finance and investment - kent.ac.uk · finance and investment studying finance and investment...

FINANCE ANDINVESTMENTMedway

The UK’s European university

Undergraduatestudy

2 Finance and Investment

FINANCE ANDINVESTMENT Studying finance and investment preparesyou for a successful career in a variety offinancial institutions, enabling you to applyeconomic and financial principles to businesssituations within a global environment. Theyear in industry, gives you the opportunityto gain first-hand experience within leadingfinancial and investment institutions.

3www.kent.ac.uk/kbs


Year in industry/abroadAs part of your degree youcan spend a year working inindustry in either the UK orabroad, or a year studyingabroad. This gives you thechance to put theory intopractice as well as make avaluable contribution to anorganisation.

World-leadingresearchYou learn from leading experts.Our staff undertake researchof international quality; writeand contribute to journalarticles and books; and provideexpert comment to the media.They put you in touch with thelatest ideas.

InspirationalteachingGreat teachers inspireenthusiasm and provokedebate. Whether they’relecturing on data analysisor sparking a discussion oncorporate social responsibility,our staff are skilled at bringingtheir subject to life and drawingyou into the conversation.

Academic supportUniversity is different fromschool. You need to be self-motivated and well organised tosucceed. We help by assigningyou an academic adviser andorganising peer mentoring.You can also get help withacademic skills, such asessay writing and referencing.

CFA AffiliationProgramOur BSc Finance andInvestment with a Year inIndustry is closely tied to theindustry practice of investmentmanagement and embeds asignificant portion of the CFAProgram Candidate Body ofKnowledge (CBOK).

ExcellentresourcesAccess the School’s dedicatedBloomberg Lab. The virtualtrading platform allows youto engage with market datathrough practical case studiesand online databases whilehaving access to more than 1 million books, ebooks,databases and journals.

Support forstart-upsTake the Business Start-upJourney and develop theskills you need to becomea successful entrepreneur.You get advice from businessexperts to develop your ownbusiness plan, pitch your ideasand potentially win a cash prizeto help fund your start-up.

Friendly campusOur Medway campus reinventsa former naval base as a21st-century study space,with exceptional facilities andsupport. Close to the townsof Rochester and Chathamwith their fascinating histories,there is plenty to do both onand off campus.

Career successEmployability is a priority atKent. By studying, you sharpenskills that are useful in workinglife, such as time managementand teamwork. You haveopportunities to gain workexperience and access tocareers advice, boosting your CV and your confidence.

WHY STUDY FINANCE ANDINVESTMENT AT KENT?

5www.kent.ac.uk/kbs

Global outlookWe are a leading business school, ranked in the top 30 in the UKand accredited by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schoolsof Business (AASCB) which places Kent Business School withinthe top institutions globally for business degrees. Only 5% of theworld’s business schools attain this accreditation. We believe that aninternational perspective on business benefits all our students. This isreinforced by our excellent links with business schools in Hong Kong,China, France, Germany, Spain, Finland and Italy.

The Complete UniversityGuide 2020• Accounting and Financeat Kent was ranked 26thout of 102 institutions

The Guardian UniversityGuide 2019• Accounting and Financeat Kent scored 91% forgraduate prospects

Destination of Leavers fromHigher Education (DLHE)• Over 95% of accountingand finance graduates whoresponded to the most recentnational survey of graduatedestinations were in workor further study within sixmonths (DLHE, 2017).

Teaching ExcellenceFramework• Kent was awarded gold,the highest rating, in theUK government’s TeachingExcellence Framework*

Independent rankings

This TEF award was issued in June2017. It lasts up to three years andmay be subject to change.

*The University of Kent’s Statement of Findings can be found atwww.kent.ac.uk/tef-statement

7www.kent.ac.uk/kbs

Also, the Drill Hall Library – mysecond home! It has everythingwe need and is steeped in historyas it’s where they used to drill thesailors. It’s also the longest libraryin Europe.

What about your social lie?When I first started, there was alot to cope with, so I restricted mysocial life a bit. But now, I makemore time to socialise with people,not only from the Business Schoolbut across the campus, plus it’s alsoeasy to take the [free] shuttle bus toCanterbury and see friends there.

