Finance & Investment with Foundation Year
BSc
Our BSc Finance & Investment degree equips you with the expertise to navigate the complexities of financial markets, investment strategies, and corporate finance. You will develop a strong foundation in financial analysis, portfolio management, risk assessment, and sustainable investment practices, preparing you for careers in investment banking, asset management, financial consulting, and corporate finance.
Hands-on experience is the cornerstone of the course, you will have access to real-world financial data, trading simulations in our Trading Room using the Bloomberg terminals, and financial technologies. You will develop critical thinking and problem-solving abilities and acquire technical proficiency in financial software and tools. The course places a strong emphasis on ethical considerations in finance and encourages you to embrace innovation and sustainable investment planning.
This degree is innovative, inclusive, and industry-responsive, integrating emerging financial technologies, ethical investment principles, and sustainability-focused finance. Taught by experienced industry practitioners and leading researchers, you will explore FinTech innovations, digital assets, and global financial markets, ensuring a future-focused learning experience.
Opportunities for internships, placement year and study abroad enhance your employability and provide a competitive advantage in the job market. By balancing financial performance with social responsibility, our BSc Finance & Investment degree prepares graduates to shape the future of finance, driving profitability while championing sustainability and ethical investment strategies.
Upon graduation, you will be well-prepared for a diverse range of career paths, including roles as financial analysts, investment bankers, portfolio managers, and financial advisors. You will also have unlocked opportunities in corporate finance, risk management, and financial consulting. With a robust foundation in principles of finance, the course is designed to equip you to meet the evolving demands of the financial sector.
This course offers an opportunity to think beyond numbers, learn markets and instruments, and make a living on a global level. The course helps clarify challenges that affect everyone in the society, including cost of living, use of FinTech, and financing sustainable development.Dr Mamunur RashidCourse Director
We accept a wide range of general qualifications that attract UCAS Tariff points either on their own or in combination with others. Below are some common examples.
Qualification | Grades |
---|---|
A Levels | BBC |
BTEC | DMM |
Access | 15 Distinctions and 30 Merits |
International Baccalaureate | 29 Points |
The grades in this table provide an indication of what is required to study this course. If you have qualifications that are not present in the table or want to tell us more about you specific situation then please contact our friendly Course Enquiry Team.
This course requires that you have GCSE Maths - Grade 4/ C or equivalent.
If you do not meet these entry requirements, a foundation year is a great way of beginning your university journey. We recommend you speak to our Course Enquiries team who will advise on a route to study that fits you.
We are committed to your development as a skilled and inquiring student, ethically engaged with the world and its future, and aim to use a variety of methods and approaches tailored to your individual needs in order to achieve this.
You will be taught by experienced academics with inputs from practitioners to enhance your creative and critical thinking, analytical skills, collaborative decision-making abilities, and confidence. Our teaching team will share with you their expert knowledge, experience and research insights during stimulating lectures, seminars and practical workshops.
Teaching is structured to allow for flexibility, and blended learning is widely used to support both teaching, learning and student support. Typically, you will have around 12 hours of structured contact time per week. This may be in lectures, where the module leader delivers key material to you in a large group or seminars where you'll discuss and develop, in smaller groups, your understanding of topics covered in lectures. You may also experience workshops, which combine lectures and seminars when the class size is smaller. You'll also be supported by your personal academic tutor.
Between Years 2 and 3 you'll have the opportunity to gain work experience on a year-long placement with an external organisation. You’ll also have the opportunity to apply to study for a year in one of our partner institutions in North America as part of your degree.
Alongside the core curriculum (your chosen degree subject!), there are exciting and innovative opportunities to go beyond your degree. A suite of micro-credentials, interdisciplinary electives, industry and enterprise challenges form an integral part of this course.
When not attending lectures, seminars, workshops or other timetabled sessions, you'll continue learning through self-study. Typically, this involves reading journal articles and books, undertaking research in the library, working on projects, and preparing for coursework assignments/examinations, workshops and seminars.
Your lecturers will indicate specific readings and/or activities to complete before class. We will also provide reading lists for further study. Seminars/workshops are enriched when students have completed their independent reading, allowing everyone to interact with this learning and benefiting the whole group.
In your final year, you will complete a Major Project, often called a Dissertation or an Individual Study. This is a significant piece of independent research, where you may select a topic of special interest. It is an opportunity for you to deep dive into an area of your degree that you are fascinated by. You will be guided by a supervisor, but the main direction of the work will be decided by you. Great to showcase in graduate applications.
Teaching is structured to allow for flexibility. Typically, you will have about 12 hours of structured contact time per week. For every hour of contact, you'll be expected to complete three hours of independent study.
You will be taught by academics at all stages of their careers, from postdoctoral researchers to professors, including others with extensive industry experience.
Every member of our teaching team is committed to innovative and engaging approaches to teaching, and members hold excellent teaching qualifications (Higher Education Academy accredited) and academic qualifications (PhDs in Finance, Economics or other related disciplines).
We are also research active, publishing our research in academic journals and books, engaging in work with academic and professional bodies.
Your learning experience will be shaped by experienced academics with insights from industry practitioners, providing you with a strong foundation in finance and investment. Through interactive lectures, hands-on financial analysis, and real-world case studies, you will develop critical and analytical thinking skills, enhance your ability to make informed investment decisions, and build confidence in applying financial theories and tools to dynamic market environments.Dr Seyi AdesinaSection Director for Accounting, Economics & Finance
The course provides you with opportunities to test your understanding of the subject informally before completing the formal assessments that count towards your final mark. Each module typically contains at least one piece of practice or 'formative' assessment for which you receive feedback from your tutor. Practice assessments are developmental, and any grades you receive for them do not count towards your module mark.
There is a formal or 'summative' assessment at the end of each module. Assessment methods include written examinations, often computer-based, and a range of coursework assessments such as essays, reports, portfolios, performance, presentations and your final year major project. The grades from formal assessments count towards your module mark.
To progress from one level of study to the next, you must pass 120 credits. The standard pass mark for a module is 40%.
Graduates can pursue a wide variety of potential future careers options in areas such as investment banking, equity trading, finance advice and management, personal and corporate finance, investment and portfolio management, and other sectors of financial services.
This course has a strong focus on career development and emphasises transferable skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, self-awareness, leadership, analysis, and teamwork, and builds your confidence in interpersonal skills and communicating your discipline knowledge.
The course also provides a great opportunity to pursue further study.
With a robust foundation in principles of finance, the course is designed to equip you to meet the evolving demands of the financial sector.Dr Mamunur RashidCourse Director
Tuition Fees for 2026/27 have not yet been finalised. These course web pages will be updated with Tuition Fee information once they have been agreed.
We work with industry stakeholders to further enhance our teaching, research and knowledge exchange. Some stakeholders come in as guest lecturers and we also have masterclasses by visiting professors who are chosen for their expertise in accounting, finance and economics. These established links have helped some of our students to secure work experience and placements.
Duration:
3 yearsUCAS code:
NC28Location(s):
Canterbury