Graduate Certificate of Finance
PostgraduateMAQ-FIN-GCE2025
Course information for 2025 intake View information for 2024 course intake
An introduction to corporate finance and investment management
Get to know the finance industry and your career options. You’ll study finance theories, concepts and models. Develop fundamental financial skills and start tackling finance problems. Transition to a career in finance or continue with further study.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Applications close
- 29 Dec 2024,
- 23 Mar 2025,
- 15 June 2025,
- 7 Sept 2025
- Credit available
- Yes
- Duration
- 6 months full time or part time equivalent
- Total subjects
- 4
- Available loans
- Australian Higher Education Loan Program (HELP)
Graduate Certificate of Finance
About this degree
On successful completion you will be able to
1. Understand theories, concepts, models and recent developments in finance.
2. Apply specialised technical skills required to evaluate the theories, concepts, models and recent developments in finance.
3.Evaluate established knowledge and critically analyse issues in finance.
4. Solve finance problems using professional judgement.
5. Communicate effectively with specialist and non-specialist audiences.
6. Analyse contemporary industry challenges and ethical issues in a global financial context.
Macquarie's Graduate Certificate of Finance (OUA) is a comprehensive Gateway course in graduate finance. This award offers a pathway for non-finance-related degree holders to the Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance and the Master of Applied Finance, providing that work experience admission requirements of the higher degree are met. It will also appeal to those students who want postgraduate level learning in finance as a stand-alone award.
Recommended study pattern
Core Zone - 40 credit points
Complete each subject below:
- AFCX6016 Finance Principles - 10 credit points
- AFCX6017 Case Studies in Applied Finance - 10 credit points
- AFCX6018 Quantitative and Economic Analysis - 10 credit points
- AFCX6019 Financial Statement Analysis and Modelling - 10 credit points
Award requirements
Completion of 40 credit points in the Core Zone.
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.
Required
- Official Academic Transcript(s) with conferral date
- Proof of Citizenship or Residency Status (i.e. passport)
Optional
- Log of continuing professional development activities over the last two years.
- List of industry professional memberships where membership has been held for more than one year.
- Proof of successful completion of professional accreditation.
Additional documentation (non-standard entry)
Additional documentation is required for applicants that do not have a Bachelor's Degree (or higher) but have 5+ years (full time equivalent) professional work experience.
Applicants without a Bachelor degree may be eligible for admission to the Graduate Certificate of Finance. You will need to demonstrate a willingness and an ability to study and have at least five years professional work experience. The following additional documentation is required:
- Resume
- Personal statement form PDF, 498.09 KB – (Download for completion, word limit 350 words)
- Summary of Project/Tasks PDF, 554.54 KB (Download for completion, word limit 700 words)
Note:
Once you have been admitted into your degree, you must enrol in at least one subject in the study term immediately following admission, and you must remain enrolled past the census date. If not, your admission will lapse and you will need to re-apply for the degree again. Deferment is not available for OUA students.
Visit Studying a degree through OUA for further information.
Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.
Indicative total fee $15,480
The amount shown here is 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.
This research-intensive university in north-western Sydney offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. With over 44,000 current students, Macquarie has a strong reputation for welcoming international students and embracing flexible and convenient study options, including its partnership with Open Universities Australia.
Learn more about Macquarie University.
Explore Macquarie courses.
- QS Ranking 2024:
- 10
- Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:
- 10
Entry requirements
AQF level 7 bachelor's qualification or recognised equivalent
Five years (full-time equivalent) of relevant professional work experience
The required standard of English for this program is:
Academic IELTS of 6.5 overall with minimum 6.0 in each band, or equivalent.
All applicants to coursework programs at Macquarie University are required to provide evidence of proficiency in English.
For more information on accepted equivalents, please see English Language Requirements.
You may be eligible for credit against individual units in your course at Macquarie if you have additional postgraduate-level study or qualifications beyond those required for admission.
For more information see our Recognition of Prior Learning page or submit an enquiry.
Career opportunities
With a Graduate Certificate of Finance from the Macquarie Applied Finance Centre, employers will recognise your formal introduction to the banking and finance sector, and your structured understanding of the sector's integral role in the modern economy. The Graduate Certificate of Finance will develop your quantitative skills that are used in finance, as well as your critical, analytical and interpretative skills. These are sought after skills and key to your employability in the sector.
Professional recognition
Macquarie Business School is accredited by international accreditation body Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). AACSB accreditation represents the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide, making our graduates more employable.
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.