What kind of career are youhoping to have?An analyst at one of the investmentbanks or any bank is definitely anattractive field. Lucrative as well.However, I know that I have acreative side that needs to besatisfied and I think sometimesthat perhaps that won’t be satisfiedin a bank. So, maybe working insales or another creative endeavourthat I’ve not discovered yet.

Any advice for future students?Definitely keep an open mindbecause you are going to bechallenged by the new ideas. Andit’s a good challenge. The lecturersare more than willing to help youthrough it. This is a demandingprogramme but it is fun andextremely rewarding.

Nizar Ali is in the firstyear of his degree inFinance and Investment.

Why did you choose Kent?Kent has always had a goodreputation. Even though I am fromBahrain, so a few thousand milesaway, when I told people I wasgoing to study here, they knew itwas good. Also, when looking onlineat the courses, there were a lot ofpeople talking about the supportfrom the academics which I feelis vital for my success.

How is your course going? It’s going well so far but it’s only thefirst year, I know the second yearwill be more intense. I am alreadythinking about my year in industry[between years two and three],I’ll be looking at companies andpositions over the summer so Ican apply during September andhopefully, be ahead of the curve.

What do you think of yourlecturers and other staff?We have a close relationship withour lecturers, probably because weare a small cohort. They are morethan willing to help and give you all the support you need, whetherthat’s explaining lectures more fullyor simply responding to a query youmay have. They are also happy toshare jokes and have a laughbetween lectures – or even during!

The support staff have also beenamazing, especially the PlacementTeam in terms of helping to makeyour CV look professional.

Which modules have youenjoyed most and why?I would say, the Fundamentalsof Finance and Investments; theFinancial Markets and Instruments;and the Quantitative Methods forFinance because they are all quitemathematical. The focus on abstractideas and the presentation of thoseideas has been really spot on. Theytry to give us the axioms underlyingthe investment world, it’s hard not tobe interested in that or to find youthink about it when you get home!

How would you describe yourfellow students?We have a good mixture ofinternational and UK students,which makes for an interestingdynamic. We are a small cohortso you have the chance to get toknow everyone.

What do you think of thefacilities on campus?I think the most interesting facilitywould be the Bloomberg Terminals.Full-on access to these terminalsto all the information that theprofessional banks would beutilising gives us a real insightwith news coming in every second.

STUDENT VIEW


CHOOSING YOUR PROGRAMME

Not sure whichprogramme to choose?Here’s a guide.

Finance and Investment www.kent.ac.uk/ug/3732This programme prepares you for afuture career in the financial sector.You are introduced to basic coreprinciples of finance andinvestment, while being able todevelop other specialist areas bychoosing from the options offeredat Stage 3.

Elements of practical work on theBSc Finance and Investment arecarried out in the finance lab withthe aid of the virtual tradingplatform, Bloomberg. With theopportunity to apply the theorieslearnt in the classroom, Bloombergallows you to access and engagewith market data via case studiesand the use of online databases.The Bloomberg platform alsoprovides an opportunity for virtualtrading practice and competitions.

Finance and Investment with a Year Abroadwww.kent.ac.uk/ug/3745

Finance and Investmentwith a Year in Industrywww.kent.ac.uk/ug/2495The Finance and Investment degreemay also be taken over four yearsfull-time with either a year in industryor a year overseas. These four-yearprogrammes have the same contentas the three-year programme, seep9.

Additional programmesThe following programme is alsoavailable at our Medway campusover three years full-time, or fouryears full-time with an optional yearabroad/in industry. You may alsostudy these part-time.

Business and Managementwww.kent.ac.uk/ug/3731

Business and Managementwith a Year Abroadwww.kent.ac.uk/ug/3746

Business and Managementwith a Year in Industrywww.kent.ac.uk/ug/238This programme teaches you the theories and methods that arerelevant to today’s business world.You develop key transferable skillsand learn how to analyse a widerange of business problems so youcan provide solutions and makemeaningful recommendations.

International studentsIf you are applying from outsidethe UK without the necessaryEnglish language qualifications,you may be able to take the KentInternational Foundation Programme(IFP). Achieving a good pass fromthe Kent IFP with an overall averageof 60%, including passing allcomponents, guarantees you entryto the first year of the Finance andInvestment degree programme. Formore details of entry requirements,please see p15.

