Bachelor of Economics and Finance

at University of Wollongong - Southern Sydney Campus Australia

Management is the art and science of planning, coordinating and leading group efforts. It is the mobilising of human and material resources to achieve organisational goals. Effective managers make socially responsible decisions both in the short and long term whilst providing inspiring and motivating leadership that can affect all levels of the organisation.

This degree
You will undertake a foundation year that covers all core disciplines of business, giving you a solid understanding of issues facing organisations today. From your second year, you will major in Management to understand the framework of organisational structures, be able to examine quality and risk management, and analyse business strategies. Careers in management include company manager, operations manager, workforce planner, general manager, and strategic development executive.

You will also undertake a final-year capstone subject that lets you apply everything you have learned in collaboration with students from other disciplines. Plus, you have the option of applying for an internship to gain valuable experience whilst receiving credit towards your degree.

What you will study
You will learn how to manage – strategically and ethically – both physical and intangible assets for organisational success and employee wellbeing. You will do this by gaining a sound understanding of the framework of organisational structures, including the local and international environments in which they operate. Final year subjects enable you to identify and analyse quality management systems, strategically manage risk and develop international business strategies.

Economics is concerned with the big picture how a country, region or particular market is operating; while finance is a more microscopic look at industry risk and return on investment. The two disciplines complement each other giving you a more complete picture of the business world and open many doors to sought-after careers.

This degree
The Bachelor of Economics and Finance is for high achievers and as a graduate of the degree, you will be able to identify and apply the tools of analysis to a wide range of economic issues, including the behaviour of consumers and firms, the labour market, the environment, fiscal and monetary policy, and international trade.

Students will develop the skills necessary to make responsible professional judgements in their economic and financial decision-making. Your final year culminates with an exciting applied research project capstone subject. This experiential learning opportunity offers an international workplace-based project, or more traditional research-based project.

What you will study
You will study the theory, policies, practices and institutions of both the domestic and global economies. You will also develop expertise in the ways individuals, businesses and other organisations raise, allocate and use money.

In today’s technology-driven world, people and organizations are generating, collecting, and storing more data than ever before. Organizations across various industries are seeking graduates with skills to utilize and interpret this data to inform business strategies and add value to their business.

The Master of Business Analytics is designed to prepare you with the essential skills to undertake real-world Business Analytics tasks on big data business problems. You will develop skills and knowledge in business analytics, including how to apply tools and technologies required to perform descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics and how to apply these tools to a business landscape.

The Master of Project Management explores how efficient management can provide organizations with an improved ability to plan, implement and control their business activities. This master’s course provides comprehensive project management skills and capabilities on the full project lifecycle; from project initiation, planning, execution to project closing, and teaches strategies for dealing with a broad range of issues encountered within business organizations. The growth of new forms of technology in project management has prompted organizations to look for skilled project managers who can enhance the performance of their businesses.

The Master of Professional Accounting (MPA) Advanced is a two-year course designed for non-accounting graduates who want a career in the accounting profession and want to enhance their learning experience by including another discipline specialisation within their course. The learning experience and knowledge areas in the MPA Advanced are focused on the practice of accounting.

Within the MPA Advanced, you can choose to complete one of three possible specialisations, depending on your career aspirations. The Financial Management specialisation enables you to focus on areas of financial management such as banking and securities. The International Business specialisation allows you to broaden your knowledge of intercultural aspects of the business environment. The Business Analytics specialisation equips you with the skills to utilise and interpret data to inform business strategies and add value to businesses.

Finance is about money and investments. People on their own, people in partnerships, companies and other entities (including state and federal governments), have a common objective of profitable investment. What is a government-secured bond? What is a share? What are the reasons for investing in either and when is the right time? These are some of the questions answered in the domain of finance.

This degree
You will undertake a foundation year that covers all core disciplines of business, giving you a solid understanding of issues facing organisations today. From your second year, you will begin your major in Finance. The degree has an emphasis on practical applications and real-world financial management. Careers include finance manager, research analyst, management reporting manager, equity trade analyst, stockbroker, bank officer, investment operations analyst and venture capitalist.
You will also undertake a final-year capstone subject that lets you apply everything you have learned in collaboration with students from other disciplines. Plus, you have the option of applying for an internship to gain valuable experience whilst receiving credit towards your degree.

What you will study
You will learn the theoretical knowledge and tools demanded by employers in all sections of the world economy: investment, financial markets, financial modelling and portfolio analysis. You will utilise state of the art technology to learn advanced statistical techniques for analysis, including the classical linear regression model, model diagnostics, univariate time series modelling and forecasting. You will explore corporate finance, including financial strategies, security analysis and portfolio management.

The Master of Applied Finance (Financial Services) is for students interested in acquiring an advanced understanding of financial institutions, bank management, and lending. If you are currently working in the Finance industry or a recent graduate, you will benefit from the specialized knowledge learned in this course.

You will study the theory and practice of financial management and gain an understanding of the global financial system. Additionally, competing approaches to corporate governance and business ethics will be developed, and you will learn how to provide protection against portfolio, financial and corporate risks.

You will examine the legal framework establishing, controlling and regulating financial institutions and examine bank management theory, a bank's lending process and the securities associated with it.

The Graduate Certificate in Applied Finance is an introductory course designed to provide a general understanding of areas in Applied Finance such as financial statement analysis, managerial finance, statistics and corporate governance.

Upon successful completion of the Graduate Certificate in Applied Finance, you may enrol in a Master of Applied Finance and be eligible for credit for the four subjects completed within the Graduate Certificate. Progression with credit to other Masters programs, including the MBA, may also be possible.

We value the importance of prior learning and work experience in this course and understand that not all mature age working professionals have completed an undergraduate degree. If you fit this profile, still apply for the course, as we will assess your other relevant tertiary qualifications or substantial relevant professional or managerial experience.

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) Advanced is designed for experienced professionals with ambition and drive who wish to develop their responsible and sustainable leadership skills. You will gain a holistic strategic business point-of-view required to operate effectively in an increasingly competitive and changing global business world.

The course has been designed to cover three stages:

• Diagnostics, where you learn to diagnose issues in real organisations with a focus on marketing, employee engagement, talent management and accounting.
• Exploration, where you explore the latest thinking and practices in organisations and research worldwide, while developing skills in innovation and business transformation.
• Integration and Application, where you develop your strategic decision-making skills, undertake a real-world business project and enhance your personal effectiveness as a responsible leader.

The MBA Advanced offers students the opportunity to specialise further in their area of interest by completing four additional subjects from a specialisation of their choice. Specialisations are available in Accounting, Business Analytics, Finance, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Human Resource Management, Marketing, Project Management, or Supply Chain Management.

Your learning approach will include real-world case studies, experiential learning including planning and executing an integrated and live business project towards the end of the course, and teamwork, with an emphasis on peer learning.

The Master of Management provides an opportunity for you to enhance your career opportunities by further developing theoretical and practical skills and knowledge in key management areas.

Graduates of the Master of Management will have examined organisational structures, led and implemented organisational change, managed projects and leveraged organisational competitive advantages in the changing global marketplace.