The module, ‘Analytics Essentials: Transforming Business with Big Data’ offers a comprehensive exploration of cutting-edge advancements in big data analytics and their transformative impact on business operations and strategy. Throughout the course, you’ll delve into key topics such as data mining techniques, machine learning fundamentals, real-time data analytics, and advanced analytics techniques. Emphasis is placed on the practical application of these concepts through case studies highlighting innovative business applications across various industries, including finance, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and telecommunications. Additionally, the module addresses ethical considerations, privacy protection, infrastructure, and future trends in big data analytics. By the end of the module, you’ll have gained a deep understanding of how big data analytics drives innovation and competitive advantage in the evolving landscape of business

The module introduces you to programming using ‘Python for finance’. No prior knowledge or coding experience in Python is assumed. Python has emerged as an industrystandard language and is extensively used to develop innovative financial products and services. This course covers foundational programming concepts such as conditional statements and loops, data processing from files, receiving input, and displaying relevant output. At the end of the module, you should be proficient in writing basic Python functions, manipulate data files – including reading, modifying, and writing to external files – and performing tasks such as reading and writing to Excel and CSV, connecting to databases, retrieving and processing web data, and employing Python for Finance applications. These applications include developing event-based trading strategies and back testing and optimising them using historical data.

You’ll investigate and critically evaluate historical and contemporary approaches to leadership theory, focusing especially on leadership at junior to middle management level. Classical theories of leadership will be examined including traits theory, behavioural theories and contingency theories. Some contemporary theories will include issues such as emotional intelligence, psychodynamics and leader-led relations. There will be a strong emphasis on applying the theory to your own personal leadership with a view to enhancing leadership performance in preparation for middle management roles within the organisation. Management of change will be another key emphasis, including organizational politics & power, change theories and the implementation of the change process. Issues for consideration will include the organisational context of change, resistance to change and practical management of the change process.

Within this module you’ll explore the fields of management and strategy, noting how strategic analysis and formulation contribute to an organisations performance. You’ll explore practically relevant ideas and frameworks that facilitate strategy design and implementation, dealing with the craft of strategy, identifying and choosing superior competitive position, how to analyse strategic situations and how to create the organisational context to make the chosen strategy work. Practical and problem-oriented, this module places emphasis on the application of concepts and exploration of frameworks to assist you in analuysing and gaining insight into competitive situations and strategic dilemmas.

You’ll work through the main theories and principles of marketing for the marketing manager or business leader, understanding how those theories and principles can be applied in practice to a range of business contexts; from business-to-consumer, business-to-business, charities, arts, to tourism and service-based industries. You’ll focus particularly on global business challenges; competition and defining value; a digitally based economy; and societal marketing (corporate social responsibility, sustainability, morals and ethics) whilst also understanding the legal framework that impacts upon marketers and marketing practice such as consumer and data protection laws. This module will challenge you to examine marketing problems that have faced brands and organisations to critically analyse their approach and suggest new alternatives. You’ll gain a firm grasp of the scope of marketing in general business management and leadership roles as well as a clear understanding of the specialist areas of study and work as you plan your lifelong career in this very broad industry.

Financial markets have recently been experiencing radical transformation because of new product development, changing technologies, and market structure due to FinTech. In recent years, financial institutions have increasingly begun to rely on financial technologies (Fintech) to provide more efficient and convenient services. Adapting to fintech innovations brings new challenges and opportunities. At the same time, Sustainable Finance has become a subject of interest and how fintech can be used directly and indirectly to improve sustainability and influence policies and regulations. Issues such as climate change, water pollution and nonrenewable resource management can be addressed in innovative ways with Fintech. The successful completion of this module will ensure that you are up to date with this ever evolving landscape and provide a better understanding of current topics such as FinTech, blockchain, crypto assets, and sustainable finance concepts to enhance your employability. Additionally, you’ll be able to analyse how Fintech will influence the future of sustainable Finance.

This major project module allows students to engage in a substantial piece of individual primary and/or secondary research focussed on a topic relevant to their business degree award and specialist subject area under the supervision and guidance of a member of academic staff. This module requires students to develop their chosen topic into a specific project under the guidance of their supervisor. Supervisors will discuss with students contemporary research problems and issues based on their research and practice, and students will be required to conduct literature reviews, evaluate and critically appraise a range of information, investigate and adopt suitable theoretical frameworks, research methodologies and methods, and process and analyse data to produce a coherent and justified solution to the problem(s) identified. Throughout the module your supervisor will support you in terms of content and skills development so that you can work semi-utonomously on your individual research project. This is achieved through regular supervisory meetings throughout the year, which will allow for individual discussion of the tasks that will have to be completed in order to develop the project smoothly. Students will receive formative and constructive feedback from their supervisors in order progress their research to a conclusion. Attendance at meetings and engagement with the proposed tasks are essential to successful completion of the project.