EC4426 Practical Financial Modelling

Academic year

2024 to 2025 Semester 2

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

20

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 10

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Availability restrictions

Available to General Degree students with the permission of the Honours Adviser

Planned timetable

When confirmed, check online https://timetables.st-andrews.ac.uk/.

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module coordinator

Dr M C Iannino

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

Maria Chiara Iannino

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

Financial modelling using Microsoft Excel is used in many fields such as investment banking, mergers and acquisitions (M and A), equity research, risk analysis, valuations, investment management, credit analysis, financial projections and project evaluations. This module is designed to equip students with skills to implement financial models using Excel. It will also introduce the use of VBA (Visual Basic for Applications, Microsoft's programming language) in financial modelling. This is an applied module with an emphasis on the practical application of finance theory through in-depth Excel based laboratories. Material will be made relevant to the international finance industry with real world examples and problems relevant to global financial markets. The goal of this module is to provide students with extensive knowledge of the quantitative models used by financial institutions around the world.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisites

BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST TAKE EC4430 AND TAKE EC4417

Assessment pattern

Class Test = 30%; Practical project 1 = 10%; Practical project 2 = 60%

Re-assessment

100% Coursework

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

1h x 11 weeks lectures, 1h x 6 weeks labs, and 2h x 5 weeks labs

Scheduled learning hours

27

The number of compulsory student:staff contact hours over the period of the module.

Guided independent study hours

173

The number of hours that students are expected to invest in independent study over the period of the module.

Intended learning outcomes

  • Put into practise the theoretical knowledge acquired in previous undergraduate finance courses through in-depth Excel based laboratories
  • Collect and analyse real financial data
  • Evaluate different classes of assets and portfolios
  • Implement financial, valuation and simulation models in Excel
  • Analyse the real problems relevant to global financial markets
  • Simulate the scenarios faced by real world financial professionals