Bachelor of Applied Financial Advice
Undergraduate | GRF-AFA-DEG | 2024
Bring a career in finance to life
From risk management to taxation, estate planning to behavioural finance – this degree will set your career in motion. Gain skills to communicate, advise and collaborate in workplaces such as banks, fund management and financial planning companies.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- Subject may require attendance
- Applications close
- 30 June 2024,
- 20 Oct 2024
- Credit available
- Yes
- Duration
- 3 years full time or part time equivalent
- Total subjects
- 25
- Price from
- $48,000
- Available loans
- Australian Higher Education Loan Program (HELP)
- CSP available
- Yes
Bachelor of Applied Financial Advice
About this degree
Graduates of the Bachelor of Applied Financial Advice will have:
- The ability to integrate and apply theoretical and technical financial planning knowledge in areas such as financial markets, taxation, risk management, retirement and superannuation, estate planning and behavioural finance
- Demonstrate a high level of understanding of ethical principles, standards and practices in the financial planning profession
- Skills to communicate financial advice and ideas in complex collaborative contexts involving both peers (finance and investment professionals and non-finance or non-investment professionals) and clients
- Skills to seek and reflect on performance feedback to identify and action learning and self-improvement opportunities
- Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and methods that underpin research in the field of financial planning
- The ability to plan and conduct research and problem solve in a scaffolded environment to address complex financial advice scenarios
- Engage successfully with an organisation in the professional environment
- Apply knowledge across the various interacting internal and external elements of a business.
Through this degree you will gain the technical capabilities required to integrate and apply theoretical and technical financial planning knowledge in areas such as financial markets, taxation, risk management, retirement and superannuation, estate planning and behavioural finance. You will also develop the professional skills required to communicate financial advice and ideas in complex collaborative contexts involving finance and investment professionals and clients. You will also have the opportunity to gain practical work experience and career skills development as part of your study that will help you graduate with added skills sought by employers.
This program is offered full-time and part-time through Open Universities Australia (OUA). As an OUA student, you are not required to study on-campus. You may complete this program entirely off-campus through Open Universities Australia.
Recommended study pattern
2 years full-time; 4 years part-time.
Students are recommended to follow the below study pattern:
- Complete core subjects
- Complete Elective subjects
complete no more than 10 subjects at Year 1 level (the first digit of a subject code denotes the level) and complete at least 6 subjects at Year 3 level.
Award requirements
For the award of Bachelor of Applied Financial Advice (BAppFinA), you must successfully complete 240 credit points, made up of the 19 core subjects and 6 listed or free-choice electives.
complete no more than 10 subjects at Year 1 level (the first digit of a subject code denotes the level) and complete at least 6 subjects at Year 3 level.
Note: In accordance with the University's Credit for Prior Learning Policy and notwithstanding the amount of credit which may be given towards the Bachelor of Applied Financial Advice, a student undertaking this program is required to complete a minimum of 8 subjects of second and third year Griffith subjects which are part of the Bachelor of Applied Financial Advice degree requirements and which have not been credited towards another award.
Choose your subjects
Electives
Students will have the opportunity to complete a 40CP or 20CP Work Integrated Learning subject.*
- AFE301 Work Integrated Learning I (40CP)
- AFE302 Work Integrated Learning II (20CP)
*Students who elect to complete AFE301, they must complete 2 (20CP) additional elective. For students who complete AFE302, they must complete 4 (40CP) additional electives.
OR
Students can choose to complete 6 (60CP) electives from any undergraduate program offered by Open Universities Australia, provided you meet the degree requirements including the completion of at least eight second and third year Griffith subjects which are part of the Bachelor of Applied Financial advice degree requirements and which have not been credited towards another award.
Degrees are usually made up of core subjects and electives. Some degrees include a choice of majors, so you can focus your studies on a specialisation.
This list is a general overview. Download the full Degree Guide for more information.
Students are required to register with Griffith University for this award by completing a registration for a study plan (Griffith OUA - Study Plan) by paying the required fee. The non-refundable $150 registration fee is payable when the registration is submitted.
The $150 fee is not applicable to students who have accepted a Commonwealth supported place.
Transition arrangements are changes that occur when courses are updated or phased out. This happens regularly as part of continuous improvement. It may affect you if you are currently enrolled in this course, or if you plan to use credit from previous study towards it.
Changes in 2021 and 2022:
The total number of subjects to complete is now 25 with students required to complete an additional elective/s.
