Ethics and Professionalism
PostgraduateTAS-BFA5152025
Course information for 2025 intake View information for 2024 course intake
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Enrol by
- 16 Feb 2025
- Entry requirements
- Part of a degree
- Duration
- 14 weeks
- Price from
- $3,128
- Upfront cost
- $0
- Loan available
- FEE-HELP available
Ethics and Professionalism
About this subject
Upon successful completion of this subject, the student should be able to:
- Articulate the importance of the FASEA Code of Ethics and the values that underpin it.
- Contrast different ethics frameworks as applied to financial planning incorporating sustainable principles.
- Apply ethics frameworks to resolve dilemmas that are encountered in the role of a financial adviser.
- Explain the importance of the best interest duty of a financial adviser and the due diligence in maintaining client records.
- Week 1 - Introduction to ethics and the three principal normative ethical frameworks.
- Week 2 - Part 1: The three normative ethical frameworks and ethical dilemmas. Part 2: Case studies
- Week 3 - Part 1: The Ethics of Capitalism. Part 2: The Question of Values.
- Week 4 - Part 1: FASEA code of ethics and its practical application. Part 2: Why do good people sometimes do bad things? Case studies.
- Week 5 - Ethical behaviour in financial planning – Application of the Financial Planners & Advisers Code of Ethics (2019) Standards 1 - 3
- Week 6 - Ethical behaviour towards clients – Application of Standards 4-6
- Week 7 - Ethical behaviour in the financial planning process – Application of Standards 7 and 8
- Week 8 - Ethical behaviour in the financial planning process – Application of Standard 9
- Week 9 - Ethical behaviour professionalism – Application of Standard 10
- Week 10 - Ethical responsibilities in the workplace – Application of Standards 11 and 12
- Week 11 - Part 1: Ethical responsibilities to the wider financial community and the impact of technology. Part 2: Ethical issues in practice within the Financial Planning Profession and the financial (Taxation) adviser
- Week 12 - Building an ethical culture within the Profession including management of client files.
- Week 13 - Review
The study of ethics, from the Greek meaning ‘character’, may be defined as the philosophical enquiry into theories of human conduct: establishing what is morally right as opposed to what is morally wrong. Ethics may be simply described as moral philosophy, or perhaps the principles of goodness by which people live. For the purpose of this subject, we may use the term ethics interchangeably with right conduct or moral goodness. Essentially ethics is the reasoning behind our assessment of the morality of actions or decisions.
We will study professional ethics and codes of conduct as mechanisms whereby professions are able to represent to the public that certain standards of behaviour, competence and care are being met. Codes of ethics are universal statements of principle, which provide adherents with general guidance about positive or good behaviour. A code of conduct typically provides some form of rules, which are specific and relate to certain behaviours in that profession or business. These rules usually provide descriptions of conduct, which is unacceptable to the profession or business. Some professions and organisations combine codes of ethics and codes of conduct while others, such as the Financial Adviser Association of Australia, keep the two separate.
- Take Home Exam (30%)
- Two Written Professional Reflections (45%)
- Research Task (25%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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Entry requirements
To enrol in this subject, you must be admitted into a degree.
Additional requirements
No additional requirements
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.