BA (Hons) International Finance (Top-up)

Core units​:

• Investment Management: The theories underpinning investment management and their practical application. You'll learn about the current features of capital markets and savings products which will prepare you for business and personal investment.
• Risk Modelling & Management: Gain an understanding of risk in a modern business environment and the risk management processes needed for controlling such risks. You'll develop skills for analysing risk scenarios and solutions.
• Perspectives on Business Strategy: The perspectives for developing and executing business strategy. From its roots in finance and economics, strategy has developed its own language, tools and methodologies, which are used throughout businesses and organisations in many parts of the world. You'll be introduced to that language and gain experience working in the toolkit, and understand its limits.

Option units Block A (choose one):

• Public Finance & Policy: As Nation-States begin to raise taxes to address unprecedented levels of public debt, we will consider their decisions, targets, and taboos. We will debate the underlying principles and theories on which our tax policies have evolved. This unit aims to provide a technically and academically challenging examination of public finance, in theory and in practice.
• Entrepreneurship & Business Ventures: The unit covers how individuals and teams build on opportunities to create new businesses or transform existing ones by undertaking entrepreneurial activities. You will learn how to be effective entrepreneurs by looking at the business and personal skills needed to start a business and the critical factors in the survival of start-ups and reasons for failure.

Option units Block B (choose two):

• Financial Regulation: An insight into key financial regulatory theories, forms and rationale in the financial sector. You'll engage with and analyse regulatory concepts and systems that meet the needs of the regulator and the regulated
• Corporate Social Responsibility & Environmental Reporting: This unit will equip you with the ability to account and report on environmental topics with emphasis on both regulatory as well as the reporting framework needed to account for environmental issues. You will gain the ability to critically appraise the usefulness of such information.
• International Taxation: The rise of the multinational company has been an outstanding feature in business history since the 1960s. It's no longer enough for a tax specialist to understand of a single country’s tax system. Knowing about business opportunities and risk in cross-border trading and the measures countries take to protect their jurisdiction to tax is essential. You'll examine issues in international taxation faced by multinational corporations and individuals, and apply the principles of international taxation to a wide range of situations.

Please note that option units require minimum numbers in order to run and may only be available on a semester by semester basis. They may also change from year to year.

Programme specifications provide definitive records of the University's taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry.

If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively, please contact us for assistance.

This intensive one-year course offers Foundation degree and HND students the opportunity to build upon previous study and gain an Honours degree, further developing their business competencies.

We consider applicants with a variety of previous qualifications and relevant work experience. A successful candidate would demonstrate a passion for business and the enthusiasm to hone their transferrable personal and professional skills.

If there’s anything in here that isn’t clear, or we don’t answer your questions, please get in touch.

We select candidates for this course by looking at your application; there are usually no interviews or selection activities needed. For that reason, make sure your application really stands out from the crowd, and leave us in no doubt as to why you should be joining BU. You can find some handy hints about filling in your UCAS form on our how to apply web pages.

We look at individual applications and make a tailored offer based on your potential to succeed on the course considering a range of factors, including your academic achievements, work and other experience, reference and personal statement, and in some cases, your performance at an interview or a portfolio review. Typically, we make an offer at the bottom of the tariff range.

AccessBU gives you the chance to tell us more about you and your life experiences if you haven’t had the same educational opportunities as other applicants. If you are eligible for AccessBU, your offer could be up to 16 UCAS Tariff Points below the published tariff.

Our offer-making will typically be based on your most recent qualifications, including any required subjects where applicable. We'll consider all qualifications when assessing your application, although these may not be part of our offer.

If you do not meet the criteria of your original offer, we may still offer you a place. We will review your whole application and consider all academic qualifications (including those not in the offer) to see if you have the academic potential to succeed on the course. If we feel the answer is yes, we will confirm your place.

Apprenticeships: We recognise the transferable knowledge and skills gained through apprenticeships and welcome applications from students with a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship recognised by the Institute for Apprenticeships. Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Deferred entry: We are happy to consider eligible applicants for deferred entry. If you have already submitted your application, please submit your deferral request through our website. 

Direct entry: We welcome applications from students who have previously studied at degree level at other institutions and wish to transfer onto a BU course. Our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) procedure enables credit awarded from one institution to contribute to a BU award, subject to an application process. Please visit our RPL webpage for more information.

Mature applicants: We recognise that mature applicants may have a wealth of experience rather than formal qualifications, so we’ll consider your application on these merits if included in your application. You’ll need to apply to BU in the usual way through UCAS and you may be invited to an interview to discuss your suitability for the course based on the experience you tell us about in your application.

Our graduates work in corporate or business roles across a broad range of sectors, including finance, retail and recruitment.

You will be able to apply for a range of positions after graduating, such as:

• Account Manager
• Admin Manager
• Consultant
• Relationship Manager
• Team Leader.

