Online pre-study modules
Before the programme begins you will be expected to complete some online pre-study modules which are delivered through The Hub, Imperial College Business School’s virtual learning environment.
These modules will be available to students who have accepted an offer of admission from July onwards and are designed to give you a basic knowledge of areas that will be covered by the programme throughout the academic year.
Foundation module
You will study one foundation module in September that introduces the tools of modern finance and enhances your career development skills.
By the end of this module you will:
• Be confident with the basics of programming in R
• Have developed an understanding of the main financial instruments including debt, equity and financial derivatives and of the concepts of market efficiency, portfolio risk and diversification.
• Be able to master the most important techniques of statistics and probability, tailored to applications in finance, risk management and financial engineering.
• Be able to use the basics of data management systems using Python with finance applications
• Appreciate and understand the various ways to adjust project financing
Core modules
Develop a solid financial knowledge base
You’ll study six core modules which are taught through lectures, interspersed with quantitative case studies allowing students to work on real-world problems faced by financial firms, using extensive data sets and computer programs.
This module introduces you to more complex econometric techniques which are an essential part of modern advanced empirical research. You will be able to analyse data from any source using a wide variety of techniques.
This online module aims to introduce you to corporate responsibility and professional standards for financial analysts. You will be taken through a review of the key factors and responsibilities for ethical practice in finance. At the end of the module, you will have a compulsory test, which must be passed before you can be awarded the MSc.
This module will cover financial engineering – the use of mathematical and computational methods to make trading, hedging and investment decisions.
Technical work in financial institutions frequently involves the analysis of data. This core module will ensure you have a solid foundation in statistical inference and econometrics, with particular emphasis on the special features that are prevalent in finance and in the management of financial risks.
This module provides you with a critical understanding of techniques used for investments and portfolio management. The module is accompanied by case studies and realistic practical examples that you will solve each week using R. By the end of the module you’ll be able to implement trading strategies and portfolio construction methods in a wide range of assets.
This module covers the identification of categories of risk faced by financial institutions such as credit, market, liquidity, operational, reputational risks.
Quantitative finance is based on the mathematical analysis of stochastic processes. This module offers a practice-oriented introduction into the body of mathematical theory that is used to analyse the dynamics of asset prices. By the end of the module you will have a solid grounding in the field.
"My favourite module has been Financial Engineering, a core module in the spring semester. It provides comprehensive knowledge in valuation across asset classes and risk modelling in the backdrop of CDS-bond and cryptocurrencies, all of which are helpful in my career path to be an asset manager. Moreover, Dr Enrico Biffis is so passionate and knowledgeable that I am never distracted in his lectures."
