Finance
Scholarships
Ranking
Top 200 in the world for Accounting and Finance (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2019)
Download Brochure
Scholarships
Ranking
Top 200 in the world for Accounting and Finance (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2019)
Download Brochure
Qualifications
Overview
Finance is a rapidly growing discipline that examines the acquisition and allocation of financial resources. Where financial accounting measures past performance, Finance as a discipline is forward focused. It is largely about future planning for firms or investors.
Finance consists of three interrelated subject areas:
- corporate finance studies how firms raise and efficiently utilise funds obtained from lenders and shareholders
- financial markets and institutions explores how the financial system facilitates the transfer of funds from savers and lenders to borrowers
- investment analysis studies how investors choose securities and asset classes for their investment portfolios.
All of these areas assess the trade-off between risk and reward and the valuation of financial and capital assets.
- UC is ranked in the top 200 universities in the world for Accounting and Finance (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2019).
- The Finance programme prepares students for a variety of jobs in the financial sector and business community. Extra opportunities while studying this subject at UC include:
- internships at a variety of organisations
- participation in case competitions such as the CFA (Chartered Financial Analysts) Institute Research Challenge
- preparation for the CFA exams. The Finance major at UC is part of the CFA Certified Financial Institute University Recognition Program. This means our degree programme incorporates at least 70% of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge (CBOK). This provides students with a solid grounding in the CBOK and positions them well to sit for the CFA exams to obtain the CFA qualification. The CFA Program provides a strong foundation of advanced investment analysis and real-world portfolio management skills that will give you a career advantage
- the option to obtain the PRM (Professional Risk Manager) qualification. Risk management skills are highly sought after, particularly since the global financial crisis.
If you are intending to major in Finance, you are recommended to include maths, statistics, and modelling in your Year 13 programme. Although some previous study of accounting and economics can be useful preparation for the 100-level courses in these subjects, it is not essential to have studied them at secondary school.
Students with very good NCEA Level 3 results (or equivalent standard in another qualification framework) in mathematics, and either economics or accounting, may be offered direct entry to 200-level Finance courses at the discretion of the Head of Department.
You can study a major in Finance as part of the Bachelor of Commerce and the Bachelor of Science (see below). You can also study a minor in Finance in the Bachelor of Arts.
100-level courses
Bachelor of Commerce
UC offers a major and minor in Finance as part of the Bachelor of Commerce (BCom).
The first-year, 100-level courses required for a BCom majoring in Finance are:
- ACCT 102 Accounting and Financial Information
- ECON 104 Introduction to Microeconomics or ECON 105 Introduction to Macroeconomics (or ECON 199,a STAR course for secondary school students)
- INFO 123 Information Systems and Technology
- MGMT 100 Fundamentals of Management
- STAT 101 Statistics 1
- MATH 101 Methods of Mathematics or MATH 102 Mathematics 1A (or MATH 199, a STAR course for secondary school students)
- Plus 30 points from 100-level Commerce or any other UC courses.
See the complete three-year Bachelor of Commerce Finance major degree plan, and minor courses, see the UC Business School | Te Kura Umanga website.
Bachelor of Science
If you are completing a Bachelor of Science majoring in Finance you are required to take the following first-year courses:
- STAT 101 Statistics 1
- MATH 102 Mathematics 1A (or MATH 199, a STAR course for secondary school students)
- ACCT 102 Accounting and Financial Information
- ECON 104 Introduction to Microeconomics (or ECON 199, a STAR course for secondary school students)
200-level and beyond
Later courses provide a more detailed treatment of the topics introduced at 100-level.
Students majoring in Finance should also consider taking 200-level Economics courses in microeconomic theory and econometrics.
Students majoring in Finance in the Bachelor of Science are required to take FINC 331 Financial Economics.
Today it would be rare for a person to rise to the position of chief financial officer (CFO) without a strong grounding in both Accounting and Finance.
There are also many other career opportunities for Finance graduates, with typical jobs including financial analyst, money market and foreign exchange dealer, loan analyst, equity analyst, risk analyst/manager, portfolio manager, financial planner, investment banker, and small-business manager.
Find out more about what you can do with a degree in Finance.
Contact us
Department of Economics and Finance
Phone +64 3 369 3888
Email studybusiness@canterbury.ac.nz
Location
Reception Level 2, Meremere Building – see campus maps
Postal address
College of Business and Law | Te Rāngai Umanga me te Ture
University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch 8140
New Zealand
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