Undergraduate information
Finance
Capital markets and financial institutions
Investments and financial planning
Corporate finance
Contents
Bachelor of Commerce
major in finance
2
Careers in finance
4
Studying the finance major
5
Study options for
finance majors
6
Studying finance as breadth
7
Contact us
Back cover
#1
in Australia
#33
in the world
Times Higher Education World
University Rankings 2014–2015
Bachelor of Commerce
major in Finance
Finance is the study of money management. As a finance
student, you will learn how to raise funds, choose
investments and grow wealth.
IS THE FINANCE MAJOR
FOR ME?
Ranked 13th in the world for
graduate employabilityE
Do your friends come to you for advice?
Do you do well in stressful situations?
Are you good at maths? If you are a
confident decision maker who can work
independently and process information
quickly, you should consider finance.
Our graduates are known for their
perceptive understanding of business
issues, skilful communication and
strong leadership.
WHAT WILL I LEARN?
The finance major is ideal preparation
for the CFA exams, a requirement for
designation as a Chartered Financial
Analyst®.
Studying finance will help you
understand stocks and bonds, banking,
budgeting, debt and how markets
function. You will learn how to value
assets, find opportunities to save and
analyse investment options.
AM I A GOOD FIT?
To excel in finance you need to be
inquisitive, commercially aware, mature,
efficient and detail-oriented. You need
to be a strategic thinker with excellent
people skills, who is comfortable with
technology and change.
WHY CHOOSE MELBOURNE?
Ranked 14th in the world and
3rd in the Asia-Pacific region
for FinanceQ
Study at Australia’s best university.W
Learn from internationally renowned
academics, with some of the world’s
brightest students.
Exciting student experience
opportunities
Recognised as a CFA Program
Partner of the CFA Institute
Generous scholarship
opportunities
The Faculty of Business and Economics
offers a number of scholarships to
domestic and international students
commencing the Bachelor of
Commerce. Additional scholarships and
subject prizes are available to current
students, so you have the opportunity
to be rewarded for your hard work
throughout your degree by one of
Australia’s most generous scholarship
programs.
Q QS World University Rankings by
Subject 2015
W Times Higher Education World University
Rankings 2015
E QS World University Rankings 2015
As part of your degree you can join a
student club, volunteer in communities,
travel overseas, and build your
professional skills.
“I want to be in a position where
I can wake up and not feel like
I’m working when I go to work,
but that I’m pursuing something
I care about – something that
feels totally feasible thanks to
the Bachelor of Commerce.”
Sam Steiner,
Bachelor of Commerce, major
in Finance and Marketing
2
Kyle Sutcliffe
Investment
banking,
New York
Renata Rejas
Private equity
and venture
capital, Lima
Heath Jamieson
Management
consulting,
Singapore
Becky Tang
Financial
planning and
Analysis,
Melbourne
Evangeline Ho
Real estate,
Singapore
Dhanu
Narenthiran
Financial Services
Consultant, Perth
Lizzie Reid
Wealth
management,
London
Harrison Fenton
Investment
banking,
Melbourne
Finance
WHERE COULD THE
FINANCE MAJOR
TAKE YOU?
3
Careers in finance
Our graduates receive high-level finance training, combined with exposure to
complementary disciplines and opportunities for development outside the classroom.
They enjoy excellent career outcomes, including high starting salaries, outstanding job
satisfaction and exceptional employment rates.
WHERE DO FINANCE
GRADUATES WORK?
“I want to overcome
gender inequality and
become a role model
for other females
who want to pursue
a career in finance;
investment banking
in particular.”
Some of our most recent graduates are
now working at:
„„A.C.
Nielsen
Kearney
„„ANZ Banking Group
„„Australian Administration Services
„„Australian Customs and Border
Protection Service
„„Australian Taxation Office
„„Bell Potter Securities
„„BHP Billiton
„„Boston Consulting Group
„„Cameron Harrison
„„CBRE
„„Citigroup
„„Clayton Utz
„„DBA Lawyers
„„Dixon Advisory
„„Ernst & Young
„„Goldman Sachs
„„Grant Thornton
„„Haddington Accountants
„„IBM Australia
„„Jones Lang LaSalle
„„JPMorgan & Chase
„„KPMG
„„Kraft Foods
„„Lazard
„„Longriver Investments
„„MAP Capital Advisors
„„Minter Ellison
„„Morgan Stanley
„„National Australia Bank
„„Newcrest Mining
„„OCBC Bank
„„Oz Property Group
„„Pitcher Partners
„„PricewaterhouseCoopers
„„Singapore Airlines
„„Suncorp-Metway
„„Target Australia
„„Towers Watson
„„UBS
„„Unilever
„„United Overseas Bank
„„Westpac
„„A.T.
