Our Banking and Finance course (with Foundation Year) is a four-year course with an integrated foundation year which leads to the same qualification as our three-year honours degree. It has been specifically designed for those wanting to undertake degree-level study but who may not meet the entry requirements or have traditional qualifications.
The Foundation Year (Year 0) offers you the chance to expand and strengthen your confidence, skills and knowledge – ensuring that you are well-prepared and qualified to progress into Year 1 of the undergraduate degree.
Banking and financial services is a highly competitive and rapidly changing sector in every modern economy and this course prepares you to tackle it head on. In recent years, forces such as globalisation, technological change, deregulation and international integration have fundamentally transformed the banking and financial services sector. Banks have responded to growing competitive pressure by diversifying into new activities. Insurance companies and pension funds have also grown rapidly and non-bank institutions such as supermarkets and telecommunications firms now compete directly in financial services markets.
A degree in Banking and Finance offers you the opportunity to study the theory and practice of financial services and financial markets, and to analyse the broader role of the financial sector in the national and global economies.
Bangor is now an exam centre for The Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment, one of the world’s largest professional bodies for the financial sector. Our BSc Accounting & Finance, Banking & Finance or Financial Economics students can now take the L3 Introduction to Investment qualification at Bangor and gain Student Membership of CISI.[Eligible International students may take the International Introduction to Investment, which focuses on global financial markets.
Why choose Bangor University for this course?
- We have world-renowned experts in Banking teaching on this course.
- Our staff are active researchers in their subject areas and we enjoy an international reputation.
- During the course you will study within a multidisciplinary School that employs specialists across a broad range of business subjects, including Accounting, Banking, Finance, Economics, Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
- All single honours students taking degrees within Bangor Business School, including this course, follow the same modules in year 1, so you are allowed to change to another Business School degree anytime up to the start of year 2.
- Our students take part in national competitions such as the IBM Business Challenge.
- A Careers and Employability Fair is held every year and provides an opportunity for students to meet recruiters and learn more about post-graduation employment options.
- We arrange a varied programme of guest lectures. Recent speakers have included the Chief Executive of the Scottish Premier League, the Chief Operating Officer of No. 10 & 11 Downing Street, and the Head of IT Security at HSBC.
- We have excellent computing facilities and you will have the chance to develop your skills in data analysis and report preparation.
- Bangor offers an attractive range of postgraduate degrees in business and finance subjects.
Additional Course Options
This course is available with a Placement Year option where you will study for 1 additional year. The Placement Year is undertaken at the end of the second year and students are away for the whole of the academic year.
The Placement Year provides you with a fantastic opportunity to broaden your horizons and develop valuable skills and contacts through working with a self-sourced organisation relevant to your degree subject. The minimum period in placement (at one or more locations) is seven calendar months; more usually you would spend 10-12 months with a placement provider. You would normally start sometime in the period June to September of your second year and finish between June and September the following year. Placements can be UK-based or overseas and you will work with staff to plan and finalise the placement arrangements.
You will be expected to find and arrange a suitable placement to complement your degree and will be fully supported throughout by a dedicated member of staff at your academic School and the University’s Careers and Employability Services.
You will have the opportunity to fully consider this option when you have started your course at Bangor and can make an application for a transfer onto this pathway at the appropriate time. Read more about the work experience opportunities that may be available to you or, if you have any questions, please get in touch.
This course is available with an International Experience Year option where you will study or work abroad for 1 additional year. You will have ‘with International Experience’ added to your degree title on graduating.
Studying abroad is a great opportunity to see a different way of life, learn about new cultures and broaden your horizons. With international experience of this kind, you’ll really improve your career prospects. There are a wide variety of destinations and partner universities to choose from. If you plan to study in a country where English is not spoken natively, there may be language courses available for you at Bangor and in your host university to improve your language skills.
You will have the opportunity to fully consider this option at any time during your degree at Bangor and make your application. If you have any questions in the meantime, please get in touch.
Read more about the International Experience Year programme and see the studying or working abroad options on the Student Exchanges section of our website.