For the most up-to-date information,see www.kent.ac.uk/ifp

YOUR STUDY PROGRAMME

Your studies are dividedinto three stages: Stage 1,Stage 2 and Stage 3.

At Stage 1, you gain a solidfoundation in key financial concepts,theories and skills. At Stage 2, youdeepen your knowledge and beginto focus on more specialised topics.At Stage 3, you further develop yourchoice of subject specialisms.

You also take an employabilitymodule in both Stages 2 and 3 tohelp you acquire and develop thetransferable skills necessary toapply for work experience andgraduate opportunities.

Teaching and assessmentIn a typical week, you spend eighthours in lectures and four hoursin seminars. Some modules haveworkshops or sessions in the micro-computer labs. You also spendconsiderable periods on individualstudy using the library resources.

Some modules are 100%coursework. Where examinationsare part of the assessment, theyusually count for 70% of the marksfor that module. Your second andfinal-year marks combine todetermine your final degree class,together with your marks from youryear in industry.

Module informationPlease note: the module lists beloware not fixed as new modules arealways in development and choicesare updated yearly. The detailsbelow are correct at the time ofpublication (June 2019). Pleasesee www.kent.ac.uk/ug for themost up-to-date information.

To read a full description of anyof the modules listed, go towww.kent.ac.uk/courses/modulesand search for the module codeshown below.

Stage 1You take the following compulsorymodules:• Economics for Business 1(CB365)

• Fundamentals of Finance andInvestments (CB375)

• Fundamentals of FinancialAccounting (CB330)

• The International BusinessEnvironment (CB384)

• Introduction to Data Analysis andStatistics for Business (CB367)

• Introduction to Financial Marketsand Instruments (CB376)

• Modern Business andEmployability Skills (CB401)

• Quantitative Methods for Finance(CB374).

Stage 2You take the following compulsorymodules:• Corporate Finance (CB765)• Corporate Social Responsibility(CB796)

• Derivatives (CB766)• Economics for Business 2(CB795)

• Financial Reporting and Analysis(CB773)

• Financial Econometrics (CB767)• International Banking (CB774)• Investment Analysis (CB775).

Stage 3You take the following compulsorymodules:• Alternative Investments (CB776)• Fixed Income Securities (CB777)• Portfolio Management (CB772)• Risk Management (CB769).

You can choose from the followingoptional modules:• Asset/Liability Management(CB764)

• Behavioural Finance (CB768)• Business Law and EmploymentRights (CB760)

• Business/Management Project(CB542)

• Contract Law and ConsumerRights (CB5009)

• Financial Modelling (CB770)• International FinancialManagement (CB771).

9www.kent.ac.uk/kbs

Finance and Investment10

11www.kent.ac.uk/kbs

Keeping in touch with KentThe University maintains closecontact with you during youryear away. The year in industryis assessed by a combination ofemployer feedback and academicevaluation.

Year abroad For your year abroad, you spendyour time studying at one of ourpartner institutions globally.It may also be possible tospend your year abroad on anapproved work placement. Seewww.kent.ac.uk/goabroad for details.

YEAR IN INDUSTRY/ABROAD

As part of your degreeprogramme, it is possibleto go on a year’s businessplacement or spend ayear studying or workingabroad. This is takenbetween Stages 2 and 3.

Year in industryStudents at Kent Business Schoolhave had placements with manymajor companies both in the UKand overseas. Opportunities formanagerial level jobs are availablein a wide range of sectors.Organisations who have recentlyparticipated in the scheme includeDenne, Enterprise Rent-A-Car,Ernst & Young, Eurosport, Fujitsu,IBM, Lloyds Banking Group, MorganStanley, National Grid, The WaltDisney Company, UBS AG Bankand Vauxhall Motors.

Study and career benefitsEmployers are very keen to employgraduates who already have workexperience, so this year can greatlyenhance your job prospects byproviding you with real managerialchallenges. The placement alsoallows you to evaluate a particularcareer path and gain knowledge ofthe working environment. Followinga successful placement, you mayeven be offered a full-time positionwith the organisation after yougraduate.

