Apply by 28 March 2024 and you could be eligible for a 5% discount on your tuition fees.
The Sustainable and Digital Banking (Retail) MSc provides a unique opportunity for you to gain an advanced-level understanding of a wide range of management functions and to develop specialist knowledge in economics, finance, and sustainable development goals relevant to the financial services sector. This programme will provide you with the foundations of the various dimensions of retail banking and several aspects of general management, such as analysis of the economic environment, financial management, organisational management, strategic marketing, and business strategy and aims to improve your critical awareness of management and organisations. In addition, the work-based project allows you to tackle a substantial task within your organisation under the guidance of academic supervisors. Through responsible practical application, it will also enable you to advance your knowledge and skills so you can contribute towards a more sustainable retail banking industry and perform effectively and efficiently in the highly competitive and fast changing retail and digital banking sector, which is also challenged to become more sustainable. Drawing on faculty from across Cranfield School of Management, the programme is led by Cranfield’s Economics and Banking Group, which has been consistently ranked UK top 10 in the Financial Times Global MBA Ranking for its teaching of economics in relation to our full-time MBA programme.
Overview
- Start date4 December 2023
- Duration2 years part-time
- DeliveryTaught modules 65%, organisation-based project 35%. You are expected to attend regular sessions, normally one day twice a month remotely, although there will be a few face-to-face sessions during the year at Cranfield University. Tutorial support throughout the course, including meetings with a personal tutor regularly. Extensive use is made of Canvas as a means of delivering material to support and augment classroom learning.
- QualificationMSc, PgDip
- Study typePart-time
- CampusCranfield campus, Online
Who is it for?
- Self-motivated individuals with technical backgrounds (e.g. IT, mathematics, etc.) who wish to gain a good knowledge of finance, management and retail banking.
- Experienced professionals with a background in finance, who wish to have a detailed understanding of the link between finance, management and technology in financial services.
Why this course?
- Develop specialist knowledge in economics, finance, and sustainable development goals relevant to the financial services sector.
- The programme will improve your critical awareness of management and organisations, and enhance your skills to successfully address financial and management challenges within your organisation.
- A workplace-based project provides the opportunity for you to tackle a substantial product management task within your organisation, under the guidance of academic supervisors.
- You will benefit from a combination of online and face-to-face teaching, providing you with the flexibility to work around existing commitments.
- Not only will this MSc broaden and deepen your professional network, you'll also join Cranfield’s active alumni network of 75,000 managers and leaders across the globe.
- This MSc incorporates the School of Management’s experiences and learning from our UK top 20 ranked Master’s in Finance: QS World University Rankings: Masters in Finance ranking 2022 and our Management MSc ranked UK top 10 in the Financial Times: Masters in Management 2023 ranking.
Informed by Industry
This course has been designed in consultation with senior banking practitioners, academic experts and the Chartered Banker Institute, reinforcing its relevance to the modern financial world. Our faculty are also supported by a team of international visiting industry speakers and professors who bring the latest thinking and best practice into the classroom.
We support our colleagues’ learning and development so they’re able to provide the very best banking experience for our customers and the communities we serve. Feedback received from our colleagues that have taken part in the Cranfield programme has been incredibly positive, it’s fantastic to see them excelling in their roles while gaining such a prestigious master’s qualification. Since joining the course, many have received well-deserved promotions and continue to grow professionally.
Cranfield’s MSc in Retail and Digital Banking, accredited by the Chartered Banker Institute, helps future leaders develop and demonstrate the knowledge and skills needed to shape the future of banking. At a time when banks and banking are being shaped by new technology, future generations of banking leaders need to develop their professional expertise in a wider range of fields than ever before, including banking, technology, management and leadership. We look forward to welcoming those who successfully complete the MSc to our rapidly growing, global family of Chartered Bankers.
I am the Local Director at Metro Bank in Kingston, working alongside a team of 22 which I lead. One of the beauties of the course is that I now can talk to my colleagues more confidently about different areas in the bank in which they may be interested and discuss my learning from the modules to help better develop them on their progression journeys.
Course details
This MSc course comprises of 12 intensive taught modules and an in-company project. You will have the equivalent of 14 days blended learning delivered across each year. This is primarily online and synchronous, with a maximum of five days face-to-face contact.
You will undertake both a group consulting projects and an in-company project and will be expected to present your findings to senior managers from the organisation involved.
Upon completion of the programme, you will be ready to advance your career within the retail and digital banking sector and contribute to the enhancement of your organisation's sustainable performance.
