Financial Technology

Overview
This is an innovative programme with an integrated delivery from end‐to‐end covering a wide range of financial technology topics, whilst providing a focus on application and the regulation required in this area. The programme focuses on practical skills in core areas such as data & financial analytics, e-Finance, financial services and cybersecurity while also offering applied skills in contemporary topics such as data analytics, and financial applications. Its aim is to create a mastery of core financial technologies and financial systems while also enhancing the practical technical skills of the learners.

Financial Technology can incorporate many different areas and is an evolving area. Through the work of the Programme Team and in conjunction with the industry experts, Financial Technology has been defined as a combination of financial systems, data management and technology including areas such as Project Management Risk Management, Cyber Security, Law & Regulation, Information Technology, Data Analytics and Financial Services. The programme aims and learning outcomes have been designed to reflect these specific areas. The programme incorporates Personal & Professional Development (PPD) within modules to enhance learners’ employability and to equip them to integrate seamlessly into an organisation by developing skills such as leadership, self‐management and teamwork that are essential in the Financial Technology sector, which is a rapidly changing industry which requires motivated and flexible employees. The Applied Project module requires students to identify a problem or issue in the Financial Technology domain and apply problem-solving skills to research and analyse the issue and develop real-world solutions, and critically reflect on this research process.

The specific programme aims are as follows:
• Develop learner’s criticality in order to analyse industry trends in Fintech
• Provide learners with a platform to develop the requisite knowledge and technical skills in current and developing financial technologies
• Prepare learners to work effectively and collaboratively in the execution of common goals
• Provide learners with systematic knowledge of the management of Financial Technology in organisational and regulatory contexts
• Facilitate the development by the learner of applied skills that are directly complementary and relevant to the workplace
• Identify and develop autonomous learning skills for the learner
• Enable the learner to identify, develop and apply analytical, creative, problem solving and research skills
• Provide the learner with a comprehensive platform for career development, innovation and further study.

Teaching and Assessment
DBS is committed to providing a flexible, active, peer-led, experiential and reflective learning environment for learners. As a result, throughout this programme, learners will experience a varied range of teaching and learning strategies, which have been selectively chosen and based on module content and suitability for assessment. While modules will be delivered through a mix of workshops, practical sessions, tutorials and lectures, teaching and learning will focus on the learner applying problem-solving skills and undertaking critical reflection and critique of case studies. The material will be presented during lectures and workshops with supporting material available via Moodle, DBS’s virtual learning environment. Learning, teaching and assessment for this programme, therefore, encourages learners to develop critical thinking, creative problem solving and analytical and evaluative skills relating to real-world scenarios.

Structure
The timetable supports the rationale for the curriculum structure. For full-time students, the timetable for each semester is centred upon the delivery of the core 10 credit modules. Each 10-credit module on the programme requires a minimum of 250 effort hours. Contact hours’ number 48 per module per semester, running over the 12 weeks, 4 hours per week. The remaining learning effort is typically composed of directed e-learning, project, group work, assignments and independent learning. This allows sufficient time for a combination of lectures, group activities, discussions etc.

For part-time students, their semester timetables follow a similar structure, with the second semester focused on the delivery of two core (10 credit) modules. Each 10-credit module on the programme requires a minimum of 250 effort hours. Contact hours’ number 36 per module, per semester, running over the 12 weeks, approx. 3 hours per week, the remaining learning effort being typically composed of directed e-learning, project, group work, assignments and independent learning. This allows sufficient time for a combination of lectures, group activities, discussions etc. The profile of the part-time learner is sufficiently different from that of the full-time learner to warrant slightly less contact hours in each case.

DBS intends to include these programmes in its response to the current and future Springboard and Springboard+ tender applications. As such the programme may be delivered over a shorter timeframe to allow for a part-time completion in one year. This will include but is not limited to increasing the number of nights and including Saturdays when the Springboard funded learners attend for the taught component delivery.

This programme is taught on a hybrid basis. This means learners are timetabled either in-class or online, in a mix of online and in-class days.

The Master of Science (MSc) in Financial Technology has the following content:
Stage 1
• Markets and Valuation
• FinTech Regulatory Environment
• Data Analytics
• Data Governance and Risk Management in FinTech
• FinTech Innovation
• Research Project

Entry Requirements
The minimum entry requirements for the Higher Diploma in Science in FinTech are a Level 8 honours degree in a cognate or non-cognate area. Applicants who do not have a Level 8 qualification and who have at least 1-2 years of work experience may also be considered through the college's normal RPL procedures.

Prospective students alternatively may have a Level 7 ordinary bachelor's degree in a cognate area (computer science, technology, networking, information systems, engineering, general science, mathematics, statistics, data science) and wish to specialise in the field of Financial Technology with a view to entering the industry or those who are working in Financial Technology already and who require a qualification in the area in order to progress professionally.

In addition, for applicants whose first language is not English and who have not undertaken their undergraduate degree through English the following is required:

The minimum requirement for a non-native English speaker is greater or equal to B2+ in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages for admission Non‐EU applicants, resident outside Ireland/EU, must apply directly to the International Admissions Office at DBS.

We are now accepting applications for programmes taking place in 2024.

Full-time: 1 year
Part-time: 2 years

Delivery
This programme is taught on a hybrid basis. This means learners are timetabled either in-class or online, in a mix of online and in-class days.

Next intake: September 2024

Career Opportunities
FinTech has quickly become one of the biggest sectors in tech. From an employer perspective, there are a number of companies looking for graduates with these skills in the short and medium-term. For example, the following companies are currently recruiting: Paypal, Fidelity Investments, Pramerica, Accenture, Aon and Bank of America Merrell Lynch. Recruitment agencies report a rise in companies looking for these skills in Ireland and abroad. ‘FS2020 - a new Strategy for Ireland's International Financial Services Sector' was launched by the government in 2015. This Strategy represents a new action-oriented approach to growing and developing the international financial services sector based on the very successful Action Plan for Jobs model. It sets out a clear vision for the sector for the next five years and an ambitious target to create 10,000 net new jobs in the sector by 2020. A significant number of these jobs created will be in the regions, reflecting the increasing national profile of the sector, with one-third of jobs currently outside Dublin. Examples of job titles students may apply for include: Customer Service Specialist, Business Analyst, Client Services (Graduate Program).