The skills and knowledge acquiredwill also help you in your final yearat university, by allowing you toput your academic learning intopractice in a real-world context.

Finding a placement Kent Business School providesinformation and support in findingplacements, through a rangeof preparatory employabilityworkshops. You are visited duringyour placement, and providedwith online support at other times.On your return to the University,you provide a reflective reporton your placement.

Salary and benefitsSalary and holiday entitlements varyaccording to the employer you workfor. However, many students find thatthey earn enough to be able tosave some of their income, andthis often helps them in their finalyear of studying at Kent.


Student support andwellbeingYou might need extra help to getthe most from university. If youhave a medical condition, specificlearning difficulty, mental healthcondition or disability, the StudentSupport and Wellbeing team isthere to support you.

They are committed to improvingaccess to learning for all studentsat Kent and can assist with manythings, including:• talking to your lecturers aboutany help you need in lecturesor seminars

• arranging note-takers, signersand other support workers for you

• discussing exam accessarrangements

• helping you with emotional,psychological or mental healthissues

• applying for relevant fundingto support you.

Find out more at:www.kent.ac.uk/studentsupport

“Peer mentoring is open toabsolutely everyone. We’vesigned up to be peer mentorsand we really do want to help,so take advantage of it.”

Evangeline AgyemanPeer mentor

SUPERB STUDY SUPPORT

We’ll support youthroughout your timeat Kent, from helpingyou adjust to universitystudy to discussingmodule choices andessay topics with you.

You are assigned an academicadviser in your first year, and theyhelp you get the most from yourdegree programme. They meetwith you regularly to discussgeneral academic issues orspecific assignments. They willassist you in developing academicskills and refer you to other sourcesof help if you need it.

Peer supportThe best advice often comesfrom people who’ve been in yoursituation. On our Academic Peer

Mentoring scheme, first-yearstudents can request to be matchedwith second- or third-year studentson a similar degree programme.

Peer mentors will help you settle into university life and find your feet.They can help you to discuss ideasand improve your study skills as youprogress through your first year.

Study skills adviceSuccessful students take control oftheir own learning. Kent’s StudentLearning Advisory Service (SLAS)can help you increase yourcompetence and confidence andfulfil your potential. You can requesta one-to-one appointment or attendworkshops on a diverse rangeof topics, from making the mostof lectures to writing well andavoiding plagiarism.


A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE

What do you hope to do once you have yourdegree? Whether you havea specific career path inmind or haven’t yetthought much beyonduniversity, we can helpyou to plan for successin the future.

Build your CVYour degree studies help you todevelop skills such as thinkingcritically, expressing yourself clearly,solving problems and working bothindependently and as part of ateam. These transferable skills arevalued by employers and will alsobe vital if you go on to further study.

At Kent, you have lots of other greatopportunities to enhance your skills.For instance, you could:• join a society or sports club (evenbetter – get involved in running it)

• volunteer in the community• work in a part-time job or takeup a summer internship

• represent your fellow studentsas a student rep, or becomea student ambassador

• learn a new language or skillwith Study Plus.

Getting involved like this means thatyou can earn Employability Points,which you can exchange foremployability rewards. The morepoints you earn, the more valuablethe rewards: we work with local,national and international employersto offer internships, work experienceand a range of other activities thatprepare you for the world of work.

Valuable contactsKent Business School has aninternational reputation and goodlinks with local businesses large andsmall. The School has a very activeBusiness Society that runs regularevents with guest speakers, toenhance your knowledge and giveyou the chance to interact with thebusiness community. The year inindustry also gives you a fantasticopportunity to impress employersand build business contacts.

This wider networking, coupledwith a better understanding of whatemployers are looking for, gives youa definite advantage when it comesto your job prospects.

Recent graduates have taken uppositions in companies includingABN Amro; Accenture; Baker Tilly;Burgess Hodgson; Deutsche Bank;

Ernst & Young; Fidelity WorldwideInvestment; HSBC; KPMG; Mazars;PwC and Royal Bank of Scotland.

Find a great jobKent Business School’s qualifiedcareers practitioners providesupport to Finance and Investmentundergraduate students for upto three years after graduation.

