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Master the art and science behind the financial markets and develop a deep understanding of the wider business world.

The core focus of our teaching is about preparing you for employment. Key modules include Careers in Accounting, Economics and Finance, and Professional Practice in Accounting, Economics and Finance – both designed to build practical knowledge of working in the industry. 

This course is highly rated by students, receiving a 90% overall satisfaction rating in the National Student Survey 2020. Recent graduates are now working for some of the biggest names in the industry, including Bloomberg, Deloitte and Brewin Dolphin.

This programme is delivered entirely at QFBA in Qatar and is offered as Full Time mode of study only.

If you would like to apply or for further information please visit the QFBA website. For any specific queries relating directly to Northumbria please contact tne@northumbria.ac.uk.

Course Information

Credits
20

Level of Study
Undergraduate

Mode of Study
4 years

Location
Qatar

City
Qatar

Start
September

Fee Information

Module Information

Entry Requirements Modules Overview

Entry Requirements 2024/25

Standard Entry

For information on entry requirements please visit the QFBA website

If you’d like to receive the latest updates from Northumbria about our courses, events, finance & funding then enter your details below.

* At Northumbria we are strongly committed to protecting the privacy of personal data. To view the University’s Privacy Notice please click here

Modules Overview 2024/25

Modules

Module information is indicative and is reviewed annually therefore may be subject to change. Applicants will be informed if there are any changes.

Year one Year two Year three Year four

Year one

AF4002 -

Financial Decision Making (Core,20 Credits)

You will learn how financial information can be used to assist managers and external user groups in their decision making processes.

You will initially explore the motivations for entrepreneurial activity and techniques that can be used to appraise investment decisions.

Topic areas will include:

• Investment appraisal techniques (payback, accounting rate of return, net present value and internal rate of return)
• Practical aspects of investment appraisal (inflation and capital rationing)
• Risk and uncertainty

You will then examine how financial information can facilitate managers in making operational decisions in relation to planning and control.

Topic areas will include:

• Cost and revenue behaviour
• Break even analysis
• Costing (full and variable costing, activity-based costing and whole life-cycle costing)
• Budgeting and variance analysis
• Working capital management

Finally you will look at the informational needs of outside user groups, the nature of the information they are provided with, and how this information can be analysed and interpreted in order to enhance the effectiveness of their decision making.

Topic areas will include:

• The reporting frameworks and ethical principles that underpin financial reporting
• The nature of international financial reporting standards
• Format and content of the statement of profit or loss and statement of financial position
• Statements of cash flow
• Analysis and interpretation of financial statements using ratio analysis

More information

AF4003 -

Principles and Theories of Finance (Core,20 Credits)

In this module, you will learn the key aspects of financial theory, the financial system, its markets and products. The topics that you will learn in this module include, the concepts of the financial system, interest rate and foreign exchange dynamics and the operation of the money, fixed-income and equity markets. The theories of finance that you will learn include the concept of utility, stock market efficiency, portfolio theory and the capital asset pricing model (CAPM). Further, in this module you will also enhance your knowledge and skills of basic financial arithmetic, statistics through Microsoft Excel which are essential for both placement and graduate employability. To apply the knowledge acquired in this module, you will be using real-time financial information and data which would be available through the NBS Trading Room.

More information

BM9400 -

Business Analysis for Decision Making (Core,20 Credits)

The module aims to provide you with the knowledge and skills of applying a variety of quantitative analytical tools to support business decision making. The module is delivered to you using weekly lectures and IT workshops, the workshops principally concentrate of the development of your spreadsheet skills and interpretation of the analysis undertaken.

Within this module, you will cover nine main topics:

• Index numbers
• Linear programming
• Correlation and Regression;
• Time Series Analysis;
• Data Presentation
• Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion
• Probability and the Normal Distribution
• Questionnaire Design and Sampling

The module will lead you to the development of basic analytical skills and confidence in handling numeric data using a spreadsheet. In doing so, it will expose you to a wide range of quantitative techniques for use in modelling, analysis and interpretation of business problems. You will become aware of the role of modelling as an aid to business problem solving. Furthermore, you will gain an understanding of the role of MS Excel as an aid to data analysis and the development of various business problem solving models.

On completing the module you will be able to select and apply the appropriate business techniques to support business problem solving in a variety of situations. You will have developed relevant IT skills to support the theoretical material introduced throughout the module. You will create, use and design appropriate spreadsheet models as well as use appropriate supporting software.

More information

HR9405 -

Managing People at Work (Core,20 Credits)

This module aims to provide you with an introduction to the foundation theory and practice of management. It encourages you to understand the principal challenges facing managers and will give you an overview of the key themes within organisational behaviour (OB). Through weekly lectures you will be introduced to principles of OB and explore the relationships between theory and practice. In weekly seminars you will apply your understanding of theories and relevant research findings to Human Resources (HR) practice related case studies and draw connections to your own experiences of work. Issues you will discuss in this module may vary in order to reflect contemporary circumstances. Topics include:

• Introduction to OB and links to HR practice
• (Rational) organisation structure and work design
• Managing diverse groups and effective teams
• Sex and gender in management
• Managing culture
• Perception and Personality
• Motivation/ Reward/ Performance
• Ethics/ Leadership/ Followership
• Politics and decision making in organisations
• Managing conflict and change

The module will lead you to develop your own understanding of managerial challenges and skills necessary to tackle them. You will be challenged to reflect on your learning and how OB theories and relevant research findings have impacted on you and your journey in becoming a practicing manager. On completing the module you will understand theoretical foundations of OB and its links to HR practice. You will further critically reflect on your own views of management and HR practice. Such reflection will lead and align with your further personal development studies ‘Employability and Career Planning’ (HR9508) and ‘Human Resource Management’ (HR9510).

