Gain the knowledge you need to understand today’s fast moving global financial markets. With the BSc in Finance you’ll discover there’s a lot more to finance than figures.
As financial markets across the world grow more closely connected, this specialist degree develops the quantitative and analytical skills you’ll need to pursue a career in the financial services industry.
Learning from expert lecturers and guest speakers, the degree will give you a taste of real-world finance. We combine academic excellence, insightful research and exceptional global business connections, equipping you with the tools to become an innovative business thinker in your career and beyond.
Our flexible study programme puts you in control. The curriculum links academic theory with practical experience through a combination of modules that offer plenty of opportunities to tailor your studies as your interests evolve. You have the option to complete the course in three years, alternatively, you can add a placement year or spend a year abroad.
In the first year, you study the key fundamentals to examine and evaluate modern financial markets.
The second year will give you the skills to examine financial issues and institutions, markets and securities across global markets. You’ll also learn to interpret financial data and price financial securities.
The final year offers more flexibility. You can choose modules tailored to your interests and career aspirations. The dissertation, on a finance topic of your choice, makes up a third of your final year marks.
Course structure
Year 1 modules
Core modules:
Foundations of Finance
introduces the key principles of corporate finance and their importance to firms. From bonds and stocks to capital structure and dividend policy, it provides you with a solid grounding in issues of finance as they relate to the business and financial markets.
Financial Accounting
covers the basic concepts and techniques involved in financial accounting reports, including the preparation of basic financial statements.
Quantitative Methods 1
provides you a rigorous introduction to the fundamental mathematical techniques you will need throughout your degree.
Quantitative Methods 2
introduces the analytical and statistical techniques widely used in finance and business.
Introduction to Financial Economics
examines the basic principles of economics of microeconomics and macroeconomics in a financial context. The study of subjects like market structure, fiscal policy, stock market and economic growth will provide a solid foundation for modules in micro- and macroeconomics.
Global Financial Systems and Markets
develops you the knowledge of the operations of financial institutions within the global financial system and the products and services these institutions provide; the markets in which financial institutions operate and that facilitate the process of intermediation; and the purpose and scope of financial oversight and regulation.
Optional modules:
Ethics and Finance
Principles of Taxation
Year 2 modules
Core modules:
Corporate Finance
provides theoretical knowledge and practical understanding of key theories in finance and corporate policy decisions.
Intermediate Financial Economics
develops knowledge and understanding of international macroeconomic analysis, performance and its importance for the business community.
Financial Econometrics 1
teaches you about statistics and business models in preparation for a project in applied financial econometrics. It equips you with the mathematical, statistical and analytical skills required to interpret literature in business finance and provides a strong foundation for higher level study.
Financial Valuation
equips you with knowledge and understanding of the key issues in valuing companies and alternative investment securities as well as the practical tools for undertaking valuations of companies and alternative investment securities.
Financial Technology
introduces you to contemporary financial technologies related to financial markets and institutions. You will learn frameworks and obtain skills needed to understand and critically evaluate core concepts in financial technology.
Derivative Markets
helps you develop knowledge and understanding of theoretical concepts of derivative securities as well as pricing and practical application of derivative securities in financial markets. You will also develop the ability to evaluate academic literature in derivative markets.
Banking
covers key concepts in banking and the purpose of banks as financial intermediaries. You will learn frameworks and obtain skills needed to understand and critically evaluate core concepts in banking.
Optional modules:
Programming for Finance
A credit-bearing language module
Year 3 modules
Core modules:
Security Investment Analysis
builds on the skills gained in previous years. It provides a thorough grounding in investment and portfolio management, focusing on theoretical concepts and practical applications.
Dissertation
on a finance topic of your choice, develops your ability to plan and manage your own learning. It provides you with an opportunity to research the topic and present your findings and conclusions.
Additional Pathways
Students can apply to be transferred onto either the with Year Abroad or with Placement pathway during the second year. Places on these pathways are in high demand and if you are chosen your studies will extend from three years to four.
Accreditation
Career prospects for Durham graduates are excellent. This flexible course has been developed to meet the needs of industry and provide you with the skills you need to succeed. With our rigorous curriculum, exceptional teaching and global business connections, you’ll build world-class foundations for graduate employment or further study.
Many recent graduates now work with global innovators and leaders in the sector, including EY, PWC, Morgan Stanley, China Development Bank, Société Generalé, Amazon, Deloitte, KPMG and Bank of America. Others have set up their own businesses or continued into postgraduate education.
Take a look at some of the roles taken up by recent graduates from the course:
Investment and Consulting Intern at China Development Bank
Financial Analyst at Bank of America
Product and Pricing Analyst at Principality Building Society
Lectures and small group seminars are supported by specialist workshops which provide hands-on experience of finance-related problems using up-to-date resources such as Dow Jones, Refinitiv and Bloomberg. You’ll also benefit from one-to-one support and self-directed learning to develop your critical thinking skills.
We place great emphasis on high-quality small-group teaching sessions to help you get more out of your learning. As you move from first to final year, you’ll find a greater emphasis on self-directed learning and independent research as you begin to prepare for professional or postgraduate life.
Assessment
Modules are assessed via a combination of examinations, written assignments and reports, projects and presentations.
