Long Title:e-Finance and Services
Language of Instruction:English
Module Code:H8EFS
Credits: 10
NFQ Level:LEVEL 8
Field of Study: Software and applications development and analysis
Module Delivered in 1 programme(s)
Module Coordinator: TONY DELANEY
Module editor: Simon Caton
Teaching and Learning Strategy: This module will be taught using a mix of a traditional instructivist and constructivist approach. Teaching and learning will take place primarily through theoretical material, practical workbooks, on-going formative assessment and case studies. The teaching and learning strategy will be applied in nature and lectures will focus on the understanding and application of knowledge in a practical and applied manner utilising a problem based learning approach. Participants will be guided towards suitable online supporting material including videos and interactive textbook exercises (including MCQs, critical thinking questions, discussion questions, etc.) to support a constructivist approach.
Learning Environment: Learning will take place in classroom or lab environments as appropriate. In lab environments, each student will have access to IT resources. Learners will have access to library resources and to faculty outside of the classroom where required. Module materials will be placed on Moodle, the colleges LMS.
Module Description: The aim of this module is to provide learners with an understanding of the workings of financial markets, the different types of investment classes and the corresponding risks and returns associated with the different types of asset class. This module also aims to stimulate critical thinking of contemporary and topical issues in the financial markets. Upon completion learners will be able to appreciate the basic fundamentals of how financial markets operate together with an appreciation for how technology developments are shaping the future of these markets.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module the learner will be able to:
LO1 Discuss nancial markets and how they work
LO2 Discuss financial markets and how they work
LO3 Distinguish among the principal classes of securities and alternative investments
LO4 Analyse new technology developments in FinTech as well as their regulatory issues
Pre-requisite learning
Module Recommendations

This is prior learning (or a practical skill) that is required before enrolment on this module. While the prior learning is expressed as named NCI module(s) it also allows for learning (in another module or modules) which is equivalent to the learning specified in the named module(s).
No recommendations listed
Requirements

This is prior learning (or a practical skill) that is mandatory before enrolment in this module is allowed. You may not enrol on this module if you have not acquired the learning specified in this section.
No requirements listed
 

Module Content & Assessment

Indicative Content
Introduction to Capital Market, Banks and other Financial Institutions
The nature, role and function of nancial markets, including money, bond, equity and derivatives market. Financial Institutions and roles, Primary and Secondary markets, Exchange Trading vs Over the Counter (OTC), Front, Middle and Back Office roles, Buy side/Sell side.  Commercial, Retail and Investment Banking, Role of the Central Bank, the ECB in the EU and the Eurozone and the Fed in the US, Credit and Liquidity ratios.  Regulation in Finance
Principles of Economics, Finance and Risk Management
Economic considerations of money (Monetary Policy, Quantity Theory of Money, Neo-Classical Theory.)  Time Value of Money. Return and Risk;
Introduction to Securities, Asset Classes and FOREX.
Debt and Bond Markets, Equities and Stock Markets, Foreign Exchange and Money Markets, Alternative Investment Markets, Funds, Indices, Differing Returns on Different Asset Classes - Growth vs Income.
Technology in Financial Markets
Fundamentals of FinTech for Modern Markets HFT, data analytics and machine learning in quants teams, big data in risk assessment and portfolio optimisation, BitCoin and other virtual as well as complimentary currencies etc. Consideration of the strategic, operational and ethical implications of technology advancement.
Evolving nature of FinTech within Markets
Regulatory and pragmatic effects of technology and digitisation and the future for Finance and Markets.
Assessment Breakdown%
Coursework40.00%
End of Module Assessment60.00%

Full Time

Coursework
Assessment Type Assessment Description Outcome addressed % of total Assessment Date
Continuous Assessment Selected Case Studies in e-Finance   40.00 n/a
End of Module Assessment
Assessment Type Assessment Description Outcome addressed % of total Assessment Date
Terminal Exam n/a   60.00 End-of-Semester
No Workplace Assessment
Reassessment Requirement
Repeat examination
Reassessment of this module will consist of a repeat examination. It is possible that there will also be a requirement to be reassessed in a coursework element.
Reassessment Description
Should learners not achieve a 40% pass mark, they will either sit a repeat terminal exam, or undertake an assessment that assesses all learning outcomes.

NCIRL reserves the right to alter the nature and timings of assessment

 

Module Workload

This module has no Full Time workload.
Workload: Part Time
Workload Type Workload Description Hours Frequency Average Weekly Learner Workload
Lecture No Description 24 Every Week 24.00
Tutorial No Description 24 Every Week 24.00
Independent Learning No Description 202 Every Week 202.00
Total Hours 250.00
Total Weekly Learner Workload 250.00
Total Weekly Contact Hours 48.00
 

Module Resources

Recommended Book Resources
  • Kay, John 2016, Other Peoples Money, Main Ed. [ISBN: 1781254451]
  • DeFusco, Richard A. et al 2015, Quantitative Investment Analysis (CFA Institute Investment Series), Wiley [ISBN: 1781254451]
  • Lee, David and Kuo Chuen 2015, Handbook of Digital Currency: Bitcoin, Innovation, Financial Instruments,, Academic Press [ISBN: 0128021179.]
  • Valdez, Stephen and Philip Molyneux 2015, An Introduction to Global Financial Markets., Palgrave Macmillan [ISBN: 1137497556.]
  • Rishi K. Narang, Inside the Black Box: The Simple Truth About Quantitative Trading, Wiley [ISBN: 1118362411]
  • Maureen Burton, Reynold Nesiba, Bruce Brown 2010, An introduction to financial markets and institutions, M.E. Sharpe Armonk, N.Y. [ISBN: 0765622769.]
This module does not have any article/paper resources
Other Resources
 

Module Delivered in

Programme Code Programme Semester Delivery
HDFINTECH HDip FinTech 1 Core Subject