Finance and Investment Management
Finance and investment management is concerned with how financial assets are valued, how portfolios are constructed and managed, how investment risk is measured and controlled, and how financial markets function as the mechanisms through which capital is allocated in the economy. It is a technically demanding discipline that combines economic theory with quantitative methods and an understanding of the institutional context in which investment decisions are made.
At Northumbria University in Newcastle you will study this three-year full-time programme, developing core financial theory alongside specialist content in investment analysis, portfolio management, derivatives, fixed income, equity markets and the quantitative methods that underpin modern investment practice. The programme includes a sandwich year in industry, providing extended professional experience within a financial organisation, as well as a year abroad and a work placement, meaning you graduate with a combination of technical training and substantial professional and international experience. The sandwich year in particular allows you to develop the practical competencies and professional network that financial services employers value, and to bring a grounded perspective back to your final year of study.
The degree trains analytical precision, facility with financial models, the ability to evaluate investment opportunities under uncertainty and the communication skills needed to present investment recommendations clearly. These capabilities are central to professional roles across the investment management and financial services industry.
Graduates enter careers as investment analysts, portfolio managers, financial advisers, risk managers, derivatives traders, financial planners and wealth managers in asset management firms, investment banks, pension funds, insurance companies and independent financial advisory businesses. The degree provides a strong foundation for professional qualifications such as the CFA, and postgraduate study in finance, investment management or financial economics is a natural option for those wishing to develop further.