Master of Science in Finance and Investment

at Birmingham City University - City Centre Campus United Kingdom

Study in state-of-the-art studios, learn from experienced, research-active experts and make connections with over 100 industry partners with our BA (Hons) Architecture course.

Validated by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and prescribed by Architects Registration Board (ARB) to give full exemption from the ARB / RIBA Part 1 examination, you will be based at our innovative Birmingham School of Architecture and Design, where you start your journey towards becoming a registered architect. We’ve helped over 80 percent of our graduates gain jobs in professional practice.

Birmingham School of Architecture and Design offers fully accredited programs at RIBA Parts 1, 2 and 3, enabling you to fully qualify as a registered architect within one school.

The BSc (Honours) Accountancy degree at Birmingham City Business School will equip you with the skills and knowledge that you will need to become a professional accountant.

The course provides a valuable insight into the worlds of accountancy practice, commerce and industry, underpinned by principles of good governance and ethical decision-making.

Delivery of the course is flexible and includes a blend of lectures, workshops, field trips and online learning. The modules, which feed into the course, are broad, covers key current topics such as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and help you to appreciate accountancy from a range of perspectives. Ultimately, decision-making in accountancy, calls for one to exercise judgement and intuition and this course helps you to strengthen that judgement.

This will prepare you for a long-term financial career as an accountant, allowing you to progress in many financial and related roles as well as the accounting profession. We create graduates who possess a global outlook, with the conceptual and applied knowledge in the field of accounting that will enable them to make a positive impact on society.

This course aims to provide you with a comprehensive program of study of international finance, providing you with the knowledge and professional skills including digital skills to develop a career in banking or another financial institution dealing with international operations.

You will develop a broad vision and understanding of the changing role and nature of finance within the context of a global marketplace. You will become competent in dealing with international investment and financing transactions, international payments and exchange rates. In addition to traditional areas of international finance, the course will provide skills in areas including responses to international financial crises and cryptocurrencies.  This course is offered for local as well as international students.

Birmingham City University is a modern practically oriented and student-oriented university. You will be taught by highly qualified academics with industrial and professional experience and actively involved in research.

Professional Placement option

For our MSc International Finance degree, you will have the opportunity to take the Professional Placement version of the course, which is offered as an alternative to the standard version of the course.

This will allow you to complete a credit-bearing, 20-week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability and transferable skills. The placement experience will allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market.

Do you want to develop the skills needed to be a leading IT professional? Our BSc (Hons) /MSci Computer Science course will develop your skills in producing computer systems solutions. You will gain a sound mathematical and scientific understanding alongside developing the professional attitude needed in industry.

While studying your Computer Science degree with us, you’ll also have access to dedicated industry-standard facilities in a fully equipped lab running the latest software. Plus, we’re home to a Cisco Systems, a Microsoft Academy Centre and Amazon Web Services Academy (AWS), so you can rest assured, knowing your university course will prepare you for a successful career in the industry.

What's covered in this course?

Studying computing with us puts you at the heart of an exciting, innovative community. You will study the fundamental concepts of computer science in your first year, including computer programming, data structures and algorithms, information systems, computer networks and computer architecture.

Part of your first-year assessment will involve taking part in our annual Innovation Fest, where students get together to solve society’s problems with creative technology. Previous projects have included medical assistance drones, accessible gaming controllers, and smart housing solutions. The event brings together students, academics and industry guests, so it’s a great way to have fun, build experience and network, and win prizes!

In your second year, you will consolidate your learning by studying advanced subjects that emphasise software engineering skills. You will also be introduced to topics such as operating systems, cyber security, discrete mathematics, and web application development.

In your final year, you will broaden your understanding of computer science by studying specialised subjects like artificial intelligence, cloud computing and wearable computing. In addition, you will complete an individual project in order to demonstrate your technical skills and general employability in preparation for career progression. The individual project simulates typical graduate workplace tasks that require in-depth knowledge and skills in a specific area of computer science. This will include consideration of wider issues and the ability to manage activities and resources, and to generate, implement and report on solutions to meet task objectives.

Want to start a career in criminal investigation? Our Criminology, Policing and Investigation University course has close ties to the West Midlands Police Force.

Our degree offers an in-depth study of policing and criminal investigation, helping you develop your understanding of criminological thought, as well as historical, political and practical applications. This course offers a varied yet focused choice of subjects through which you will be able to develop your interests within the specialised field of criminology.

What's covered in this course?

Within this course, students will explore the who, what, where, why and when of criminology. That is the understanding of who and why people commit crime, where crime takes place, and the motivations for different crime types.

