BSc (Honours) Banking and Finance with Foundation Year

Year of Entry 2025/26
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BSc (Honours)

Banking and Finance with Foundation Year

Explore the theory and practice of global financial services, preparing you to play a pivotal role in both the national and global economy.

Everything you need to know...

  • Pound sign

    What is the fee?

    Home: £9,535 per year
    International/EU: £17,155 per year (£1,200 for placement year)

  • Time

    How long will I study?

    4/5 Years

  • Location

    Where will I study?

    City Campus

  • Bookmark

    What are the entry requirements?

    64 UCAS Points

  • Checkmark

    What is the UCAS code?

    A055

  • Date

    When do I start?

    September 2025

  • Avatar

    Placement year available?

    Yes


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Course summary

  • Develop a solid foundation in banking and finance before exploring specialist areas.
  • Study for a degree and a professional qualification in state-of-the-art facilities.
  • Develop critical hard and soft financial skills using industry-standard technology.
  • Apply your knowledge to real-world situations on placements and live projects.
  • Learn from industry experts on a course that’s developed with professional institutes.

Study key banking and finance concepts, from the principles of investment – working with derivatives and managing risk – to cryptocurrency and blockchain. You’ll learn how to apply your learning effectively, gaining experience with our Bloomberg terminals, trading floor facilities and in the real world. You’ll be prepared for a rewarding career in personal banking, wealth management or corporate finance.

If you don't meet the entry requirements for our BSc (Hons) course, or you’d like extra preparation before starting degree-level study, we recommend you join the foundation course – which has been designed to encourage exploration and experimentation.


How you learn

 

Our BSc (Hons) Banking and Finance course offers a holistic approach that blends theory with hands-on experience – preparing you for a successful and fulfilling career in the sector. Our academics are highly skilled professionals, bringing their cutting-edge knowledge and industry research into the classroom.

You’ll study in our Sheffield Business School, rated in the top 6% globally for excellence in teaching and research. Here, you’ll join a global community where business leaders, researchers and 6,500 students all come together to solve problems and make things better. 

You learn through: 

  • Lectures 
  • Tutorials 
  • IT sessions 
  • Regular formative feedback 
  • Teamwork and group-based learning 
  • Practice-based applied learning 
  • Authentic learning experiences 
  • Reports, presentations and recommendations
  • Guest lectures 
  • Discussions 
  • Self-managed study 

Key Themes

You’ll gain a comprehensive foundation in banking and finance, equipping you with practical skills essential for investment management. You’ll develop a strong grasp of fundamental finance concepts, such as the time value of money and risk/return, while also enhancing your quantitative skills.

As you progress through your studies, you’ll benefit from a diverse array of teaching methods. These encourage in-depth knowledge acquisition, industry-inspired projects, problem-solving and teamwork. By actively engaging in these learning strategies, you’ll not only excel academically – you’ll also cultivate essential skills for continuous self-development.

In your final year, you’ll complete a consultancy project for a real-world organisation. With the guidance of a dedicated project supervisor, you’ll conduct research and put into practice the knowledge and skills honed throughout the course. This capstone project prepares you to become a proficient finance professional.

Course Support

You’ll be supported in your learning journey towards highly-skilled, graduate-level employment. This includes: 

  • Access to specialist support services to help with your personal, academic and career development.
  • Access to our Skills Centre for support with one-to-ones, webinars and online resources.
  • Industry-specific employability activities, including work placements, live projects, simulated learning environments, and networking opportunities, all delivered within a supportive learning environment.

Course leaders and tutors

Tilahun Mekonnen
Tilahun Mekonnen
Senior Lecturer

Currently working as a Senior Lecturer in Business Economics and the International Business Development Manager for Sub Saharan African Countries

Applied learning

Live Projects

During the first and second years of your course, you'll work on real-world client-based projects. These involve conducting research and analysis to formulate findings and recommendations which address the client's business challenges. You'll present your results both in writing and verbally – gaining valuable experience of professional practice.

Previous students have had the opportunity to work on projects for huge organisations such as Lifetime Investment Management. Many students successfully secure placements and graduate jobs with their host company as a direct result of their outstanding performance in these live projects.

Work Placements

During the course, you'll be able to engage in an extended work placement between your third and fourth years.

Throughout your placement, you'll have the chance to enhance your skills in real-life situations, all while forging meaningful client relationships and expanding your professional network. This hands-on experience not only builds your skill set, but also allows you to graduate with an Applied Professional Diploma, a valuable addition to your CV.

Our dedicated placement team will be with you every step of the way, from the initial application to the successful completion of your placement.

In the past, our students have had the opportunity to work for organisations such as Lloyds Bank, Charles Stanley and Jarrovian Group.

Networking Opportunities 

Throughout the course, there are numerous opportunities for you to engage with career planning and development, career fairs and workshops, employer presentations, field visits and professional career advisers. 