More information

NX9410 -

Building Business Practice (Core,20 Credits)

This module aims to provide you with the skills and abilities to tackle real life business problems and projects. These problems and research projects will be appropriate to your specific programme of study and will result in an extensive and flexible knowledge base.

There are six main focus areas based on:

An ability to demonstrate and apply an understanding of relevant theory from your professional /academic area where appropriate
Group Work skills (Team work)
Research Skills (Information Literacy)
Problem Solving Skills (Project Management)
Communication Skills
Self-Directed Learning.

On completion of this module you will have developed effective problem-solving skills, become an effective collaborator and team player and further developed self-directed, lifelong learning skills.

More information

SM9411 -

Global Business Environment (Core,20 Credits)

The module is comprised of three blocks of material. The three blocks are:

Globalisation
This block will cover topics such as the process of globalisation, barriers to globalisation, the benefits and costs of globalisation for business,
international trade, analysis of the external business environment, corporate social responsibility issues in the global economy, etc.
Economics
This block will focus on the market forces of supply and demand, supply and demand elasticity, government policy, gross domestic product (GDP),
the consumer price index, a macroeconomic theory of the open economy, etc.
Economic Competitiveness
Topics covered in this block include foreign market entry modes, process of foreign direct investment, analytical frameworks for assessing national
competitiveness, the risk assessment for business decisions, etc.

At the end of the module you will be able to:

1. Identify and describe the main features, trends & influences of the global business environment on international organisations.
2. Analyse various global and/or international business contexts and how these affect the strategic development of industries, markets and organisations.
3. Apply basic macro-economic theory in an international business environment and use economic analysis to examine major social and economic issues in the UK and beyond.

More information

Year two

AF5002 -

Derivatives & Risk (Core,20 Credits)

You will learn about the simplest forms of complex financial instruments, including the way that they work, the risks they are often designed to manage or speculate upon, and the ways that money flows ‘through’ the transactions and the means of calculating whether they have made either a profit or a loss. Instruments covered include:
• Futures
• Forwards
• Options, and
• Swaps

You will also examine the way that the market for an underlying commodities can impact the way such derivatives operate as well as examining the way such derivative instruments have been used to construct a derivative market for carbon. You will learn about these instruments in the context of the worldwide markets using real-time data taken from the NBS Trading Terminals.

More information

AF5004 -

Finance, Financial Markets and Institutions (Core,20 Credits)

You will learn the key aspects of the regulations, ethics and law that define the ‘rules’ for finance, and the main financial instruments that are used, including; Money market instruments, Bonds, Equities, Foreign exchange and Insurance. You will draw from a range of historical case studies to see how regulation within the financial system has transformed. You will be encouraged to discussed and critique the latest regulation changes using academic literature to back up your arguments.
You will learn about these instruments in the context of the worldwide markets in which they are traded as well as the principal institutions that use these instruments and that trade them worldwide. To apply the knowledge acquired in this module, you will be using real-time financial information. Therefore throughout the module you will be required to keep up to date with the latest developments within the financial markets to enable you to contribute to this module.

More information

AF5007 -

Personal Finance and Wealth Planning (Core,20 Credits)

You will learn about personal finance and wealth planning with a view to understanding how different financial products can be used to satisfy different client needs and circumstances. You will learn about client appraisal; personal taxation (to include income tax, capital gains tax and inheritance tax); building an investment portfolio; mortgage finance; the handling of personal debt; insurance planning; retirement planning and estate planning in the financial planning process.

More information

AF5008 -

Financial Mathematics and Statistics (Core,20 Credits)

The module aims to provide you with the knowledge and skills of applying a variety of advanced mathematical and statistical methods to help you with financial data analysis and interpretation. You will examine the mathematical and statistical methods that feed into complex financial models, tools and techniques. All mathematical and statistical techniques which you will study as part of this module will be considered in the context of finance. Within this module, you will cover such topics as; limits (continuous compounding, mathematical constant e, annuity and perpetuity), geometric & physical interpretation, least squares problem, serial correlation, market randomness & mean reversion, conditional probability and stochastic volatility (the Poisson process).

The module will lead you to the development of advanced analytical skills and confidence in handling numerical data using both mathematical derivations and statistical reasoning. In doing so, it will expose you to a wide range of mathematical techniques for use in analysis and interpretation of financial data. On completing the module you will be able to select and apply the appropriate mathematical and statistical techniques to support decision making in a variety of situations. You will have developed relevant numerical skills to support the theoretical material introduced throughout the module. You will create, use and design appropriate spreadsheet models which directly relate to the concepts studied. For this real-time data from the NBS trading room can be used.

More information

HR9508 -

Employability & Career Planning (Core,20 Credits)

This module gives you the skills and knowledge you need to successfully obtain an undergraduate placement and/or a graduate-level role when you leave university. It is specifically concerned with your employability and therefore includes opportunities each week to practice and develop skills in a safe and supportive environment. You will study a number of important topics such as career planning, writing CVs, cover letters and application forms, psychometric testing, competency-based interviews, assessment centres and current trends in recruitment and selection practice, including use of social media. When you complete this module, you will have the skills, ability, and confidence to make an impactful application to any employer. The module also supports you if you have a compulsory year abroad as part of your programme.

More information

NX9523 -

Business Professional Practice (Core,20 Credits)

This module aims to prepare you for your future studies at Level 6 and work-based learning. It focuses on developing your skills and abilities to critically assess, analyse and manage business-based problems and projects, with emphasis on a range of business models

The module will focus on specific discipline areas to support demonstration of understanding and application of relevant theory from your professional/academic area as appropriate. There also will be some opportunities to consider broader contemporary challenges for organisations in responding to changing practices of responsible and sustainable management.

