Course overview

The MSc Financial Decision Analysis is practically orientated and based on financial, computational and modelling studies related to financial decision making and analysis, including investment, risk management, budgeting, finance, financial analysis, planning and forecasting, and research methods.

The course is designed for those with non-financial backgrounds who would like to move into positions involving financial management in a variety of different organisations.

A centre of excellence for finance teaching

The University of Portsmouth is recognised as a centre of excellence for finance teaching by the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI). You will be able to enrol as a student member of the CISI, allowing you access to a range of professional networking and career development opportunities. On graduating you will be eligible for associate membership of the CISI.

Bloomberg Suite

You will be able to access the same data, analytics and software used by city traders via one of the terminals located in our Bloomberg Suite. Bloomberg terminals, used by financial professionals daily to make fast-paced investment, trading and financial decisions will allow you to monitor and analyse real-time financial market data movements and trade virtually.

This system, created by the Mayor of New York Mike Bloomberg, is used by over a quarter of million finance professionals globally. Our investment in this resource provides you with an essential business research tool and real-life financial experience, helping you  to enhance your employability skills so that you can hit the ground running once you join the workforce.

Find out more

For further information, please contact our Admissions Team (details above). We also hold regular postgraduate and part-time open evenings at which you can see our facilities, enjoy a guest lecture and meet the academics and current students over drinks and canapés. Applicants will be interested to know that each year Portsmouth Business School offers a number of scholarships for self-funding students.

Course content

You will study four core units (see below). This degree can be studied over a period of 12 months full time or 30 months part time.

Core units

• Financial Analysis and Modelling
• Strategic Business Planning and Control
• Managerial Finance and Financial Markets
• Corporate Finance and Valuation

Unit descriptions

Financial Analysis and Modelling will enable you to gain a critical awareness of the financial environment from both an accounting and finance perspective. You will learn to understand, analyse and interpret company reports, examine the role of the regulatory framework for corporate reporting and the stock market and explore the pricing of securities. In addition the key areas of decision and risk analysis are covered , alongside the process of decision making, key statistical concepts, and selecting and using appropriate analytical software tools as aids to decision making.

Strategic Business Planning and Control starts by considering the internal perspectives of the firm in areas such as business planning and control including issues such as budgeting, the design of management control systems and the development of spreadsheet based decision support systems. This background is then built upon by developing a more strategic corporate perspective. You will explore the relationships between strategy, strategic management and strategic management accounting and set the latter in the context of the historical development of management accounting in general.

Managerial Finance and Financial Markets introduces key theoretical issues relating to financial markets and institutions, investments and corporate financial management and their practical applications and limitations. The areas covered will encompass shareholder value and the goals of the firm and the process of shareholder value creation; project evaluation and the discounted cash flow model; capital market theories including the efficient markets hypotheses and the ideas of modern portfolio theory. From this core understanding the unit will move on to look at the psychological, institutional and agency theory factors that impact upon financial markets. Key empirical research on the explanatory and predictive power of models will be considered in the context of implementing investment strategies; this will be assisted by guided critical analysis of research and analysis of live data.

Corporate Finance and Valuation will consider the primary financial decisions of the firm focussing on advanced capital budgeting techniques and the strategic analysis of capital investment decisions; capital structure theories and financing policy; and dividend policy. Theories will be appraised in the context of empirical research to facilitate critical understanding of the issues. Advanced study in business valuation will provide a practical understanding and further enable the application of key professional techniques which is particularly relevant for mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings and private equity transactions.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching methods for both finance degrees include lectures, seminars, computer-based workshops and case studies. Student participation is encouraged and classes are challenging, but informal and friendly, promoting discussion and debate. The course tutors are available to support your studies and you will also have a personal tutor to provide help and guidance for any problems that you might have. Assessment on most units is through a mix of coursework and examination.

You will also be required to prepare a 15,000-word research dissertation on a subject of your own choice. A supervisor will be appointed to support your study.

Career prospects

This course is specifically designed for graduates, or those qualified by experience, from non-financial backgrounds who have or wish to move into positions involving financial decision analysis in a variety of different organisations.

By studying financial decision analysis you will:

• improve your decision-making ability through an analysis of the financial implementation of key management decisions
• gain key management skills
• develop and expand your business knowledge
• improve your chances in the job market by a proven higher academic skill level in a relevant area

Past students have gained employment in a wide range of roles and industrial sectors. These include accountancy and general management as well as investment analysis, banking and investment banking in financial institutions. The course is also suitable for students who are aiming for careers in corporate financial management in large non-financial companies.

Facilities and features

You will attend lectures in the purpose-built Richmond Building, where the Business School is located. It offers a computer drop-in and resource centre containing a wireless network access area, as well as printing and photocopying facilities.

The University Library is at the centre of academic life and is only a short walk away. Open from 8am until midnight every day during term-time, it provides a variety of information to help with study and research. It has also invested heavily in the purchase of electronic resources.There are thousands of electronic journals and ebooks, which can be accessed across campus, from home or wherever there is an internet connection.

For international students we have a dedicated team of advisors to support you as you settle into life in Portsmouth and at the University. One of the team almost certainly has direct experience of your culture and may even speak your language.

Entry requirements

The entry requirements for MSc Financial Decision Analysis are shown above, for more detailed information please contact:

Department: Portsmouth Business School
Tel: +44 (0)23 9284 8200
Email: pbs.postgradadmissions@port.ac.uk