Bachelor’s Degree in Banking and Finance

• On successful completion of this program a student will be able to:
• Critically examine different asset classes and implement global asset allocation strategies.
• Apply appropriate techniques for valuation and management of fixed income and equity investments.
• Evaluating derivatives and alternative investments with a critical awareness of the potential problems that may ensue.
• Investigate and implement the asset pricing models with an awareness of the market efficiency issues.
• Measure and interpret the performance of portfolios in an objective fashion.
• Value the most common instrument types
• Critically appraise the risks associated with investment in equities, bonds, and simple derivatives;
• Investigate a variety of methods for calculating risk for different asset types and in different scenarios, critically appraise the different methodologies.
• Monitor and critically examine different types of risk at the portfolio level and reflect upon the impact at the corporate level with reference to current regulation;
• Investigate risk management strategies across asset classes and instrument.

• Analytical thinking in the banking & finance industry, analytical thinking is the process by which a person can review data to identify patterns, discrepancies, or additional funds within the company’s finances. This skill could demonstrate to employers that you can view numbers in a more complex way
• Verbal communication you might be working with a team of other professionals to identify risks, record financial data or create a budgeting plan. You should be able to communicate in a clear and concise manner to make sure that no one is misinformed.
• Persuasiveness You might be in a position where you need to persuade your coworkers or higher-ups about useful financial strategies and budgeting tactics that you believe will be beneficial to the company. You should be able to provide them with factual evidence to support your claims.
• Problem Solving Those in finance roles might be tasked with reacting to financial problems within a company. You might have to find a way to pay off liabilities using available assets and other methods. Listing problem-solving as a skill could imply that you have the expertise to approach difficult financial situations.
• Decision making in managerial and executive finance roles, you might be expected to make difficult decisions, including budget cuts, branch-closings and downsizing or investment choices that could potentially harm or benefit the company’s finances. Decision-making demonstrates your ability to make educated business decisions.
• Detail oriented. Being detail-oriented is an important skill for those in finance, as much of their work involves entering, analyzing, and calculating company data. You should be able to identify discrepancies in company data and should be able to identify mistakes made in accounting calculations. By listing detail oriented as one of your skills, you are implying that you are an individual that can help a company maintain its financial accuracy.
• Financial Planning. This is an industry-specific skill that implies your knowledge of financial planning for a company. It suggests that you can create a comprehensive plan for short- and long-term company goals, as well as a detailed plan of how to achieve or maintain financial stability.
• Budgeting. This skill is important to those in accounting or executive finance positions. It implies your ability to handle a large sum of money and divide it accordingly across an allotted period to the right areas of the company.
• Risk Analysis. This skill suggests your ability to analyze a company’s financial documents and identify potential risk factors to a company’s finances.
• Cash flow management. This skill refers to your ability to monitor the amount of cash that a company has at any given time. It also refers to your ability to project the amount of cash that will be available to the company in the future. This skill is useful to those who work in accounting, credit analysis and loan companies.
• MS Excel. As much of financial documentation is completed via computer programs, you should be skilled in the use of one or multiple software programs. By listing MS Excel as a skill, you are implying that you understand how to use the program and you know how to organize financial data into a digital format.

The students should obtain at least 65% in High School diploma.

After graduation, most individuals find work in the fields of 

• Commercial Banking
• Retail Banking
• Corporate Finance
• Investment Banking
• Financial Planning/Wealth Management
• Investment Management (Money Management)
• Compliance/Internal Audit
• Risk Management & Insurance

Specialization in Finance & banking

The student should finish 59 compulsory credit hours and 15 elective credit hours

