Key Concepts In Financial Institutions Management

INTRODUCTION

This CPE programme, Key Concepts in Financial Institutions Management is a 4 course, 120 contact hour programme aimed at exposing individuals to the introductory knowledge and skills involved in solving problems which typically arise in the process of managing financial institutions today. Participants will become aware of the main kinds of financial markets as well as the types of financial institutions and the roles these institutions play. Additionally, participants will gain an appreciation of the primary risks faced by different types of financial institutions and the general framework for the oversight and management of risks within these entities. The programme will place emphasis on the topical risk management concerns of financial institutions in the Caribbean.   

This programme takes a practical approach, introducing participants to the techniques used by practitioners in the valuation of financial instruments as well as the measurement of risks associated with the primary exposures incurred by financial institutions. The target group for this programme is early or mid-career professionals in the financial industry or persons seeking to transition into the financial industry. It is recommended that participants have some previous exposure to related studies at the Bachelor degree level or commensurate exposure gained by way of experience in the financial services industry.

RATIONALE FOR THE OFFERING OF THE PROGRAMME

Financial Institutions play a critical role in the creation and storage of wealth for individuals and businesses. The importance of this role to the economic wellbeing of a nation and its citizens is so great that it has, over time, warranted increasing regulatory intervention and scrutiny. This regulatory intervention is justified by the reality that markets are not perfect and that FIs sometimes make bad decisions which have the potential of resulting in harm to the individuals they serve, other FIs they interact with, as well as the wider society. 

This programme presents a series of courses which aim to equip individuals, currently working in or those with a desire to work in the financial services industry, with the knowledge and skills required to make decisions which balance risk taking with prudent risk management.

TARGET AUDIENCE

This programme, Key Concepts in Financial Institutions Management is best suited to early or mid-career professionals in the financial industry or persons seeking to transition into the financial industry.

 

PROGRAMME AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 

At the end of the programme, the participants should be able to:

1. Compare different types of financial institutions by their unique characteristics and by the roles they play in financial systems and economies 
2. Assess the strengths and weaknesses of corporate governance approaches which have been adopted by financial institutions and proposed by standard setters
3. Examine the various risks affecting  financial institutions, contemporary risk management practices and the regulatory approaches used to address these risks
4. Solve problems concerning the valuation of financial instruments as well as the computation of the own funds requirements for banks, securities dealers and insurance companies under the frameworks of international regulatory standard setters 
5. Investigate, through the use of practical cases, underlying issues involved in ineffective practices across the Governance, Risk Management and Compliance (GRC) functions in FIs which have had unfortunate consequences.

Proposed Programme Structure

 

Course Codes	Course Titles	Continuing Education Units
Semester I
MGMT221	Introduction to Financial Markets and Institutions	3.0
MGMT222	Corporate Governance in Financial Institutions	3.0
Semester II
MGMT223	Financial Risk Management and Regulation	3.0
MGMT224	Capstone Course: Contemporary Issues in Financial Institutions Management	3.0

 

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

• An Associate’s degree in accounting, finance or economics or;  
• A Bachelor’s degree in a Social Sciences related field, or; 
• Five (5) or more years of relevant professional experience in the financial services sector

 

WHEN WILL THE PROGRAMME START?

Contact your nearest Open Campus Country Site on the start date for the programme.  

 

HOW DO I APPLY?

Kindly contact an Open Campus Country Site location nearest to you for further information on the application process.

 

COURSE COST

Please contact your nearest Open Campus Site location for information on the cost for this programme. Locations can be found at this link: http://www.open.uwi.edu/locations

 

ASSESSMENT STRUCTURE 

The assessment approach will consist of in-course assignments, a mid-semester examination and a final examination for each course. This approach will provide participants with several opportunities to demonstrate mastery of the course content. 

 

The assessment structure is intended to be fair and equitable and, by this structure, participants will be able to measure their achievement of the learning objectives as the programme progresses. This method of assessment is also intended to encourage and reinforce learning, and to facilitate participants’ achievement of the learning expectations. 

 

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

Beyond the recommended text listed below, additional materials will be made available to participants as may be required at various stages throughout the programme. Reading material will also be provided to participants from relevant academic journals or other relevant publications.

 

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

 

INTRODUCTION TO FINANCIAL MARKETS AND INSTITUTIONS.  The Introduction to Financial Markets and Institutions course is intended to provide the fundamental understanding of how financial intermediaries work and their roles within the wider economy. It is also intended to capture the recent changes in financial markets and institutions. Participants will be introduced to techniques for the valuation of financial instruments. The course will also give participants an appreciation of the distinctive features of the different types of financial institutions. 

 

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.  On completion of this course participants will be able to assess and analyze the major corporate governance issues facing financial institutions. Participants will be able to appraise the utility of applying general corporate governance principles to the unique realm of financial institutions. This course will also equip learners with insight on the three lines of defense model for risk governance. Further, learners will be exposed to concepts concerned with the board of directors, the widening role of the Chief Risk Officer as well as principles concerning remuneration. Learners will be able to evaluate the usefulness of post crisis approaches to corporate governance and regulatory reforms. 

 

FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT AND REGULATION.  This course is intended to provide participants with exposure to the general framework for the oversight and management of risks within financial institutions as well as address specific regulatory concerns. It is expected that on completion of this course, participants will gain an appreciation of the primary risks faced by different types of financial institutions and will have a fundamental understanding on how to measure and manage these risk exposures.

 

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS MANAGEMENT:  The objective of this course is to reinforce and solidify the concepts explored across the previous courses within the Financial Institutions Management programme. The course will expose participants to topical issues in a manner which will stimulate critical discussion and analysis. In addition to coverage of contemporary issues facing financial institutions, the course will make use of case study examples of failures in financial institutions which originate from a mix of matters covered in other courses within the programme.