On completion of the module you will have enhanced your problem-solving skills and will be able to manage complex projects. By focusing on advanced group and team working skills, research and complex problem solving skills, project management, communication skills and self-directed learning, you will also develop employability and leadership attributes, including set direction, engage, drive, collaborate, learn, innovate and act with integrity.

More information

Year three

NX9525 -

Newcastle Business School Work Placement Year (Optional,120 Credits)

The Work Placement Year module is a full year 120 credit module available on degree courses which include a work placement year which is taken as an additional year of study between levels 5 and 6. The placement consists of 48 weeks of full time work experience in a host organisation which is relevant to your studies.

The placement is an important element of your course structure and it will provide you with the opportunity to:

• Experience the environment of a real workplace which will help you decide the type of career you would like to follow after graduation
• Develop your organisational and interpersonal skills required to enable you to work efficiently as a member of a team
• Acquire and develop relevant technical skills associated with the nature of your work
• Identify, analyse and discuss with experienced practitioners how theoretical concepts are adapted and applied to suit practical requirements
• Apply knowledge that will help you to plan and evaluate future study and career development.


This is a Pass/Fail module and so does not contribute to your degree classification. When taken and passed, however, the Placement Year is recognised in your transcript as a 120 credit Work Placement Module and on your degree certificate in the format “Degree title (with Work Placement Year)”. The learning and teaching on your placement will be recorded in the training agreement signed by you, the placement provider, and the University.

More information

NX9526 -

Newcastle Business School Study Abroad Year (Optional,120 Credits)

The Study Abroad Year module is a full year 120 credit module which is available on degree courses which include a study abroad year which is taken as an additional year of study between levels 5 and 6. You will undertake a year abroad at a partner university equivalent to 120 UK credits.

The study abroad placement is an important element of your course structure and gives you access to modules from your discipline taught in a different learning culture and so broadens your overall experience of learning. At the end of the module you will have adapted to and appreciated a different cultural and learning environment and developed ability. You will have developed your interpersonal and intercultural communication skills as a result of your learning in an international environment.

This is a Pass/Fail module and so does not contribute to your degree classification. When taken and passed, however, the Study Abroad Year is recognised in your transcript as a 120 credit Study Abroad Module and on your degree certificate in the format “Degree title (with Study Abroad Year)”. The learning and teaching on your study abroad placement will be dependent on the partner and will be recorded in the learning agreement signed by you, the host University, and the University.

More information

NX9528 -

Newcastle Business School Blended Placement Year: Work Placement Semester (Optional,60 Credits)

The Work Placement Semester module is a semester long 60 credit module which is available on degree courses which include the option to take a blended placement year of Work and Study Abroad which is taken as an additional year of study between levels 5 and 6.

On this module you will undertake a semester long work placement. The placement consists of a period of full time work experience in a host organisation equivalent to a full semester of study which is relevant to your studies.

The placement is an important element of your course structure and it will provide you with the opportunity to:

• Experience the environment of a real workplace which will help you decide the type of career you would like to follow after graduation
• Develop your organisational and interpersonal skills required to enable you to work efficiently as a member of a team
• Acquire and develop relevant technical skills associated with the nature of your work
• Identify, analyse and discuss with experienced practitioners how theoretical concepts are adapted and applied to suit practical requirements
• Apply knowledge that will help you to plan and evaluate future study and career development.


This is a Pass/Fail module and so does not contribute to your degree classification. When taken and passed, however, the Placement Year is recognised in your transcript as a 60 credit Work Placement Module. The learning and teaching on your placement will be recorded in the training agreement signed by you, the placement provider, and the University. Combining this with the study abroad semester as part of the third year out of the University, this will be recognised on your degree certificate in the format “Degree title (with Study Abroad and Work Placement Year)”.

More information

NX9529 -

Newcastle Business School Blended Placement Year: Study Abroad Semester (Optional,60 Credits)

The Study Abroad Semester module is a semester long 60 credit module which is available on degree courses which include the option to take a blended placement year of Work and Study Abroad which is taken as an additional year of study between levels 5 and 6.

You will undertake a semester abroad at a partner university equivalent to 60 UK credits.

The study abroad placement is an important element of your course structure and gives you access to modules from your discipline taught in a different learning culture and so broadens your overall experience of learning. When taken and passed the study abroad semester will be recognised in your transcript as a 60 credit Study Abroad Module. The learning and teaching on your study abroad placement will be dependent on the partner and will be recorded in the learning agreement signed by you, the host University, and the University. Combining this with the work placement semester as part of the third year out of the University, this will be recognised on your degree certificate in the format “Degree title (with Study Abroad and Work Placement Year)”.

More information

Year four

AF6003 -

Banking Risk 1 (Core,20 Credits)

In this module, you will learn and examine the banking risk faced by banks and financial institutions. This module takes you through the specific areas of credit and market risks within the context of the relevant regulatory framework (The Basel Accords) and draws on case study material provided by high profile banks and financial institution. You will be expected to develop an understanding of the nature of credit and market risks, its measurement models and management issues. The module will cover:
• A typology of risk in banking and financial institutions- definitions, types, and its importance. Discussion on certainty, risk and uncertainty.
• International banking regulation and capital adequacy
• The nature and significance of market risk
• Measuring market risk through Value-at-Risk (VaR) models (variance-covariance, historical simulation and Monte-Carlo simulation models), back-testing, stress-testing, bootstrapping, expected shortfall and other regulatory models.
• Market risk regulatory framework using the Basel Accords.
• Exchange rate risk and its implications in banking.
• Credit decision making and credit risk in consumer and industrial loans.
• Measuring credit risk through credit scoring models, credit VaR models (Creditmetrics, Creditrisk+).
• Credit risk regulatory framework using the Basel Accords.
• Counterparty Credit Risk (CCR) in derivatives and credit valuation adjustment (CVA).

