MSc Business Economics, Finance and Banking
Student profiles
Alisa-Elena Lature – MSc Business Economics, Finance and Banking
After graduating with a distinction, Alisa-Elena Lature was offered a paid traineeship at the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union in Brussels.
‘I chose this Master’s not only because it combined three subjects into one course, but it was also affordable, and available on a part-time basis, which meant I could study and work in order to sustain myself financially whilst living and studying abroad.
‘The course is quite practical and based on factual situations, which allows you to deal with scenarios that can occur in the financial and banking domain and provide various solutions. I strongly believe the course has helped me to grow and prosper into a mature and well-educated adult and the values I have learnt at Portsmouth will stand me in good stead for the rest of my life.
‘The facilities at Portsmouth are also brilliant and to my delight they improved each year with more efficient equipment, more computers and more space for study. Students have access to an amazing amount of data and information about companies around the world and to the Bloomberg suite, which has 25 trading terminals and allows students to monitor and analyse real-time financial market data movements and trade virtually.
‘Portsmouth is a fantastic place to live as a student. It is full of historic places, culture, entertainment, shops and has a beautiful seaside – basically everything you could wish for.’
Tsvetana Atanasova Dargova – MSc Business Economics, Finance and Banking
I managed to achieve an excellent level of understanding of the English language before I came to the UK by studying at a language high school in Pazardzhik, Bulgaria. I then went on to study economics and finance in Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital, and a year before graduating I had the opportunity to work in the treasury division in one of the region’s leading energy companies where I put my knowledge into practice and gained valuable experience in the finance sector.
The decision to come to the UK to study for my Master’s was straightforward. I had researched the University of Portsmouth and heard good things about the Business School and the course.
The best aspect of the course is the lecturers were very approachable and willing to help overcome any queries and difficulties. This made for a friendly atmosphere and helped inspire my desire for knowledge.
The most challenging aspect of the course was its format. Coming from a different background I had to get used to the specific form of exams and course work that I needed to submit. But once I was aware what was expected of me everything became easier.
I don’t think my desire to learn will ever end and I have many times considered studying for my PhD, though working in the economics sector and being involved in solving the financial problems of the modern world sounds equally appealing.