The Banking and Finance course has been carefully designed to support Banking sector executives as well as experienced personnel in the commercial banking and financial sector. While this programme maintains all the advantages of an MBA course - a wide range of knowledge that covers all the functions of a business - at the same time it provides the opportunity to specialize in finance.
The MBA Programme with Specialization in Banking & Finance is two years in duration (part-time), meeting fortnightly, Friday evenings and Saturday mornings, in Thessaloniki and Athens. After completing the first year (foundation) then follows the second year (specialization and dissertation).
Money and credit: definitions, forms and functions. Money demand. Money supply and the operation of the banking system. Money markets: short-medium term money market. International money markets. Capital markets: primary and secondary capital market. The Athens Stock Exchange. Derivatives and deferred transactions. Intermediaries in the financial markets: the banks. Depositor organisations. Non-banking financial agencies. Types of interest rates. Real and nominal interest rates. Prime rate. Administration and operation of depository organisations. Legal framework of bank operation. Deposits insurance. The central bank (Bank of Greece) and its operation. The EU central bank.
The module has been designed and developed to provide course members with an opportunity to explore the theory and practice of corporate financial strategy and the link with corporate strategy. A blended learning strategy will be utilised, involving a combination of classroom based learning, independent and group study, together with tutor-student and student-student interaction via Study Space. Where and when possible, corporate finance practitioners will lead one or more session, offering course members the opportunity to explore at first hand how analytical frameworks and models are applied in the practice of financial strategy and decision making.
International banking market. International transactions and capital markets. Exchange rates. Fixed and fluctuating prices. European parity mechanism. Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and the Euro. Foreign trade balance. Multinational companies: financing and capital management. Investment activities abroad. International financial strategy planning. Taxation of international businesses. Tax regulations for multinational businesses. Tax incentives for international trade. Taxation paradises and multinational businesses.
The module provides a critical review of the concepts of business ethics, corporate social responsibility, and stakeholder management and enables students to analyse, evaluate, and formulate business decisions in the light of ethical and societal considerations. Particular emphasis is put on current corporate practice and recent regulatory developments in order to provide the students with an up – to- date understanding of the fast –moving field. The module draws on and engages with the ongoing debate concerning the role of business organisations as future generators of ‘sustainable value’ for business and society at large. This is then placed in the context of functional discipline areas through topics such as accounting standards, corporate governance, green marketing, social entrepreneurship, employee wellbeing, sustainable innovation and global supply-chain management. The implications of these principles for student’s own leadership practices are considered, introducing the concept of ‘responsible leadership’ from different organisational, national, cultural and ethical perspectives.