What is the Master of Business (Economics and Finance Stream)?
The Master of Business (Economics and Finance Stream) is a challenging one-year taught programme aimed at preparing graduates for a career in finance or in economics. The course was developed in response to demand from financial service companies for specialist graduates with advanced skills and knowledge in areas such as econometrics, financial derivatives, data analytics and advanced financial analysis and interpretation. The course was developed in collaboration with companies in the financial services sector with the aim of producing high quality graduates with quantitative and analytical skills who would have a capability to work in specialist roles in economics and finance.
The delivery of the programme incorporates lectures, workshops by leading financial experts, a dedicated seminar programme on topics relating to finance and economics and visits to financial services companies. Additional practice-based training is provided in key skills areas such as econometrics, derivatives, analytics and corporate financial interpretation. Students receive specialised training in quantitative financial methods, business simulation and monetary economics and use the full range of financial software that is available to students within the Business School including Thomson One Banker, StockTrak and Financial Times.
Unique features
» Unique mix of core Business modules and more specialist modules in Economics and Finance.
» Research led and informed curriculum with an opportunity to undertake both academic and applied research.
» Opportunity to work on a real life consulting and contemporary international business projects.
» Exposure to the unique blend of theoretical and practical concepts in business formation and development as well as reflective practice.
» Opportunity to learn from business leaders through our Contemporary Issues in Business which is designed to facilitate an in-depth understanding of contemporary aspects of business and the application to practice. » Access to our new state of the art Finance lab kindly sponsored by AIB Plc.
» Hands on experience in constructing a portfolio of securities and trading in the financial markets. » Opportunity to acquire Certification in the REFINITIV Eikon software, illustrating proficiency in the use of this extensive financial data platform which will add value to your CV.
» Engage in the analysis of real live company and market data and report writing.
» Modules are flexibly delivered at a time that suits students, for those taking the course full time, they can attend on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons/evenings and for the part-time cohort, they can attend on Thursday afternoon/evening.
Who is the Master of Business (Economics and Finance Stream) for?
The programme will provide you with a challenging experience; help to expand your knowledge and skill-set whilst at the same time develop new mindsets and attitudes to prepare you for the demands of the business environment. The MBS programme provides students with the opportunity to enhance their specialist subject knowledge, experience innovative learning methods and explore opportunities arising from innovation, entrepreneurship, and business development.
Equally, the programme allows for rational and reflective observation across the spectrum of subjects, scrutinising and appreciating the norms and inter-relationships in business. Furthermore, you will acquire competencies to undertake both standard and specialised research over the duration of the programme that will enhance your independent learning and organisation skills.
Course Objectives
The course aims to equip graduates with modern tools for effective decision making and to provide them with the ability to evaluate their decisions in the context of complex institutional frameworks.
The specific objectives are:
To equip students with an advanced level of knowledge of the theories, models and practice in their subject specialisation together with an understanding of how each integrates within the wider business environment.
To foster a learning environment that stimulates the personal and professional development of students in an interdisciplinary format.
To develop high levels of proficiency in research through the undertaking of a dissertation project in a chosen area.
To focus on an exploration of the interrelationships across business functions using case studies with a view towards documenting best practice.
To facilitate the transition from college to the world of work.
If you have a degree in finance or economics or a general business degree with a finance and economics major/specialisation and you would like to pursue a career in finance or in economics, then this programme has been designed with you in mind.
Please note: The Master of Business (Economics and Finance Stream) is offered both full time and part time mode. If you are interested in pursuing the programme part time please contact Dr. Cormac O'Keeffe at [email protected]
Delivery
The full-time programme will run over one calendar year. Students will be required to attend SETU Waterford for all classes, as well as independent study. This course can also be delivered in flexible mode over a longer, two year period taking 2-3 modules per semester.
Semester 1
Semester 2
Semester 3
Innovation Management & Design
International Study Trip
Dissertation
Business Simulation 1
Business Simulation 2
or
Contemporary Issues in Business
Applied Consultancy
Applied Business Project
Research Methods
Financial Risk and Compliance Management
or
Trading the Financial Markets
Corporate Financial Analysis
Research Paper Series 1: Applied Research Methods Paper
Statistics for Data Analytics
Monetary Economics
Research Paper Series 2: International Business and Politics Paper
Research Paper Series 3: Governance and Ethics Paper
Please note: In semester 3 students will complete a dissertation or applied business project or the 3 research papers.
A H1 or 2.1 overall award in a strong specialist business/economics and finance undergraduate degree or a general business undergraduate degree with an economics and/or finance major/specialism.
Students from a non-business degree (example – BA or a BSc) but with relevant economics/finance related modules may also be eligible.
