Strategic Management in Financial Services

At a glance

The Professional Diploma in Strategic Management in Financial Services will focus on the theory and practice underpinning strategy design, development and implementation. It seeks to develop graduates ability to ascertain and analyse the key drivers that shape and contribute to a firm’s superior performance (competitive advantage) in the marketplace.



Who is it for?

• The aim of the Professional Diploma in Strategic Management in Financial Services is to provide graduates with a specific skill set to build on their prior learning, augment their technical knowledge and competencies and up-skill / re-skill them to deal with the key changes and challenges facing their organisations and sector.

• The programme will provide a strategic lens through which students can integrate their technical knowhow in the provision of organisation-wide solutions, solve complex problems and formulate and implement strategy and change in a dynamic business environment.



Award

When you successfully complete this programme you will be awarded a Professional Diploma in Strategic Management in Financial Services from UCD.

This is a level 9 qualification on the National Framework of Qualifications.

Module learning and outcomes

You will study 3 modules - Students must have completed the Strategy and Innovation in Financial Services module before undertaking the Strategy Implementation and Change Management module.



Strategic Decision Making - (NFQ level 9, 10 ECTS)

This module will explore the nature of the strategic decision-making process and will consider the influence of organisation context on the effectiveness of strategic decision-making.



Strategy and Innovation in Financial Services - (NFQ level 9, 10 ECTS)

This module considers the strategic choices available to management and investigates the new and emerging business models. Understanding the impact of innovation is a critical factor in creating a strategic framework for new solutions and opportunities to support competitive advantage.



Strategy Implementation and Change Management - (NFQ level 9, 10 ECTS)

This module is designed to provide students with the theoretical and practical underpinnings of execution within organizations. It will build upon the fields of strategy and organizational change management to provide participants with skills to enable the translation of plans into concrete actions within organizational settings.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirements to the Professional Diploma in Strategic Management in Financial Services are as follows;

• An Honours degree (min. 2.2 L8 NFQ)

or

• Admission may also be considered for experienced professionals who do not meet the admission requirements as set out above, where they can demonstrate knowledge through their work i.e. they have more than 5 years’ experience in a management role (to be considered on a case by case basis).

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Professional Body Membership

You must be a current member of IOB, or become a member, to undertake this programme, (membership year January - December).

Duration: Varies

Delivery is online.

Next intake: Autumn Trimester 2025-2026 academic year - (Assessment in January 2026

Progression

This award is on the Pathway to MSc in Financial Services. Those wishing to continue their studies and achieve the MSc will receive the higher award only. To find out more, please visit iob.ie/areas/msc-financial-services.