More information

AF6006 -

Investment Management: Rational and Irrational Markets (Core,20 Credits)

The module aims to provide you with the knowledge and skills of applying a variety of quantitative and financial tools to construct, rebalance and evaluate portfolio consisting of financial assets mainly equities. The module is organised within the themes of rational and irrational decision making in investments (A Nobel Prize was awarded in 2013 to Eugene Fama and Robert Shiller for their contributions in these areas). The module delivers on Fama’s claim of markets efficiency, with people incorporating all available information into prices. It then extends onto Shiller’s view that investors, being human, can be swayed by psychology. Therefore you will learn the psychological influence and market efficiency alongside principles in the context of investment in real world financial assets. You will be exposed to a wide range of techniques for use in rebalancing, comparing and analysis and evaluation of portfolio made of financial assets. Furthermore, you will gain practical understanding of various aspects of asset allocation, portfolio management strategies and important behavioural issues affecting your portfolio choice. The module is delivered to you using weekly lectures and IT workshops, the workshops principally concentrate on the development of your trading software and excel spreadsheet skills.
Overall within the module you will explore the assumptions of rationality and irrationality in investments and their impact on decision-making. Within this module, you will cover nine main topics:
• Investment Process and Asset Allocation
• Portfolio Theory and Diversification
• Capital Asset Pricing and Arbitrage Pricing Theory
• Efficient Market Hypothesis
• Equity Valuation
• Chartists and Fundamental Analysis
• Portfolio Evaluation
• Behavioural Finance
• Irrationality Biases, Bubbles and Herd behaviour

More information

AF6007 -

Banking Risk 2 (Core,20 Credits)

In this module, you will examine the interest rate, liquidity and operational risks face by banks and financial institutions. You will also learn the measurement and management aspects of these banking risks with the help of case studies within the banking and finance institutions. Further, a key aspect of the module is to determine why an effective fraud risk assessment framework is essential to the banking and financial institutions. You will be developing and communicating an effective fraud risk assessment framework. Prominent real life financial disasters would also be examined to demonstrate how these issues can impact upon banking and financial institutions. The module will cover:
• Interest rate risk- the level and movement of interest rates, the sources of interest rate risk, the risk and term structure of interest rates.
• Interest rate risk measurement models- repricing gap, maturity and duration models. Regulatory requirements and Asset-Liability Management.
• Liquidity risk- sources, measurement models. The Basel 3 regulations on liquidity risk management.
• Operational risk- sources, measurement models. Regulatory implications and operational risk management.
• Fraud risk assessment and execution. Managing fraud risk and misconduct in global and digital banking environment.

More information

NX9625 -

Dissertation (Optional,40 Credits)

The dissertation module aims to equip you with the necessary intellectual and practical skills for undertaking an individual student-led, ethical investigation into an applied business (or the named degree) problem or issue. In addition, the dissertation aims to equip you with key transferable, employability skills, including: time management, project management, communication (written and verbal), negotiation, persuasion and influence, discovery, initiative, creativity and innovation in problem-solving, analysis.

The module is student-led but you are supported by, initially, weekly lectures and seminar-workshops which provide an introduction to undertaking Business-Management research followed by one-to-one or small-group supervision meetings.
The lectures and seminar-workshops will cover the following topics:
1. Developing a research aim/question (focusing and scoping the research)
2. Developing a literature review
3. Writing a research proposal
4. Researching ethically
5. Quantitative research techniques
6. Qualitative research techniques
7. Quantitative analysis techniques
8. Qualitative analysis techniques

Upon completion of the module you will be able to:
1. Conduct independent and ethical academic research involving the application and critical evaluation of appropriate theories and models,
2. Engage critically with relevant literature to establish a framework in which to analyse and synthesise the results of your primary or secondary research
3. Generate / collect relevant primary or secondary data using an appropriate and justified method
4. Analyse your data using an appropriate and justified method of analysis
5. Recognise the ethical implications of your work
6. Critically evaluate the source of your data and the method you adopted

More information

NX9626 -

Undergraduate Consultancy Project (Optional,40 Credits)

The module aims to provide you with an opportunity to integrate the knowledge acquired during the programme and apply this to a consultancy project for a real organisation. This consultancy project provides a vehicle for participants to develop and demonstrate key employability skills, to relate theory to practice, and to undertake a significant piece of assessed work commensurate with a capstone module.

You will work on behalf of an external organisation, which has identified a business problem or question, requiring a solution, working in small group of typically 4 individuals (you will select their own team members), participating in group and individual activities. The host organisation will provide a project briefing, and review; students will be supported by appropriate academic input and guidance from Newcastle Business School in the form of a mentor and via the Business Clinic.

More information

SM9636 -

Strategic Management for Sustainable Leadership (Core,20 Credits)

1. How strategic recommendations are likely to be evaluated by various stakeholder groups that place a different interpretation on the measurement of business success.
2. Understanding the concepts and frameworks of Endogenous Strategy that apply to a company’s Capabilities, Competences and Resources.
3. How to synthesise key concepts in the Resource-based View of Strategy (RBV) and apply them to companies in competitive markets.
4. How Sustained Competitive Advantage (SCA) can be achieved and maintained in an era of finite resources and increasing demand for sustainability.
5. How Innovation can be managed and applied to Products, Processes, Business Models and Sustainability.
6. How Sustainability can be incorporated into successful Strategy Formulation, Strategic Implementation, and Business Model Innovation.
7. How Leadership impacts upon strategic decision making.
8. Understanding how the concepts of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility can be applied to meet the challenges of Ethical Business Management in the future.
9. How to successfully write compelling and influential strategic briefing documents based around the structure adopted by this module.

