Stream

Finance - FINSA13529

Stream Summary

Faculty: COMM - Australian School of Business

School: School of Banking and Finance

Contact:  Australian School of Business Student Centre

Program: 3529 - Commerce/Science

Award(s):

Bachelor of Commerce (Major)

Information valid for students commencing 2013.
Students who commenced prior to 2013 should go to the Handbook's Previous Editions

Stream Outline

Finance is a study of financial and capital markets. It is concerned with decision making within those markets, and how values or prices of financial assets are determined. Finance is also concerned with investment decisions (for example, selection among alternative projects, selection of securities to include in a portfolio), financing decisions of a firm (dividend policy, debt and equity structures, and lease purchase decisions), and the development of risk-hedging strategies so as to minimise the damaging effects of adverse movements in share prices, interest rates, exchange rates, and other uncertainties in domestic and international financial markets.

This stream is not to be undertaken by Finance Co-op students.

Stream Structure

  • A major in Finance consists of 48 UOC (8 courses). Four(4) of these courses are specified; the other four (4) are elective courses that are chosen from the list below. At least two (2) of the elective courses must be at level 3 (i.e. FINS3XXX). This is regardless of whether you are doing a single major or taking Finance as a second major
  • A minor in Finance consists of 30 UOC (5 courses) containing at least 18 UOC at level 2 or 3. The minor does not form part of the nominated major.

Compulsory courses

Elective courses
ACCT3563 is included for the benefit of students undertaking majors in both Accounting and Finance to allow compliance with the requirements of the professional Accounting bodies. Students with majors in Accounting and Finance may count this course towards the Finance major AND the Accounting major. Students planning on studying honours in Accounting must take ACCT3573 Issues in Financial Reporting & Analysis (6 UOC) in place of ACCT3563 Issues in Financial Reporting & Analysis.

Please note: Students should take the three compulsory Finance courses in the first 2 years of their study (preferably in first year and the first semester of the second year) so that they can complete as many Finance courses as possible in the areas of Banking, Corporate Finance, Funds Management and International Finance during their second and third years.

Honours

Honours Level study is also available in Finance. Students interested in studying at Honours Level should refer to the relevant Honours stream record for entry requirements.

Professional Recognition

The Australian Securities and Investment Commission has accredited specific courses that can be taken in the undergraduate programs to meet the training requirements of the Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146) for the purpose of licensing financial product advisors. A list of the courses required is available from Professional Recognition of Programs for Undergraduate Students in the UNSW Online Handbook.

Students interested in pursuing the CFA examinations of the CFA Institute will find the electives FINS2643, FINS3635, FINS3640 and FINS3641 very helpful.

Further Information

Please note that these requirements may be subject to change.
Students are advised to follow requirements according to the year they commenced. Please refer to previous editions of the Online Handbook for your program requirements.

Contact the Australian School of Business Student Centre for advice.
tel: + 61 2 9385 3189
location: Ground Floor, West Wing, Australian School of Business Building
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