Graduates who have achieved a 2nd class honours grade 2 in the degrees listed above and who can demonstrate a high level of performance in the economics/finance related subjects may be considered.
Applicants whose first language is not English must submit evidence of competency in English.
If you wish to pursue this programme in a part time capacity please contact the programme director Dr. Cormac O'Keeffe [email protected]who will discuss this in more detail with you.
Fees
Programme fee details are available on the Postgraduate Fee Schedule.
How to Apply
Applications for this programme are made online by going to PAC website.
Career Opportunities
The course addresses a clear need for graduates skilled in the application of specialist financial techniques including econometrics and data analysis techniques. The programme provides graduates with practical and quantitative skills in financial analysis, corporate financial interpretation, financial derivatives and risk management. The learning and assessment approach is heavily informed by industry with participation from leading financial service companies in the delivery of the programme. The MBS (Economics and Finance Stream) is closely aligned with the AIB Centre for Finance and Business Research. The Centre provides updates to students on current ideas, thinking and employment opportunities in the financial services industry. SETU Waterford also has a well established Careers Centre and website providing support and advice to students.
Graduates are now in employment in positions such as investment banking, corporate banking, trading/dealing, portfolio management, asset pricing, treasury, capital markets (equity, money, bond, FX and derivatives markets), risk management and financial analysis. There is a growing demand from a cluster of financial service companies in the south east for finance and economics graduates and the relevance and transferability of the skills developed on the programme ensures that graduates are in demand from companies outside of Ireland such as Barclays Capital (London), Accenture (London), UBS (London).
A graduate may also apply for further postgraduate Level 10 studies, such as a PhD by Research in SETU Waterford or to other third level institutions, either nationally or internationally.
Student Testimonials
“The Masters in Business (Economics and Finance Stream) is a programme that is well received by finance and banking companies in Ireland and overseas. The content is relevant and the applied learning allows graduates to easily transition into the industry.”
“This is a flexible and very relevant programme that meets the needs of the banking industry. The content and the delivery approach is very suited to current requirements within the financial services industry.”
“The Masters programme provides an invaluable experience to participants in preparing them for working life. It broadens your understanding of your own specialist area and gives you an insight into the different elements/departments which are at the core of every organisation. I think that employers are now looking for individuals who have gone that extra step and are continuing in education to develop their knowledge base and improve their job prospects.”
-Marion Hickey, Allied Irish Banking
"The MBS program at SETU Waterford can be summed up in one word, intense. It was only after graduating that I had the opportunity to consider the sheer scale of what I had achieved by doing this course. One of the most attractive elements for me was the variety of delivery and the practicality of the modules. Employers know that with an MBS from SETU Waterford that you’re not only superbly educated, but that you’re practically orientated, hardworking and possess a gritty determination that means you will succeed in any environment. As a graduate, you know that you can walk into any interview, for any job with the utmost confidence that the experience has given you the tools stand out from the competition."
-Sam Deegan (Graduated in 2015) and is currently working as a Junior Economist with the Irish Economic and Evaluation Service in Dublin.
The Master of Business degree was the best thing I have done for my career thus far. Having done an undergrad and not feeling quite ready to start my career I applied for the Economics and Finance stream. I found that the course has prepared me for a career in finance through the specialized modules and mirroring real life situations. I found that the modules were thought engaging and very applicable to real life, not only that but I found that the back-and-forth discussions with lecturers was particularly engaging.
The seminar series I found especially interesting. Getting to engage and communicate with successful businesspeople from Ireland and former students was an eye-opening experience and one that was interesting. Of course, the study trip to Belgium was a great week, it was such a lovely place to go and the trip itself was very educational and super fun. I learned lots about the EU and I have been really interested in politics ever since Throughout my time in this course, I learned the importance of building relationships, how to network and work as part of a team. I never realized how important these aspects were until I got my first job after college and I really felt that I was prepared and comfortable in these situations once I was in an actual workplace.
Doing my thesis was probably the most rewarding aspect of the year. It provided me with the opportunity to develop research, organizational and time management skills that a thesis requires which is much more in depth than a standard assignment. There are many great aspects of doing this course and if you have just graduated and you're unsure of what you would like to do or even if you are just considering going back to college, I couldn’t recommend doing the Master of Business in SETU Waterford enough.
-Callum McElligott, Compliance Administrator, Haywood Securities, Vancouver
Unique Programme Features:
As part of the programme, students will:
Engage in a business simulation management exercise where they have the opportunity to work in teams and make strategic decisions about their business.
Participate in a Dragons Den event and compete with your colleagues to attract funding for your new business idea.
Travel on an International study tour programme to Brussels where you will have the opportunity to take lectures at the Irish Institute in Leuven and participate in a case exercise with other postgraduate students.
