Overview
If you are passionate about helping people and organisations manage their wealth to achieve their financial goals, then the BA (Hons) Financial Services Degree programme could be for you.
Financial services are a necessary component of every successful business around the globe. Studying the subject can help you launch your career in a fast-paced, exciting and profitable industry.
This hands-on programme aims to give you the academic knowledge and experience required to begin a career in financial services, with the potential to work for global banks, investment houses, stockbrokers, wealth managers and local banks & building societies. Alongside learning, you also get the chance to conduct critical research with our experienced staff, learn from guest visitors and take part in invaluable practical modules.
Why CU London
We offer a style of education which is flexible and designed to fit around your life, allowing you to benefit from a modern, forward-thinking higher education institution, reinforced by the quality and reputation of Coventry University. We aim to provide career-focused courses, wherever possible, coupled with placement opportunities to help prepare you for the world of work. We are dedicated to making higher education accessible and enjoyable to everyone, so we keep our fees low and made it a policy to cover one module at a time, allowing you to become a specialist in each topic before moving onto the next.
Employability
Dedicated Careers & Employability department who will assist you in finding employmentTop Quality Courses
Taught by industry professionals, awarded by Coventry UniversityNo End of Year Exams
Our modern teaching techniques mean no last-minute cramming and less stressProfessional Recognition
Specific courses contain additional industry recognised qualifications from awarding bodies
Accreditation and Professional Recognition
Chartered Insurance Institute
On completion of the course, our graduates are eligible to recognition of prior learning towards CII qualifications. Graduates can apply for credits towards CII’s insurance and financial planning qualifications and qualify more quickly. Students can join the CII’s free Discover membership programme while studying for the degree and convert this to Student membership on graduation.
What our students say...
The course leaders have an open-door policy that I value greatly. It means I can build a really good relationship with my tutors and consult them on any issues I have – big or small.
Course information
This detailed course focuses on giving you the foundation knowledge needed for a successful career within financial services.
A wide and varied industry, we will provide you with not only theoretical insights but the practical knowledge needed to effectively deliver financial services. This course covers a comprehensive range of financial themes including, regulation, risk management, financial planning, financial economics, investment practice and portfolio analysis.
You’ll become confident in your ability to assess, risk and critically appraise existing theories and practices for the successful implementation of financial practice.
With a degree in financial services behind you, you can progress onto career routes such as investment banking, financial advisory and financial economics.
Course Specification
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Modules
Coventry University is ranked 15th in the UK in the Guardian University Guide 2020. CU London is part of the Coventry University Group.
In more detail...
If you enjoy responsibility, helping people and working with numbers, our degree will enable you to not only learn about investment practices, but how to practically carry out financial planning and work autonomously in the field of financial services.
Facilities
You’ll be based in the spacious Civic Centre building, which provides an outstanding learning environment. You will have access to our Library & Learning Services, fully equipped seminar rooms and impressive IT suites.
Staff
This course has been developed and is taught by practising professionals and industry experts. Our academics bring a wealth of expertise to the classroom with many continuing to undertake research and other projects alongside teaching, meaning our students gain a well-rounded and relevant teaching experience.
Practical Experience
Throughout your studies, you will find that the course is underpinned with practical elements.
In particular, we plan to support you on your journey from student to graduate and hopefully employment by facilitating and encouraging work placements and internships to help you stand out from other graduates.
Placements
At CU London, we put a strong focus on getting our graduates ready to enter the job market. This can be done in a variety of ways—one key element is work placements. With this degree, you are given the opportunity to undertake short and long-term placements in between the second and third year.
- Upon completion of this course, you will receive a qualification awarded by Coventry University.
- In order to make higher education accessible to as many people as possible, we keep our tuition fees competitively priced.
- Small tutorial group sessions ensure that you receive the mentoring help and support you need.
- We deliver one module at a time during each block. This means you can dedicate your time to specialise in each subject without the distraction of numerous modules and multiple deadlines.
- You will receive support with applying for short and long-term placements, to gain the experience employers desire, via our Careers & Employability department.
- You will have the opportunity for multi-campus learning in London, Coventry and Scarborough.
Your main study themes are:
- Financial Regulation: The structure and regulation of financial products, services and strategies available to individuals and businesses.
- Marketing Strategies: The most effective methods of communicating information about banking and insurance products, services and strategies and managing client relationships.
- Financial Planning: The decision-making processes of individual investors and borrowers, taxation of individuals and organisation, business financial planning and investment practice.
- Wealth Management: Products and services, the application of these to a client base and the regulation that governs these.
- Portfolio Management and Analysis: Alternative approaches to investment management, asset valuation and risk management, plus business financial planning and investment planning.
This course is available as a full-time three year or optional four-year sandwich course, the latter incorporating a work placement or study year in a related field. Alternatively, part-time study is also available and with our Saturday University programme, this course can be completed in as little as three years. Our teaching methods are varied, offering a number of teaching styles to suit the needs of all our students, so in addition to lectures, we also utilise a blended learning approach, including online aspects, workshops and group work.
We also operate an open-door policy, with additional availability via email and our online learning platform, Moodle.
Progression through the modules develops knowledge and skills, including communication (written and oral), study skills, research methods, project management, presentation and career development. We will also encourage you to consider your employability and/or entrepreneurial development.