This is done through a range of exciting and engaging modules which are taught by expert lecturers who are well published in the field. In this course we explore the concept of policing and how different countries have chosen to manage crime. We use a variety of trips, guest speakers and specialist workshops to give students a wide range of understanding of policing.

Specialist facilities include the interviewing suite, which allows students to simulate police interviewing environments for both suspects and witnesses, with access to tape recording and video playback analysis.

You will benefit from well-established links with a variety of external bodies, including police forces, charities, pressure groups, criminal justice agencies, criminal rehabilitation probation service and prisons.

The LLM International Business Law meets the current demand for specialist knowledge and skills in a rapidly expanding field. The course provides you with the opportunity to explore the legal regulation of the world of international business, and you will acquire knowledge and understanding of the aspects of substantive and procedural law.

You will study all the key areas of International Business Law:

Core taught modules:

• International Corporate Law
• Transnational Commercial Law
• Corporate Criminality and Tax Evasion
• Advanced Legal Research Methods

Two optional modules from the list below:

• International Intellectual Property Law
• Conflict Resolution in Business
• Global Comparative Competition Law
• Corporate Compliance
• Comparative International Corporate Insolvency Law

LLM Masters Stage:

• Dissertation/Live Project/Placement

If you are interested in working in the global cosmetics industry and have an interest in the branding and promotion of beauty and cosmetics products and services then this course is for you. You will develop a range of practical business, creative and entrepreneurial skills and have the opportunity to research key and current trends in the beauty and cosmetics industry.

Your personal program of study is supported by visits to appropriate cosmetics and beauty industry events or organizations and/or interviews of professionals involved in cosmetics or beauty services promotion.

What's covered in this course?

On the course you will get involved in blogging, social media, website development, entrepreneurship and brand development.

You’ll be actively encouraged to take part in debates about the professional, educational, political and cultural implications of beauty and cosmetics in modern societies around the world.

You will also explore and use different research methods to investigate the branding and promotion of beauty services and cosmetics through marketing, advertising, events management, publicity or public relations.

By the end of the course you will have gained the ability to apply the knowledge, skills and methodologies of cosmetics branding and promotion to the analysis of complex cosmetics branding and promotion issues, and to the expression of sophisticated marketing, advertising concepts.

You will also have developed the ability to identify personal, career and practical goals related to cosmetics branding and promotion including work experience and entrepreneurship.

Professional Placement option

The Professional Placement version of the course is optional and is offered as an alternative to the standard version of the course.

This will allow you to complete a credit-bearing, 20-week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability skills which will, through the placement experience, allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market. Furthermore, by completing the Professional Placement, you will be able to develop and enhance your understanding of the professional work environment, relevant to your chosen field of study, and reflect critically on your own professional skills development within the workplace.

The MSc Civil Engineering prepares students for the highest level of achievement in Civil Engineering and beyond. It provides a broad coverage of the State-of-the-Art in contemporary Civil Engineering research and practice, equipping graduates with the skills needed to succeed in the contemporary marketplace.

Professional Placement option

The Professional Placement option will allow you to complete a credit-bearing, 20-week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability skills which will, through the placement experience, allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market.  Furthermore, by completing the Professional Placement, you will be able to develop and enhance your understanding of the professional work environment, relevant to your chosen field of study, and reflect critically on your own professional skills development within the workplace.

Our MA Black Studies course aims to build on the success of this pivotal course. Since its emergence Black Studies at BCU has been one of the most high profile and successful research activities since 2014 in the faculty. We have produced highly rated and world-leading research, secured research funding and hosted some foundational research activities.

This course will be well suited to those already in employment as well as those wanting to develop specialist knowledge and build on transferable skill sets which will boost their employability and career options to working within education, local and national government, criminal justice, media, the arts and advocacy organizations. We have links with the public, private and voluntary sector organizations in local community, national and international settings. Engagement with stakeholders is a fundamental part of the final project; which further enhances students’ personal and professional development and networking skills.

MA Feature Film Development will help you to understand what is required to make sure a major film is ready to be pitched to investors. You’ll learn all about the extensive pre-production activities all big-budget movies currently go through before they are green-lit. You’ll be taken through each stage of pre-production development to navigate, understand and avoid common problems.

MA Feature Film Development is suitable for Directors, Producers, Editors, Film Makers, Screenwriters, Directors of Photography, Concept Artists, Production Designers, Art Directors, Animators, Technical Directors, Story Artists, & Pre-Visualisation Artists looking to start or further a career in feature film.

This course is part of Birmingham City University’s Film Futures suite, designed with industry to reflect the growing need for highly skilled film graduates who can fulfil roles within the international film industry. Focusing on film development, pre-production, story art and pre-visualization, you’ll become part of a vibrant and multidisciplinary film community.