BAEcon Development Studies

Scholarships and bursaries, including the Manchester Bursary , are available to eligible home/EU students.

Some undergraduate UK students will receive bursaries of up to £2,000 per year, in addition to the government package of maintenance grants.

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This course aims to give students an overview of how financial markets and institutions work. The content includes introduction to the financial system, financial claims, financial intermediaries, banking, financial markets, equity market, bond market, investment, hedge fund, and private equity, and sustainability in finance. By the end of the course, students should be able to explain the roles, structure, and mechanism of the financial system, financial institutions, and financial markets. They will also be able to explain the key concepts such as financial claims, financial intermediation, and financial markets. They will also gain a good understanding of the relevant theories on financial markets and institutions, and explain phenomena such as adverse selection and moral hazard. 

Only available to students on: BA Econ; Mgt; IM; IMABS; IBFE, Accounting and BSc Econ. BMAN10522/10522(M) or BMAN10552 are pre-requisites of BMAN 21011.

Pre-requisites:

BMAN10522 or BMAN10522(M) Financial Decision Making or BMAN10552 Fundamentals of Finance

(BMAN10552 Fundamentals of Finance must be passed at 60% or more).
Pre-requisite course units have to be passed by 40% or above at the first attempt unless a higher percentage is indicated within this course outline.

Co-requisites: None

Dependent course units: None

This course aims to help students to understand how financial markets and institutions work. It involves the essential concepts and principles of the financial system. It explains the mechanism of the financial institutions and financial markets, their roles in the economy, and how they interact with each other. The course also covers common types of financial instruments, financial intermediary, and financial markets.

The course will enable the students to understand the financial systems, financial institutions, financial markets, and financial securities. A good understanding of these is essential for any job in the financial sector.

 

(Provisional) Introduction to the financial system, financial claims, financial intermediaries, banking, financial markets, equity market, bond market, investment, hedge fund, and private equity, and sustainability in finance. 

We will deliver the course unit through a combination of lectures and workshops. Quiz questions will be made available after each week’s lecture for revision. There will be 9 lectures and 4 workshops. We expect students to complete the workshop question sets before each workshop. This is important because the workshop leaders will only have time in the sessions to cover the answers instead of allowing time for students to attempt the questions on site.  

An online forum will be made available to facilitate interaction among students. In the forum, student can also ask questions to staff. We encourage students to actively participate in the online learning community by asking questions and providing comments.  

Total study hours: 100 hours split between studying asynchronous course materials, lecture meetings, workshops, question sets, examinations, and other course-related activities. Participation is compulsory and will be monitored.

Identify the roles, structures, and mechanisms of financial systems, institutions, and markets.

Describe the relevant theories of financial markets and institutions, such as Efficient Market Hypothesis.

Explain asymmetric information problems such as adverse selection and moral hazard.

Identify the regulatory frameworks and policies that govern financial markets and institutions locally and globally.

 

Synthesise information from multiple sources to develop reasoned arguments about current financial market issues and debates.

Interpret financial instruments and assess their role in portfolio management and financial stability.

Critically analyse the structure, functions, and interrelationships of global financial markets and institutions. 
 

Evaluate research findings on financial markets and institutions using academic, industry, and regulatory sources.

Apply quantitative techniques and financial models to assess the value and performance of financial instruments.

 

Exercise professional responsibility and ethical judgment in the analysis of financial information.

Communicate complex financial concepts clearly and effectively in both written reports and oral presentations. 
 

Formative Assessment:

Four workshop question sets containing MCQs and short essays. 

Quizzes after lectures 

 

Summative Assessment:

Examination (95%)

MCQs (5%)

 

Methods of Feedback to Students
• Informal advice and discussion during a lecture, seminar, workshop or lab.

• Online exercises and quizzes

• Responses to student emails and questions from a member of staff including feedback provided to a group via an online discussion forum.

• Written and/or verbal comments on assessed coursework.

• Generic feedback regarding overall examination performance.

BMAN21011 students will need two textbooks listed below.

B&T (2016) is more related to the first half and Arnold (2011) more related to the second half of the semester.

 

Buckle, M. and J. Thompson (2016), The UK Financial System: Theory and Practice. 5th ed., Manchester: Manchester University Press.  

Glen Arnold (2011), Modern Financial Markets and Institutions: a Practical Perspective, Harlow: Pearson. 

 

 

 

Pre-requisites:

BMAN10522 or BMAN10522(M) Financial Decision Making or BMAN10552 Fundamentals of Finance
(BMAN10552 Fundamentals of Finance must be passed at 60% or more).

Pre-requisite course units have to be passed by 40% or above at the first attempt unless a higher percentage is indicated within this course outline.

Co-requisites: None

Dependent course units: None

Programme Restrictions: Optional for BA Econ, BSc Econ, Management, IM, IMABS, IBFE, and Accounting 

 

For Academic Year 2025/26

Updated: March 2025

Approved by: March UG Committee