Educational aims
The scope of the knowledge, skills, and applications covered in this qualification aims to provide you with a postgraduate-level educational experience in the specialist area of finance.
The key objectives of the qualification are to enable you to:
- develop an up-to-date perspective on both theory and practice in national and international contexts
- strengthen your ability to keep pace with future developments in financial management including knowledge of markets, players, and instruments
- learn and apply the tools used for financial analysis and decision support in corporations, financial institutions, and other organisations
- develop appropriate information search, retrieval, and analytical skills in the digital environment.
Learning outcomes
The qualification provides opportunities for you to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills, and other attributes in the following areas:
Knowledge and understanding
On completion of this qualification you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the:
- scope of financial knowledge and its application within a wide range of national and multinational organisations
- fundamentals of financial analysis and corporate finance theory
- organisational performance in terms of return on investment, investment risk, and capital structure management
- implications of corporate governance, agency theory, and the related role of stakeholders
- concept of business ethics and why ethics matter
- links between corporate finance theories underpinning the cost of capital, dividend policy, and efficient markets
- practical applications of quantitative finance to project appraisal and company valuation
- core features and instruments of Islamic finance
- various financial risks faced by corporations and financial institutions, and ways to manage those risks
- trends in finance theory and its applications.
Cognitive skills
On completion of this qualification you will be able to:
- critically assess alternative methods for valuing companies, prepare and evaluate financial projections of projects, and carry out sensitivity analysis
- calculate the cost of capital using different methods, evaluate capital structures that may be applied by companies, and the implications of these structures for the cost of capital and valuation
- select, access, and evaluate relevant published research and information across a range of areas relevant to finance theory.
Practical and/or professional skills
On completion of this qualification you will be able to:
- demonstrate a sound understanding of financial theory and its application in strategic decision-making
- appreciate the governance and ethical issues encountered in the finance profession
- identify the financial data and present it in an analytical way, prepare a financial appraisal of projects, and provide commentary and advise on the mergers and acquisition valuation
- use Excel to solve problems related to investing and financial analysis.
Key skills
On completion of this qualification you will be able to:
- carry out financial calculations for use in corporate finance decisions (for example, investment analysis), including the use of computer spreadsheets
- analyse and interpret financial statements and carry out valuations of companies
- show evidence of digital scholarship by finding, using, managing, and sharing information and literature through digital resources.
The OU’s Digital Information Literacy Framework will be used as a guiding principle for developing these skills.
Teaching, learning and assessment methods
The qualification offers an integrated learning experience using a wide range of teaching and learning resources and assessment approaches.
This will include study materials supplied by the OU, online tuition provided by a dedicated subject specialist tutor, activities including practical exercises, critiquing and collaborating with other students and, finally, assignments and end-of-module assessments.
The study materials will include a comprehensive range of specially written module materials, case studies, original texts, video, audio, and interactive software.
The tutor is your first point of contact throughout your studies. They will answer questions about the materials, mark assignments, and run online tutorials. You will be part of an online tutor group forum where you will undertake learning activities and explore topics as you study them.
You will be expected to engage in a range of activities, including reading texts, solving numerical problems and scenarios, researching and using relevant literature on contemporary issues in finance, and applying theories to practical situations. Cognitive and practical skills are developed through a range of activities within the modules, including prompted and guided search and retrieval of information, literature, and databases.
The materials and tutor support will help you develop your skills in managing workloads. You will spend a large percentage of your time working under your own direction and initiative. Your progress and learning are measured by tutor-marked assignments and examinations. Assignments and examinations will demonstrate your understanding of principles and relevant theories, as well as their application to problem-solving situations. In addition, these will showcase your ability to critically read and comment on academic literature in related areas. They will also require evidence of practical and professional skills, as well as demonstrated knowledge and understanding.