Introduction
Finance and International Relations at Aberdeen brings the strong competitive advantage of your solid grounding in business, management and organisations in the wide context of world events. This programme will increase your understanding of how organisations, states and governments interact against a constantly changing global and economic scene. This will give you an added international dimension to your excellent career prospects.
This programme is studied on campus.
In Finance, you will explore financial management, corporate and personal finance, financial institutions, derivatives and the stock market. You will analyse and evaluate financial problems and gain the practical skills to understand and use information from financial newspapers and documents. Your knowledge will grow in the dynamic, international environment of our Business School of over 40 nationalities, inspired by staff who are leaders in business practice and theory, in small classes with real-life scenarios. You will benefit from the input of employers and the support of dedicated careers advisers.
You will also benefit from professional training facilities, such as our Bloomberg finance lab, used by major financial services companies across the world and integrating real activity in financial markets directly into students’ courses.
International Relations will set this in the context of how organisations work, how states interact, what creates global wealth and poverty and why we have inequality and the ever-present concerns of conflict and peace. You will be taught by internationally renowned academics with strong track records in publishing international papers and articles and who appear regularly in the media, commenting on developing world events.
You will gain the perfect foundation to add international career possibilities to your appeal to employers in all sectors, adding to all business sectors with options in local and national government, politics, journalism and international development.
Key Programme Information
At a Glance
- Learning Mode
- On Campus Learning
- Degree Qualification
- MA
- Duration
- 48 months
- Study Mode
- Full Time
- Start Month
- September
- UCAS Code
- NLH2
What You'll Study
- Year 1
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Year 1
Compulsory Courses
- Academic Writing for Business (AW1003)
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This compulsory evaluation is designed to find out if your academic writing is of a sufficient standard to enable you to succeed at university and, if you need it, to provide support to improve. It is completed on-line via MyAberdeen with clear instructions to guide you through it. If you pass the evaluation at the first assessment it will not take much of your time. If you do not, you will be provided with resources to help you improve. This evaluation does not carry credits but if you do not complete it this will be recorded on your degree transcript.
- The Economics of Business and Society (EC1006) - 15 Credit Points
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This course is an introductory course in microeconomics where we study the decision making of individual actors (consumers, employees, firms, governments, etc.) in an economy. Actors must make decisions about behaviours because they face scarce resources, but often they find that trading with other actors in markets can increase the wellbeing of all parties. This course models and examines the nature of these interactions, highlighting when they work well and when they fail to increase wellbeing and what might be the solution to these failures.
- Politics & International Relations 1: Democracy and Governance (PI1018) - 15 Credit Points
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Politics and International Relations impacts on all parts of our lives, with more specifically it being the study of ideas, events, institutions and choice. Studying these provides us with both knowledge of the world and also how it operates and functions. It also changes our perception of our surroundings and makes us aware of an ever changing global context. This course will introduce students to concepts and ideas that form the basis for the study of these disciplines while simultaneously also helping us understand our own place within a global context.
- Finance 1: Finance, Risk and Investment (FI1004) - 15 Credit Points
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This foundation course in finance, risk and investment is the requisite for several degree programmes and for level 2 real estate and finance courses. The module considers the nature and operation of investment markets, focusing on three asset classes; shares, bonds and real estate. It looks at the characteristics of these investment options in terms of their risks and returns. The module introduces basic financial mathematics: time value of money, calculation of present values and investment rates of return. Finally, it considers the role of financial institutions and regulatory bodies in personal finance, where consumers and financial markets interact.
- Accounting and Entrepreneurship (AC1515) - 15 Credit Points
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This is an introduction to accounting which aims to provide an understanding of how organisations – particularly small and medium sized businesses – capture, create and use accounting information both to guide their activities internally within the management function and to communicate their financial performance and position to external users of the accounts. This course allows students to develop practical and analytical skills through a problem-solving approach to accounting-related aspects of business performance reporting and control, particularly in relation to bookkeeping, accounts preparation, budgeting and management accounting.
