Course description

• This degree is accredited by the Chartered Institution for Securities and Investment (CISI), the largest and most widely respected professional body for the securities and investment industry in the UK
• We help you build an essential toolkit for your career as a professional economist and financial analyst, including strategic decision-making skills that set you apart in the graduate job market
• Our Financial Markets Lab brings an extra dimension to your learning, giving you exciting insights into working life on a trading floor
• You’ll complete live financial consultancy and economic research projects with businesses and have the chance to take up placements and internships in the UK or overseas
• Our strong employer networks mean you will interact with industry leaders, economics experts and senior finance professionals throughout your studies.

Foundation Year - helping you to achieve more

Including a foundation year as part of your four-year study programme will give you a head start in your academic and professional life. The foundation year offers the chance to strengthen your skills, knowledge and confidence – with extensive support from our expert staff – before you advance to stage one of your honours degree. It could also be beneficial if you are planning a career change and want to get to grips with aspects of subjects which are new to you.

Our degrees with a foundation year are continuous, meaning that you won’t need to apply again once you have successfully completed the first year.

Professional accreditation

With professional accreditation and strong input from employers, this degree equips you to undertake economic research and analysis, handle complex financial data sources, diagnose problems and take the strategic decisions expected of an applied economist. The course is accredited by the Chartered Institution for Securities and Investment (CISI), it will stand you in good stead for achieving a globally recognised professional qualification alongside your degree.

It is closely mapped against the Institution’s Introduction to Investment foundation qualification and all the practical knowledge you need to prepare for the CISI exam is embedded in our curriculum. This is your first step on the CISI qualification pathway and is also recognised by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). It is particularly valuable if you are interested in a career in wealth management, operational investments, financial planning, compliance and risk, or stock broking. The additional qualification will strengthen your CV and you’ll also benefit from access to a wide range of CISI resources, networking events and professional development opportunities.

On successful completion of the degree you will also gain exemptions towards the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) qualifications, meaning you can achieve membership of this professional body quicker, accelerating your career progression.

Hands-on learning

Your studies will cover a broad range of microeconomic and macroeconomic issues, quantitative methods, computing techniques and business performance concepts. We also give you a solid understanding of how various economic systems work, the impact of government policies and the performance of different economies worldwide.

The BSc (Hons) Economics and Finance is a highly practical applied degree. Every day brings a fresh challenge to broaden your professional outlook. You may find yourself creating strategy documents, analysing news reports, interpreting financial reports, undertaking research tasks, harnessing latest software, delivering presentations, videos and broadcast interviews, tracking your own portfolio of investments, or analysing information from Bloomberg on international markets and organisations.

Employers are closely involved in shaping our degree. They provide real-world case studies, practical scenarios and consultancy projects which will enhance the currency of your studies.

We encourage you to undertake a placement or internship, either in the UK or abroad, to further your understanding of effective economic and financial analysis in the workplace. Opportunities range from three-month summer internships to year-long placements and we offer full support and guidance to help you find the right opportunity. You could, for instance, compete for international placement experiences with major names such as Enterprise, Centrica, PwC, DHL and the Institute of Directors.

Facilities and resources

At Derby you’ll discover cutting-edge learning resources to help you get to grips with the up-to-the-minute technology and information used by finance professionals across the globe. Our Financial Markets Lab has been established in partnership with Bloomberg, the international business and financial information leader, to enrich your learning.

Projects in the lab give you exciting insights into what it is like to work on a trading floor in the financial district. You’ll have access to analysis of current affairs from a wealth of data, including company and director profiles from around the world. As part of your degree, you can even work towards the Bloomberg Market Concepts Certificate to add substance to your CV.

Expert teaching

Our teaching team conducts significant research which is influencing current debates about key economic and financial issues. Our lecturers publish widely, including one of the main economics textbooks used in universities.

You’ll also engage with business experts, industry leaders and finance professionals. Our students hear about latest developments in the City from high-profile figures such as our Visiting Professor of Banking and Financial Economics, Professor Trevor Williams, ex-Chief Economist at Lloyds Bank PLC.

You can also immerse yourself in the wider business community – and open up new networks of contacts – by joining one of the University’s societies such as the Economics, Trading and Investment Society, the Business and Entrepreneurial Society and the Derby University Network of Entrepreneurs (DUNE).

Global thinking

International perspectives are important for the aspiring financial experts of the future. Our Economics and Finance team boasts strong links with academic partners in countries such as China and Spain which bring a global dimension to their teaching.

We offer you the chance to study abroad – based with one of our international partner institutions – for a semester or a year, usually in stage two of the course.

Alternatively, you can join one of our optional short study visits abroad. A visit to Copenhagen, for example, saw our students exploring different aspects of fraud investigations.

An extra qualification: the Futures Award

How you will learn

You will learn through a combination of:

• lectures
• problem-solving seminars
• group work and discussions
• workshops
• case study analysis
• computer lab work
• practical analysis

Ours is a friendly and supportive learning community, with small classes where you will receive plenty of one-to-one guidance. At the start of the course you will benefit from substantial direction from our teaching team. As your studies progress, you are expected to work more independently, taking greater responsibility for your own learning.

Additional support is provided through our specially designed personal tutor system. You’ll meet your personal tutor during Induction Week and have at least three scheduled meetings with them each year. They will help you plan your personal and career development as well as supporting your work towards the Futures Award.

We also have a diverse range of guest speakers to inspire our students and share their stories. Recently we had Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, who delivered a session on ‘The concept of microcredit’ as part of our 2021 Student Lecture Series.

Showcasing your skills

There may be opportunities to take part in national competitions such as the University Trading Challenge, where students pit their wits against each other in trading various financial instruments such as shares, bonds, commodities and foreign exchange. They also present risk strategy case studies before a panel of judges. The University has an excellent track record in this prestigious event, with students winning a series of awards and raising their professional profile.  Other well-known competitions that we’ve previously entered include the IBM University Business Challenge and CIMA Global Business Challenge.

How you are assessed

The majority of modules do not involve exams. Assessments are designed to ensure you can identify issues, decide how to collect and analyse evidence, come to reasoned conclusions based on that evidence, and present your findings via various communication methods.

• At Stage 1: Computer-based assessments help you gauge your own level of learning and gain constructive feedback. Some modules involve more traditional essays and reports plus a mixture of individual and group tasks. You are also encouraged to keep a reflective portfolio.
• Stage 2: Features further assessments of your individual and group work, report writing and communication skills, including innovative challenges such as a broadcast interview and poster design. Computer, portfolio and report-based assessments will focus on your professional analysis experience including data retrieval and quantitative analytics using financial data.
• At Stage 3: Assessments centre on your research and consultancy skills. Through the Applied Economic Project, you will apply these skills to a live project involving a business.