Courses must be taken

Number	Course Number	Course Name		Cr. Hours		Prerequisite
1	1303201	Financial Mathematics for Actuarial Science		3		1303204
2	1303203	Principles of Investment		3		1303204
3	1303405	Portfolio Management		3		1303201
4	1303202	Corporate Financial Management		3		1303203
5	1303302	Financial Market		3		1302202
6	1303404	Real Estate Investment		2		1303201
7	1303406	Credit Management		3		1302202
8	1303315	Scientific Research Methods in Finance		3		–
9	1303407	Risk Management		3		1303204
10	1303443	Applied Topics in Finance		3		1303204
11	1303301	Banking Operations		3		1303204
12	1303444	Senior Seminar		3		1303315
13	1303303	Financial Institutions		3		1303204
14	1303304	Islamic Financial Institutions		3		1303204
15	1303401	International Banking Operations		3		1303204
16	1303408	Financial Strategy		3		1303204
17	1302303	Financial Statement Analysis		3		1303204
18	1303300	Bank Management		3		1303204
19	1302307	Accounting for Financial Institutions		3		1303204
		Total Credit Hours		57

 

Elective courses (15 credit hours)

Number	Course Number	Course Name	Cr. Hours	Prerequisite
1	1303303	Financial Institutions	3	1303204
2	1303304	Islamic Finance Institutions	3	1303204
3	1304303	Risk Management & Insurance	3	1303204
4	1303305	Monetary & Fiscal Policies	3	1303204
5	1303400	Special Topics in Finance	3	1303204
6	1303401	International Banking Operations	3	1303204
7	1303402	Islamic Finance Theories	3	1303204
8	1303403	Financial Transactions in Islam
9	1303408	Financial Strategy	3	1303204
10	1303446	Advanced Business Communication Skills	3	1303204
11	1303205	Artificial Intelligence in Finance	3	1303204

 

Major Specialization (39 Compulsory Credit Hours)

Number	Course number	Course Name		Cr. Hours		Prerequisite
1	1303201	Financial Mathematics for Actuarial Science		3		1302101
2	1303203	Principles of Investment		3		1303204
3	1303405	Portfolio Management		3		1303201
4	1303202	Corporate Financial Management		3		1303203
5	1303301	Banking Operations		3		1303204
6	1303302	Financial Market		3		1302202
7	1303404	Real Estate Investment		2		1303201
8	1303406	Credit Management		3		1302202
9	1303315	Scientific Research Methods in Finance		3		–
10	1303407	Risk Management		3		1303204
11	1303443	Applied Topics in Finance		3		1303204
12	1303300	Bank Management		3		1303204
13	1303444	Senior Seminar		3		1303315
		Total Credit Hours		39

 

Elective Courses (Student must complete any 6 credit hours)

Number	Course Number	Course Name	Cr. Hours	Prerequisite
1	1303303	Financial Institutions	3	1303204
2	1303304	Islamic Finance Institutions	3	1303204
3	1304303	Risk Management & Insurance	3	1303204
4	1303305	Monetary & Fiscal Policies	3	1303204
5	1303400	Special Topics in Finance	3	1303204
6	1303401	International Banking Operations	3	1303204
7	1303402	Islamic Finance Theories	3	1303204
8	1303403	Financial Transactions in Islam
9	1303408	Financial Strategy	3	1303204
10	1303446	Advanced Business Communication Skills	3	1303204
11	1303205	Artificial Intelligence in Finance	3	1303204

 

Minor specialization in Finance and Banking (27 credit hours with 21 compulsory credit hours and 6 elective credit hours

Number	Course Number	Course Name		Cr. Hours		Prerequisite
1	1303201	Financial Mathematics for Actuarial Science		3		1302101
2	1303202	Corporate Financial Management		3		1303203
3	1303203	Principles of Investment		3		1303204
4	1303302	Financial Markets		3		1303204
5	1303405	Portfolio Management		3		1303201
6	1303406	Credit Management		3		1302202
7	1303301	Banking Operations		3		1303204
		Total Credit Hours		21

Fundamental of Financial Management (1303204)

This course provides the student with the fundamentals to the principles of business finance, their application to organizations and their own personal money management. It is required of all business students. Analytical financial decision-making skills are necessary in all functional departments of organizations. The knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to effectively manage money are the same as those necessary in real life. This course provides each student a firm business foundation and an opportunity to develop his/her own, unique philosophy and style of financial management

Real Estate Investment (1303404)

This course exposes students to concepts, theories and industry practice in real estate finance which is one of the largest and most important components of the financial system. It also introduces valuation and appraisal methods used for real estate finance and investment decision making. The primary goal of this course is to help students acquire the knowledge and develop the analytical skills of real estate finance, including the institutions and instruments used to finance residential and commercial real estate. It is of particular use to students who are interested in working the real estate development, brokerage, mortgage banking and investment banking industries.