- The Global Economy (EC1506) - 15 Credit Points
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This course is an introductory course in macroeconomics where we study the behaviour of the economy as a whole. Whereas microeconomics focuses on individual markets, macroeconomics addresses the “big issues” such as unemployment, inflation, economic growth, and financial crises. Macroeconomics is a lively subject, full of discussion and debate, as economists and policymakers take different views on macroeconomic issues, their causes and appropriate policy responses. Issues such as: Is the economy growing? What causes unemployment and how can we reduce it? How can we avoid recessions? When is inflation a problem? Are banks lending too much?
- Politics & International Relations 2: Power and Conflict (PI1518) - 15 Credit Points
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Politics and International Relations impacts on all parts of our lives, with more specifically it being the study of ideas, events, institutions and choice. Studying these provides us with both knowledge of the world and also how it operates and functions. It also changes our perception of our surroundings and makes us aware of an ever changing global context. This course will introduce students to concepts and ideas that form the basis for the study of these disciplines while simultaneously also helping us understand our own place within a global context.
- Professional Skills Part 1 (PD1001)
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This course, which is prescribed for level 1 students and optional for level 2 students, is studied entirely online and covers topics relating to careers and employability, equality and diversity and health, safety and wellbeing. During the course you will learn about the Aberdeen Graduate Attributes, how they are relevant to you and the opportunities available to develop your skills and attributes alongside your University studies. You will also gain an understanding of equality and diversity and health, safety and wellbeing issues. Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Enhanced Transcript as ‘Achieved’ (non-completion will be recorded as ‘Not Achieved’). The course takes approximately 3 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across a number of weeks and it will be available to you throughout the academic year.
This course, which is prescribed for level 1 students and optional for level 2 students and above, is studied entirely online and covers topics relating to careers and employability, equality and diversity and health, safety and wellbeing. During the course you will learn about the Aberdeen Graduate Attributes, how they are relevant to you and the opportunities available to develop your skills and attributes alongside your University studies. You will also gain an understanding of equality and diversity and health, safety and wellbeing issues. Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Enhanced Transcript as ‘Achieved’ (non-completion will be recorded as ‘Not Achieved’). The course takes approximately 3 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across a number of weeks and it will be available to you throughout the academic year.
Optional Courses
Select a further 30 credit points from level 1 courses of choice.
- Year 2
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Year 2
Compulsory Courses
- Ideas and Ideologies in Politics and International Relations (PI2009) - 30 Credit Points
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Ideas and ideologies are core to teaching, learning and research in Politics and International Relations. Theoretical developments are at the forefront of academic debates within the discipline, demonstrated by the appearance of a number of new approaches as more traditional theories have struggled to account for an ever changing world. This course will introduce students to these with profound questions and struggles over identity, belonging, justice and rights underpinning these theoretical debates.
- Finance 2: Business Finance (FI2004) - 15 Credit Points
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The main aim of this course is to develop a sound understanding of fundamental principles underlying the theory and practice of finance, thereby providing a strong basis for further study of advanced finance theory and cognate disciplines. The course introduces students to important concepts in finance: principles of assets pricing, concept of risk and return, theory of interest rates and pricing fixed income securities, evaluation of investment project with a focus on embedded real options. It equips students with good analytical skills in order to understand the implications of financial decisions by understanding the fundamentals that govern them.
- Financial Markets and Regulation (FI2501) - 15 Credit Points
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This course provides students with an understanding of the financial system, primarily from a UK perspective, introducing students to the reasons for, and nature of, financial markets and institutions before moving on to explore the need and importance of financial regulation, and investigating the causes and consequences of the recent global financial crisis. The course will introduce students to a variety of topics including the role of wholesale and retail banks, non-bank financial institutions, the debt and equity markets, and the derivative markets; market efficiency, UK and international regulation, consumer protection and market abuse.
