BA (Hons) in Risk Management GCU - Glasgow School for Business and Society

Accredited by: CII

Despite challenging global economic conditions risk management is an area of growth across all types of organizations. There is an increased demand for qualified risk professionals due to the increasingly global nature of business coinciding with increased regulatory pressures and compliance.

GCU is the only University in the UK to offer this type of undergraduate degree, therefore, creating an opportunity to be a graduate in demand. During your studies, you will explore the applied risk management process from an organizational perspective covering areas such as the identification and management of strategic risks, managing ethics, compliance and conduct risks, business continuity management and project risk management.

The degree has excellent industry links with a key focus on the vocational aspects of risk management and is accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) and the Institute of Risk Management (IRM).

The programme places a strong emphasis on employability, transferable skills, and engagement with industry to give 'real world' context, including regular talks from industry related guest speakers and corporate sponsors.

International student start dates

For new international students, orientation events start on 14 September 2018. This extra time is specifically designed to assist new international students in settling into the UK and GCU prior to the start of general student induction and teaching.

There will be a whole host of fun and informative activities taking place during this period, including campus and city tours, as well as welcome events where you can meet other international students.

Assessment methods

Our approach to the learning, teaching, and assessment of our students is tailored to the academic needs of our students while preparing them for the job market, as well as their ability to operate independently as lifelong learners.

Our curriculum is designed to develop our student's knowledge and understanding of risk management as an academic discipline and to enable them to reflect logically and critically on risk theory and practice. In parallel with this, the curriculum is designed to promote employability. These skills are embedded throughout the programme and a wide range of methods are used to ensure the acquisition of professional, practical and personal development skills.

Teaching methods

Direct industry awareness and experience is central to our teaching, through the use of guest lectures and presentations at all levels. This is particularly important for our new students, as it helps them understand the sector in which they will eventually find employment.

A member of the Risk academic team acts as a careers tutor for students and assists them with their employability skills and graduate job search. This tutor acts a focal point for both graduate job and student placement opportunities.

Between Year 3 and Year 4, our students have opportunities to undertake paid summer placements in a diverse range of organizations, providing invaluable experience in the development of both professional competence and the graduate skills and attributes required by employers.

Professional Accreditation

Our BA(Hons) Risk Management programme is accredited by the CII, the world's largest professional body for insurance, risk and financial services.

The CII has over 115,000 members in more than 150 countries. The CII awards credit into its two professional qualification frameworks for those seeking a career in insurance, risk management or wealth management.

Graduates of GCU's degree can claim up to 60 credits for one of the CII frameworks:

Insurance

Certificate in Insurance (Level 3)

40 credits needed to complete this qualification, provided one 15-credit compulsory unit (IF1 Insurance legal and regulatory practice) is passed. This means that, if students pass this online, on-demand unit, they only need to use 25 of their credits to complete the qualification and can carry five credits forward for another qualification.

Diploma in Insurance (Level 4)

120 credits needed to complete this qualification, provided two 25-credit compulsory units (P05Insurance law and?P92Insurance business and finance) are passed. This means that, if students pass these units, which are available in April and October, they only need to complete one or two Diploma-level units to complete the qualification.

Advanced Diploma in Insurance (Level 6)

290 credits needed to complete this qualification, provided two 25-credit compulsory units (P05 Insurance law and P92 Insurance business and finance) are passed. This means that, if students pass these units, which are available in April and October, they need to pass other CII units to the value of 210 credits to complete the qualification.

Financial services

The 30 credits in this framework can only be used towards the Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning (Level 6) since there are prescribed completion rules for another level of qualification.

NOTE

Exemption fees are payable at the time of application when applicants are required to complete an application form.

At present, there is a ten-year time limit on claiming exemptions. At its sole discretion, the Chartered Insurance Institute reserves the right to make, amend and or withdraw credit awards at any time, as it sees fit and without monetary compensation. Students should contact the Programme Leader at the time of making the application, to confirm if all awards are current and valid.

HM Forces

In partnership with HM Forces, GCU has identified this programme is being particularly suited to military and ex-military men and women. Visit the HM Forces Careers Zone for more information on the services we provide.

What you will study

Year 1

Fundamentals of Financial Management, Introduction to Economics and Data Analysis, Managing Risk in Society and Business, Law in Business, Employability, Enterprise, and Entrepreneurship I, The Business of Social Science.

Year 2

Risk Analysis & Control Techniques, Managing Liability Risk Exposures, Contemporary Organisational Risk Management, Ethics in Society and Business, Employability, Enterprise and Entrepreneurship II, module option

Year 3

Risk, Retention & Insurance, Managing Ethics, Compliance and Conduct Risks, Continuity Management & Planning, Project Management & Risk, Business Research Methods, module option

Year 4

Honours Dissertation, Managing Organisational Health, Safety & Hygiene, module options

Your career

Leading companies come directly to GCU to recruit graduates from this programme. Graduates have gone on to work with Camelot, Network Rail, PricewaterhouseCoopers, GlaxoSmithKline, Scottish Power, Aviva, Lloyds of London, Balfour Beatty, Tesco Financial Services, local authorities and government organizations, Morgan Stanley, Marsh Inc, AON and the NHS.