THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2025/2026

Timetable information in the Course Catalogue may be subject to change.

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Law : Law

Postgraduate Course: Principles of Financial Transactions (LAWS11516)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Law CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThis course will examine the practical and legal aspects of the important financial transactions undertaken by financial institutions, as well as the market mechanisms and services facilitating these transactions.
Course description This course will take comprehensive and critical views of the important financial transactions undertaken by financial institutions, covering the operations of these transactions and their economic significance, the challenges arising from these transactions to domestic and global financial markets, as well as the laws and regulations coping with these challenges. This course is useful for students who wish to be involved in banking and finance as a lawyer, banker/financier or regulator, amongst other things, to develop a thorough understanding of relevant practical and academic issues.

The legal analysis undertaken in this course will be based on UK law, with necessary references to EU legislation and international supervisory standards, as well as, to a lesser extent, relevant rules in US law.

This course will focus on the topics listed below (subject to staff availability, slight adjustments may be possible):

The bond market and debt instruments
Money markets and money market funds
Repurchase agreements (repos)
Securitisation
Credit rating agencies
Acquisition finance
Project finance
Derivatives
Sovereign debt recovery
Blended finance
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2025/26, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Quota:  25
Course Start Semester 2
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 176 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Summative assessment is a written essay of up to 5,000 words in length, counting towards 100% of the final mark. Students will be provided with a selection of topics based on course contents.

Formative assessment will be a writing sample of up to 1000 words. The question will be released by Week 5, and students will be given 3 to 4 weeks to complete the assessment.
Feedback Written feedback will be provided for both summative and formative assessment via Learn.
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Have a good grounding in, and understanding of, the key legal principles involved in financial transactions.
  2. Demonstrate familiarity with the importance of key legal principles in financial transactions, and their application to banking transactions and operations.
  3. Have a general appreciation of the law and practice of financial transactions and the transactions involved in a wider context.
  4. Be able to undertake independent research in financial transactions, and critically analyse, and apply, what has been learnt.
Reading List
There will be no set textbook for this course, as articles, cases and legislation will be important. However, the following books can be used as a basis for the course:

(i) R Cranston and E Avgouleas, Principles of Banking Law (2019, 3rd edn, OUP);
(ii) L Gullifer, Goode and Gullifer on Legal Problems of Credit and Security (2022, 7th edn, Sweet &. Maxwell)
(iii) PR Wood, Practice of International Banking and the Law (2008, University Edition, Sweet & Maxwell
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills 1. "Skills and Abilities in Research and Enquiries"
To be able to effectively research and improve knowledge in areas relevant to financial transactions, and apply and contextualise the knowledge obtained.

2. "Skills and Abilities in Personal and Intellectual Autonomy"
To be able to think and work independently, including critical self-evaluation and resilience.

3. "Skills and Abilities in Communication"
To be able to communicate their ideas and views, both orally and in written form, in a cogent and coherent manner. In framing these ideas and view, they would be aware of the relevant context (both domestic and international)

4. "Skills and Abilities in Personal Effectiveness"
Being able to adapt to new and changing circumstances, and deal with new situations; and to be able to interact effectively with others, ie, be able to use these skills and abilities to deal with novel situations or transactions.

5. "Technical/practical skills"
Use and apply the knowledge and skills learnt to good effect in the work force (e.g., as a legal practitioner, or in banking or finance) and real world situations, i.e., be able to apply knowledge and critical thinking to solve problems
KeywordsRepos,asset finance,derivatives,international bonds,securitization,sovereign debt recovery
Contacts
Course organiserDr Longjie Lu
Tel: (0131 6)50 2336
Email: Longjie.Lu@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMiss Hannah Ackroyd
Tel: (0131 6)50 2008
Email: hackroyd@ed.ac.uk
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