Undergraduate BSc (Hons)
Finance and Investment
Develop the expertise, skills and experience to propel your career into banking, investment or risk management.
If you’re a problem solver who wants a career making data-driven decisions, then our BSc Finance and Investment is the course for you.
Build a strong knowledge of key financial principles and techniques while exploring topics such as data analysis, econometrics, derivatives, portfolio, and risk management. Develop data handling skills by working on real-time business data in our Bloomberg Lab, using industry standard trading floor simulation software. Grow the confidence and expertise you’ll need to advise on the financial risks that businesses face and spot the investment opportunities available to them.
Kent Business School is a supportive community, where you’ll work closely with your academic adviser and our world leading academic staff. We’ll work with you to develop the knowledge, skills, and experience that you’ll need to pursue sought-after careers in banking, investment or risk management.
Gain work experience with a paid year in industry.
Study at a ‘Triple Crown’ business school accredited by AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS.
Take a ‘selfie year’ and bring your business ideas to life at our aspire centre.
This course has been acknowledged under the CFA University Affiliation.
Our typical offer levels are listed below and include indicative contextual offers. If you hold alternative qualifications just get in touch and we'll be glad to discuss these with you.
ABB
DDM
32 points overall or 16 points at HL, including Mathematics SL or HL at 4, or Mathematical Studies at 5
Mathematics grade 5 / B
Pass all components of the University of Kent International Foundation Programme with a 60% overall average.
The University will consider applicants holding T level qualifications in subjects closely aligned to the course.
The University welcomes applications from Access to Higher Education Diploma candidates for consideration. A typical offer may require you to obtain a proportion of Level 3 credits in relevant subjects at merit grade or above.
This module listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.
Your first year is a compulsory introductory year, designed to provide you with a strong foundational understanding of key concepts and ideas in finance, like how financial markets and systems operate. It will give you an insight into key areas that will support a career in finance and investment including economics, data analysis, and statistics.
This is an introductory module to introduce students to the role and evolution of accounting. Topics to be covered may include: single entry accounting; double entry bookkeeping; financial reporting conventions; recording transactions and adjusting entries; principal financial statements; institutional requirements; auditing; monetary items; purchases and sales; bad and doubtful debts; inventory valuation; non-current assets and depreciation methods; liabilities; sole traders and clubs, partnerships, companies; capital structures; cash flow statements; interpretation of accounts through ratio analysis; problems of, and alternatives to, historical cost accounting.
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.
So much of the world of business is based on quantitative information—sales, stock control, investments, loans, production levels, staffing numbers, share prices, interest rates, quality control, etc. etc. In almost any organisation where you work you must expect to deal with numbers. This module introduces you to the way you can make use of quantitative information through statistical analysis.
The following topics will be taught:
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.
This module will introduce the financial system, the markets within the system, various instruments and key concepts. It provides an overview of the roles of financial intermediaries, as well as the fundamental products that they trade. The module will include an historical consideration of the markets, as well as the investigation of current developments, to allow understanding of inter-relationships within the wider economy. An introduction to various financial securities will provide contexts for focus on key concepts of Finance.
This module introduces students to economics in its two main components, microeconomics and macroeconomics. The module is designed to explain the main ways in which economists think about economic problems faced by individuals, firms, markets and governments.
My lecturers are fantastic! They are very engaging and do their best to interact with and engage students during lectures.Jordan Pali
Your second year allows you to develop your critical thinking about finance and investment with greater emphasis on the bigger picture of the world of finance. You’ll learn about the world of international banking, understand derivatives, and develop your skills in Excel.
This module will examine how Excel can be used for financial data analysis. A brief revision of each financial concept will be presented. The syllabus will typically cover:
Introduction to Excel:
Data Analysis with Excel:
Financial Valuation:
Portfolio Analysis and Security Pricing:
This module begins with a focus on the financial system of the UK, including the major players in the markets and key interrelations. It then proceeds to cover key topics, including: advanced portfolio theory, the capital asset pricing model, arbitrage pricing theory, the implications and empirical evidence relating to the efficient market hypothesis, capital structure and the cost of capital in a taxation environment, interaction of investment and financing decisions, decomposition of risk, options and pricing, risk management, dividends and dividend valuation models, mergers and failures and evaluating financial strategies.
n 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.
This module is designed to build upon financial accounting topics taught in previous modules and assess them at a more advanced level. It will also introduce topics, not previous taught. Areas that will be covered are:
The conceptual and regulatory framework for financial reporting – The need for a conceptual framework and the characteristics of useful information. Define what is meant by 'recognition' in financial statements and applying the recognition criteria to assets/liabilities and income/expenses.
Look at why an international regulatory framework is needed over a national regulatory framework. Review the work of the International Accounting Standards Board in setting international accounting standards and how they are moving to harmonised global accounting standards using a principles based rather than a rules based framework.
