Module overview
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- assess how FinTech developments, platform-based finance and other recent financial innovations alter the transmission and concentration of risk, using real-world examples and cases
- analyse the risk profile of basic trading or banking positions, and explain the implications of alternative hedging and risk management strategies using derivatives
- critically appraise non-technical descriptions of AI-based tools used in finance, identifying their potential contributions to risk management as well as the risks and limitations they introduce for institutions and the wider financial system
- apply standard market and credit risk measurement techniques (such as value-at-risk, stress testing and scenario analysis) to simple portfolios and critically interpret the results and their limitations
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- compose and communicate ideas effectively
- apply knowledge learned in the class to particular problems.
- develop clear logical thinking;
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- the main derivative instruments (such as forwards, futures, swaps and options), their payoff structures, and how they are used in practice to hedge key market and credit risk exposures
- the principal approaches to measuring market and credit risk (for example value-at-risk, expected shortfall, stress testing and scenario analysis) and the strengths and limitations of these risk measurement tools
- how banks/firms allocate capital among their departments in respect of both volatile and calm market conditions
- how AI-enabled tools and data-driven models are being used in financial risk management, together with their potential benefits and the associated challenges for model risk, transparency and regulatory oversight.
- regulatory issues concerning investment banks, securities firms and other major financial institutions, and how these are being challenged by AI-enabled and digitally delivered financial services
Syllabus
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Independent Study | 126 |
| Teaching | 24 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
General Resources
Bank For International Settlement (2011) Basel III: A global regulatory framework for more resilient banks and banking systems.
Textbooks
Philippe Jorion (2007). Financial Risk Manager Handbook. Wiley.
Madura, J (2012). Financial Institutions and Markets. South-Western Cengage Learning.
Bessis, J (2010). Risk Management in Banking. Wiley.
Anthony Saunders, Marcia Cornett, and Otgo Erhemjamts (2021). Financial Institutions Management : A Risk Management Approach. McGraw-Hill Education.
John C. Hull (2023). Risk Management and Financial Institutions. Wiley.
Basle Committee on Banking Supervision (1998). Operational Risk Management. Switzerland: BIS.
Mishkin and Eakins (2015). Financial Markets and Institution. Pearson Education.
Basle Committee on Banking Supervision (1999). Credit Risk Modelling: Current Practices and Applications. Switzerland: BIS.
John C. Hull (2016). Fundamentals of Futures and Options Markets. Pearson.
Assessment
Formative
This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.
Peer assessment
- Assessment Type: Formative
- Feedback: Peer and self-assessment methods will be used to help students assess their understanding; exercises, which students will be recommended to attempt by themselves, will be available in lectures or on online blackboard and the answer is available one week after.
- Final Assessment: No
- Group Work: No
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Closed book Examination | 80% |
| Multiple choice Test | 20% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Closed book Examination | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Closed book Examination | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External