International Finance (Top-Up) BSc (Hons)

Course Content

• Course Details

  As a one-year top-up programme aimed at international students with a slightly lower IELTS score 5.5, the BSc International Finance programme has been designed with 40 credits in English language (Academic Conventions for Business EDU3062) and 80 credits in Finance. In order to meet the requirements of the QAA Finance Benchmark Statement and Level 6 of UK FHEQ, all the modules are incorporated theoretical considerations and practical applications of a wide range of finance concepts and topics, relating theory to practice, in an international context.

  Students who join the finance top up degree will learn and develop knowledge and skills related to the operations of the financial systems, the constituents and structures of the financial markets and the interaction between those constituents and their behaviours. Thus, not only do the students study the technical knowledge and skills related to financial assets, financial instruments and risk management, but they also develop strong critical awareness for social, ethical, sustainability and regulatory issues encompassed in the financial activities and systems.

  List of modules

  Please note the modules shown here relate to the academic year 24/25. The modules relating to the academic year 25/26 will be available from June 2025.

  • Stage 1
    • Global Banking (20 Credits)
      Module code: ACC3019

      Status: Compulsory
      This module explains the place and importance of banking in the context of the global Financial Services industry and covers the practical aspects of international banking and financial markets. The focus is on the evolving structure and regulation of international financial markets, their role and importance to the world economies.
    • Import & Export Management (20 Credits)
      Module code: ACC3031

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to equip students with theories and practical knowledge of import & export management, which includes a range of technical knowledge and transferable skills from product sourcing, through financial and risk management, to the completion of an international trade transaction.
    • International Trade Finance (20 Credits)
      Module code: ACC3036

      Status: Compulsory
      This module provides students with the financial knowledge and skills required to manage an international trading business. Students identify, evaluate and manage the various aspects of trading risks that are common to international trade transactions.
    • International Finance Project (20 Credits)
      Module code: ACC4011

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to develop students' capabilities to apply a range of financial and non-financial techniques to analyse and compare the performances and competitiveness of different multinational corporations from a variety of perspectives, including finance, investment, sustainability and ethics.
    • Applying Academic Conventions (20 Credits)
      Module code: EDU3066

      Status: Compulsory
      This module develops students? ability to effectively apply academic conventions in the subject area, focusing on subject-specific and academic language development for a variety of written and spoken contexts. Students acquire reading strategies to engage effectively with academic literature and develop communication skills to enable active contribution to collaborative tasks.
    • Academic Conventions for Critical Analysis (20 Credits)
      Module code: EDU3067

      Status: Compulsory
      This module develops language and thinking skills for critical analysis and evaluation in academic and subject-specific contexts. Students analyse and critique academically challenging texts to support academic arguments, making effective use of information from a range of sources and adapting use of language to the purpose and context.

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• FAQs

  How will I learn on the international finance top up course?

  Core knowledge will be gained through a mix of workshops, seminars, and directed readings. This is a Level-6 course, so students are expected to take responsibility for a significant proportion of their learning; however, the compulsory EDU3062 – Academic Conventions for International Business and ACC4007 – Banking and Finance Project are designed to provide more intensive support for international learners who may not have been accorded such autonomy in their previous learning. International finance top up students will also be prepared for the requirements of degree level study in the workshops that are held to support the Research Project. The key Finance and Banking modules will be taught using instructional scaffolding approach to promote deep learning, cognitive development and confidence in communication in English through interaction. Student independence is fostered through student-led seminars in some modules, group presentations and group projects which involve collaborative working with peers.

  How will I be assessed?

  There are a variety of ways in which knowledge is assessed across the different modules on the degree in international finance. Coursework assignments include essays, individual and group projects, and reports ranging from 1,500 to 2,400 words. A compulsory Research Project (4,000 words) also forms part of the overall assessment.

  These formal assessments run alongside regular seminars in which students are given the opportunity (and are expected) to articulate their developing knowledge of relevant ideas and theories and show their understanding of how these can be applied.

  Students studying at the UON campus in Northampton will also receive an additional 2 hours of assessment coaching per 20-credit module, in line with our Integrated Learner Support model.

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