Applied Topics in Finance (1303443)

This course focuses on practical applications related to financial decision making. Case studies and current events are used to illustrate the process of making financial decisions commonly faced by corporate managers, investment bankers, investors, and regulators. Topics discussed include advanced issues in corporate valuation and capital budgeting; capital raising; valuation and analysis of real options; leveraged finance, mergers and acquisitions and the market for corporate control and governance; and other advanced topics in Corporate Finance.  Students are expected to perform hands-on analysis and build excel spreadsheet models to assist with analysis. The course also aims to help students develop oral and writing skills through group assignments and case studies.

Islamic Finance Institutions (1303304)

This course will offer an opportunity to consider the growing intersection between Islamic (or Shari‘ah-compliant) finance and transactions, and legal perspectives. Issues to be discussed in detail include ribā-interest equivalence, form and substance in contemporary Islamic banking, adjudication of Shari‘ah-related transactions in contemporary Anglo-American tribunals and whether or not Shari‘ah-related investing constitutes social capitalism. There will be ample discussion of legal and economic thought, as well as the place of ethics and virtue within traditional and modern manifestations of finance. Also discussed will be the origins of contemporary venture capital and private equity arising out of the Islamic mercantile tradition.

Monetary & Fiscal Policies (1303305)

Through the lens of these models, we will investigate the challenges faced by the monetary authorities when the public debt is large and growing. We will study various ways for the monetary and fiscal authorities to coordinate to stabilize the dynamics of the public debt and how this coordination is expected to affect inflation and output growth. Equipped with these theoretical notions, we put the theory at work and show that the large public expenditure programs launched in the 1960s can explain the heightened inflation of the following decade. We will also use what the theory teaches us regarding how monetary and fiscal authorities in the U.S. and in the Euro Area can cope with the post pandemic large and growing stock of public debts

Selected Topics in Finance (1303400)

This course provides an introduction into topical issues in the field of banking and finance. It aims at building a bridge between theoretical and methodological knowledge acquired in the first years to real world markets and applications. Current topics of interest include financial crises and the role of banks. Why do markets fail and how can prudential regulation improve their performance and resilience?

Financial Strategy (1303408)

The focus of the course is on corporate financing: that is, how organisations create and use strategies in the financial markets to obtain funding for their activities, how they structure the contracts for the supply of capital, and how they link these to internal contracts with assets within the organisation. Additionally, we will explore the application of corporate finance theory in the business environment.

Risk Management & Insurance (1303205)

This course develops an understanding of what is risk, and the main structure of risk models and how it can be measured, why it is interested in individuals at risk, and why the companies at risk. The application of the risk management process on two main areas of concern for companies: the risk of liability and financial risks.

However, the insurance section discusses the fundamental knowledge of insurance comparing, including the required economic theory of insurance corporations, insurance classification scheme, the insurance environment, insurance in risk management, and the main risk factors affecting the insurance companies. In addition, to the legal framework of insurance corporation, and the functions of insurance companies.

Banking Operations (1303301)

This course provides an overview of financial institutions in the economy, including the history and functions of money, financial institutions and markets, central banking, and the conduct of monetary policy.’

Financial Institutions (1303303)

This course is the application of modern finance theory to the financial decision making and management of banks and non-bank financial institutions. The subject of bank and financial institution decision-making is approached from a risk perspective. The course covers the major decision areas for financial institutional management within the framework of a regulatory and “corporate responsible” environment. The main topics covered are bank risk and its management including interest rate risk, off-balance-sheet risk, credit risk, liquidity risk, foreign exchange risk and operational risk within the Palestinian and international context.