Analyse a real-life company as part of your Entrepreneurship and innovation ‘live’ company case study exercise. Every year, students engage in a case exercise involving real-life companies which are drawn from the ArcLabs Innovation Centre as well as other start-up companies from across the south east of Ireland.
Career Opportunities
The course addresses a clear need for graduates skilled in the application of specialist financial techniques including econometrics and data analysis techniques. The programme provides graduates with practical and quantitative skills in financial analysis, corporate financial interpretation, financial derivatives and risk management. The learning and assessment approach is heavily informed by industry with participation from leading financial service companies in the delivery of the programme. The MBS (Economics and Finance Stream) is closely aligned with the AIB Centre for Finance and Business Research. The Centre provides updates to students on current ideas, thinking and employment opportunities in the financial services industry. SETU Waterford also has a well established Careers Centre and website providing support and advice to students.
Graduates are now in employment in positions such as investment banking, corporate banking, trading/dealing, portfolio management, asset pricing, treasury, capital markets (equity, money, bond, FX and derivatives markets), risk management and financial analysis. There is a growing demand from a cluster of financial service companies in the south east for finance and economics graduates and the relevance and transferability of the skills developed on the programme ensures that graduates are in demand from companies outside of Ireland such as Barclays Capital (London), Accenture (London), UBS (London).
A graduate may also apply for further postgraduate Level 10 studies, such as a PhD by Research in SETU Waterford or to other third level institutions, either nationally or internationally.
Student Testimonials
“The Masters in Business (Economics and Finance Stream) is a programme that is well received by finance and banking companies in Ireland and overseas. The content is relevant and the applied learning allows graduates to easily transition into the industry.”
“This is a flexible and very relevant programme that meets the needs of the banking industry. The content and the delivery approach is very suited to current requirements within the financial services industry.”
“The Masters programme provides an invaluable experience to participants in preparing them for working life. It broadens your understanding of your own specialist area and gives you an insight into the different elements/departments which are at the core of every organisation. I think that employers are now looking for individuals who have gone that extra step and are continuing in education to develop their knowledge base and improve their job prospects.”
-Marion Hickey, Allied Irish Banking
"The MBS program at SETU Waterford can be summed up in one word, intense. It was only after graduating that I had the opportunity to consider the sheer scale of what I had achieved by doing this course. One of the most attractive elements for me was the variety of delivery and the practicality of the modules. Employers know that with an MBS from SETU Waterford that you’re not only superbly educated, but that you’re practically orientated, hardworking and possess a gritty determination that means you will succeed in any environment. As a graduate, you know that you can walk into any interview, for any job with the utmost confidence that the experience has given you the tools stand out from the competition."
-Sam Deegan (Graduated in 2015) and is currently working as a Junior Economist with the Irish Economic and Evaluation Service in Dublin.
The Master of Business degree was the best thing I have done for my career thus far. Having done an undergrad and not feeling quite ready to start my career I applied for the Economics and Finance stream. I found that the course has prepared me for a career in finance through the specialized modules and mirroring real life situations. I found that the modules were thought engaging and very applicable to real life, not only that but I found that the back-and-forth discussions with lecturers was particularly engaging.
The seminar series I found especially interesting. Getting to engage and communicate with successful businesspeople from Ireland and former students was an eye-opening experience and one that was interesting. Of course, the study trip to Belgium was a great week, it was such a lovely place to go and the trip itself was very educational and super fun. I learned lots about the EU and I have been really interested in politics ever since Throughout my time in this course, I learned the importance of building relationships, how to network and work as part of a team. I never realized how important these aspects were until I got my first job after college and I really felt that I was prepared and comfortable in these situations once I was in an actual workplace.
Doing my thesis was probably the most rewarding aspect of the year. It provided me with the opportunity to develop research, organizational and time management skills that a thesis requires which is much more in depth than a standard assignment. There are many great aspects of doing this course and if you have just graduated and you're unsure of what you would like to do or even if you are just considering going back to college, I couldn’t recommend doing the Master of Business in SETU Waterford enough.
-Callum McElligott, Compliance Administrator, Haywood Securities, Vancouver
Unique Programme Features:
As part of the programme, students will:
Engage in a business simulation management exercise where they have the opportunity to work in teams and make strategic decisions about their business.
Participate in a Dragons Den event and compete with your colleagues to attract funding for your new business idea.
Travel on an International study tour programme to Brussels where you will have the opportunity to take lectures at the Irish Institute in Leuven and participate in a case exercise with other postgraduate students.
Analyse a real-life company as part of your Entrepreneurship and innovation ‘live’ company case study exercise. Every year, students engage in a case exercise involving real-life companies which are drawn from the ArcLabs Innovation Centre as well as other start-up companies from across the south east of Ireland.
