Durham University
Programme and Module Handbook
This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.

Postgraduate Handbook 2015-2016 (archived)

Module ECON41215: ADVANCED FINANCIAL THEORY

Department: Business School (Economics and Finance)

ECON41215: ADVANCED FINANCIAL THEORY

TypeLevelCreditsAvailabilityModule CapLocation
Tied 4 15 Available in 2015/2016 Durham

Tied To

Pre-requisites

  • One module at a level equivalent to a second year British Honours Degree standard, covering statistics and in particular covering at least probability theory and distributions as well as hypothesis testing.

Corequisites

  • Econometrics I (ECON41515)

Excluded Combinations

  • None

Aims

  • to provide a rigorous training in the theory of modern finance at an advanced level and a thorough synthesis of the most important current research in finance, with an emphasis on the applications of the principles.
  • to provide students with an advanced understanding of normative and positive research in financial theory, together with supporting descriptive and empirical evidence.

Content

  • Students are exposed to the frontier of theoretical and applied research in the module, as well as seminal papers. Topics are indicatively covering:
  • The Role of Financial Theory and undertaking research in Finance;
  • Capital Markets, Consumption and Investment;
  • The Theory of Choice under Uncertainty and Valuation Theories;
  • Portfolio Theory;
  • Equilibrium Asset Pricing Models I - CAPM and its recent developments;
  • Equilibrium Asset Pricing Models II — tests of the CAPM; ICAPM and CCAPM;
  • Equilibrium Asset Pricing Models III — APT and its testing;
  • Capital Market Efficiency, Market Anomalies and Behavioural Finance;
  • Pricing of State Contingent Claims, the Arbitrage Theorem and Continuous Time Valuation;
  • Derivative Instruments and Option Valuation.
  • Within topics, research questions and hypotheses in finance are posed, and how to methodologically approach these, in particular theoretical research techniques. Students use library facilities in searching and reviewing the research literature in finance, in particular for student presentations in seminars.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge
  • have advanced knowledge and critical understanding of essential components of modern finance theory and associated current research;
  • have explored, understood and appreciated the complexity and contradictions of the current academic literature and its implications for professional practice, and be able to identify open questions for their own research, making use of available facilities;
  • have the ability to learn and work independently in finance, exercising critical judgement and discrimination in the resolution of complex problematic situations, including appropriate techniques of analysis.
Subject-specific Skills
  • be able to use highly specialised and advanced technical, professional and academic research skills in the analysis of relevant specific problems in finance;
  • be able to apply problem solving and analytical skills of research to issues in finance in a complex specialised context.
Key Skills
  • Written Communication;
  • Planning, Organising and Time Management;
  • Problem Solving and Analysis;
  • Using initiative;
  • Numeracy;
  • Computer Literacy.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • A combination of lectures, seminars and guided reading will contribute to achieving the aims and learning outcomes of this module. The summative written examination will test students' knowledge and critical understanding of the material covered in the module, their analytical and problem-solving skills.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

ActivityNumberFrequencyDurationTotal HoursAttendance Monitored
Lectures 9 1 per week 2 hours 18
Seminars 4 fortnightly 1 hour 4 Yes
Preparation & Reading 126
Revision Session 1 2 hour 2
Total 150

Summative Assessment

ComponentComponent WeightingElementLength/DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
Examination 100% Written examination 2 hours 100% Same

Formative Assessment

Group presentations of solutions to seminar questions.

Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University.