4
Aya Haruyama,
major in Finance
and Marketing
CAREER PROGRESSION
IN FINANCE
Sample job titles
In 5-10 years
„„Broker
„„Consultant
Your first job
„„Manager
„„Adviser
„„Senior
„„Analyst
„„Trader
„„Associate
„„Vice
„„Banker
„„Graduate
„„Planner
Planner
President
In 15-20 years
„„Chief
Executive Officer
„„Chief
Financial Officer
„„Financial
Controller
„„Managing
„„Partner
„„Treasurer
Director
Studying the finance major
The finance major is extremely popular, both as a single major and in combination with
other disciplines. It is a versatile major that sharpens your problem solving skills and
provides valuable training for any industry.
BACHELOR OF COMMERCE
24 subjects (usually 8 per year)
Sample course plan – Bachelor of Commerce Q
Major in Finance
Semester 1
Introductory
Microeconomics
Quantitative
Methods 1
Semester 2
Introductory
Microeconomics
Finance 1
Semester 1
Quantitative
Methods 2 W
Business
Finance
Semester 2
Organisational
Behaviour
Semester 1
Investments
Semester 2
Corporate
Finance
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Compulsory subjects
5 subjects to cover Business and
Economics fundamentals
Derivative
Securities
Compulsory subjects
Finance Subjects
Free elective subjects E
Major and elective subjects
Q This is a sample course plan only. Subjects offered may change from year-to-year. You will be
advised of current subject offerings prior to subject selection and enrolment.
11-15 subjects to deepen your finance
knowledge
W There is a choice of Level-2 subjects available to fulfil the quantitative requirement for the
Bachelor of Commerce.
Breadth subjects
E You must complete a specified number of Business and Economics and breadth subjects at
particular levels to meet Bachelor of Commerce degree requirements.
4-8 subjects from other disciplines
If you would like to deepen your
finance knowledge, there are a variety
of electives available throughout the
degree.
Year 2 Electives
„„Introduction
to Real Estate Analysis
„„Introductory
Personal Finance
„„Management
of Financial Institutions
Year 3 Electives
„„Asian
Capital Markets
„„Entrepreneurial
„„Ethics
Finance
in Finance
„„Intermediate
Personal Finance
„„International
Finance
„„Real
Estate Finance
This sample course plan names compulsory subjects in the Bachelor of Commerce
and minimum subjects required for the finance major. In total these comprise 10 of 24
subjects of the degree. If you intend to pursue Honours in Finance you will also need
to study either Basic Econometrics or Econometrics in your final year.
HONOURS IN FINANCE
If you intend to work in a sector of
the industry that values the ability
to synthesise diverse information –
like investment banking, consulting,
risk management and international
finance – we recommend that you
do an honours year.
Honours in Finance is completed over
an additional year of study, usually
taken immediately after the Bachelor of
Commerce degree. It is an integrated
program that features small classes,
close interaction with your supervisor,
and an emphasis on research and
specialised subject areas.
Our honours graduates are extremely
sought-after, and most are employed
before they complete the degree.
5
Finance
The Bachelor of Commerce consists
of 24 subjects, usually taken over
three years of full-time study. The
degree is very flexible and allows you
to choose subjects across a range
of disciplines. You must complete at
least one major within the Bachelor
of Commerce. The finance major is
made up of a sequence of subjects that
builds progressively on your knowledge
in the discipline. Upon completion of
the major, you will have developed
expertise in the core areas of finance
and enjoyed opportunities to expand
your knowledge in specialist areas.
Study options for finance majors
The Bachelor of Commerce degree is extremely flexible and is designed to help you
explore your interests. Choosing the finance major still keeps you open to other
possibilities – what subjects you choose is up to you.
Electives are available across the range
of Bachelor of Commerce disciplines.
With careful planning, you could
complete a second major.
WHAT CAN I COMBINE WITH
THE FINANCE MAJOR?
Second major options: Accounting
(including accreditation), Economics,
Management and Marketing.
