Name of the University: Sir John Cass Business School, City University
Part of degree: BSc in Business and Economics (Siviløkonom)
Exchange semester: Spring, 2012
I GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
1. Describe the school and its surroundings – very short
Cass Business School is situated in the Financial District in the
City of London (the Square Mile). City University has its main
base at Northampton Square, which is about ten minutes from
Cass. Most of the lectures are held at City. The School consists
of a high level of staff and students and Cass’ Undergraduate
program is currently ranked 1st London and 3rd in the UK for
Business.
2. Current faculty divisions and special areas.
o City University London
 Faculty of Actuarial Science and Insurance
 Pensions
 Social insurance
 Life insurance
 General insurance
 Health insurance and long term care
 Mortality and morbidity
 Reliability, Maintenance and related topics
 Dependability of Computer Based Systems

Faculty of Finance
 Financial Markets
 Regulation and Finance
 Money and Banking
 Investment and Risk Management
 Econometric Analysis
 Shipping and Transportation
 Real Estate Finance

Faculty of Management
 Strategy
 Innovation and Entrepreneurship
 Human Resource Management
 Governance and Pay
 E-Business
 Knowledge Management
 Professional Services
 Voluntary Sector Management
 Marketing and Innovation in Services
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 International Business
School of Arts
School of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences
School of Community and Health Sciences
School of Informatics
The City Law School
School of Social Sciences
3. Number of students - graduate and undergraduate – number of
exchange students
City University has in total 21 000 students, whereof 14 000 are
undergraduate students, and 7 000 are graduate students. There are
3000 students at Cass Business School, whereof 1300 are
undergraduates. There were approximately 60 exchange students at
Cass Business School.
4. Study structure
The study structure is quite similar to the one at BI. However, the
study structure at Cass might consist of a little more work during the
semester than at BI.
II PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Information before you left
o When did you receive the information package from the
University? I received the confirmation letter with some basic
information on e-mail early in November. I also received an
information package by mail. This contained a lot of information
concerning the school, its surroundings, housing guide and a map of
London
o Any difficulties? No, I received all the information I needed.
Visa Procedure and travel experiences
o What problems, if any did you encounter? I did not have any
problems.
o Does the visa cost anything?
You do not need a visa in London.
This is due Norway’s EEA membership.
o How did you order your ticket – any problems?
On my first flight
to London, I ordered my plane ticket through SAS. This was due to
their maximum weight limit (25 kg), which was essential when
bringing a lot of luggage. SAS offers youthfare tickets that cost about
1500 NOK. Also, it might be useful to know that it is very easy to
travel from either airport to the place you are staying. When
travelling with SAS or British Airways you will land on Heathrow.
From Heathrow airport you can just take the tube into the
city.
When travelling with Ryanair going to Stansted you can just
take the train to Liverpool Street Station, which is quite near the
student halls and the university.
At Gatwick, used when travelling
with Norwegian Airlines, the train went from Gatwick Airport to
Victoria Underground Station, which is almost in the middle of the
city.
The information packet that you will receive from Cass
contains useful information on how to get from all the different
airports to the university, with different transportation methods.
Academic Calendar
o Arrival date – introductory week I arrived at the student halls
at Friday, January 13th. The international office hosted an
exchange student orientation and welcome at January 18-20.
o First day of the semester? The semester started in the week
commencing January 23th.
o Last day of classes? Last day of classes was at the 5th of April
o Examination period? 8 May – 31 May
o Any special events? There are hosted many different events at
Cass in the different modules, faculties etc. For instance, I
attended an educational visit to Redmayne-Bentley Stockbrokers.
The visit was very interesting, where we learned about the
history, how they work etc. Other visits were for example visits in
different investment banks, Bank of England among others. It is
highly recommended for prosperous exchange students.
Reception
o How was the reception at the school? The International
Office held a cheese and wine reception one of the first days of
school where we had the opportunity to get to know other
exchange students.
o Was the administration and faculty well prepared for your
arrival? Yes, they were very well prepared.
o Did the school’s students participate in the reception of the
exchange students? The school’s students did not participate in
the reception of the exchange students.
Housing
o Did you have housing at your disposal or did you have to
find your own housing? I applied for a residence in
the University’s student halls as soon as I received my
confirmation letter.
o What support did you receive from the school in locating
housing?
I got support from the study abroad officer, who
helped me in getting in touch with the people in the halls.
o Any special issues or good ideas for prospective
students?
You should apply for the student halls as fast as
possible. The rent in the private market in London is usually more
expensive compared to the prices of what is normal in Norway.
By living in the student halls, you will also get to know a lot of the
people from the Uni. It may be compared as to living in a socalled dorm in the American colleges.
Costs
o Describe the most important expenses such as rent, books,
food, etc.
In the student halls, rent is approximately £3800 a semester.
When it comes to books, you will be handed out lecture notes for
all of your classes. Therefore, it will only be in some modules
that you will have to buy books for the classes.
