Bachelor of Applied Financial Advice
UndergraduateGRF-AFA-DEG2025
Course information for 2025 intake View information for 2024 course intake
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
- 16 Feb 2025,
- 29 June 2025
- Credit available
- Yes
- Duration
- 3 years full time or part time equivalent
- Total subjects
- 23
- 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 16 core subjects and 8 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.
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.
2025 Changes
The following subjects have been retired:
- AFE124 Professional Awareness A (0.0625 EFTSL)
- AFE125 Professional Awareness B (0.0625 EFTSL)
- AFE225 Professional Identity A (0.0625 EFTSL)
- AFE226 Professional Identity B (0.0625 EFTSL)
- AFE223 Financial Planning 2
- AFE137 Digital Economy and Analysis
- AFE328 Behavioural Finance
New Subjects to be offered:
- AFE120 Personal Finance
- AFE130 Sustainable Economics
- AFE230 Business Intelligence
- AFE330 Predictive Analytics
- AFE327 Behavioural Insights
- GBS314 Empowerment Through Experience: Unlocking Career Readiness for Business Professionals
Continuing students who have not completed AFE124 and AFE125 will need to complete LHS156 Communication and Culture. Students who have completed only AFE124 will contact the program director and be advised of a replacement course with a course substitution.
Continuing students who have not completed AFE225 and AFE226 will need to complete GBS314 Empowerment Through Experience: Unlocking Career Readiness for Business Professionals. Students who have completed only AFE225 will contact the program director and be advised of a replacement course with a course substitution.
AFE223 Financial Planning 2 has been removed, this subject has be replaced with AFE120 Personal Finance.
AFE328 Behavioural Finance has been removed, this subject has been replaced with AFE327 Behavioural Insights.
AFE137 Digital Economy and Analysis has been removed, this subject has been replaced with AFE130 Sustainable Economics.
Please contact gbs.programsupport@griffith.edu.au for study planning advice.
2021 and 2022 Changes
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
Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.
Indicative first year fee
$16,500
Indicative total fee $49,500
The amounts shown here are indicative for an Australian citizen studying full-time, which is typically 8 subjects per year.
Fees may vary depending on:
- the subjects you choose
- credit from previous work experience
- your eligibility for government funding loans or subsidies such as HECS-HELP or a Commonwealth supported place.
To learn more, go to Fees or contact a student advisor.
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.
Australian job snapshots
Data sourced from Australian Jobs 2023.
Role | Earnings | Employment change |
|---|---|---|
Finance Managers | Over $120K | Up 24.7% |
Financial Brokers | Over $120K | Up 47.5% |
Financial Dealers | Over $120K | Up 4.8% |
Financial Investment Advisers and Managers | Over $120K | Up 25.4% |
Degree FAQs
How long does it take to finish an online degree?
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.
How can I pay for my studies?
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.
How does studying through Open Universities Australia work?
You might find learning through OUA a little different to how you've studied in the past. It can take time to develop the skills you need for independent online study.
We connect you with subjects and degrees that are taught by leading Australian universities. You can complete single subjects, or follow a degree structure to work towards a specific qualification. Subjects are offered in several study terms throughout the year, so you can choose to study part-time or full-time, continuously or with breaks.
We help you find the subjects or degree that's right for you, and we handle your enrolment in uni and some administration. Your uni sends you your study materials and deals with all academic matters. They're also in charge of your assessment and graduation. If you go on to complete a degree, you'll graduate from the uni offering your degree, for example, RMIT University or Griffith University.
How do I know if I‘m eligible to apply for a course?
Before starting an enrolment, it's important to read the entry requirements for your chosen course to ensure that you're eligible to apply. If you don't quite meet the requirements, we can help you find a pathway into your course through open-entry subjects, which anyone can study. Contact us to find out more.
When is my cut-off date for enrolment?
Our close of enrolment times vary. You can check the cut-off dates for upcoming study terms by visiting Key dates.
Why should I study online through Open Universities Australia?
There are a lot of reasons to study your course online through us.
You can enrol without entry requirements
We have a unique open-door policy that makes it possible for everyone to enrol in university study, no matter their academic history. If you don't meet the entry requirements for a degree, we'll help you get in through single undergraduate subjects and transition into a qualification from there.
You have total control over how you study
Upskill without committing to a whole degree upfront. Or enrol in a full degree, but take it a subject at a time. We'll introduce you to flexible study options you didn't even know about, so you can fit uni around what matters to you.You'll graduate with the same qualification as an on-campus student
Once you enrol through us, you'll study online with the university that provides your degree. This means that when you complete your qualification, you'll graduate with the same degree as on-campus students.We'll help you navigate the university world
Our friendly student advisors will be your guide every step of the enrolment journey. They'll help you compare universities, choose a course, provide documentation and understand your finance options.
How do I enrol?
Here at Open Universities Australia, we make enrolling online as straightforward as possible. To get started, find the course for you by browsing the options on this page. You can also compare different qualifications using our handy comparison tool, or request help from one of our student advisors.
When you've made your choice, click 'Apply now' on the relevant course page and follow the prompts to begin your enrolment. We'll ask you to supply some supporting documentation, including proof of your identity, your tax file number, and a unique student identifier (USI) during this process.
Your university will get in touch with you via email to confirm whether or not your application has been successful.
If you get stuck at any time, reach out to a student advisor and we'll talk you through it.
You can also take a look at our online self-service enrolling instructions.