Finance - Banking & Risk Management

Course Outline

The MSc Finance (Banking and Risk Management) programme in UCC involves an advanced study of the theory and practice of investment, banking and risk management. You will study advanced Finance, Financial Economics, Macroeconomics and Quantitative Financial Techniques - taught through in demand data analysis software such as Python or R.



Your studies build to one of the following:

- An independent applied research project which you undertake over the summer term where you put the theories and quantitative financial techniques taught to you during your studies into practice, using advanced statistics and software. You choose your own research topic in term 2 and are given one-to-one supervision support by an experienced academic from our teaching team over the summer term.



- An Industry Placement in banking or finance you will undertake over the summer at a financial company where you can put the knowledge and skills gained during the course into practice under the supervision of an academic mentor. From this you will write a professional report relating to your role.

Modules

Candidates take taught modules with examinations and coursework over two semesters and then complete a dissertation in the summer term. Modules cover three broad streams: Finance, Financial Economics, and Quantitative Finance.



Finance

FI6003 Asset Pricing: examines models of asset returns, stock price predictability, and market efficiency.

EC6005 Derivatives for Risk Management: introduces the concepts and mathematical techniques in pricing derivatives including options, swaps, forwards and futures on underlying assets.

FI6004 Analysis of Debt Instruments: examines the term structure of interest rates and yield curve analysis, exotic bond valuation, duration, convexity, immunisation, asset-backed securities, and bond portfolio management.

EC6075 - Financial Practice and Ethics: prepares students to have an awareness of the professional financial environment, to ensure that they can meet the professional and ethical expectations of employers and begin developing their leadership skills in a modern sustainable business environment.

EC6626 – Corporate Treasury Management: looks at the measurement and management of risks facing banks and corporations arising from volatility in currency and money markets.



Financial Economics

FI6002 Regulation and Compliance in Capital Markets: covers the guiding principles behind financial regulation and the main differences between the roles and key legal aspects of different regulatory institutions.

EC6002 Money, Credit, and Banking: looks at the role of money markets and banks in the economy, focuses on understanding the types of risk facing banks and the management of this risk.

EC6001 International Finance I: looks at macroeconomics theories, models and techniques relevant to financial markets. Topics include business cycles, economic growth, uncertainty, monetary policy, inflation, and the labour market.

EC6003 International Finance II: focuses on how economic policy and the behaviour of agents impact international capital flows, exchange rates, and global investments.



Quantitative Finance

EC6062 Quantitative Finance I: teaches the theory and application of econometrics for finance. This is taught without the need for prior knowledge of econometrics and is all applied throughout the course using cutting edge data analysis software in demand throughout the finance industry.

EC6063 Quantitative Finance II: developing from EC6062 this module introduces you to time series methods in econometrics. It also deals with the application of these methods in finance by providing the experience of advanced methods of analysing time-series data sets.

EC6009 Research Methods: prepares you to undertake your independent research for your dissertation module in the summer term by developing your writing skills and knowledge of research methods. Lecturers from the programme and guest lecturers present their current research throughout the year.



Summer Term

Either

• EC6010 – Dissertation in Financial Economics: Students complete an individual academic research project, building on their work in the Research Methods Model, with the help of an academic supervisors.

or

• EC6076 - Industry Placement: complements classroom teaching with exposure to institutional work processes in international finance and other relevant organisations. It will develop students' experience in writing and reporting to a professional audience. This will be done by examining business issues so that students can apply the skills and knowledge developed within the programme by using this industrial placement as an opportunity for business-focused research.

Requirements

The course is open to applicants with a second class honours grade I in a primary honours degree (NFQ Level 8) or equivalent in a business subject



Or



Applicants with a 2.1 degree or equivalent postgraduate qualification in a related subject with a quantitative element such as mathematics, statistics, engineering, science, etc.



For Applicants with Qualifications Completed Outside of Ireland

Applicants must meet the required entry academic grade, equivalent to Irish requirements. For more information see our Qualification Comparison page.



International/Non-EU Applicants

For full details of the non-EU application procedure visit our how to apply pages for international students.



- In UCC, we use the term programme and course interchangeably to describe what a person has registered to study in UCC and its constituent colleges, schools, and departments.



- Note that not all courses are open to international/non-EU applicants, please check the fact file above. For more information contact the International Office.



English Language Requirements

Applicants who are non-native speakers of the English language must meet the university-approved English language requirements. Visit our PG English Language Requirements page for more information.

Closing Date: Rolling deadline. Open until all places have been filled. Early application is advised.



Non-EU Closing Date: Open until all places have been filled or no later than 15 June. Early application is advised.

Normally, your work will be assessed by coursework projects (30%) and final examinations (70%).

1 year full-time, 2 years part-time.

Start Date: 8th September 2025.

Our past graduates have gone on to work in a broad range of areas such as:

Commercial and Investment Banking,

Treasury Risk Management,

Regulation,

Central Banking,

Economic Consulting,

Investment Research,

Hedge Funds and,

Academia