The following subjects have been removed from the structure
- GRF-IBA205 Comparative Management
- GRF-AFE123 Money, Banking and Finance
- GRF-AFE316 Revenue Law: Theory and Policy in Action
- GRF-AFE318 Taxation Planning
- GRF-AFE135-2022 Business Data Analysis (will be available in 2023 and withdrawn in 2024)
Students have the option to complete one of the following subjects in place of AFE123
- USA-BEHL1027 Psychology Concepts OR
- SWI-PSY10008 Fundamentals of Psychology (retired in 2022) OR
- CUR-PSB100 Introduction to Psychology
New subjects
- GRF-AFE210 Tax and Investment (to replace AFE316 in the program structure)
- GRF-AFE310 Taxation Planning for Advisors (new elective option for students wishing to meet the educational accreditation requirements to become a Registered Taxation Agent
With a network of campuses spanning three cities in South East Queensland, Griffith University is committed to progressive multidisciplinary teaching and research and a valuable online provider with Open Universities Australia. Already attracting students from over one hundred countries, Griffith's dedication to academic excellence is available across Australia through OUA.
Learn more about Griffith University.
Explore Griffith courses.
- QS Ranking 2024:
- 18
- Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:
- 20
Entry requirements
To be eligible for an offer of admission made through Open Universities Australia (OUA) for a Commonwealth Supported Place at Griffith University, an applicant must:
- meet the criteria for a domestic Australian student; AND have one of the following:
- have completed at least two OUA undergraduate units with a minimum GPA of 4.0 within the last 12 months at the time of application for admission OR
- Achieved a minimum ATAR/Rank of 65.00 through the completion of senior secondary studies OR
- Achieved a minimum assessed Rank of 65.00 through the completion of studies in an accepted qualification
* These scores/rankings apply to this program for 2022. Until this information is updated, applications will continue to be assessed using the requirements listed above as a guide. The minimum ATAR/Ranks for admission will be updated each cycle.
For students to undertake a paid placement/internship they must be eligible to work in Australia. For students not eligible to work in Australia, a project or an unpaid placement can be undertaken.
English language requirements apply to International applicants and other applicants whose previous study was undertaken in a language other than English.
Griffith University grants credit and recognition of prior learning which may relate to prior formal learning or prior informal and non-formal learning. For more information, please visit the following website:
Study method requirements
To be classed as a full-time student, you must enrol in at least two subjects per session/study period.
To complete this program students will require access to high speed internet, modern computing facilities with specified hardware (web camera, microphone, digital recording capability, iPad).
There are work-integrated learning activities through the program. Students must be eligible to work in Australia.
Career opportunities
Career opportunities exist in the financial services industry (namely, banks, funds management and financial planning companies) in various roles including client services officers, business development, client administration officers and trainee para-planners.
Graduate roles include: Client Services Officer, Para-planner, Provisional Financial Adviser*
* Additional work and training requirements are required to qualify as a financial adviser.
Professional recognition
Students completing this program who wish to meet the educational accreditation requirements to become a Registered Taxation Agent should complete AFE310 Taxation Planning for Advisors, AFE315 Law of Finance and AFE216 Company Law as electives.
Professional Accreditation: The Bachelor of Applied Financial Advice is accredited by the Financial Advisor Standards.
Career outlook
- Finance Managers:
- Over $120K
- Financial Brokers:
- Over $120K
- Financial Dealers:
- Over $120K
- Financial Investment Advisers and Managers:
- Over $120K
Degree FAQs
That's up to you! Because we let you choose when to study online, you can actually pick up and pause study when it suits you. Many universities have a set time you need to complete your degree within. For some this is up to 10 years, and for others there is no limit.
There are some degrees that are stricter about when you can take breaks, and about how many years you can take to complete your degree. Please always check with your uni what the limits are.
As a general guide, Commonwealth supported place students have 10 years to finish their undergraduate degree through OUA, However, if you're studying with Griffith University, there's a limit of 8 years to complete your studies. If you want to take a break that lasts more than two study terms, you'll need to apply for a leave of absence. You can apply for a leave of absence for up to 12 months, as long as you complete your studies within the maximum time allowed for your degree.
If you're studying with Macquarie University, with the exception of certain degrees, there's no limit to how long you can take. But, please check with Macquarie Student Administration to be sure.
If you're studying with the University of Adelaide, you have up to 9 years to complete your undergraduate degree and graduate.
If you're studying with La Trobe University and want to take a break of minimum 1 study term, you must apply for leave of absence to avoid being inadvertently withdrawn from your degree.
Through OUA, you can study all year round, so it's possible to fast-track and finish up sooner than studying at a traditional uni would allow. That said, you need to spend around 12 hours a week on each undergraduate subject you do, so taking on extra work to finish ahead of time can be challenging.
You may be eligible for a HELP loan from the Australian government, depending on your citizenship status and where you'll be living during your studies. You can also pay upfront with your credit card.
Payment options are explained in Fees, and you can contact a student advisor for more information.
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