More information

Modules Overview 2025/26

Modules

Module information is indicative and is reviewed annually therefore may be subject to change. Applicants will be informed if there are any changes.

Year one Year two Year three Year four

Year one

AF4002 -

Financial Decision Making (Core,20 Credits)

You will learn how financial information can be used to assist managers and external user groups in their decision making processes.

You will initially explore the motivations for entrepreneurial activity and techniques that can be used to appraise investment decisions.

Topic areas will include:

• Investment appraisal techniques (payback, accounting rate of return, net present value and internal rate of return)
• Practical aspects of investment appraisal (inflation and capital rationing)
• Risk and uncertainty

You will then examine how financial information can facilitate managers in making operational decisions in relation to planning and control.

Topic areas will include:

• Cost and revenue behaviour
• Break even analysis
• Costing (full and variable costing, activity-based costing and whole life-cycle costing)
• Budgeting and variance analysis
• Working capital management

Finally you will look at the informational needs of outside user groups, the nature of the information they are provided with, and how this information can be analysed and interpreted in order to enhance the effectiveness of their decision making.

Topic areas will include:

• The reporting frameworks and ethical principles that underpin financial reporting
• The nature of international financial reporting standards
• Format and content of the statement of profit or loss and statement of financial position
• Statements of cash flow
• Analysis and interpretation of financial statements using ratio analysis

More information

AF4003 -

Principles and Theories of Finance (Core,20 Credits)

In this module, you will learn the key aspects of financial theory, the financial system, its markets and products. The topics that you will learn in this module include, the concepts of the financial system, interest rate and foreign exchange dynamics and the operation of the money, fixed-income and equity markets. The theories of finance that you will learn include the concept of utility, stock market efficiency, portfolio theory and the capital asset pricing model (CAPM). Further, in this module you will also enhance your knowledge and skills of basic financial arithmetic, statistics through Microsoft Excel which are essential for both placement and graduate employability. To apply the knowledge acquired in this module, you will be using real-time financial information and data which would be available through the NBS Trading Room.

More information

BM9400 -

Business Analysis for Decision Making (Core,20 Credits)

The module aims to provide you with the knowledge and skills of applying a variety of quantitative analytical tools to support business decision making. The module is delivered to you using weekly lectures and IT workshops, the workshops principally concentrate of the development of your spreadsheet skills and interpretation of the analysis undertaken.

Within this module, you will cover nine main topics:

• Index numbers
• Linear programming
• Correlation and Regression;
• Time Series Analysis;
• Data Presentation
• Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion
• Probability and the Normal Distribution
• Questionnaire Design and Sampling

The module will lead you to the development of basic analytical skills and confidence in handling numeric data using a spreadsheet. In doing so, it will expose you to a wide range of quantitative techniques for use in modelling, analysis and interpretation of business problems. You will become aware of the role of modelling as an aid to business problem solving. Furthermore, you will gain an understanding of the role of MS Excel as an aid to data analysis and the development of various business problem solving models.

On completing the module you will be able to select and apply the appropriate business techniques to support business problem solving in a variety of situations. You will have developed relevant IT skills to support the theoretical material introduced throughout the module. You will create, use and design appropriate spreadsheet models as well as use appropriate supporting software.

More information

HR9405 -

Managing People at Work (Core,20 Credits)

This module aims to provide you with an introduction to the foundation theory and practice of management. It encourages you to understand the principal challenges facing managers and will give you an overview of the key themes within organisational behaviour (OB). Through weekly lectures you will be introduced to principles of OB and explore the relationships between theory and practice. In weekly seminars you will apply your understanding of theories and relevant research findings to Human Resources (HR) practice related case studies and draw connections to your own experiences of work. Issues you will discuss in this module may vary in order to reflect contemporary circumstances. Topics include:

• Introduction to OB and links to HR practice
• (Rational) organisation structure and work design
• Managing diverse groups and effective teams
• Sex and gender in management
• Managing culture
• Perception and Personality
• Motivation/ Reward/ Performance
• Ethics/ Leadership/ Followership
• Politics and decision making in organisations
• Managing conflict and change

The module will lead you to develop your own understanding of managerial challenges and skills necessary to tackle them. You will be challenged to reflect on your learning and how OB theories and relevant research findings have impacted on you and your journey in becoming a practicing manager. On completing the module you will understand theoretical foundations of OB and its links to HR practice. You will further critically reflect on your own views of management and HR practice. Such reflection will lead and align with your further personal development studies ‘Employability and Career Planning’ (HR9508) and ‘Human Resource Management’ (HR9510).

More information

NX9410 -

Building Business Practice (Core,20 Credits)

This module aims to provide you with the skills and abilities to tackle real life business problems and projects. These problems and research projects will be appropriate to your specific programme of study and will result in an extensive and flexible knowledge base.

There are six main focus areas based on:

An ability to demonstrate and apply an understanding of relevant theory from your professional /academic area where appropriate
Group Work skills (Team work)
Research Skills (Information Literacy)
Problem Solving Skills (Project Management)
Communication Skills
Self-Directed Learning.

On completion of this module you will have developed effective problem-solving skills, become an effective collaborator and team player and further developed self-directed, lifelong learning skills.

More information

SM9411 -

Global Business Environment (Core,20 Credits)

The module is comprised of three blocks of material. The three blocks are:

Globalisation
This block will cover topics such as the process of globalisation, barriers to globalisation, the benefits and costs of globalisation for business,
international trade, analysis of the external business environment, corporate social responsibility issues in the global economy, etc.
Economics
This block will focus on the market forces of supply and demand, supply and demand elasticity, government policy, gross domestic product (GDP),
the consumer price index, a macroeconomic theory of the open economy, etc.
Economic Competitiveness
Topics covered in this block include foreign market entry modes, process of foreign direct investment, analytical frameworks for assessing national
competitiveness, the risk assessment for business decisions, etc.

