Business Development Competence in the Financial Sector: Business Development Competence in the Financial Sector

Descriptions

A major transformation is going on in the financial sector, accelerated by digitalisation, in particular. The programme tailored to monitor and cope with this transformation is titled "Business Development Competence in the Financial Sector" and it leads to a Master of Business Administration degree. It is planned for those who already are well aware of the sector and have worked there for the minimum of three years after their higher education degree.

The nature of transformation is known only partly. During the education, master students will discover and learn more about the drivers of change, the changes taking place in the operating environment, as well as the renewal of jobs in the sector. They obtain research and development skills, they improve their leadership and managerial skills, and they acquire the new skills and know-how needed in digital financial management. A professional Master's degree enhances the student's options for vertical and horizontal career development.

The degree programme in Business Development Competence in the Financial Sector, 90 ECTS, includes three advanced modules that are compulsory for all participants (45 ECTS, in total):

Reshaping of Management in the Financial Sector, 20 ECTS
Developer Competence, 10 ECTS
Special Topics of Digital Financial Management, 15 ECTS

The Master's Thesis, 30 ECTS, is a development task to be implemented as action research, linked to the renewal of the financial sector and its development and management.

Additional advanced studies, the Electives, 15 ECTS, will support each student's personal and career needs.

Development

The development team of the degree programme consists of principal and senior lecturers of accounting, finance, ICT, as well as management, who with the help of their networks have assured the need-match of the programme content. All of them have a wide experience in providing professional master's education to the participants representing various business sectors, the financial sector included. The learning assignments and development projects (Master's Theses) related to the financial sector have helped the instructors and supervisors to stay up-to-date regarding the challenges and competence needs in that particular business sector. The picture has been completed through discussions with managers and supervisors employed by banks, insurance companies, etc. Important partners in development are the Master's alumni working in the financial sector, as well as the experts of accounting and finance in the Advisory Board of the Business School.

In addition to the teaching and RDI staff of the university of applied sciences, experts from the financial sector and related organisations work as instructors in this Master's degree programme. The learning assignments are linked to the phenomena and practices of the financial sector. The Master's Thesis is a development project by nature: by using the action research approach, the student finds and introduces a solution to a development need identified in the partner organisation, most often the work organisation to which the student belongs to.

Further information

The degree programme is part of the Metropolia Master's offering and follows the best practices developed and agreed jointly, as far as the structure, the pedagogical approach, and the operational model are concerned.

Key principles in providing education that leads to a professional Master's degree are:

* contents and learning assignments are strongly linked to working life and its development;
* students develop themselves among peers, i.e. other professionals, and simultaneously build up and upon their professional network;
* multidisciplinary approach;
* flexibility; studying alongside work

Objective

Upon completion of the degree programme in Business Development Competence in the Financial Sector, the student

* comprehends the reasons for and the consequences of the international digital transformation going on in the financial sector;
* is familiar with and able to create operational models, as well as utilize tools, with which to respond to and lead the change;
* demonstrates deep understanding of digital financial management;
* knows how to analyze and utilize information in business development; and
* shows improved leadership and managerial skills needed in working life based around teams and networks; as well as
* demonstrates having research-oriented development competences.

The general competences defined for the EQF7-level education include, eg. ethical competences, international competences, and innovation competences.