The skills you’ll learn will stand you in good stead for your continuing professional development too – giving you more control over your career direction.

Once you have completed an undergraduate Honours degree, you can further develop your education by studying for a postgraduate degree. Please visit our postgraduate section for further details about our range of Master’s degrees.

Research degrees 

If you are a BU graduate you are eligible for a 20% ‘loyalty’ discount on the published fees for further programmes with us!  

Depending on your qualifications and experiences, you can choose to undertake a MRes or PhD level research degree. Bournemouth University has a strong finance research foundation within our Department of Accounting, Finance & Economics through a number of research centres, which explores theory, education and professional practice. 

Visit our postgraduate research courses for further details about research degree options with the Bournemouth University Business School and the funding options available. 

What’s included in your tuition fee?

Your tuition fee covers expenses associated with your course including tuition materials, access to facilities, mandatory field trips and the following:

For September 2024 entry:

• Materials for laboratory and mandatory field-based teaching activity.
• Support for finding placements (UK or abroad) and fieldwork, and non-financial support whilst on placement if this is part of your course of study
• A range of student services – advisors, help desks, counsellors, placement support and careers service
• The Library – access to a wide range of electronic resources (databases, e-journals and e-books), print and multimedia collections, subject librarians and study spaces
• Access to Brightspace, our virtual learning environment, which offers a responsive and personalised learning experience with powerful learning analytics capabilities, integrated social media and advanced video features.
• IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow
• Free software download to your personal device of Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus while you are studying, as well as access to applications provided on AppsAnywhere, subject to licensing and compatibility restrictions
• Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) scheme
• Disability and additional learning support, according to individual circumstances.
• The BU Language Centre to help you develop/improve foreign or English language skills
• 24 hours a day, 365 days a year security team.

Additional costs

We are committed to offering you value for money and ensuring there are no hidden costs while you are studying with us, therefore we have listed below any additional costs you may incur that are not covered by your tuition fee:

For September 2024 entry:

• Laptops, tablets and mobile devices and any software used on personal devices. Access to a personal computer is strongly recommended for your study. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, visit our website for information regarding hardship funds.
• Textbooks, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of textbooks and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shop stocks a wide range of stationery supplies.
• Accommodation and living costs. Our accommodation price guide can be found on our website. 
• Travel costs to and from the University campus. An annual bus pass is included in your rent if you are living in halls of residence/Unilet accommodation or may be purchased separately.
• Travel costs to and from your placement (both in the UK and overseas). Information about funding your placement year can be found on our website.
• You will need to meet the cost of any Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check if required by your placement setting, including any Post Office verification changes. 
• Clothing or equipment costs required for your placement if this is part of your course of study.
• SportBU membership.

If you need to repeat one or more units during your studies (with or without attendance) the pricing will be pro-rata of the full-time fee.

Suranjita is a Senior Lecturer in the area of Accounting and Finance and has 12 years of university teaching experience at both the undergraduate and postgraduate level. As an experienced academic she is passionate about using new technology and inventive teaching techniques like Panopto, Padlet, podcasts and use of innovative assessments to emphasise conceptual understanding of the subject matter. She has extensive experience in curriculum planning with proficiency in programme development of a specialist undergraduate and a specialist integrated master’s degree in accounting and finance. Her ongoing research interest is in corporate governance, corporate finance and Tax.

Spencer graduated from Bournemouth University in 2003 with a first class honours degree in Accounting & Finance and has subsequently qualified as a chartered accountant.

Prior to starting at BU in 2000, he was an equity analyst and arbitrageur at a major European investment bank.

His research interests lie within the field of equity arbitrage, particularly surrounding mergers and acquisitions.

Frazer is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Accounting, Finance & Economics, within the Bournemouth University Business School. Having graduated from BU with a BA (Hons) in Accounting, Frazer specialised in IT before becoming an academic member of staff. Having gained an MSc. in Finance & Risk Management, Frazer now specialises in Risk Management/Disaster Planning and is a Technical Specialist member of the Institute of Risk Management. Frazer is currently undertaking a PhD in Finance, focusing on Portfolio Management, with a special focus on Bloodstock.

Frazer's main research interests lie in the multi-disciplinary aspects of large scale renewable energy projects and has a number of co-created publications in this area.

Tony is a Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader for MSc Corporate Governance since Sep 2019. He joined BU in 2017 as a Lecturer in Accounting and Finance, and prior to that, Tony worked as a Visiting Academic/ Adjunct Lecturer (University of Southampton), an Associate Lecturer (Damascus University), and had 5-year work experience as a Chief Accountant.

He holds a PhD in Accounting and Finance (Jan2017), a MSc in Risk Management (2011), both from the University of Southampton, and a BSc in Economics with First Class Honours (2003) from Damascus University.

Tony is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (FCMI), and also an Academic Fellow of the Association of International Accountants (FAIA(ACAD)).