Credit Management (1303406)

The main goal of this course is to develop a foundation of financial management concepts. This will enable the student to understand what credit risk management is, what the lending objectives are, and how to measure credit risk. The course also lays a foundation for more complex credit management topics that arise in additional elective courses in finance. This course in credit management also describes the credit rating systems

Portfolio Management (1303405)

The course presented examines the theoretical basis and practical approach to the management of stocks and fixed income investment portfolios. The course objective is to acquaint students with the theoretical foundation of modern portfolio theory, the major groups of investors and their investment objectives and constraints, and to master practical skills in investment management, forming capital market expectations and forecasting markets activity to justify major investment portfolio management strategy for equity and fixed-income instruments. A distinctive feature of the course is to focus on practical issues of managing the investment portfolio, ground on the results of recent academic research in the field of portfolio management.

Corporate Financial Management (1303202)

This course aims to provide knowledge of the activities involved in the day-to-day running of a corporation’s financial operations as well as advanced analytical techniques which can help create value to companies and organizations. It aims to develop students’ ability to use the techniques involved in analyzing and evaluating corporate managerial problems and making sound decisions. It is excellent for students who are less keen on auditing and would like to pursue a career in the financial area of a corporation or a career with banks and other financial institutions servicing the needs of a corporate client. It will also be a great foundation for students who want to embark on a senior general management career from a finance specialization

Bank Management (1303300)

This course introduces students to the principles and practice of modern banking and its regulation in an international context. The course covers the rationale for the existence and regulation of banks, functions of major types of banks and explores how banking meets a range of payments, savings, and investment and risk management needs that exist in modern societies. Attention will be paid to banks’ balance sheets, management of the risks that are inherent in various banking operations and strategies. Students will also explore the structure of banking indifferent countries and topical issues in banking. The aim of this course is to introduce students to the principles and practice of modern banking and its regulation in an international context. The course covers the rationale for the existence and regulation of banks. Students will also explore the structure of banking in different countries and topical issues in banking. Attention will be paid on the effect of the crisis on the banking sector and how the banking industry has changed since then. A corollary aim of this course is to expose students in the various ways of estimating bank performance, risk, competition, and other relevant measures by using real bank data.

Financial Markets (1303302)

This module introduces financial markets and financial institutions. The module focuses first on understanding financial markets and introduces students to key asset classes (stocks, bonds, options). Topics may include the role and behaviour of interest rates, risk and the term structure, the theory of Rational Expectations and the Efficient Market Hypothesis. The module then focuses on the role of financial institutions in the economy. Topics may include the economic analysis of financial structure, banking and the management of financial institutions, the economic analysis of financial regulation, the structure and competition within the banking industry, and financial crises.

Financial Mathematics for Actuarial Science (1303201)

This module aims to provide students familiar with the calculus technique of differentiation, with a broad knowledge of the quantitative methods used in economics and econometrics. The module introduces students to the varied contexts in which these methods are used. Students will become prepared for the deeper study that will occur in later modules drawing on mathematical ideas. It will also cover Annuities, present and future value, loan rate calculations, and time value of money.

Principles of investment (1303203)

This course introduces participants to the latest knowledge of investment analysis and portfolio management, taking a global perspective and considering a variety of asset classes. It aims to describe the techniques for the analysis and management of investment and risk used by the investment industry. In addition, this course places greater emphasis on asset allocation and valuation techniques of fixed income investments, equity investments, derivatives, and alternative investments.

Scientific Research Methods in Finance (1303315)

The aim of the Research Methods course is to support students in producing a detailed, well developed quantitative and qualitative based research project by the end of this course, and to be ready to proceed with all aspects of the research project, including data collection and analysis, at the beginning of the next semester through to the completion of the dissertation. The students will develop an understanding of the difference between theory and practice and will critically evaluate topical finance issues. Students will evaluate a chosen topic with the academic rigor suitable for work at the BSc level using and applying skills and academic knowledge which have been acquired throughout the programme.

Financial Risk Management (1303407)

This Module provides students with the ability to investigate the risk borne by financial institutions, building on the introduction from the second year Managing Business Finance and Financial Markets, Institutions, and Instruments Module. It critically appraises the theory and practice of risk management within the financial marketplace and the impact upon operations. Its aim is to equip students with the tools that will help them to effectively evaluate market risk, differentiate between different types of risk, review current risk management practices, and reflect upon the topical risk management issues.

Senior Seminar (1303444)

This course will enable students to work on their graduation project. They will choose a project which has to be approved by a supervisor within a group.