These are all great opportunities to enhance your confidence, skills development and future employability.


Future careers

This course prepares you for a career in:  

  • Banking (both retail and commercial)    
  • Investment and wealth management
  • Financial consultancy
  • Insurance
  • Corporate finance
  • Mergers and acquisitions

Previous graduates of this course have gone on to work for: 

  • Investec
  • Santander
  • Leo Alexander Wealth
  • PWC
  • The NHS
  • Credit Suisse
  • JP Morgan
  • HSBC
  • HM Revenue and Customs
  • Redmayne Bentley
  • JCB Finance

Where will I study?

You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.

City Campus

City Campus is located in the heart of Sheffield, within minutes of the train and bus stations.

City Campus map | City Campus tour 


City Campus map
Location

Howard Street
Sheffield
S1 1WB

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Adsetts library

Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.

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Equipment and facilities

Construction of the new Sheffield Business School is underway – providing state-of-the-art teaching and learning facilities and social space to students. 

On this course, you’ll have access to: 

  • Our virtual learning environment – Blackboard sites 
  • Updated office software 
  • Accounting software 
  • Bloomberg terminals 
  • A physical and online library with databases and digital books, journals, newspapers, and magazines

Entry requirements

All students

UCAS points

  • 64

This must include at least 32 points from one A level or equivalent BTEC National qualifications excluding general studies For example:

  • CC at A Level
  • MPP in BTEC Extended Diploma.
  • Pass overall from a T level qualification with D or E from core
  • A combination of qualifications, which may include AS levels and EPQ.

You can find information on making sense of UCAS tariff points here and use the UCAS tariff calculator to work out your points.

GCSE

  • English Language at grade C or 4 or equivalent
  • Maths at grade C or 4 or equivalent

ACCESS

  • Access to HE Diploma, with at least 45 level 3 credits.

If English is not your first language, you will need an IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills, or equivalent. If your English language skill is currently below IELTS 6.0 we recommend you consider a Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve an equivalent English score.

Additional information for EU/International students

If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.

For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.


Modules

Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.

You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.

Year 1

Compulsory modules

Module
Credits
Assessment
Accounting In Context
Credits 40
Assessment Coursework(70%) , Practical(30%)
Economics, Finance And Investments
Credits 40
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Going Global
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Preparing For Success
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Year 2

Compulsory modules

Module
Credits
Assessment
Business Economics
Credits 20
Assessment Exam(100%)
Data Analytics For Finance And Business
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Fundamentals Of Finance
Credits 40
Assessment Coursework(60%) , Practical(40%)
Investment Risk And Taxation
Credits 40
Assessment Coursework(60%) , Practical(40%)
Year 3

Compulsory modules

Module
Credits
Assessment
Financial Management And Risk
Credits 40
Assessment Coursework(40%) , Exam(60%)
Law, Regulation And Ethics
Credits 40
Assessment Coursework(40%) , Exam(60%)
Payments, Blockchain And Cryptocurrency
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)

Elective modules

Module
Credits
Assessment
Banking And Fintech
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Cash Management And Treasury
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Fraud Analytics
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Study Abroad - Sheffield Business School
Credits 60
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Year 4

Optional modules

Module
Credits
Assessment
Placement Year
Credits -
Assessment
Final year

Compulsory modules

Module
Credits
Assessment
Consultancy Project
Credits 40
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Contemporary Issues In Finance
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)
Corporate Finance
Credits 20
Assessment Exam(100%)
Investment Management And Derivatives
Credits 40
Assessment Coursework(40%) , Exam(60%)

Fees and funding

Home students

Our tuition fee for UK students on full-time undergraduate degree courses in 2025/26 is £9,535 per year (capped at a maximum of 20% of this during your placement year). These fees are regulated by the UK government and therefore subject to change in future years. We are currently reviewing our tuition fees for the foundation year stage of this course following the Government announcement of fee changes for some foundation year courses and will confirm fees as soon as possible.

If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.

International students

Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2025/26 is £17,155 per year. During your placement year you will pay a reduced fee of £1,200.

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Financial support for home/EU students

How tuition fees work, student loans and other financial support available.

Learn more

Additional course costs

The links below allow you to view estimated general course additional costs, as well as costs associated with key activities on specific courses. These are estimates and are intended only as an indication of potential additional expenses. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.

General course additional costs

Additional costs for Sheffield Business School (PDF, 255.6KB)

Legal information

Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.

 

How do I apply?

Apply now via UCAS

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Why choose us?

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Teaching

We are Gold rated in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) for the outstanding quality of our teaching and student outcomes

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Accommodation

We guarantee to find you an affordable place to live that’s close to campus and comes with all bills included

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Excellence

Graduate from Sheffield Business School – rated in the top 6% globally for excellence in teaching and research

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