At the end of the module you will be able to:

1. Identify and describe the main features, trends & influences of the global business environment on international organisations.
2. Analyse various global and/or international business contexts and how these affect the strategic development of industries, markets and organisations.
3. Apply basic macro-economic theory in an international business environment and use economic analysis to examine major social and economic issues in the UK and beyond.

More information

Year two

AF5002 -

Derivatives & Risk (Core,20 Credits)

You will learn about the simplest forms of complex financial instruments, including the way that they work, the risks they are often designed to manage or speculate upon, and the ways that money flows ‘through’ the transactions and the means of calculating whether they have made either a profit or a loss. Instruments covered include:
• Futures
• Forwards
• Options, and
• Swaps

You will also examine the way that the market for an underlying commodities can impact the way such derivatives operate as well as examining the way such derivative instruments have been used to construct a derivative market for carbon. You will learn about these instruments in the context of the worldwide markets using real-time data taken from the NBS Trading Terminals.

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AF5004 -

Finance, Financial Markets and Institutions (Core,20 Credits)

You will learn the key aspects of the regulations, ethics and law that define the ‘rules’ for finance, and the main financial instruments that are used, including; Money market instruments, Bonds, Equities, Foreign exchange and Insurance. You will draw from a range of historical case studies to see how regulation within the financial system has transformed. You will be encouraged to discussed and critique the latest regulation changes using academic literature to back up your arguments.
You will learn about these instruments in the context of the worldwide markets in which they are traded as well as the principal institutions that use these instruments and that trade them worldwide. To apply the knowledge acquired in this module, you will be using real-time financial information. Therefore throughout the module you will be required to keep up to date with the latest developments within the financial markets to enable you to contribute to this module.

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AF5007 -

Personal Finance and Wealth Planning (Core,20 Credits)

You will learn about personal finance and wealth planning with a view to understanding how different financial products can be used to satisfy different client needs and circumstances. You will learn about client appraisal; personal taxation (to include income tax, capital gains tax and inheritance tax); building an investment portfolio; mortgage finance; the handling of personal debt; insurance planning; retirement planning and estate planning in the financial planning process.

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AF5008 -

Financial Mathematics and Statistics (Core,20 Credits)

The module aims to provide you with the knowledge and skills of applying a variety of advanced mathematical and statistical methods to help you with financial data analysis and interpretation. You will examine the mathematical and statistical methods that feed into complex financial models, tools and techniques. All mathematical and statistical techniques which you will study as part of this module will be considered in the context of finance. Within this module, you will cover such topics as; limits (continuous compounding, mathematical constant e, annuity and perpetuity), geometric & physical interpretation, least squares problem, serial correlation, market randomness & mean reversion, conditional probability and stochastic volatility (the Poisson process).

The module will lead you to the development of advanced analytical skills and confidence in handling numerical data using both mathematical derivations and statistical reasoning. In doing so, it will expose you to a wide range of mathematical techniques for use in analysis and interpretation of financial data. On completing the module you will be able to select and apply the appropriate mathematical and statistical techniques to support decision making in a variety of situations. You will have developed relevant numerical skills to support the theoretical material introduced throughout the module. You will create, use and design appropriate spreadsheet models which directly relate to the concepts studied. For this real-time data from the NBS trading room can be used.

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HR9508 -

Employability & Career Planning (Core,20 Credits)

This module gives you the skills and knowledge you need to successfully obtain an undergraduate placement and/or a graduate-level role when you leave university. It is specifically concerned with your employability and therefore includes opportunities each week to practice and develop skills in a safe and supportive environment. You will study a number of important topics such as career planning, writing CVs, cover letters and application forms, psychometric testing, competency-based interviews, assessment centres and current trends in recruitment and selection practice, including use of social media. When you complete this module, you will have the skills, ability, and confidence to make an impactful application to any employer. The module also supports you if you have a compulsory year abroad as part of your programme.

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NX9523 -

Business Professional Practice (Core,20 Credits)

This module aims to prepare you for your future studies at Level 6 and work-based learning. It focuses on developing your skills and abilities to critically assess, analyse and manage business-based problems and projects, with emphasis on a range of business models

The module will focus on specific discipline areas to support demonstration of understanding and application of relevant theory from your professional/academic area as appropriate. There also will be some opportunities to consider broader contemporary challenges for organisations in responding to changing practices of responsible and sustainable management.

On completion of the module you will have enhanced your problem-solving skills and will be able to manage complex projects. By focusing on advanced group and team working skills, research and complex problem solving skills, project management, communication skills and self-directed learning, you will also develop employability and leadership attributes, including set direction, engage, drive, collaborate, learn, innovate and act with integrity.

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Year three

NX9525 -

Newcastle Business School Work Placement Year (Optional,120 Credits)

The Work Placement Year module is a full year 120 credit module available on degree courses which include a work placement year which is taken as an additional year of study between levels 5 and 6. The placement consists of 48 weeks of full time work experience in a host organisation which is relevant to your studies.

The placement is an important element of your course structure and it will provide you with the opportunity to:

• Experience the environment of a real workplace which will help you decide the type of career you would like to follow after graduation
• Develop your organisational and interpersonal skills required to enable you to work efficiently as a member of a team
• Acquire and develop relevant technical skills associated with the nature of your work
• Identify, analyse and discuss with experienced practitioners how theoretical concepts are adapted and applied to suit practical requirements
• Apply knowledge that will help you to plan and evaluate future study and career development.