- Understanding Statistics (PO2508) - 15 Credit Points
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This course aims to provide students with an understanding of statistical concepts and methods relevant to accounting, management, finance, real estate and economics. The course is intended to enable students
i) To understand the principles of descriptive statistics, index construction, statistical inference, correlation, regression and time series analysis
ii) To apply statistical techniques to the analysis of accounting, business and economic issues and interpret findings
iii) To identify important sources of data in accounting, business and economics
- Global Politics: Equality and Inequality (PI2508) - 30 Credit Points
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Equality and inequality are at the forefront of many debates within contemporary Politics and International Relations. This course will examine the historical context, theoretical underpinnings, and also key concepts which continue to uphold equality and inequality on a global scale.
Optional Courses
Select 15 credit points from courses of choice.
- Year 3
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Year 3
Compulsory Courses
- Finance 3: Corporate Finance (FI3004) - 30 Credit Points
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This course introduces students to a number of areas of corporate finance including examining capital structure theory, project valuation models, the financing decisions of the firm, and corporate restructuring (including reorganisations and mergers and acquisitions). The main aim of the course is to equip students with good analytical skills in order to understand the implications of corporate financing decisions by understanding why companies behave the way they do with respect to financing choices and how this interacts with the real world financial markets, and to enable students to understand the theoretical underpinnings of corporate finance theory.
- Researching in the 21st Century (PI3069) - 30 Credit Points
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Research methods and techniques are fundamental to the study of Politics and International Relations. In addition, they are highly desired by employers. This course will introduce students to a number of different research techniques which they will use throughout their studies at Honours and in particular their Honours dissertation. Moreover, they will also constitute a significant part of their graduate attributes.
- International Financial Management (FI3503) - 30 Credit Points
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Multinational corporations face a range of risks in an international setting, including exchange rate, political and financing risk. The course considers the complexities of financial management in these settings. It aims to develop students understanding and ability to apply finance theory to international financial management. This course will develop student skills in the analysis of issues including globalisation and the multinational corporation; foreign exchange markets and exchange rate determination; international capital markets, debt and banking; risk management and foreign currency derivative securities
Optional Courses
Select 30 credit points from level 3 Politics & International Relations courses.
- Year 4
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Year 4
Optional Courses
Select one of the following dissertation options:
- Dissertation (International Relations) (IR4031)
- Dissertation in Finance (FI4501)
Plus select one of the following:
- Empirical Methods in Finance (FI4003)
- Financial Strategy and Investment Management (FI4002)
Plus further credit points from level 4 course(s) in Finance and Politics & International Relations to gain a total of 60 credits in each discipline.
- Empirical Methods in Finance (FI4003) - 30 Credit Points
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This course aims to provide an overview of quantitative methods needed to conduct empirical research in finance and financial economics. The course is intended to enable students
i) To develop knowledge and understanding of the theoretical practical approaches to quantitative methods in finance.
ii) To develop the practical quantitative skills to equip students for dissertations in finance and for on-going work in the finance area.
iii) To develop intellectual skills by understanding of the appropriate use of statistical techniques for various financial problems.
iv) To develop the ability to write extended research reports on original topics in finance
- Financial Strategy and Investment Management (FI4002) - 30 Credit Points
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Covering the intellectually and commercially fertile ground at the accountancy/finance interface. Considering financial analysis from both theoretical and practical angles. Do you need to understand financial reporting to be an investor? How should we assess the success of an acquisition? Why do accountants think mergers don’t exist? How do companies decide on financing strategies? Does corporate governance and ethics really matter – do share prices react to it? These are some of the questions we will address alongside using DataStream and the ThomsonReuters Eikon system. The course might give you some ideas for your dissertation too.
- Dissertation (International Relations) (IR4031) - 30 Credit Points
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This course affords students the opportunity to apply their knowledge/research skills in the field of Politics & International Relations to an individual piece of research, focusing on a topic selected by the student and approved by the Dissertation supervisor. Over the course of the project, with guidance from a supervising member of staff, the student will conduct a literature review of relevant material, select appropriate research methods, gather data where necessary, analyse data, and write a final analysis in the form of the Dissertation. Particular emphasis will be given to helping students develop their own skills.
