OVERVIEW OF FINTECH - 2021/2

Module Overview

FinTech is revolutionizing and rapidly changing the global financial services industries. Business models that can facilitate disintermediation, revolutionize how existing firms create and deliver products and services, address privacy, regulatory and law-enforcement challenges, provide new gateways for entrepreneurship, and seed opportunities for inclusive growth. This module provides an introduction to the FinTech sector. Topics may include but are not limited to: blockchain, cryptocurrencies, decentralized applications, smart contracts, payments services, alternative and P2P lending and crowdfunding, AI, machine learning (including applications such as robo-advising) and Insurtech. Students are expected to develop a broad understanding of recent FinTech development, valuation, risk and its impact in the financial industries.

Module provider

Surrey Business School

Module Leader

BUCHANAN Bonnie (SBS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None.

Module content

Indicative content includes cryptocurrencies, blockchain, alternative lending (P2P lending and crowdfunding), digital payments systems, AI, machine learning, smart contracts, Insurtech, open banking. The module explores FinTech from four different perspectives: a disruptive/innovative technology company, an incumbent financial institution, consumer, and an investor.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• Students are assessed through one piece of in-class test (30%) and a final exam (70%).

Formative assessment

Class test - 1-hour test (short answer responses)

Feedback

Students will be provided with opportunities to receive written and/or oral feedback during the semester in order to support and prepare for the summative assessment.

Module aims

• The unique characteristics of technology innovations in finance
• How FinTech is reconfiguring business models for financial services
• The impact of FinTech on the traditional financial intermediaries
• The key elements of successful FinTech innovation and the key disruption points
• The factors that affect the valuation of FinTech products/ FinTech firms

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to be a blend of lecture and class discussion.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MANM493

Other information

None.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2021/2 academic year.