This is a Pass/Fail module and so does not contribute to your degree classification. When taken and passed, however, the Placement Year is recognised in your transcript as a 120 credit Work Placement Module and on your degree certificate in the format “Degree title (with Work Placement Year)”. The learning and teaching on your placement will be recorded in the training agreement signed by you, the placement provider, and the University.

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NX9526 -

Newcastle Business School Study Abroad Year (Optional,120 Credits)

The Study Abroad Year module is a full year 120 credit module which is available on degree courses which include a study abroad year which is taken as an additional year of study between levels 5 and 6. You will undertake a year abroad at a partner university equivalent to 120 UK credits.

The study abroad placement is an important element of your course structure and gives you access to modules from your discipline taught in a different learning culture and so broadens your overall experience of learning. At the end of the module you will have adapted to and appreciated a different cultural and learning environment and developed ability. You will have developed your interpersonal and intercultural communication skills as a result of your learning in an international environment.

This is a Pass/Fail module and so does not contribute to your degree classification. When taken and passed, however, the Study Abroad Year is recognised in your transcript as a 120 credit Study Abroad Module and on your degree certificate in the format “Degree title (with Study Abroad Year)”. The learning and teaching on your study abroad placement will be dependent on the partner and will be recorded in the learning agreement signed by you, the host University, and the University.

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NX9528 -

Newcastle Business School Blended Placement Year: Work Placement Semester (Optional,60 Credits)

The Work Placement Semester module is a semester long 60 credit module which is available on degree courses which include the option to take a blended placement year of Work and Study Abroad which is taken as an additional year of study between levels 5 and 6.

On this module you will undertake a semester long work placement. The placement consists of a period of full time work experience in a host organisation equivalent to a full semester of study which is relevant to your studies.

The placement is an important element of your course structure and it will provide you with the opportunity to:

• Experience the environment of a real workplace which will help you decide the type of career you would like to follow after graduation
• Develop your organisational and interpersonal skills required to enable you to work efficiently as a member of a team
• Acquire and develop relevant technical skills associated with the nature of your work
• Identify, analyse and discuss with experienced practitioners how theoretical concepts are adapted and applied to suit practical requirements
• Apply knowledge that will help you to plan and evaluate future study and career development.


This is a Pass/Fail module and so does not contribute to your degree classification. When taken and passed, however, the Placement Year is recognised in your transcript as a 60 credit Work Placement Module. The learning and teaching on your placement will be recorded in the training agreement signed by you, the placement provider, and the University. Combining this with the study abroad semester as part of the third year out of the University, this will be recognised on your degree certificate in the format “Degree title (with Study Abroad and Work Placement Year)”.

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NX9529 -

Newcastle Business School Blended Placement Year: Study Abroad Semester (Optional,60 Credits)

The Study Abroad Semester module is a semester long 60 credit module which is available on degree courses which include the option to take a blended placement year of Work and Study Abroad which is taken as an additional year of study between levels 5 and 6.

You will undertake a semester abroad at a partner university equivalent to 60 UK credits.

The study abroad placement is an important element of your course structure and gives you access to modules from your discipline taught in a different learning culture and so broadens your overall experience of learning. When taken and passed the study abroad semester will be recognised in your transcript as a 60 credit Study Abroad Module. The learning and teaching on your study abroad placement will be dependent on the partner and will be recorded in the learning agreement signed by you, the host University, and the University. Combining this with the work placement semester as part of the third year out of the University, this will be recognised on your degree certificate in the format “Degree title (with Study Abroad and Work Placement Year)”.

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Year four

AF6003 -

Banking Risk 1 (Core,20 Credits)

In this module, you will learn and examine the banking risk faced by banks and financial institutions. This module takes you through the specific areas of credit and market risks within the context of the relevant regulatory framework (The Basel Accords) and draws on case study material provided by high profile banks and financial institution. You will be expected to develop an understanding of the nature of credit and market risks, its measurement models and management issues. The module will cover:
• A typology of risk in banking and financial institutions- definitions, types, and its importance. Discussion on certainty, risk and uncertainty.
• International banking regulation and capital adequacy
• The nature and significance of market risk
• Measuring market risk through Value-at-Risk (VaR) models (variance-covariance, historical simulation and Monte-Carlo simulation models), back-testing, stress-testing, bootstrapping, expected shortfall and other regulatory models.
• Market risk regulatory framework using the Basel Accords.
• Exchange rate risk and its implications in banking.
• Credit decision making and credit risk in consumer and industrial loans.
• Measuring credit risk through credit scoring models, credit VaR models (Creditmetrics, Creditrisk+).
• Credit risk regulatory framework using the Basel Accords.
• Counterparty Credit Risk (CCR) in derivatives and credit valuation adjustment (CVA).

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AF6006 -

Investment Management: Rational and Irrational Markets (Core,20 Credits)

The module aims to provide you with the knowledge and skills of applying a variety of quantitative and financial tools to construct, rebalance and evaluate portfolio consisting of financial assets mainly equities. The module is organised within the themes of rational and irrational decision making in investments (A Nobel Prize was awarded in 2013 to Eugene Fama and Robert Shiller for their contributions in these areas). The module delivers on Fama’s claim of markets efficiency, with people incorporating all available information into prices. It then extends onto Shiller’s view that investors, being human, can be swayed by psychology. Therefore you will learn the psychological influence and market efficiency alongside principles in the context of investment in real world financial assets. You will be exposed to a wide range of techniques for use in rebalancing, comparing and analysis and evaluation of portfolio made of financial assets. Furthermore, you will gain practical understanding of various aspects of asset allocation, portfolio management strategies and important behavioural issues affecting your portfolio choice. The module is delivered to you using weekly lectures and IT workshops, the workshops principally concentrate on the development of your trading software and excel spreadsheet skills.
Overall within the module you will explore the assumptions of rationality and irrationality in investments and their impact on decision-making. Within this module, you will cover nine main topics:
• Investment Process and Asset Allocation
• Portfolio Theory and Diversification
• Capital Asset Pricing and Arbitrage Pricing Theory
• Efficient Market Hypothesis
• Equity Valuation
• Chartists and Fundamental Analysis
• Portfolio Evaluation
• Behavioural Finance
• Irrationality Biases, Bubbles and Herd behaviour