- Dissertation in Finance (FI4501) - 30 Credit Points
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All Accountancy and Finance students must undertake a dissertation. Students taking a joint degree may undertake the dissertation in either discipline, but not both. It is designed to show that you are able to:
Carry out a substantial piece of research on a chosen subject without close supervision
Critically analyse and evaluate work carried out by others
Reach your own conclusions based upon your analysis and evaluation of relevant evidence, whether this is prior research only or prior research coupled with your own research.
Write-up the results of your work in a clear, coherent and logical way.
Course Availability
We will endeavour to make all course options available; however, these may be subject to timetabling and other constraints. Please see our InfoHub pages for further information.
How You'll Study
Learning Methods
- Individual Projects
- Lectures
- Research
- Tutorials
Assessment Methods
Students are assessed by any combination of three assessment methods:
- Coursework such as essays and reports completed throughout the course.
- Practical assessments of the skills and competencies they learn on the course.
- Written examinations at the end of each course.
The exact mix of these methods differs between subject areas, years of study and individual courses.
Honours projects are typically assessed on the basis of a written dissertation.
Further Information
- View detailed learning and assessment information for this programme
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How the programme is taught
The typical time spent in scheduled learning activities (lectures, tutorials, seminars, practicals), independent self-study or placement is shown for each year of the programme based on the most popular course choices selected by students.
How the programme is assessed
The typical percentage of assessment methods broken down by written examination, coursework or practical exams is shown for each year of the programme based on the most popular course choices selected by students.
Year 1
Learning Method
scheduled: 25%
independent: 75%
placement: 0%
Assessment
written: 60%
coursework: 38%
practical: 2%
Year 2
Learning Method
scheduled: 14%
independent: 86%
placement: 0%
Assessment
written: 55%
coursework: 45%
practical: 0%
Year 3
Learning Method
scheduled: 9%
independent: 91%
placement: 0%
Assessment
written: 70%
coursework: 27%
practical: 3%
Year 4
Learning Method
scheduled: 8%
independent: 92%
placement: 0%
Assessment
written: 40%
coursework: 58%
practical: 2%
Why Study Finance and International Relations?
Why Finance
- An excellent teaching environment, committed to the needs of industry, which integrates research into teaching, enables transferable skills and develops intellectual skills on a range of contemporary financial challenges.
- The spectacular, award-winning Sir Duncan Rice Library, with brilliant study facilities, state-of-the-art learning technology, and an extensive collection of reference books, journals and other media for finance and business studies.
- A packed campus programme of student, public and business events, and the annual May Festival which attracts public figures, politicians, business leaders, and broadcasters to discuss and debate critical challenges in our world today.
- Enterprise Campus, a new initiative to nurture entrepreneurial skills and support students wanting to progress their own business ideas.
- Our location in the main European centre for the oil and gas industry, where multinational firms and financial services all have offices in the city, and close links to our teaching programmes.
- Experience the Bloomberg Terminal, a software platform that provides real-time and historical data, market-moving news and analytics to help leading business and financial professional make better informed investment decisions.
Why Politics and International Relations
- A core curriculum with topical themes of conflict and security, representation and democracy, comparative politics and policy.
- Special focus on the Middle-East, Latin America, North and South Asia, the Nordic Countries, Central and Eastern Europe – as well as Scotland, the UK and the EU.
- Staff with specialist expertise in political parties and elections, democracy, energy politics, European integration and regionalism, human rights and development issues, interest groups, nationalism, conflict resolution and more.
- A vibrant Politics & International Relations Society – voted Aberdeen ‘Society of the Year’ for the last three years and Best Event 2013-14 for The Legacy of Nelson Mandela.
- Opportunities to take advantage of spending your second year studying abroad, in Europe, Japan, Hong Kong or North America.
