This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.
Postgraduate Handbook 2025-2026 (archived)
Module FINN40415: Portfolio Management
Department: Finance
FINN40415: Portfolio Management
| Type | Level | Credits | Availability | Module Cap | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tied | 4 | 15 | Available in 2025/2026 | None. | Durham |
Tied To
- N3K109: Finance
- N3K209: Finance (Accounting and Finance)
- N3K309: Finance (Corporate and International Finance)
- N3K409: Finance (Finance and Investment)
- N3K709: Finance (Economics and Finance)
- N3KC09: Finance (Financial Technology and Banking)
Pre-requisites
- None
Corequisites
- Advanced Financial Theory (FINN40515)
Excluded Combinations
- None
Aims
- develop students' knowledge and understanding of key issues in asset allocation and portfolio composition and management at an advanced level;
- provide students with the opportunity to develop the ability to critically understand current theoretical and empirical research in the field of portfolio theories and their implications on alternative portfolio composition and management strategies.
Content
- Selecting and Managing Equity Portfolios;
- Asset Allocation;
- Portfolio Performance Evaluation;
- Fixed Income Securities: Analysis and valuation; Managing fixed income securities;
- Derivative Securities and Portfolio Risk Management.
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge
- have explored, understood and appreciated the complexity and diversity of the current relevant academic literature and its implications for professional practice, and be able to identify open questions for their own research;
- have demonstrated ability to learn and work independently in this area, exercising critical judgement and discrimination in the resolution of complex problematic situations.
Subject-specific Skills
- have used highly specialised and advanced technical, professional and academic skills in asset allocation and composition and management of portfolios;
- have practised problem solving and analytical skills 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 assignment 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
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total Hours | Attendance Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 10 | 1 per week | 2 hours | 20 | Yes |
| Workshops | 4 | 1 per fortnight | 1 hour | 4 | Yes |
| Preparation and Reading | 126 | ||||
| Total | 150 | ||||
Summative Assessment
| Component | Component Weighting | Element | Length/Duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment | 100% | Written Assignment | 2500 words (max) | 100% |
Formative Assessment
Students will receive written comments on formative written assignments. Work prepared by students for seminars; answers to questions either discussed during a seminar or posted on Blackboard.
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.