We do not recommend any particular
combinations - the choice depends on
your interests and career goals. You can
wait until your second year to decide
which discipline you wish to double
major in.
WHAT BREADTH SUBJECTS
CAN I DO?
There is a wealth of study options
available at the University. You can
take all your breadth subjects in one
discipline, or break them up to explore
different interests.
Keep in mind that some subject
areas have study prerequisites, and
completing particular breadth subjects
can lead to graduate study.
Breadth subjects are available in these
study areas:
„„Agriculture,
animal studies, food
science and veterinary science
„„Architecture,
„„Education,
building and planning
teaching and training
„„Engineering
and geomatics
„„Environment
and natural resources
„„Historical,
philosophical, political and
social studies
„„Information
technology and systems
„„Language,
literature and
cultural studies
„„Law,
legal studies and criminology
„„Medicine, dentistry, health and welfare
„„Music
„„Performing
and visual arts, theatre,
film and television
„„Sciences
6
and mathematics
“Initially I hope to
work in the financial
services industry.
Further down the
track I want to work
in microfinance in the
Middle East, more
specifically working
with women in rural
communities to
become financially
independent."
Rannia Al-Salihi,
major in Finance
and Economics,
President of the
Financial Management
Association Australia
(FMAA) 2015.
Studying finance as breadth
Can I do finance subjects even if I’m not a Bachelor of Commerce student?
Yes, you can. One of the cornerstones
of Melbourne degrees is breadth
studies – the opportunity for all
students to take subjects from outside
their major area of study.
Breadth studies in finance are available
to students in the Bachelor of Arts,
Bachelor of Biomedicine, Bachelor of
Environments, Bachelor of Music or
Bachelor of Science.
If you would like to take finance
subjects first check the structure
of your degree to see whether it's
possible. Note that all finance subjects
have prerequisites, usually a study score
of 25 in VCE Mathematical Methods
(CAS) Units 3 and 4 (or equivalent) plus
an approved quantitative subject.
We recommend studying Finance 1
in your first year to start with. From
there you can mix and match subjects
based on your interests, or complete a
sequence of subjects – called a breadth
track – to progressively build your
finance knowledge.
ECONOMICS & FINANCE
For non-Bachelor of Commerce students
who wish to explore future careers in
consulting or investment banking.
„„Finance
Finance
1
ETHICS AND INVESTING
„„Introductory
Econometrics OR
Quantitative Methods 2
„„Quantitative
Methods 1
„„Two
of: Corporate Finance,
Derivative Securities, Investments
YOUR MONEY OR YOUR LIFE
Provides insights into personal
saving, and why a crisis is imminent
in the retirement saving of our ageing
population.
„„Business
„„Finance
Finance
1
„„Intermediate
Personal Finance
(optional)
„„Introductory
Personal Finance
REAL ESTATE AND THE
AUSTRALIAN DREAM
Explores whether demographic changes
explain trends in home ownership, and
why retail areas succeed or fail.
„„Business
„„Finance
„„Business
„„Ethics
Finance
in Finance
„„Finance
1
FUNDAMENTALS OF FINANCE
AND ACCOUNTING
Provides sufficient accounting and
finance knowledge to gain a basic level
of financial literacy, with an emphasis on
the operation of financial markets.
„„Accounting
„„Business
„„Finance
Reports and Analysis
Finance
1
The Master of Management (Finance)
offered through Melbourne Business
School is ideal for non-finance
graduates who want to pursue a career
in the finance industry. It is also a great
option for Bachelor of Commerce
students who wish to add finance to
their portfolio.
The program will equip you with
advanced competencies, professional
skills and knowledge in the finance
discipline to prepare you for immediate
entry into the finance profession.
The Master of Management
(Accounting and Finance) program is
another option, and is designed for
students who would like to combine
studies in both disciplines.
FIND OUT MORE
mbs.unimelb.edu.au
Finance
1
„„Introduction
„„Real
How not to repeat the Global Financial
Crisis and what you can do as an investor
to help save the planet.
GRADUATE STUDY FOR
NON-FINANCE MAJORS
to Real Estate Analysis
Estate Finance (optional)
7
Finance
„„Business
bcom.unimelb.edu.au
CONTACT US
University of Melbourne
Information Centre
Gate 3, Swanston Street
The University of Melbourne
Victoria 3010 Australia
13 MELB (13 6352)
+61 3 9035 5511
13MELB@unimelb.edu.au
Finance Undergraduate Information brochure
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