The aims of this course are:
- To prepare students to tackle the world towards a more sustainable retail and digital banking, partly through a strong balanced focus between theoretical perspectives and application. The learning objectives are based on those set out in the Senior Investment/Commercial Banking Professional apprenticeship standard and will be applied in practice during simulations, case study discussions, role plays within the taught part and in the workplace-based project.
- To advance the study of retail and digital banking, the analysis of a changing external context with complex sustainability challenges in which retail banks operate as well as the general management of banks.
- To develop a range of business knowledge and skills, including ethical behaviour and a sustainability mindset in students’ approach to business, together with self-awareness and personal development appropriate for career progression.
- To apply concepts and theories to complex management issues both systematically and creatively, in order to advance the effectiveness and competitiveness of the employing organisation in tandem with the improvement of the environmental, social and governance performance of their organisations.
- Enhancement of lifelong learning through the development of transferable intellectual and study skills, personal development to enable self-direction and creativity, in order to contribute to a symbiotic ecosystem involving business, the economy, society and the natural environment.
Course delivery
Taught modules 65%, organisation-based project 35%. You are expected to attend regular sessions, normally one day twice a month remotely, although there will be a few face-to-face sessions during the year at Cranfield University. Tutorial support throughout the course, including meetings with a personal tutor regularly. Extensive use is made of Canvas as a means of delivering material to support and augment classroom learning.
Organisation-based project
You will undertake an organisation-based project which involves tackling a substantial banking task within your organisation, under the guidance of an academic supervisor. You will present your findings to senior managers from the organisation involved.
Course modules
Compulsory modules
All the modules in the following list need to be taken as part of this course.
Economics of Sustainable Financial Services
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Aim |
To introduce the concepts and techniques of Microeconomics (e.g. market analysis, price theory, rationality) and Macroeconomics (e.g. inflation, exchange rates and interest rates) in a way which provides a core foundation for later applied financial analysis in a range of other courses on the MSc in Retail and Digital Banking. In the Context of the Financial markets, it is important that you are aware of the fundamental principles and concepts pertaining to Economic Theory per se. Studying economics not only provides knowledge for making decisions but it also offers a tool with which to approach questions such as the desirability of a particular financial investment opportunity, the benefits and costs of alternative choices, or the likely impacts of public policies in a particular sector and business. |
Syllabus |
Initially, time is spent on discussion of a wide range of concepts relevant when examining micro and macro structures, particularly with respect to financial markets. In the next few sessions, an understanding of choice theory and rational economic decision making as it applies to a broad range of financial markets/services. Finally, the remaining sessions are devoted to the discussion of the concepts and ideas in macroeconomics which have a direct relevance to the financial sector. |
Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you should gain:
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Accounting for Business
Aim |
The key objective for this course is that you develop a clear understanding of the basics of accounting. By the end of the course, you will be able to interpret accounting information with confidence and use it to make decisions and be able to communicate accounting numbers to others. |
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Syllabus |
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Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you should be able to:
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Financial Markets, Regulation and Ethics
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Aim |
The course begins in Part I with an overview of the international financial markets, the major financial institution participants and product types. You will understand the roles, motivations and behaviours of market players including the importance of risk-taking. The role of regulation will be highlighted and examined in Part II. This will include the aims and structures of regulation. In Part III, you will examine, using a seminal textbook on business ethics the role and limitations of ethics in financial markets, ethical decision-making frameworks, and evaluate real world cases of lapses in culture and impact upon society and the markets. The challenge of identifying and promoting ethical behaviour will be acknowledged. |
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Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you should be able to:
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Digital Banking
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Aim |
The aim of the module is to enable you to critically evaluate the rapidly changing field of digital technology as it applies to the worlds of banking and financial services more generally. This will be achieved through the course participants developing a critical understanding of: The module aims to equip you with the knowledge and understanding to better manage digital technology-related decision-making within a banking context. |
Syllabus |
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Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you should be able to:
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Financial Management
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Aim |
The aim of the course is to equip you with effective financial tools but at the same time to develop your ability to evaluate and understand the reasons for resistance that the application of these tools may bring about from within the organisation and beyond. Handling such resistance requires awareness of the societal environment as well as leadership and management skills. To achieve these goals first part of the course is devoted to linking the finance function to the overall objectives of the firm. Another important challenge the course tackles is linking the theoretical issues to be covered with real life management and practice. We aim to achieve that by integrating the following aspects into the course: |
Syllabus |
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Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you should be able to:
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Organisational Behaviour for Managers
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Aim |
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Syllabus |
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Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you should be able to:
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Sustainable Retail Banking
Aim |
The aims of this double module are to equip you with the skills, techniques and knowledge to: |
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Syllabus |
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Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you should be able to:
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Sustainable Banking Research in Action
Aim |
To integrate the knowledge, skills and behaviours covered in other modules and apply them to their own organisational context on a project agreed with their company. |
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Syllabus |
This module will focus on the following areas of business research: |
Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:
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Programme and Project Management
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Aim |
It is our contention that programmes and projects are the building blocks of strategy delivery and are therefore critical to any company’s success. Fundamentally project management requires a team of individuals with varied skills to come together to manage a project from start to finish. As the project lifecycle progresses new imperatives arise which must be dealt with. PPM provides a low risk learning environment for students to experience the difficulties and joys of successfully managing a project from start to finish and in addition PPM provides additional opportunities to practice personal development and increased confidence and self-awareness. |
Syllabus |
It is our contention that programmes and projects are the building blocks of strategy delivery and are therefore critical to any company’s success. Fundamentally project management requires a team of individuals with varied skills to come together to manage a project from start to finish. As the project lifecycle progresses new imperatives arise which must be dealt with. PPM provides a low risk learning environment for students to experience the difficulties and joys of successfully managing a project from start to finish and in addition PPM provides additional opportunities to practice personal development and increased confidence and self-awareness. |
Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you should be able to undertake programme and project management:
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New Product and Service Development
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Aim |
Every organisation needs to develop innovative products, services and business models. As crucial (and often overlooked), is the need to develop innovative ways to deliver such products and services Operational excellence and improvement refers to achieving high performance of operations to reduce costs, and improve quality. To meet these challenges and stay ahead of the competition, successful organisations must adopt innovation and operational excellence that consistently strives to set new standards, with entirely new ways of executing operational activities, to increase efficiency (doing things the right way) and improve effectiveness (doing the right things) This module will help you to be equipped with the knowledge, skills and behavioural competencies required to innovate new products and services and support operational excellence and contribute significantly to the bottom line of your organisation. |
Syllabus |
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Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you should be able to:
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Strategic Marketing
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Aim |
This module will prepare you for general management responsibilities by focussing on the input of the marketing perspective across all functions. You will be presented with a strategic perspective of marketing, understanding the needs and wants of customers as a guide to direct the organisation. |
Syllabus |
The module will cover: |
Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you should be able to:
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Modelling and Analysis for Management
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Aim |
In the current competitive environment, it is vital that managers are able to understand the relationships between different business variables in order to appreciate the risks associated with their actions. It is also important that they are able to forecast business trends and to optimise their business strategies, given the level of uncertainty and time constraints they continuously face. This course aims to provide you with the ability to critically examine existing literature which can underpin the decision-making process and also to provide you with the skills to collect, process, analyse and present relevant data that will support your decisions. In addition, the module will also provide a platform which will help you engage with internal or external “clients”, undertake a project and, consequently, be able to make coherent and compelling recommendations to senior managers. |
Syllabus |
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Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you should be able to:
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Keeping our courses up-to-date and current requires constant innovation and change. The modules we offer reflect the needs of business and industry and the research interests of our staff. As a result, they may change or be withdrawn due to research developments, legislation changes or for a variety of other reasons. Changes may also be designed to improve the student learning experience or to respond to feedback from students, external examiners, accreditation bodies and industrial advisory panels.
To give you a taster, we have detailed the compulsory and elective (where applicable) modules which are currently affiliated with this course. All modules are indicative only and may be subject to change for your year of entry.
Teaching team
The programme is taught by faculty experts who have extensive industry experience and who regularly work with major global financial services organisations, multinationals and government agencies around the world.
Accreditation
Accredited by the Chartered Banker Institute, with successful completion of this MSc leading to the additional award of the Chartered Banker Diploma Professional qualification and Chartered Banker status.
Cranfield School of Management is one of an elite group of business schools worldwide to hold triple accreditations from:
- Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
- Association of Master of Business Administration (AMBA)
- European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS).
How to apply
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about this programme, please contact our Admissions Team at studysom@cranfield.ac.uk or call +44 (0)1234 758081.
Our students do not always fit traditional academic or career paths. We consider this diversity to be a positive feature, not a hurdle. We are looking for a body of professional learners who have a wide range of experiences to share. If you are unsure of your suitability for our Sustainable and Digital Banking (Retail) MSc, we are happy to review your details and give feedback before you make a formal application.
Once your online application has been submitted together with your supporting documentation, it will be processed by our admissions team. You will then be advised by email if you are successful, unsuccessful, or whether the course director would like to interview you before a decision is made. Applicants based outside of the UK may be interviewed either by telephone or video conference.
Read our Application Guide for a step-by-step explanation of the application process from pre-application through to joining us at Cranfield.
Applications for apprenticeship routes have to come via the Expression of Interest form. Apprenticeship applications received via the application button on this page will not be processed.