Unlike traditional institutions, there are no end of year exams. Instead, learning is assessed through coursework and phase tests, which is more reflective of our learning model.
The learning outcomes of modules, assignments and projects will be clearly stated. Your work will be marked according to how well you achieve these learning outcomes and your final feedback will refer to each outcome, as well as providing an overall percentage grade.
Assessment methods vary and include, practical class and project performance, written practical reports, project thesis, presentations, tutorial tasks and assessments which take place at the end of each six-week block.
Course Breakdown (approximately):
- 70% Coursework
- 30% Interactive Assessments
- Demonstrate understanding and knowledge of the theoretical, analytical and practical aspects of policies, strategies and processes within a changing environment, to meet stakeholder interests.
- Critically appraise theories related to the development of financial planning, including the risk factors that need to be considered in the development of a successful strategy.
- Develop appropriate research and analysis techniques, alongside the ability to undertake reliable market research activities.
- Operate, lead and collaborate in a team and independently to solve problems of a financial nature and to provide appropriate solutions.
- Apply appropriate presentation and evaluation tools to establish the significance of research data produced.
Full-time students
Our courses run in six-week blocks and we offer up to six of these each calendar year. Normally you will study four blocks per year.
As a full-time student a standard learning block will include 21 hours each week, in the form of seminars and classes, practical work and tutorials.
Students will also be expected to spend time on independent and self-directed study in the form of further reading/research and assignments. All study is guided so you’ll have plenty of support.
Part-time students
Part-time students receive 8 hours of teaching each week, with classes split into two categories subject to numbers:
Saturday - 9am-6pm.
Tuesday and Thursday - 6pm-10pm.
Please note: part-time courses run subject to numbers.
A tutorial programme runs throughout the duration of the course, providing students with the opportunity to enhance academic, personal and professional development. Students will work with academic tutors to set targets and goals and reflect on their academic performance, while having the chance to gain new skills and knowledge to support their academic performance and personal development.
Class groups are kept low. This way, students can take advantage of small numbers to increase contact time with lecturers.
We are dedicated to developing global graduates, so we carry out extensive work with the appraised Online International Learning (OIL) project. This allows students to undertake international travel and experience financial services in other countries. Recent student visits have included travelling to a university in Dubai to compare Arabic banking with UK practice.
What our students say...
The course leaders have an open-door policy that I value greatly. It means I can build a really good relationship with my tutors and consult them on any issues I have – big or small.
Entry Requirements
Unconditional offers
We want to recruit the best students to CU London. We assess an applicants' past, current and predicted performance and commitment to the course, and we may feel that it is appropriate to reward consistently high-achieving students with an unconditional offer to CU London. It is a commitment from us with regard to an applicants’ potential as an excellent undergraduate and we hope that this will encourage such applicants to join CU London.
Personal statements and references will also be taken into account and, for some degree courses, an interview will form part of the assessment. Requirements for specific courses differ and not all degree courses will be taking part in the scheme. The unconditional offer will be confirmed once a selected applicant has made CU London their firm choice.
CU London has assessed that you can achieve the required grades and we have demonstrated this belief by making you an offer. This is our commitment to you so then we ask that you reciprocate this commitment by selecting us as your ‘firm’ choice and activating your offer.
We will consider other qualifications for a pre-result unconditional offer if you have an appropriate proven performance at GCSE (or equivalent) level and predicted grades in line with grades that we expect to see at A-level. Other qualifications that we may consider for a pre-result unconditional offer include: The International Baccalaureate Diploma, BTEC Level 3 qualifications, Cambridge Pre-U and combinations of qualifications (e.g. BTECS plus A-levels).
An unconditional offer is what it says it is. So, if you don’t meet your predictions then your place is still guaranteed. However, we would hope and expect that you continue to work hard to make the most of your potential and be best prepared to study at university level.
No, the unconditional offer is only available to those who will take up their place in the year for which they applied.
If you don’t meet the entry requirements for this course, we have a number of programmes which upon successful completion and meeting any additional entry criteria, qualifies you onto a place on this degree course, such as Foundation Years.
What our students say...
The course leaders have an open-door policy that I value greatly. It means I can build a really good relationship with my tutors and consult them on any issues I have – big or small.
Tuition Fees
We pride ourselves on offering competitive tuition fees which we review on an annual basis. Course fees are calculated on the basis of what it costs to teach each course and we aim for total financial transparency.
Fees & Funding
We price our courses competitively in an attempt to make higher education accessible for a wide range of people. Your tuition fees will cover all of your classes, online tutorials, some of the learning materials and access to our Library & Learning Services.
Each academic year we review our fee structure to ensure we're offering value for money to all our students. The 2020/21 fees are currently under review and will be available in autumn 2019.
Funding
As a full-time or part-time student resident in the UK or EU, you can apply for a loan to cover the cost of your tuition fees at CU London from Student Finance England.
What our students say...
The course leaders have an open-door policy that I value greatly. It means I can build a really good relationship with my tutors and consult them on any issues I have – big or small.
Career prospects
With a BA (Hons) degree behind you, your career options within the financial services is significantly increased.
There are several career routes to go down, such as financial advisors, pension planners or even investment banking.
What our students say...
The course leaders have an open-door policy that I value greatly. It means I can build a really good relationship with my tutors and consult them on any issues I have – big or small.
Disclaimer
The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK and EU students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase for UK and EU Students is expected to be in line with inflation.
