Master of Science in Financial Technology

0308510

Modern Finance and Financial Technology

The course focuses on understanding the opportunities and challenges associated with these advancements and their impact on traditional financial systems. Topics include blockchain, cryptocurrencies, digital payments, peer-to-peer lending, robo-advisors, and regulatory frameworks. Students will explore the technological and operational foundations of FinTech, the challenges of implementation, and the opportunities for innovation within the financial sector.

0308511

Advanced Corporate Finance

This course provides an overview of the fundamental theory and practice of corporate finance in a global context. Core topics include capital budgeting, cost of capital, capital structure, and dividend policy, with a focus on their application to real-world corporate decision-making. The course also examines how sustainability and emerging technologies, such as AI and financial analytics, influence these fundamental issues and reshape corporate finance practices in a dynamic environment.

0308512

Financial Econometrics

This course provides comprehensive analysis of financial phenomena using statistical concepts, techniques, and methods that are extensively used to support business decision-making activities. The course draws from concepts and applies techniques in econometrics and statistics aiming to develop competence in the interpretation and analysis of data and development of models. The main issues and techniques covered in this course include concepts in probability and distributions; inferential statistics; and simple or linear and multiple regression analyses. The focus of this course is regression analysis mostly on finance and economics time series data. All material leading up to the topic of regression modeling and analysis is considered requirement. Computer packages such as Stata, EViews and R are used to illustrate and reinforce their applications of the regression topics considered, including case studies.

0308513

Blockchain Applications and Cybersecurity

This course provides an in-depth exploration of blockchain technology and its applications and offers insights into cybersecurity needs. The first part of the course focusses on blockchain technologies and its financial applications. Students will be offered the basics of blockchain and other forms of distributed ledger technology, their underlying cryptographic fundamentals and limitations. It also introduces the fundamentals of digital/electronic currencies (such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc.), their advantages over the conventional/paper currencies, their challenges with their creation. It also focuses on the functioning of blockchain systems in financial systems, such as transactions, consensus mechanisms, and smart contracts, as well as giving a smooth introduction to the basic features of cryptography that underpin blockchain technology, e.g., digital signatures and hashing. In the second part of the course, students will be offered a wide range of methods and technologies that are used to achieve cybersecurity, based on insights from businesses, government/regulatory organisations and technology firms. Among other things, it offers adequate attention to the regulatory and social responsibility aspects of cybersecurity. This course also provides practical applications of theories introduced along with their role in promoting ethical and sustainable businesses, financial systems and economies.

0308514

Banking Management

This course covers the knowledge, skills and applications in the theory and applications of bank management. It offers a comprehensive overview of key concepts, operations, and management strategies and navigating to gain in-depth insights into the intricate workings payment and settlement systems, retail banking, foreign exchange operations, marketing, lending, and fundamental banking principles. The course covers the topics, including bank accounts, bank services, methods of payment through the banking system, asset management, liability management, credit analysis, investment policies, and bank marketing.

0308515

Big Data Management in Finance

This course covers advanced techniques for managing and analyzing large-scale financial datasets. It includes applications of big data technologies, machine learning, and artificial intelligence in finance. Topics include data storage solutions, real-time analytics, predictive modeling, and ethical considerations in big data. Case studies from banking, investment, and fintech industries will be used to illustrate practical implementations.

0308600

Thesis

The Master’s Thesis is the culminating assessment in earning the degree of Master of Science in Financial Technology. This course gives students an opportunity to produce and defend a thesis under the guidance of a supervisor in the field of Financial Technology. Students shall formulate a research question of relevance within the field of study, choose a methodology that can be used to find answers to the research question, use concepts, theories and methods to analyze and answer the research question and present a written, scientifically convincing argumentation to justify the results. Each student is given a supervisor who will advise the student in the research task included in the course and in the writing of the thesis.

0308517

Digital Innovation

This course examines the transformative role of digital innovation in financial services, focusing on technologies like blockchain, AI, and big data analytics. It explores their impact on markets, institutions, and regulations, emphasizing financial inclusion, efficiency, and challenges such as cybersecurity. Special attention is given to the UAE's fintech ecosystem, equipping students with practical skills to address contemporary issues in digital finance.

0308518

Financial Markets and Institutions

This course examines the structure, functioning, and regulation of financial markets and institutions, with a focus on global and UAE contexts. It covers financial intermediaries, market mechanisms, monetary policy, and the impact of FinTech on market dynamics. Students will analyze financial instruments, assess risk management, and explore the factors influencing market efficiency, with practical applications using UAE case studies.

0308524

Advanced Financial Sustainability

This course introduces students to the theoretical and empirical research in finance sustainability issues. It covers the necessary foundation of theoretical and conceptual tools of financial sustainability that contains introductory to sustainable Finance, development finance and growth, finance and global warming, sustainable Finance and technology, climate and renewable energy finance, environmental sustainability, and applications of sustainable finance.

0308520

Advanced Portfolio Management

This course offers an in-depth study of advanced portfolio management and modern investment strategies. It covers mean–variance portfolio theory, efficient frontier construction, asset pricing models, and portfolio selection under risk. The course emphasizes risk–return analysis, correlation structures, and portfolio performance evaluation using market- and density-based measures. It also integrates Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles, ethical standards, and legal considerations to support informed and responsible portfolio decision-making in professional investment practice.

0308525

Ethics and Professional Standard in Finance

This course examines ethical theories and professional standards essential in the field of finance, with a particular emphasis on the evolving landscape of financial technology. Students will explore global and cultural ethical frameworks and apply critical thinking to navigate real-world dilemmas in fintech and finance. Through case studies and projects, students will develop an understanding of ethical decision-making, corporate governance, and adherence to regulatory standards of professional behavior within the UAE and global contexts.

0308526

Computational Finance and C++

This course introduces the fundamentals of C++ programming and its application in computational finance. Students will learn object-oriented programming, numerical methods, and risk modeling techniques such as Monte Carlo simulations and Value at Risk (VaR). The course covers data structures, portfolio optimization, and algorithmic trading, with hands-on integration of C++ with tools like Excel and databases. A final project enables students to develop practical financial applications, preparing them for advanced roles in computational finance.