University of the West of England

MODULE SPECIFICATION

(Revised November 2002)                   

 

Code:   UPEN4D-15-M   Title: International Financial Markets and Services      Version:1 

 

Level:  M                      UWE credit rating: 15                           ECTS credit rating: 7.5

 

Module type: Standard

 

Owning Faculty: HLSS             Field: Economics         

 

Valid from:       September 2004                        Discontinued from:

 

Pre-requisites:             None

 

Co-requisites:               None

 

Excluded combinations:          None

 

Learning outcomes:

 

By the end of this module, the student should be able to:

 

·         Understand and evaluate present day financial services and the institutions providing them in an appropriate historical and theoretical context (Components A & B)

·         Demonstrate a critical understanding of  the role of financial services in the wider national and global economy through the systematic application of  economic concepts and ideas and the use of current scholarly commentary (Components A & B)

·         Offer comprehensive analysis of the structures and workings of key financial services industries using the latest research findings and with reference to relevant macroeconomic and microeconomic theory (Components A & B)

·         Provide a critique of the economic issues relating to international developments in financial services, especially in Europe (Components A & B)

 

Syllabus outline:

 

·         Financial Markets Services in the World Economy.

·         Theories and methods: the economic role of financial markets.

·         History and Development of Financial Markets and Services.

·         The major securities markets; Globalisation in the securities trading; securities houses and their clients.

·         Comparing financial markets and services: USA, Europe, Asia, Economies in Transition.

·         International Financial Regulation.

·         The Euromarkets: Currencies and Bonds.

·         Europe's Single Financial Market.

 

Teaching and learning methods:

 

A variety of teaching methods will be employed in this module.  In addition to standard staff-centred teaching, students will be expected to contribute using their own research material and experience. Where relevant, video material and contemporary written source material will also be used to initiate discussion of practical policy issues. Students will be provided with detailed reading, resources lists and various materials used throughout the course. Links to other sources will be made available through on-line learning resources. However, as postgraduate students, those following this module will also be expected to find and use alternative material using their own knowledge and initiative. Students will be expected to put forward, rationalise, substantiate and defend points of view on controversial matters in class.

 

Indicative sources:

 

B Anderton (ed) , 1995, Current Issues in Financial Services, Macmillan.

K Dowd (ed) and D Gowland, 1992, Current Issues in Financial and Monetary Economics,                                       Macmillan.

S L Hays (ed), 1993, Financial Services: Perspectives and Challenges.

Eng M V Lees and L J Mauer, 1995, Global Finance, Harper Collins.

M Piggot & J Cook, 1993, International Business Economics: A European Perspective  Longman.

A Steinherr (ed), The New European Financial Markets.

S Valdez, 2002, An Introduction to Global Financial Markets, Macmillan.

Meir Kohn, 2003, Financial institutions and Markets,  Oxford.

Paul De Grauwe, 1996, International Money,  Oxford.

 

Journals to be employed on this module include: Applied Economics; Financial World; Journal of Finance; Finance and Development; Harvard Business Review; Journal of International Business Studies etc

 

 

Assessment

 

Weighting between components A and B (standard modules only)   A: 50%   B: 50%

 

ATTEMPT 1

 

First Assessment Opportunity

Component A

Description of each element                                                                Element weighting     

1.  An in-class written assessment under controlled conditions (2 hours)                50%

 

Component B

Description of each element                                                                Element weighting     

1.  2,000 word essay                                                                                          50%

 

Second Assessment Opportunity (further attendance at taught classes is not required)

 

Component A

Description of each element                                                                Element weighting     

1.  An assessment under controlled conditions (2 hours)                                       50%

 

Component B

Description of each element                                                                Element weighting     

1.  2,000 word essay                                                                                          50%

 

 

 

SECOND (OR SUBSEQUENT) ATTEMPT Attendance at taught classes is not  required.

 

Specification confirmed by  ………………Module approved at VARSC 13.05.04.

 

Date ……………………………

(Associate Dean/Programme Director)