeholder perspectives. Students will have the opportunity to familiarise with essential readings and cases in CSR to enable them to recognise key issues raised by stakeholder groups. such as shareholder activism; socially responsible investment; employee discrimination; working conditions; ethical issues in marketing; management; consumer protection; gifts/ bribes; accountability; collaboration with civil society organisations, and corruption of governmental actors. The module will therefore contribute in building an understanding of contemporary social issues in business by highlighting the importance of a collaborative approach with internal and external stakeholder groups.
Indicative topics are:
- Business Ethics
- Corporate Social Responsibility
- Sustainability
- Social responsibilities of sectors and industries
- Stakeholders of organisations, including:
Employees
Suppliers
Competitors
Shareholders
Civil society
Government
- Implementation of socially responsible and sustainable programmes and initiatives
You have the option to take a 12 month placement which is integral to your chosen degree programme between the 2nd and 3rd year of study
You are supported by a dedicated placement team and a programme designed to ensure that you gain experience in the functional areas and industries of your choice.
The placement allows you to experience, first hand, many of the issues addressed in the taught programme and to use the tools, techniques and applications in a real business setting. It will become a vital component of your CV and will give you a distinct advantage over other business graduates.
You need to pass Stage 2 to progress to the Year in Industry. Find out more about the placement year with the Kent Business School.
The following modules are offered to our current students. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation:
The module begins with motivations for risk management in general and then covers the practice of risk management. In particular, students are introduced to the current thinking on governance and regulatory systems, followed by industry practices for managing certain common types of risk. Critical evaluation of these practices is incorporated where applicable.
Topics covered in this module include:
- Introduction to general risk management theory, how and why it generates value
- A taxonomy of risks, including Market Risk, Credit Risk, Liquidity Risk, Operational Risk, Model Risk, Regulatory Risk, Legal/Contract Risk, Tax Risk, Accounting Risk, and Political Risk.
- Introduction to Governance and Regulation
- Standard measures of risk
- Risk measurement for security portfolios
- Hedging techniques using financial derivatives
- Evaluation of hedging performance
This module provides students a solid foundation on key topics of portfolio management, which covers various categories of portfolios and constructing portfolios targeting given objectives. The content includes:
• The Investment Policy Statement
• Modern Portfolio Management Concepts, Asset Classes, and International Diversification
• Management of Individual/Family Investor Portfolios
• Management of Institutional Investor Portfolios
• Economic Analysis, Setting Capital Market Expectations, and Industry Analysis
• Asset Allocation, Risk Aversion and Optimal Risky Portfolios
• Portfolio Construction and Revision, Portfolio Theory and Practice
• Performance Evaluation of Portfolio Management
The curriculum considers the alternative investment techniques available in the global financial markets. Portfolio analyses will be extended to include focuses on commodities, real estate, private equity and hedge funds. The module will include an investigation of the underlying rationale for such investment types as well as providing an understanding of the construction and management of relevant strategies.
The syllabus will typically cover:
• Introduction to Alternative Investments and their characteristics
• Hedge Fund Strategies
• Investing in Commodities
• Real Estate investment instruments
• Private Equity / Venture Capital Valuation
• Formulation and implementation of various active and passive investment strategies, as well as the analysis and management of risks associated with particular strategies.
The world of fixed-income markets is becoming increasingly more complex with debt instruments that have varied payoffs structures and fixed-income derivatives that are growing in size and complexity. As a result of the 2007-2008 global financial crisis many key players in the fixed-income markets either collapsed (Bears Stearns and Lehman Brothers), or were bailed out by governments (Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds TSB, and HBOS, etc.). Hence, the aim of this module is to provide an introduction of the complex nature of fixed-income markets and securities and a discussion on the forces affecting prices and risks of such instruments. The module will also include a discussion on the appropriate management techniques to hedge the risks associated with fixed-income instruments.
This module will cover the following topics:
- Features of debt instruments and risks associated with investing in these instruments.
- Debt and money markets (participants, operations, trading activities).
- Fixed-income instruments (Government bonds, corporate bonds, credit ratings, high-yield bonds, international bonds, mortgage-backed securities, etc.).
- Money market instruments (Treasury bills, commercial paper, repurchase agreements, bills of exchange, etc.).
- Fixed-income valuation (traditional approach, arbitrage-free approach, yield measures, volatility measures).
- Term-structure of interest rates and classic theories of term structure, derivation of zero-coupon yield curve.
- General principles of credit analysis (credit scoring, credit risk modelling, etc.).
- Fixed-income portfolio construction and management strategies (portfolio's risk profile, managing funds against a bond market index).
The module helps prepare students to acquire and develop the employability and transferable skills necessary to search and successfully apply for work experience and graduate opportunities in the commercial and public sector and postgraduate study.
The curriculum builds on knowledge and experience gained in related employability modules delivered at Stages 1 and 2, providing further guidance and more advanced practical exercises in application writing, CVs, careers advice, interview and assessment centre techniques, numeracy and competency tests, and psychometric evaluation. The aims here are to support students during their final year in applying for good graduate jobs and MSc degree programmes.
The 2020/21 annual tuition fees for this programme are:
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
Full-time tuition fees for Home and EU undergraduates are £9,250.
For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.*
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
Full-time tuition fees for Home and EU undergraduates are £1,385.
Full-time tuition fees for Home and EU undergraduates are £1,385.
Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
In a typical week, you spend eight hours in lectures and four hours in seminars. Some modules have workshops or sessions in the micro-computer labs. You also spend considerable periods on individual study using the library resources.
For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours. The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
The programme aims to:
You gain knowledge and understanding of:
You gain the following intellectual abilities:
You gain the following subject-specific skills:
You gain transferable skills in the following:
For graduate prospects, Accounting and Finance at Kent ranked 8th in The Complete University Guide 2021 and scored over 90% in The Times Good University Guide 2020.
Of Accounting and Finance graduates who responded to the most recent national survey of graduate destinations, over 95% were in work or further study within six months (DLHE, 2017).
Our graduates move into a range of careers within the world of business. Many go on to become chartered, certified or management accountants. The degree can also prepare you for a career in financial services (such as banking, insurance and investment) or in general management.
Kent Business School has good links with businesses globally. This network is very useful when looking for work in industry.
Our friendly Careers and Employability Service can also give you advice on how to:
The Backpack to Briefcase scheme provides bespoke career and skills development events and activities for all Kent Business School students. Available from first year through to graduation, Backpack to Briefcase is designed to prepare you for a successful career after university.
You graduate with an excellent grounding in the main concepts and practical methods of finance and investment.
To help you appeal to employers, you also learn transferable skills that are useful in any career. These include the ability to:
You can also gain extra skills by signing up for one of our Kent Extra activities, such as learning a language or volunteering.
This course page is for the 2020/21 academic year. Please visit the current online prospectus for a list of undergraduate courses we offer.
T: +44 (0)1227 823254
E: internationalstudent@kent.ac.uk
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