- The spectacular, award-winning Sir Duncan Rice Library, combining a top-class study environment with state-of-the-art technology, and extensive reference collections for your studies.
- A packed campus programme of events, seminars, invited speakers and the annual May festival, engaging prominent influencers, interest groups and public in debating major political issues such as Scottish independence and EU membership.
- All the history and legacy of being part of a university developed over 500 years of national and international political turbulence, social change, and emerging democracy.
Entry Requirements
Qualifications
The information below is provided as a guide only and does not guarantee entry to the University of Aberdeen.
General Entry Requirements
- 2020 Entry
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SQA Highers
Standard: AABB
Applicants who have achieved AABB (or better), are encouraged to apply and will be considered. Good performance in additional Highers/ Advanced Highers may be required.
Minimum: BBB
Applicants who have achieved BBB (or are on course to achieve this by the end of S5) are encouraged to apply and will be considered. Good performance in additional Highers/Advanced Highers will normally be required.
Adjusted: BB
Applicants who have achieved BB, and who meet one of the widening participation criteria are encouraged to apply and will be considered. Good performance in additional Highers/Advanced Highers will be required.
More information on our definition of Standard, Minimum and Adjusted entry qualifications.
A LEVELS
Standard: BBB
Minimum: BBC
Adjusted: CCC
More information on our definition of Standard, Minimum and Adjusted entry qualifications.
International Baccalaureate
32 points, including 5, 5, 5 at HL.
Irish Leaving Certificate
5H with 3 at H2 AND 2 at H3 OR AAABB, obtained in a single sitting. (B must be at B2 or above)
National 5/ S Grade/ GCSE (or equivalent) Maths is required in addition to the requirements above.
The information displayed in this section shows a shortened summary of our entry requirements. For more information, or for full entry requirements for Arts and Social Sciences degrees, see our detailed entry requirements section.
English Language Requirements
To study for an Undergraduate degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read, and write English fluently. The minimum requirements for this degree are as follows:
IELTS Academic:
OVERALL - 6.0 with: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 5.5; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0
TOEFL iBT:
OVERALL - 78 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 18; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21
PTE Academic:
OVERALL - 54 with: Listening - 51; Reading - 51; Speaking - 51; Writing - 54
Cambridge English Advanced & Proficiency:
OVERALL - 169 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 162; Speaking - 162; Writing - 169
Read more about specific English Language requirements here.
International Applicants
Fees and Funding
You will be classified as one of the fee categories below.
Fee Waiver
Most RUK students (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) on a four year honours degree will be eligible for a full-fees waiver in their final year. Scholarships and other sources of funding are also available.
| Fee category | Cost |
|---|---|
| Home / EU | £1,820 |
| All Students | |
| RUK | £9,250 |
| Students Admitted in 2020/21 | |
| International Students | £17,200 |
| Students Admitted in 2020/21 |
International non-EU Applicants
Further Information about tuition fees and the cost of living in Aberdeen
Additional Fees
- In exceptional circumstances there may be additional fees associated with specialist courses, for example field trips. Any additional fees for a course can be found in our Catalogue of Courses.
- For more information about tuition fees for this programme, including payment plans and our refund policy, please visit our InfoHub Tuition Fees page.
Our Funding Database
View all funding options in our Funding Database.
Careers
There are many opportunities at the University of Aberdeen to develop your knowledge, gain experience and build a competitive set of skills to enhance your employability. This is essential for your future career success. The Careers and Employability Service can help you to plan your career and support your choices throughout your time with us, from first to final year – and beyond.
- More information on employability at the University of Aberdeen
- More information on the Careers and Employability Service
Our Experts
Information About Staff Changes
You will be taught by a range of experts including professors, lecturers, teaching fellows and postgraduate tutors. Staff changes will occur from time to time; please see our InfoHub pages for further information.
Get in Touch
Contact Details
- Address
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Student Recruitment & Admissions Service
University of Aberdeen
University Office
Regent Walk
Aberdeen
AB24 3FX