Students
AFIN881 – Professional Development in Banking and Finance
2017 – S1 Day
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit convenor
Guy Schofield
Contact via Refer to iLearn
Refer to iLearn
Refer to iLearn
Lecturer
Justine Fowler
Contact via Refer to iLearn
Refer to iLearn
Refer to iLearn
Lecturer
Clare Hurst
Contact via Refer to iLearn
Refer to iLearn
Refer to iLearn
Angela Chow
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| Credit points |
Credit points
4
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MBkgFin and 12cp at 600 level or above
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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| Unit description |
Unit description
This unit prepares students for the transition to a career in banking and finance. Students will examine the banking and finance industry, analysing the various roles, career pathways and professional associations available to finance professionals. Students will develop their networking and communication skills to present and represent themselves as finance professionals. In addition, students will develop their critical thinking skills through exploration of different sources of information required in the finance profession, from a variety of international, governmental and commercial organizations.
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Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Describe the main financial institutions and explain the various roles and career pathways available in finance
- Explain what is meant by professionalism and discuss the need for ethics in finance
- Explain the role of: a personal skills inventory, goals and networking in career development
- Summarise aspects of good communication and describe characteristics of an effective job application
- Identify elements of an effective presentation and sources of financial information that might be used in a financial presentation
General Assessment Information
This course will involve a number of group activities and public speaking. Please use the first few weeks of these activities as an indicator of whether you are progressing satisfactorily in the unit. If you are having difficulties, please see the Unit Convenor and consider withdrawing before the census date on Friday of week 4.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job Application | 30% | No | Week 8 |
| Presentation | 30% | No | Allocated weeks |
| Final exam | 40% | No | University exam period |
Job Application
Due: Week 8
Weighting: 30%
Students respond to a job advert by making an application for a position. This is an individual task. Instructions will be posted on iLearn.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Describe the main financial institutions and explain the various roles and career pathways available in finance
- Explain the role of: a personal skills inventory, goals and networking in career development
- Summarise aspects of good communication and describe characteristics of an effective job application
Presentation
Due: Allocated weeks
Weighting: 30%
Students will be formed into groups. Each group will be allocated a case topic. The group will research the topic, prepare a report and present it to the class (20 minutes including 5 minutes for discussions) in their allocated week. The report will be a combination of notes and presentation slides. These will be submitted through Turnitin and a hard-copy will be handed-in to the lecturer in the allocated week. The presentation will be graded based on content and delivery. Every student must participate in the group presentations and report so that individual student contribution to the group presentations and report can be identified. Each member of a group will be required to complete an assessment of the contributions of individual members. Depth of research, relevance of contents to the topic, organisation of ideas and students' ability to give the audience insights - to engage, inspire, persuade, and energise the audience. No extensions will be granted. There will be a deduction of 10% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late (for example, 25 hours late in submission – 20% penalty). This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for disruption of studies is made and approved. No report submission will be accepted after the group's presentation.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Explain what is meant by professionalism and discuss the need for ethics in finance
- Summarise aspects of good communication and describe characteristics of an effective job application
- Identify elements of an effective presentation and sources of financial information that might be used in a financial presentation
Final exam
Due: University exam period
Weighting: 40%
This will be a take home report. This will require a critical analysis and report on a set topic. Submission will be via Turnitin. Further details on the timing and format of the final exam will be available on iLearn.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Describe the main financial institutions and explain the various roles and career pathways available in finance
- Explain the role of: a personal skills inventory, goals and networking in career development
- Summarise aspects of good communication and describe characteristics of an effective job application
Delivery and Resources
Lecture times
Students are required to enrol in one three-hour class per week and attend the class in which they are enrolled. See details from the timetable.
Learning and teaching strategy
Face-to-face
Classes will typically consist of lectures followed by workshop activity. Lectures are used to set the scene and show how the topic fits into the overall unit of study aims. Workshops activities are essential for helping address any misunderstandings and to apply concepts to more difficult problems. Participation is strongly encouraged so students can check their understanding of concepts.
Much of the class time will involve group work. Students will be randomly assigned to groups of around five students during week one.
There is no textbook for the unit. Important handouts can be downloaded from the unit's iLearn site. This will include readings drawn from C. Viney, Financial Institutions, Instruments and Markets, McGraw-Hill, Eighth edition, 2015. Please check iLearn for required weekly readings.
Unit Schedule
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Acad. Week/Date |
Topic |
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Week 1 |
Introduction and financial systems overview |
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Week 2 |
Employment opportunities in finance |
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Week 3 |
Professionalism and ethics in finance |
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Week 4 |
Career management |
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Week 5 |
Job applications |
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Week 6 |
Interview skills |
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Week 7 |
Presentation skills |
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Week 8 |
Presentations and accessing finance data |
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Week 9 |
The workplace |
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Week10 |
Assessment centres |
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Week11 |
Presentations |
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Week12 |
Presentations |
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Week13 |
Professional bodies |
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html
Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy_2016.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html
Disruption to Studies Policy (in effect until Dec 4th, 2017): http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html
Special Consideration Policy (in effect from Dec 4th, 2017): https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration
In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
Results
Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.
Student Support
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Student Services and Support
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
Student Enquiries
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
IT Help
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Graduate Capabilities
PG - Capable of Professional and Personal Judgment and Initiative
Our postgraduates will demonstrate a high standard of discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgment. They will have the ability to make informed choices and decisions that reflect both the nature of their professional work and their personal perspectives.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Describe the main financial institutions and explain the various roles and career pathways available in finance
- Explain what is meant by professionalism and discuss the need for ethics in finance
- Explain the role of: a personal skills inventory, goals and networking in career development
Assessment tasks
- Job Application
- Presentation
- Final exam
PG - Effective Communication
Our postgraduates will be able to communicate effectively and convey their views to different social, cultural, and professional audiences. They will be able to use a variety of technologically supported media to communicate with empathy using a range of written, spoken or visual formats.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Describe the main financial institutions and explain the various roles and career pathways available in finance
- Explain what is meant by professionalism and discuss the need for ethics in finance
- Explain the role of: a personal skills inventory, goals and networking in career development
- Summarise aspects of good communication and describe characteristics of an effective job application
- Identify elements of an effective presentation and sources of financial information that might be used in a financial presentation
Assessment tasks
- Job Application
- Presentation
- Final exam
PG - Engaged and Responsible, Active and Ethical Citizens
Our postgraduates will be ethically aware and capable of confident transformative action in relation to their professional responsibilities and the wider community. They will have a sense of connectedness with others and country and have a sense of mutual obligation. They will be able to appreciate the impact of their professional roles for social justice and inclusion related to national and global issues
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Explain what is meant by professionalism and discuss the need for ethics in finance
- Explain the role of: a personal skills inventory, goals and networking in career development
Assessment task
- Final exam