Ulster University Business School and First Derivatives Partner on New Masters Programme
Ulster University Business School is embracing opportunities in the expanding fintech sector with the design of a bespoke postgraduate programme for multinational software and consulting firm First Derivatives.
Professor Gillian Armstrong, Director of Business Engagement, explains, “First Derivatives has successfully grown year on year to now employ 2,400 across its global operations with plans to recruit another 1,000 staff by 2021. Such sustained expansion puts huge demands on the skills market relating to financial and associated professional services. Whilst Ulster University Business School offers related full and part-time courses First Derivatives’ requirements necessitated a whole new approach to curriculum development.”
“Alongside the company’s HR team, we have co-created an MSc in Global Capital Markets which perfectly fits the specific skills needs of First Derivatives both for now and anticipated for the future. We firmly believe that the flexibility provided by such a targeted approach will be the educational route of choice for businesses going forward and we look forward to developing similar bespoke programmes for other organisations.”
The Masters in Global Capital Markets will take up to three years to complete part-time. Teaching will be supported by the University’s digital learning platform.
The programme has been designed for those who not only wish to develop a career in financial services but with the number of optional modules offered also allows for skills development in project management, technology and accounting. Alongside their academic studies students may also achieve complementary professional qualifications such as Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment Operations Certificate; Prince 2 Foundation; and Professional Risk Manager Designation.
Adrian Toner, Chief Operating Officer, First Derivatives, adds, “The development of this Masters comes at a very exciting time of growth and development for the company. The demand for highly skilled capital markets graduates is now higher than ever on the island of Ireland and we are excited to be a part of the development of this forward-thinking programme and progressive approach.”
First Derivatives have begun a period of induction with 40 employees this month with an expectation that a total of 60 employees will begin the programme itself in January 2019.
About FD
FD is a global technology provider with 20 years of experience working with some of the world’s largest finance, technology, retail, pharma, manufacturing and energy institutions. The Group’s Kx technology, incorporating the kdb+ time-series database, is a leader in high-performance, in-memory computing, streaming analytics and operational intelligence. Kx delivers the best possible performance and flexibility for high-volume, data-intensive analytics and applications across multiple industries. FD operates from 14 offices across Europe, North America and Asia Pacific, including its headquarters in Newry, and employs more than 2,400 people worldwide.
