IB3M1-15 Fintech
Introductory description
This module is only open to WBS undergraduate students, and some students taking joint degrees with WBS and another department. Students from other departments cannot take this module. To find detailed availability and to apply for this module, log in to my.wbs.ac.uk using your normal IT login details and apply via the my.wbs module application system. Once you’ve secured a place on my.wbs you should apply via your home department’s usual process, which usually takes place via eVision. Note that you do not require the module leader’s permission to study a WBS module, so please do not contact them to request it.
Module aims
The course covers the intersection of finance and technology. Its main aim is to provide a sound foundation across the spectrum of financial concepts driving innovations of the principal intermediation functions (money, payments, capital raising, market aggregation, price discovery, mass distribution) with examples of business models and products (neobanks, robo-advisors, crypto exchanges etc). It will facilitate better understanding of the value propositions, best practices, regulation and technology encountered in fintech start-ups and help structure thinking about new business and partnership opportunities from traditional financial institutional and venture funding perspective.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
- Introduction to FinTech
- Blockchain and basics of cryptography
- Bitcoin and other digital currencies
- Crypto assets and blockchain applications
- Central bank digital currencies
- Fundamentals of artificial intelligence
- Market place lending
- Quantitative trading, machine learning in trading
- Regulatory landscape of FinTech
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Understand how Fintech can transform financial services
- Differentiate traditional assets and crypto-assets
- Manage innovation in retail and B2B markets
- Understand the role of Fintech in retail and B2B market
- Apply the Fintech concepts introduced in this module in new start-ups
- Integrate traditional financial services with Fintech
Indicative reading list
There are very few textbooks written specifically about FinTech due to being a relatively new topic.
- Chishti, S., & Barberis, J. (2016). The FinTech book: the financial technology handbook for investors, entrepreneurs and visionaries. John Wiley & Sons.
- Ferguson, Niall. The ascent of money: A financial history of the world. Penguin, 2008.
- Popper, Nathaniel. Digital gold: The untold story of Bitcoin. Penguin UK, 2015.
- Gerard, David. Attack of the 50 foot blockchain: Bitcoin, blockchain, Ethereum & smart contracts. David Gerard, 2017.
- Sironi, Paolo. FinTech innovation: from robo-advisors to goal based investing and gamification. John Wiley & Sons, 2016.
Subject specific skills
Work with Fintech data and algorithms.
Understand the technology (e.g., Blockchain) within Fintech start-ups.
See the link between the value chains and wider financial networks.
Transferable skills
Develop written and verbal communication and numeracy skills in the formal assessment for the module.
Study time
Type | Required |
---|---|
Lectures | 10 sessions of 1 hour (7%) |
Seminars | 9 sessions of 1 hour (6%) |
Online learning (independent) | 10 sessions of 1 hour (7%) |
Private study | 48 hours (32%) |
Assessment | 73 hours (49%) |
Total | 150 hours |
Private study description
Private study.
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group D3
Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
---|---|---|---|
Participation | 10% | 8 hours | No |
Online Examination | 90% | 65 hours | No |
Exam
|
Assessment group R3
Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
---|---|---|---|
Online Examination | 100% | No | |
Exam ~Platforms - AEP
|
Feedback on assessment
Feedback provided via my.wbs.