Visit our careers fair to talk topotential employers and useour award-winning Careers andEmployability Service for adviceon preparing your CV. Our trackrecord speaks for itself: over 95%of Kent graduates who respondedto the most recent national surveyof graduate destinations werein work or further study withinsix months (DLHE, 2017).


COME AND FIND OUT MORE

Choosing a universityis a big step, so it’simportant to find out asmuch as you can beforeyou make your decision.Come and visit us to seewhat we can offer you.

Open DaysOpen Days are a great way to findout what life as a student at Kentis like. For instance, you can:• learn more about the courseyou are interested in at asubject presentation

• ask questions – talk to theacademic teams at theinformation stands

• experience our teaching ata taster lecture*

• find out about student finance,opportunities to study abroadand extra-curricular activitiessuch as Kent Sport.

Explore the campus at your ownpace on the self-guided walkingtour. You will be able to visit ourstudent accommodation at LibertyQuays, chat to current studentsand discover the fascinatinghistory of our Medway campus.

Open Days are held in the summerand autumn. Book your place atwww.kent.ac.uk/opendays

Applicant DaysIf you apply to Kent and we offeryou a place (or ask you to comefor an interview), you will usuallybe invited to an Applicant Day.Applicant Days run in the autumnand spring terms and are anopportunity to find out about thecourse in more detail. You spendtime with your academic schoolmeeting staff and current students,and take part in activities that giveyou a flavour of your prospectivecourse and university life.

Informal visitsIf you can’t make it to an Open Dayor Applicant Day, you can still visitus. We run tours of the campusthroughout the year.

*Programme of events variesaccording to subject.


If you live outside Europe, weappreciate that you might find itdifficult to attend our scheduledevents, so we can arrange apersonal campus tour for youand your family.

Let us know you’re comingScheduled tours and personalcampus tours (for internationalstudents) need to be booked inadvance – you can do this viawww.kent.ac.uk/informal

Meet us in your countryOur staff regularly travel overseasto meet with students who areinterested in coming to Kent.We also have strong links withagents in your home countrywho can offer guidance andinformation on studying at Kent.Find out more at www.kent.ac.uk/courses/international

Self-guided toursIf you prefer to explore onyour own, you can downloada self-guided walking tour atwww.kent.ac.uk/informal or pick up a copy from us.

This brochure was produced in June 2019. The University of Kent makes every effortto ensure that the information contained in its publicity materials is fair and accurateand to provide educational services as described. However, the courses, servicesand other matters may be subject to change. For the most up-to-date information,see www.kent.ac.uk/ug and for full details of our terms and conditions, seewww.kent.ac.uk/termsandconditions

For the University to operate efficiently, it needs to process information about youfor administrative, academic and health and safety reasons. Any offer we make toyou is subject to your consent to process such information and is a requirementin order for you to be registered as a student. All students must agree to abide bythe University rules and regulations at: www.kent.ac.uk/regulations

Explore onlineIf you can’t come and see us,you can find out more about theacademic team, the course andevents in the School online atwww.kent.ac.uk/kbs

Keep in touch with us• www.facebook.com/KentBusinessSchool

• www.twitter.com/kbs_kent• www.youtube.com/KentBusinessSchool

• www.instagram.com/KentBusinessSchool

Contact usIf you would like more informationon the University of Kent’s courses,facilities or services, please contactus on:T: +44 (0)1227 768896www.kent.ac.uk/ug

LocationMedway

AwardBSc (Hons)

Degree programme

Single honours• Finance and Investment(N301:K)• Finance and Investment witha Year Abroad (N302:K)• Finance and Investment witha Year in Industry (N300:K)

Offer levelsBBB at A level, IB Diploma34 points or IB Diploma with16 points at Higher.

Required subjectsGCSE Mathematics grade B(or grade 6).

Year abroad/in industrySee p11.

Offer levels and entryrequirements are subjectto change. For the latestinformation, seewww.kent.ac.uk/ug

DPC 12872506/19PUB1227

University of Kent, The Registry, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NZ T: +44 (0)1227 764000 www.kent.ac.uk/ug

COME ANDVISIT USTo find out more about visitingthe University, see our website:

www.kent.ac.uk/visit

finance and investment - kent.ac.uk · finance and investment studying finance and investment...

Documents