Principles of Finance (N1560)

15 credits, Level 4

Autumn teaching

On this module, you’ll be introduced to key financial concepts, instruments and markets. No prior knowledge of finance is required, although a basic level of numeracy will help you fully understand some of the topics covered.

Topics include:

• a fundamental concept in finance: the time value of money (discounting and compounding)
• an overview of the role of financial institutions and markets, and the impact of interest rates and exchange rates
• the valuation of bonds and equity, including the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM)
• the capital structure of firms and their Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC).

You’ll find this module valuable in both your professional and personal life, helping you develop a strong understanding of loans, mortgages, savings and investments. It also complements other modules within your course.

Teaching

67%: Lecture
33%: Seminar

Assessment

25%: Coursework (Test)
75%: Examination (Computer-based examination)

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 150 hours of work. This breaks down into about 33 hours of contact time and about 117 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We鈥檙e planning to run these modules in the academic year 2026/27. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We鈥檒l make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

Courses

This module is offered on the following courses: