Professional Certificate in Complex Financial Instruments

Start Dates: TBC

Accreditation: When you successfully complete this programme you will be awarded a Professional Certificate in Complex Financial Instruments in International Financial Services from UCD. This is a level 7 qualification on the National Framework of qualifications.

Full Fee: €1,250

Network Members Fee: €937

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Programme overview

About the programme

The use of complex financial instruments in investment fund strategies has seen a huge increase over the past five years. Many alternative fund strategies seek to generate returns from asset classes solely created from derivative structures, such as the use of Total Return Swaps or Credit Default Swaps for long-short strategies in equities or bonds. Derivatives are now used in combination with even the most basic equity and bond management strategies.

The growth in derivative usage comes at a time of vast changes in regulatory oversight in both Europe and the US. The regulatory changes are being implemented through the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR) and will impact the most fundamental aspects of how these products are traded, how collateral/counter-party risk is treated and how transactions are reported.

Understanding the risk and return characteristics of complex products and the derivatives which underpin those strategies has now become a critical function in the asset management, valuation and trading areas in international financial services.

How you will benefit

On successful completion of this programme, you will be able to;

Explain how complex financial instruments work and understand their uses

Evaluate the benefits and risks of differing instruments and explain how they can be used for speculation, arbitrage, hedging and general risk management

Describe how these instruments are used for investment strategies within the major asset classes (equities, currencies, bonds, commodities and property)

Understand the role that complex financial instruments played in the recent market turmoil and what lessons can be learned for the future

Who is the course for

This programme is designed for an ever increasing range of people working in the international financial services area who are engaged in activities which require a good working knowledge of the characteristics of derivative products and complex financial instruments.

Duration & delivery
Online.

It is strongly recommended that students attend all their scheduled online lectures. Details and schedules for the delivery for each module are set out in the study guides accompanying each module.

Assessment
IOB programmes are largely delivered and assessed online. Students should ensure they have appropriate equipment (laptop), and that appropriate software (including MSOffice: Office and Word) is available to them to participate in the programme and related assessments (continuous assessments and exams).

Award
When you successfully complete this programme you will be awarded a Professional Certificate in Complex Financial Instruments in International Financial Services from UCD.

This is a level 7 qualification on the National Framework of qualifications.

Assessment
Two hour exam at the end of the programme 70%. The exam consists of written, essay-style questions.

Assignment 30%

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