Pre-requisites
To take this module, you must have passed:
Courses
This module is Optional for:
-
UIBA-N20B BSc in Management
- Year 3 of N20B Management
- Year 3 of N20B Management
- Year 3 of N23K Management with Accounting
- Year 3 of N234 Management with Digital Business
- Year 3 of N235 Management with Entrepreneurship
- Year 3 of N232 Management with Finance
- Year 3 of N252 Management with Marketing
- Year 3 of N23L Management with Strategy and Organisation
- Year 3 of UIBA-N400 Undergraduate Accounting and Finance
-
UIBA-N404 Undergraduate Accounting and Finance (with Foundation Year and Placement/Undergraduate Partnership Programme)
- Year 5 of N4N7 Accounting and Finance (Foundation Year and Intercalated)
- Year 5 of N404 Accounting and Finance (Foundation Year and Placement)
- Year 5 of N405 Accounting and Finance (Foundation Year and UPP)
- Year 5 of N403 Accounting and Finance (with Foundation Year)
- Year 4 of UIBA-N403 Undergraduate Accounting and Finance (with Foundation Year)
-
UIBA-N401 Undergraduate Accounting and Finance (with Placement Year/Undergraduate Partnership Programme)
- Year 4 of N401 Accounting and Finance (Placement)
- Year 4 of N402 Accounting and Finance (Undergraduate Partnership Programme)
- Year 3 of UCSA-I1N1 Undergraduate Computer Science with Business Studies
- Year 4 of UCSA-I1NA Undergraduate Computer Science with Business Studies (with Intercalated Year)
- Year 3 of UECA-L1N2 Undergraduate Economics and Management
- Year 4 of UECA-L1N3 Undergraduate Economics and Management (with Intercalated Year)
- Year 4 of UGEA-RN21 Undergraduate German and Business Studies
- Year 3 of UIPA-L8N1 Undergraduate Global Sustainable Development and Business
- Year 4 of UIPA-L8N2 Undergraduate Global Sustainable Development and Business Studies (with Intercalated Year)
-
UIBA-N20F Undergraduate International Management
- Year 4 of N20F International Management
- Year 4 of N20F International Management
- Year 4 of N20S International Management (with Accounting)
- Year 4 of N20T International Management (with Chinese)
- Year 4 of N20P International Management (with Entrepreneurship)
- Year 4 of N20M International Management (with Finance)
- Year 4 of N20U International Management (with French)
- Year 4 of N20L International Management (with Marketing)
- Year 4 of N20V International Management (with Spanish)
- Year 4 of N20W International Management (with Strategy and Organisation)
- Year 4 of N20N International Management with Digital Business
- Year 4 of N20E Management (with Foundation Year)
- Year 4 of N234 Management with Digital Business
-
UIBA-N220 Undergraduate International Management (with Foundation Year)
- Year 5 of N220 International Management (with Foundation Year)
- Year 5 of N221 International Management with Accounting (with Foundation Year)
- Year 5 of N226 International Management with Chinese (with Foundation Year)
- Year 5 of N223 International Management with Digital Business (with Foundation Year)
- Year 5 of N224 International Management with Entrepreneurship (with Foundation Year)
- Year 5 of N222 International Management with Finance (with Foundation Year)
- Year 5 of N227 International Management with French (with Foundation Year)
- Year 5 of N225 International Management with Marketing (with Foundation Year)
- Year 5 of N228 International Management with Spanish (with Foundation Year)
- Year 5 of N229 International Management with Strategy and Organisation (with Foundation Year)
-
UIBA-N20J Undergraduate Management (with Foundation Year and Placement Year/Undergraduate Partnership Programme)
- Year 5 of N20J Management (Foundation Year and Placement)
- Year 5 of N20K Management (Foundation Year and UPP)
- Year 5 of N23H Management with Digital Business (with Foundation Year and Placement Year)
- Year 5 of N23J Management with Entrepreneurship (with Foundation Year and Placement Year)
- Year 5 of N23G Management with Finance (with Foundation Year and Placement Year)
- Year 5 of N255 Management with Marketing (with Foundation Year and Placement Year)
-
UIBA-N20E Undergraduate Management (with Foundation Year)
- Year 4 of N20E Management (with Foundation Year)
- Year 4 of N23N Management with Accounting (with Foundation Year and Placement Year)
- Year 4 of N23M Management with Accounting (with Foundation Year)
- Year 4 of N23E Management with Digital Business (with Foundation Year)
- Year 4 of N23F Management with Entrepreneurship (with Foundation Year)
- Year 4 of N23D Management with Finance (with Foundation Year)
- Year 4 of N252 Management with Marketing
- Year 4 of N254 Management with Marketing (with Foundation Year)
- Year 4 of N23P Management with Strategy and Organisation (with Foundation Year)
-
UIBA-N20C Undergraduate Management (with Placement Year/Undergraduate Partnership Programme)
- Year 4 of N20M International Management (with Finance)
- Year 4 of N20B Management
- Year 4 of N20D Management (Undergraduate Partnership Programme)
- Year 4 of N20C Management (with Placement Year)
- Year 4 of N20Q Management with Accounting (with Placement Year)
- Year 4 of N236 Management with Digital Business (with Placement Year)
- Year 4 of N237 Management with Entrepreneurship (with Placement Year)
- Year 4 of N232 Management with Finance
- Year 4 of N233 Management with Finance (with Placement Year)
- Year 4 of N253 Management with Marketing (with Placement Year)
- Year 4 of N23L Management with Strategy and Organisation
- Year 4 of N20R Management with Strategy and Organisation (with Placement Year)
- Year 3 of UMAA-G1NC Undergraduate Mathematics and Business Studies
- Year 4 of UMAA-G1N2 Undergraduate Mathematics and Business Studies (with Intercalated Year)
- Year 4 of UPXA-F3ND Undergraduate Physics and Business Studies (with Intercalated Year)
- Year 3 of UPXA-F3N2 Undergraduate Physics with Business Studies