The range of assessment methods is designed to assess your knowledge and understanding of the material, test your capacity to solve problems, enhance your written and oral communication skills, and assess your ability to relate your learning to real-world issues.
The 12,000-word dissertation makes up one-third of your final-year marks.
IB Diploma score – 36
with 665 in higher level subjects. If Mathematics is not taken at higher level, then it is required at standard level 5.
In addition to satisfying the University’s general entry requirements, please note:
We also consider other level 3 qualifications, including T-levels.
We welcome applications from those with other qualifications equivalent to our standard entry requirements and from mature students with non-standard qualifications, please email us for more information.
We are willing to consider applications for deferred entry from those who have well- structured plans for work or travel, for example. We may, however, need to restrict the number of deferred entry offers we make because we have to be careful not to fill too many of next year’s places in advance. However, if you do apply for a deferred place and are unsuccessful, you are welcome to reapply the following year.
You are welcome to apply if you are taking resits; we do not make higher offers to students who declare resits.
If you do not satisfy our general entry requirements, the Foundation Programme offers multidisciplinary degrees to prepare you for a range of specified degree courses.
Science A levels: Applicants taking Science A levels that include a practical component will be required to take and pass this as a condition of entry. This applies only to applicants sitting A levels with an English examination board.
The fees for this academic year have not been confirmed yet.
Full-Time Study
The tuition fees shown for home students are for one complete academic year of full-time study and are set according to the academic year of entry. Fees for subsequent years of your course may rise in line with an inflationary uplift as determined by the government.
The tuition fees shown for overseas and EU students are for one complete academic year of full-time study, are set according to the academic year of entry, and will be subject to an annual inflationary increase expected to rise throughout the programme of study. The fee listed above is for the first year of the course only; fees for subsequent years will be confirmed not less than 3 months before the start of the academic year to which the increase is intended to apply and will be published on the Finance webpages.
In deciding the annual level of increase, the University will take into account inflationary pressures on the costs of delivery. Tuition fees will rise annually by up to the higher of:
6%, or
the latest annual percentage increase in the Consumer Prices Index.
Part-Time Study
The tuition fees shown for home students are for one complete academic year of part-time study and are charged proportionately to the Full-Time fee. Fees for subsequent years of your course may rise in line with an inflationary uplift as determined by the government.
Our students graduate with specialist knowledge in areas of accounting and of finance, as well as the analytical, IT and problem-solving skills that are highly valued by employers in the UK and internationally. This combination of academic knowledge and transferable skills will open up a range of career opportunities in the financial world and beyond.
Our focus on employability extends beyond the classroom. You will benefit from employability-focused events that will give you a competitive edge in the job market. From interview advice and employer talks to subject-specific careers fairs, we work with you to achieve your goals.
Previous graduates have gone on to work within the accountancy profession and for businesses as accountants, specialising as auditors, financial accountants, tax specialists, management consultants etc. Graduates have also specialise in areas of finance such as financial analysis, risk management and investment banking and for employers such as PWC, KPMG, Deloitte, EY, Grant Thornton, National Audit Office, Capita, Deutsche Bank and Sage Plc. Many have been offered places on graduate talent schemes across a range of sectors, while others have taken on roles in charitable organisations and in general management.
Of those students who graduated in 2020-21:
100%
in work or further study.
Of those in employment:
100%
in highly and medium skilled employment.
£30,500
is the average salary.
(Source: HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey. The survey asks
leavers from higher education what they are doing 15 months after graduation. Further information about the Graduate Outcomes survey can be found here www.graduateoutcomes.ac.uk
)
Department information
Accounting and Finance
Degrees in Accounting and in Finance at Durham University Business School can open the door to opportunities with leading employers in the accountancy and finance sectors and beyond. Valuable professional accreditation is also available, dependent on the degree and modules chosen.
The Departments of Accounting and Finance are two specialist departments within Durham University’s Business School; one of the UK's longest established business schools. We offer an inspiring and stimulating learning environment, and consistently rank highly for the quality of our teaching, research and for graduate career prospects.
Our reputation is down to the expertise of our staff. Their global experience, outstanding research insight, professional experience and real business connections keep us at the leading edge. We offer a wide selection of courses in both accounting and in finance, including specialist routes that are designed to provide maximum accreditation from professional accountancy qualifications.
Areas of study in accounting may include financial and management accounting, the legal, regulatory and social context within which accounting operates, the mechanisms by which individuals plan their tax affairs, the role of the accountant in achieving sustainable business practices and the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data on the world of accounting. You won’t just learn the technical side of accounting, but you’ll also have the opportunity to think critically about how accounting impacts on the global world of business.
If you are interested in finance your studies may include areas such as corporate finance, investments, financial institutions and the vast array of sophisticated financial products traded in today’s global financial markets.
Both our finance and our accounting courses offer a final year dissertation – an independent piece of research – which helps you build your research skills and allows those looking for further Masters study able to demonstrate their research skills.
You’ll be taught across the University campus by world leading academics from the Business School. The University campus is within walking distance of the historic centre of Durham, a city with UNESCO World Heritage Status.
Apply
Find out more:
Use the UCAS code below when applying:
Apply
2C77
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) handles applications for all undergraduate courses.
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