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AF6007 -

Banking Risk 2 (Core,20 Credits)

In this module, you will examine the interest rate, liquidity and operational risks face by banks and financial institutions. You will also learn the measurement and management aspects of these banking risks with the help of case studies within the banking and finance institutions. Further, a key aspect of the module is to determine why an effective fraud risk assessment framework is essential to the banking and financial institutions. You will be developing and communicating an effective fraud risk assessment framework. Prominent real life financial disasters would also be examined to demonstrate how these issues can impact upon banking and financial institutions. The module will cover:
• Interest rate risk- the level and movement of interest rates, the sources of interest rate risk, the risk and term structure of interest rates.
• Interest rate risk measurement models- repricing gap, maturity and duration models. Regulatory requirements and Asset-Liability Management.
• Liquidity risk- sources, measurement models. The Basel 3 regulations on liquidity risk management.
• Operational risk- sources, measurement models. Regulatory implications and operational risk management.
• Fraud risk assessment and execution. Managing fraud risk and misconduct in global and digital banking environment.

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NX9625 -

Dissertation (Optional,40 Credits)

The dissertation module aims to equip you with the necessary intellectual and practical skills for undertaking an individual student-led, ethical investigation into an applied business (or the named degree) problem or issue. In addition, the dissertation aims to equip you with key transferable, employability skills, including: time management, project management, communication (written and verbal), negotiation, persuasion and influence, discovery, initiative, creativity and innovation in problem-solving, analysis.

The module is student-led but you are supported by, initially, weekly lectures and seminar-workshops which provide an introduction to undertaking Business-Management research followed by one-to-one or small-group supervision meetings.
The lectures and seminar-workshops will cover the following topics:
1. Developing a research aim/question (focusing and scoping the research)
2. Developing a literature review
3. Writing a research proposal
4. Researching ethically
5. Quantitative research techniques
6. Qualitative research techniques
7. Quantitative analysis techniques
8. Qualitative analysis techniques

Upon completion of the module you will be able to:
1. Conduct independent and ethical academic research involving the application and critical evaluation of appropriate theories and models,
2. Engage critically with relevant literature to establish a framework in which to analyse and synthesise the results of your primary or secondary research
3. Generate / collect relevant primary or secondary data using an appropriate and justified method
4. Analyse your data using an appropriate and justified method of analysis
5. Recognise the ethical implications of your work
6. Critically evaluate the source of your data and the method you adopted

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NX9626 -

Undergraduate Consultancy Project (Optional,40 Credits)

The module aims to provide you with an opportunity to integrate the knowledge acquired during the programme and apply this to a consultancy project for a real organisation. This consultancy project provides a vehicle for participants to develop and demonstrate key employability skills, to relate theory to practice, and to undertake a significant piece of assessed work commensurate with a capstone module.

You will work on behalf of an external organisation, which has identified a business problem or question, requiring a solution, working in small group of typically 4 individuals (you will select their own team members), participating in group and individual activities. The host organisation will provide a project briefing, and review; students will be supported by appropriate academic input and guidance from Newcastle Business School in the form of a mentor and via the Business Clinic.

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SM9636 -

Strategic Management for Sustainable Leadership (Core,20 Credits)

1. How strategic recommendations are likely to be evaluated by various stakeholder groups that place a different interpretation on the measurement of business success.
2. Understanding the concepts and frameworks of Endogenous Strategy that apply to a company’s Capabilities, Competences and Resources.
3. How to synthesise key concepts in the Resource-based View of Strategy (RBV) and apply them to companies in competitive markets.
4. How Sustained Competitive Advantage (SCA) can be achieved and maintained in an era of finite resources and increasing demand for sustainability.
5. How Innovation can be managed and applied to Products, Processes, Business Models and Sustainability.
6. How Sustainability can be incorporated into successful Strategy Formulation, Strategic Implementation, and Business Model Innovation.
7. How Leadership impacts upon strategic decision making.
8. Understanding how the concepts of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility can be applied to meet the challenges of Ethical Business Management in the future.
9. How to successfully write compelling and influential strategic briefing documents based around the structure adopted by this module.

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Any Questions?

Our Applicant Services team will be happy to help.  They can be contacted on 0191 406 0901 or by using our Contact Form.



Accessibility and Student Inclusion

Northumbria University is committed to developing an inclusive, diverse and accessible campus and wider University community and are determined to ensure that opportunities we provide are open to all.

We are proud to work in partnership with AccessAble to provide Detailed Access Guides to our buildings and facilities across our City, Coach Lane and London Campuses. A Detailed Access Guide lets you know what access will be like when you visit somewhere. It looks at the route you will use getting in and what is available inside. All guides have Accessibility Symbols that give you a quick overview of what is available, and photographs to show you what to expect. The guides are produced by trained surveyors who visit our campuses annually to ensure you have trusted and accurate information.

You can use Northumbria’s AccessAble Guides anytime to check the accessibility of a building or facility and to plan your routes and journeys. Search by location, building or accessibility feature to find the information you need. 

We are dedicated to helping students who may require additional support during their student journey and offer 1-1 advice and guidance appropriate to individual requirements. If you feel you may need additional support you can find out more about what we offer here where you can also contact us with any questions you may have:

Accessibility support

Student Inclusion support




All information is accurate at the time of sharing. 

Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.  

Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.

 

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