When using the tube, you buy an Oyster Card, which is a pay-asyou-go system.
The prices on food and drinks in the grocery stores were lower
than in Norway. It is more common to eat some meals during
the week out in different restaurants, due to that the prices are
quite low compared to Norway. The International Office
o Is there an international office? Yes. It is situated at City
University, in the Drysdale Building, 3rd floor.
o How does the international office function?
The international
office helps you with any queries or problems that you might
have. They are very helpful and kind.
o Do you receive all relevant information?
The international
office will send you all the information you need during the
semester. I never felt that I did not get the information that I
needed.
Exchange promotion
o What kind of activity did you take part in to promote
exchange to Norway at your exchange university? I did not
have the chance to promote exchange to Norway or BI since I
had classes to attend when the international exchange fair was
held.
Social Activities
o How is your relationship with other students? I got to know
some other Norwegian and Swedish full-time students on both
Undergraduate and Graduate level. You might also meet a lot of
other people too, but as there usually was many exchange
students in each class, you will know them the best.
o How is the relationship among the exchange students?
Most of
the exchange students were members of a group on Facebook. This
made it easier to get to know one another, and also arrange for
different activities and gatherings. The invitation to this group came
early in December.
o Is there a student organization, and if so, are the exchange
students a part of it? There is a Student Union at City University, but
the exchange students were not a part of the Union.
o How do you like it at the school? All in all, the school is very
good.
Culture and Language
o Do you have any language problems with the faculty or other
students? No. Something you might experience being different
from the Norwegian Universities are of course the many
minorities and a broader cultural background in the different
classes.
o How are the possibilities to experience the country and the
culture?
The possibilities are very good. You have the chance
to travel all over England and Scotland. Also, be aware that there
is a high-speed train, Eurostar, going from London to different
cities like Paris (2hrs), Brussels (2hrs), Amsterdam and so forth.
You will have the chance to travel if you just prioritize your time
right.
Cultural and Social Effects from the Exchange Experience
o How do you think the exchange experience will affect you
from a cultural and social point of view? When being on
exchange, you will learn very much about the British culture. Also,
you will learn a lot about other cultures from the different
exchange students as well.
o How do you think the exchange experience influences your
future career possibilities? My language skills have rapidly
become better through the semester. I have learned a lot about
many other cultures, as well as getting friends from all over the
world. The exchange experience has also given me important
advantages concerning a stronger resume.
III ACADEMIC INFORMATION
The Teaching situation
o In which language are the courses taught? Any problems?
All courses are taught in English. I personally did not have any
problems.
o How would you evaluate the level of study in relationship to the
level at BI? The level of study is similar to that at BI.
o Is the teaching primarily practical or theoretical?
The teaching is
primarily theoretical, although the different modules focus on giving
interesting and real-life courseworks.
o Are the professors using cases, group work or lectures (or a
mix)?
Each module usually contain of one or two courseworks, or
presentations, or a mid-term test. You will experience having at least
one task during the semester counting approximately 30% of you final
mark.
o How is the workload compared to that at BI?
The workload is
more spread out the semester. This is making you work a little
more through the semester, although the workload is at a fair
level.
o How is the relationship between faculty and students?
The
relationship is usually based on classroom interaction. The
professors are available by phone and e-mail, as well as they
have different office hours when students can visit.
o What is the relationship between the students in the
classroom?
The students in the same module usually attend to
the same type of study program. Naturally, one class might
consist of students from different programs as some modules are
electives. Required Literature
o Is the literature in English? Yes.
o How do you estimate the level of the literature? The level was similar
to that at BI.
o Is the literature used for detailed knowledge or a broad
overview?
The literature is mostly used for detailed knowledge, while
the lectures are used for the combination between a broad overview and
a more detailed approach.
o Is exam based on the literature or on the lectures?
The exams
are primarily based on the lectures, but also on the literature. This
depends on the course.
Exams
o What types of exams were you given? The exams were written
exams consisting of 135 minutes, and 15 minutes of read time.
No aids were given.
o What knowledge level was required to pass the exams?
The
level required to pass the exams were similar to the level at BI,
40% to pass. Other
o Do students have easy access to the library and it’s
resources? Students have easy access to the library and its
resources.
o How is the access to the computers?
The access might be limited. I
preferred sitting in the Cass building as the access there was better.
Anyhow, I mostly used my personal laptop.
o How is IT used in the teaching or as a distributor of information?
Depending on what modules you are attending, IT is used in most
classes for PowerPoint Presentations and coursework.
Modules taken at Cass Business School:
FR2105 Corporate Risk Management
Final written exam: 70%. Group coursework: 30%
FR2203 Company Valuation
Final written exam: 70%. Midterm test, multiple choice: 30%
FR2209 Portfolio Theory and Investment Valuation
Final written exam: 70%. Group coursework: 30%
FR2210 Alternative Investment Management
Final written exam: 70%. Group coursework, trading game: 30%