Banking (MBA and Postgraduate Diploma)

Is this programme for me?

These programmes are tailored for professionals with careers in the banking sector and provide training in the principles underlying good banking practice.

Programme aims

These programmes provide banking sector professionals with a wide range of skills and knowledge to equip them to meet the constantly changing challenges facing the modern financial sector. They are especially valuable for people holding a professional qualification (including accounting, finance or related professions) who are employed in banks or other financial firms.

Programme summary

	You study	Study period	Cost (2010-2011)
MBA	6 courses	2-5 years	£7,510
Diploma	4 courses	1-5 years	£5,045
Individual Professional Courses	You can take up to three individual courses from this distance learning programme. Each course lasts eight weeks and you are registered for two years. The fee per course is £1,160.

Prestige

The programme has been developed by academics at the Centre for Financial and Management Studies (CeFiMS), a postgraduate research and teaching department within SOAS, University of London. Staff at CeFiMS have international reputations and are involved in researching their subjects at the very limits of current knowledge.

Career progression

These programmes provide a sound foundation for career progression in banking and the financial sector.

Comprehensive study materials and support

You will be sent all the study materials that you need to complete the programme, which may typically include:

A core text specially written for the course. This is the backbone of the course and is comparable to a series of lecures. It is organised into eight study units, each of which lasts one week.
Textbooks and collections of readings.
Online and multimedia tools. Some courses provide video lectures on DVD. These expand on issues that have been raised in the course and relate the material to 'real world' examples. The Online Study Centre (OSC) provides instant access to course materials and also offers academic, administrative and technical support.
A study calendar for each course to help you organize your time. This sets out a schedule for coursework and assignment deadlines.
A Welcome Pack is available online, which provides you with resources and tips on effective distance learning. We will also send you a Study Skills textbook to help you manage your studies.

Your time commitment

This will depend partly on choices you make, but most students take three years to complete an MBA and two years to finish the Postgraduate Diploma. The study calendar consists of five sessions per year. Each session is devoted to a specific course and lasts eight weeks (with the exception of the first session which runs for 10 weeks). During each session you will need to allocate between 15-20 hours per week to complete the programme.

Summary of key dates

Application deadline	6 September 2010	22 November 2010	1 April 2011
Programme starts	November 2010	January 2011	June 2011
Examinations	October