The MSc in GFIS which gives students the skills required by the expanding financial services sector retains its Springboard+ listing at WIT
A masters programme at Waterford institute of Technology (WIT) which was developed in conjunction with financial services companies to address key skills required for the sector has again received Springboard + funding.
The MSc in Global Financial Information Systems (GFIS) is a one year taught masters programme that develops skills in information systems, data analysis and finance in the context of the financial services sector.
Interested students can find out more about it at an open evening for all Springboard courses on offer at South East Technological University will be held on 23rd of August from 5 pm to 7pm.
For those who can’t make it SETU is holding a Live Part-Time and Springboard courses Q&A on Wednesday 23 August from 2pm to 5pm.
For the past 5 years the programme has attracted funding under Springboard. This is validation of the relevance of the programme to the labour market. Almost 100 students have successfully completed the programme in that period.
The programme was developed in conjunction with financial services companies. The portfolio of modules on offer was devised to address the key skills that industry participants regarded as essential for success within the sector. The MSc in GFIS enables graduate to develop analytical, finance and ICT skills embedded in a knowledge and understanding of financial services.
The financial services sector has a large and expanding footprint in the South East and across the country. It is a sector of the economy that has been earmarked for further development by government (IFS2020 – A Strategy for Ireland’s International Financial Services Sector) and there is evidence of a skills shortage emerging at various levels within the industry (source National Skills Bulletin 2016, Expert Group on Future Skills Needs/Solas).
The programme director, John Casey, remarked “the M Sc in GFIS is an innovative and challenging programme. The opportunities upon completion are wide ranging, we have graduates of the programme working in all the major financial services organisations. We will stretch and push you but we will also support you in your ‘learning journey’”.
This mix is unique as it addresses a range of skills in a number of distinct disciplines. The programme is open to honours degree graduates (second class honours grade two minimum) from any field. The objective of the programme is to allow graduates to switch the focus of their career into graduate roles in the financial services sector.
The head of Graduate Business, at SETU Professor Denis Harrington, highlighted the significance of the Springboard funding “The funding afforded by Springboard opens up this programme to a wide range of people who may previously have not had such opportunities made available to them. It gives them the prospect of completing a masters programme in an expanding area of the economy. Whilst Brexit is likely to have many negative impacts on the Irish economy, the financial services sector is one of the areas of the economy that will experience a boost – indeed, this is already occurring”.
Further information on the programme is on www.wit.ie/gfis.
Applications can be made via www.springboardcourses.ie
An open evening for all Springboard courses on offer at South East Technological University will be held on 23rd of August from 5 pm to 7pm.
For those who can’t make it SETU is holding a Live Part-Time and Springboard courses Q&A on Wednesday 23 August from 2pm to 5pm.
John Casey, M Sc GFIS Programme Director, can be contacted on [email protected].