Describe the concept of a group as a single economic unit and explain and apply the definition of a subsidiary within relevant accounting standards. Prepare basic consolidated financial statements using these concepts.
Distinguish between tangible and intangible non-current assets. Review methods of valuation/revaluation including impairment of assets.
Account for current and deferred taxation within financial statements.
Account for the translation of foreign currency transactions at the reporting date.
Business ethics and sustainability are central to contemporary management and thus this module will explore the following topics:
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.
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:
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.
Your final year has a greater focus on capstone finance and investment areas such as risk management, portfolio management, alternative investments, and fixed income securities. You’ll also choose from a range of optional modules that may include more specialised areas relating to your course like Fintech and behavioural finance, or more general areas, including business law. Equally, you’ll have the option to do an individual research project and develop your skills of working independently
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 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 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:
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:
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 law affects the commercial world in many ways. This module focuses on how businesses fulfil their legal obligations to customers, suppliers and their workforce. As well as exploring how businesses are structured and the duties on directors and partners it also considers the legal obligations individuals and organisations have over those to whom they have a duty of care. The module further covers the main laws governing the employment of staff and contractors. By applying the law to real-world business situations students are able to fine-tune their problem solving skills, and their ability to construct well-reasoned and persuasive arguments.
This module will allow students to work on a substantive piece of research which will allow them to frame and prioritise real business problems using well known fields and frameworks within academic business and management disciplines.
This module is concerned with International Investment Banks’ products and strategies that involve the description and analyses of the characteristics of more commonly used financial derivative instruments such as forward and future contracts, swaps, and options involving commodities, interest, and equities markets. Modern financial techniques are used to value financial derivatives. The main emphasis of the module is on how International Investment Banks value, replicate, and arbitrage the financial instruments and how they encourage their clients to use derivative products to implement risk management strategies in the context of corporate applications.
This module will provide students with an introductory understanding of Financial Technology and its application to the institutions' daily business. The students will have a good understanding of the range of the technologies that help financial systems that can include banking, insurance, and financial market. The students will acquire the ability to understand issues related to technology and find pathways towards addressing them. The module will cover the following indicative topics:
This is an introductory module to introduce students to the role and evolution of accounting.
Topics to be covered may include: single entry accounting; double entry bookkeeping; financial reporting conventions; recording transactions and adjusting entries; principal financial statements; institutional requirements; auditing; monetary items; purchases and sales; bad and doubtful debts; inventory valuation; non-current assets and depreciation methods; liabilities; sole traders and clubs, partnerships, companies; capital structures; cash flow statements; interpretation of accounts through ratio analysis; problems of, and alternatives to, historical cost accounting.
Making decisions is one of the most important things any manager or business must do. Making smart decisions, however, can be extremely difficult due the complexity and uncertainty involved. Decision Analysis (DA) provides a structured and coherent approach to decision making. It involves a wide range of quantitative and graphical methods for identifying, representing, and assessing alternatives in order to determine a best course of action. DA is regularly employed by many leading companies in the pharmaceutical, oil and gas, utilities, automotive, and financial services sectors. In this module, you learn about the basic concepts of DA and how to apply it in a variety of practical business planning situations.
This module is designed to build upon financial accounting topics taught in previous modules and assess them at a more advanced level. It will also introduce topics, not previous taught.
The following is an indicative list of topics to be covered:
Our enthusiastic team of international teaching staff are all experts in their field of study and are regularly published in leading journals worldwide. They guide and support your learning, bringing their subject to life and drawing you into the conversation through lectures, seminars, presentations and computer-based simulations.
Your progress is assessed through a mix of coursework – including reports, essays and presentations - and exams. Undergraduate students can expect around 8 contact hours per week, depending on year of study and optional module choices made. The remainder of the working week consists of self-guided study.
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.
For programme aims and learning outcomes please see the programme specification.
At university, I gained an understanding of the professional environment.
Our graduates look to make their mark on the organisations they join, whether they are large multinational companies or small local firms in Kent.
Kent Business School students make their ambitions known, working at companies like:
The 2024/25 annual tuition fees for this course are:
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
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.
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details.
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence.
The scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of A*AA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications (including BTEC and IB) as specified on our scholarships pages.
We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.
Our ASPIRE labs offer a unique and exciting entrepreneurial education via informal drop in sessions and our Business Start-up journey.
Next steps
If you are from the UK or Ireland, you must apply for this course through UCAS. If you are not from the UK or Ireland, you can apply through UCAS or directly on our website if you have never used UCAS and you do not intend to use UCAS in the future.
We welcome applications from students all around the world with a wide range of international qualifications.
Student life
Kent ranked top 50 in the The Complete University Guide 2023 and The Times Good University Guide 2023.
Free membership for undergraduates living on campus in 2024.
Kent has risen 11 places in THE’s REF 2021 ranking, confirming us as a leading research university.
An unmissable part of your student experience.
