Global Utilities

La Trobe University
University Handbook 2010

Courses and programs offered

Bachelor of Finance (LBF)

Admission requirements

Admission requirements are VCE units 3 and 4 of English (any) and mathematics (any) with a study score of at least 20 in each. Applicants with comparable qualifications will be considered. A limited number of students may also be considered under Special Entry Schemes.

Degree requirements

Students must complete a course of subjects accumulating at least 360 credit points, at least 300 of which must be subjects offered by the Faculty of Law and Management. The course is designed to be completed within three years of full-time study, although part-time study is possible. Maximum course duration is 10 years. Students should undertake 120 credit points at each year level and must undertake at least 120 credit points at third year level including 90 credit points at third year level from the Faculty of Law and Management. Variations to this structure are subject to approval by a Faculty of Law and Management course adviser.

Course structure

Students must pass the compulsory and elective subjects listed below. All subjects are worth 15 credit points.

First year
Teaching
period
Subject title Subject code
TE-SEM-1 or
TE-SEM-2
Accounting for Management Decisions ACC1AMD
TE-SEM-1 or
TE-SEM-2
Introductory Financial Accounting ACC1IFA
TE-SEM-1 or
TE-SEM-2
Introductory Statistics for Business ECO1ISB
TE-SEM-1 or
TE-SEM-2
Macroeconomics ECO1IMA
TE-SEM-1 or
TE-SEM-2
Microeconomics ECO1IMI
TE-SEM-1 or
TE-SEM-2
Two first year elective subjects**
plus one of:
TE-SEM-2 Introduction to Quantitative Analysis* ECO2IQA
TE-SEM-1 Calculus and Functions for Economics* MAT1CFE

Key: * Students with a strong background in mathematics, including VCE Mathematical Methods or Specialist Mathematics, are urged to consider taking MAT1CFE instead of ECO2IQA and to take MAT1CLA as a first year elective.

** See section on Professional Recognition below.

Second year
Teaching
period
Subject title Subject code
TE-SEM-1 Intermediate Statistics for Business ECO2ISB
TE-SEM-1 Microeconomic Theory ECO2MIT
TE-SEM-2 Macroeconomic Theory ECO2MAT
TE-SEM-1 or
TE-SEM-2
Finance FIN2FIN
TE-SEM-2 Financial Instruments FIN2FII
TE-SEM-2 Banking and Finance Law*** LAW2BFL
TE-SEM-1 or
TE-SEM-2
Two second year elective subjects
Third year
Teaching
period
Subject title Subject code
TE-SEM-1 Corporate Finance FIN3CFI
TE-SEM-1 International Financial Management FIN3IFM
TE-SEM-2 Financial Risk Management FIN3FRM
TE-SEM-2 Investment and Portfolio Management FIN3IPM
plus four of:
TE-SEM-1 Derivatives FIN3DER
TE-SEM-1 Econometric Methods ECO3EME
TE-SEM-1 Financial Institutions Management FIN3FIM
TE-SEM-1 Financial Planning FIN2FPL
TE-SEM-1 Microeconomic Analysis ECO3MIA
TE-SEM-1 or
TE-SEM-2
Taxation ACC3TAX
TE-SEM-2 Case Studies in Finance FIN3CSF
TE-SEM-2 Case Studies in Financial Planning FIN3CFP
TE-SEM-2 Computational Finance FIN3CLF
TE-SEM-2 Financial History FIN3FHY
TE-SEM-2 Introduction to time series econometrics ECO3ITE
TE-SEM-2 Macroeconomic Analysis ECO3MAA
TE-SEM-2 Mergers and Acquisitions FIN3MAQ
TE-SEM-2 Retirement and Estate Planning FIN3REP
TE-SEM-2 Security Valuation FIN3SEV

Key: *** Bachelor of Finance students are not required to complete the prerequisite, Business Law LST2BSL, but are strongly encouraged to do so.

Professional recognition

In order to satisfy the educational requirements of Financial Services Institute of Australasia (FINSIA), Foundations of Management MGT1FOM and Foundations of Marketing MKT1FMK must be taken as elective subjects.

Students seeking employment in the finance industry or in a position which requires them to provide advice to retail clients about financial planning or financial products must complete an Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC PS146) compliant course of study. This includes: ECO1IMA, FIN2FII, FIN2FPL, and FIN3CFP.

NB: FIN3REP is a co-requisite for FIN3CFP

Finance Electives
Subject title Subject code
Financial Planning
Financial Planning FIN2FPL
Taxation ACC3TAX
Retirement and Estate Planning **FIN3REP
Case Studies in Financial Planning FIN3CFP
Corporate Finance
Commodity Derivatives FIN3DER
Security Valuation FIN3SEV
Mergers and Acquisitions FIN3MAQ
Case Studies in Finance FIN3CSF
Other
Financial Institutions Management FIN3FIM
Econometric Methods ECO2EME
Microeconomic Analysis ECO3MIA
Computational Finance FIN3CLF
Financial History FIN3FHY
Introduction to Time-Series Econometrics ECO3ITE
Macroeconomic Analysis ECO3MAA
Financial Statement Analysis FIN3FSA
Ethics and Professional Practice FIN3EPP

For a full description of these subjects, including the subject name, subject code, credit points, campus/location, subject coordinator, class requirements, assessment, prerequisites and readings, students should access the Subject Database at www.latrobe.edu.au/udb_public.