Postgraduate Diploma in Quantitative Finance
Syllabus
Econometric principles and data analysis [C330]
This course provides an introduction to econometric methods, examining how we can start from relationships suggested by economic theory, formulate those relationships in mathematical and statistical models, estimate those models using sample data, and make statements based on the parameters of the estimated models. You are provided with Eviews econometric software as part of the course. We recommend that you take this course before progressing onto the more advanced sequel 'Econometric Analysis and Applications'.
Unit 1: Introduction to Econometrics and Regression Analysis
Unit 2: The Classical Linear Regression Model
Unit 3: Hypothesis Testing
Unit 4: The Multiple Regression Model – Estimation, Hypothesis Tests and Multicollinearity
Unit 5: Heteroscedasticity
Unit 6: Autocorrelation
Unit 7: Nonnormal Disturbances
Unit 8: Model Selection and Course Summary
Econometric analysis and applications [C332]
'Econometric Analysis and Applications' is the second, more advanced, econometrics course offered to students wanting to broaden their understanding of the application of quantitative methods to economic inquiry. We recommend that you study the 'Econometric Principles and Data Analysis' course prior to this. The course assumes that you have studied the classical linear regression model at an introductory level and that you are familiar with the assumptions that underlie that model. You will be aware that there are many cases in which these assumptions are not satisfied, and know how such problems as heteroscedastic disturbances and autocorrelated errors can be detected, and what can be done about them. It is assumed, too, that you have a basic working knowledge of the econometric software, Eviews, introduced previously in 'Econometric Principles and Data Analysis', although basic instructions for using the program are provided here too.
Unit 1: Dummy Variables
Unit 2: Dynamic Models - Lags and Expectations
Unit 3: Simultaneous Equation Models
Unit 4: The Identification Problem
Unit 5: Simultaneous Equation Models - Estimation
Unit 6: Univariate Time Series - Stationarity and Non-stationarity
Unit 7: Multivariate Time Series Analysis
Unit 8: Forecasting
Financial econometrics [C359]
We define financial econometrics as 'the application of statistical techniques to problems in finance'. Although econometrics is often associated with analysing economics problems such as economic growth, consumption and investment, the applications in the areas of finance have grown rapidly in the last few decades.
Financial markets and others generate vast amounts of data on asset returns, their volatility, and other financial variables in long and high-frequency time series. The ability to analyse market behaviour requires knowledge of the properties of time series and appropriate estimation methods. Since the early 1980s techniques for analysing time series, which exhibit auto-regression, have yielded important studies of financial markets, increasing our knowledge of financial variables’ volatility. The objective of the course is to extend your knowledge and equip you with methods and techniques that allow you to analyse these finance-related issues.
Before starting this course, we recommend that you first complete 'Econometric principles and data analysis' [C330] and 'Econometric analysis and applications' [C332].
Unit 1: Statistical Properties of Financial Returns
Unit 2: Matrix Algebra, Regression and Applications in Finance
Unit 3: Maximum Likelihood Estimation
Unit 4: Univariate Time Series and Applications to Finance
Unit 5: Modelling Volatility – Conditional Heteroscedastic Models
Unit 6: Modelling Volatility and Correlations – Multivariate GARCH Models
Unit 7: Vector Autoregressive Models
Unit 8: Limited Dependent Variable Models
Risk management: principles and applications [C323]
This course examines the techniques and the foundation of risk management in corporations. It covers the use of derivatives, portfolio allocation, the value of risk, and the management of credit risk and operations risk. The course includes cases and applications.
Unit 1: Introduction to Risk Management
Unit 2: Portfolio Analysis
Unit 3: Management of Bond Portfolios
Unit 4: Futures Markets
Unit 5: Options Markets
Unit 6: Risk Management with Options
Unit 7: Value at Risk
Unit 8: Credit Risk
Derivatives [C333]
The expansion of financial markets since 1973 has been founded on the growth of derivatives, both over the counter derivative contracts and exchange traded contracts. It was made possible by the development of models for valuing derivatives based upon the mathematics of stochastic calculus. In this course you learn the application of those principles to the valuation of derivatives.
Unit 1: Derivatives Contracts
Unit 2: Properties of Stock Options
Unit 3: The Behaviour of the Stock Price and the Black-Scholes model
Unit 4: Greek Letters and Trading Strategies
Unit 5: Interest Rate Models
Unit 6: Credit Derivatives and Credit Risk
Unit 7: Some Exotic Options
Unit 8: Further Numerical Procedures
Modelling firms and markets [C358]
Modelling firms and markets is an introduction to the economics of information and uncertainty. Multi-person decision problems play a crucial role in industrial economics. This course begins with the basic concepts of game theory - the problems of decision-making under a multi-person environment. We will then examine the problems of private information and analyse the role of asymmetric information in market interactions, in particular the problems known as moral hazard (hidden actions) and adverse selection (hidden characteristics) under various economics contexts. You will learn how these informational problems affect the market outcome and if they lead to market inefficiencies, and if so, possible solutions.
Unit 1: Static Games of Complete Information
Unit 2: Dynamic Games of Complete Information
Unit 3: Static Games of Incomplete Information
Unit 4: Dynamic Games of Incomplete Information
Unit 5: Hidden Action (Moral Hazard)
Unit 6: Hidden Characteristics (Adverse Selection)
Unit 7: Auctions
Unit 8: General Competitive Equilibrium