Students

AFIN8081 – Professional Development in Banking and Finance

2021 – Session 1, Special circumstances

Notice

As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group activities on campus, and most will keep an online version available to those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.

To check the availability of face-to-face and online activities for your unit, please go to timetable viewer. To check detailed information on unit assessments visit your unit's iLearn space or consult your unit convenor.

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Guy Schofield
Lecturer
Keith Woodward
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MFin or (admission to MBkgFin and (30cp at 6000 level) or (10cp at 8000 level))
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
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 gain a further appreciation of their personal strengths and the relevance to their job applications. Students will develop their resume and their interview skills. Focus will also be placed on networking and communication skills to present and represent themselves as finance professionals. This will include an appreciation of navigating through the politics of a modern large firm. In addition, students will develop their critical thinking skills.

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:

  • ULO1: Interpret what is meant by professionalism in the banking and finance industry and relate it to the focus on the importance of ethics and trust and to recent events in the sector.
  • ULO2: Investigate and critically analyse ethical and professional practice issues and challenges related to financial markets, financial services and financial management.
  • ULO3: Reflect and evidence the impact career development activities have had in supporting and preparing them to transition from university to a career in the finance and banking sector.
  • ULO4: Demonstrate professional communication skills appropriate to context and audience in a range of tasks and display team problem-solving capabilities in assigned case application activities.

General Assessment Information

Assessment criteria for all assessment tasks will be provided on the unit iLearn site.

It is the responsibility of students to view their marks for each within-session-assessment on iLearn within 20 days of posting. If there are any discrepancies, students must contact the unit convenor immediately. Failure to do so will mean that queries received after the release of final results regarding assessment tasks (not including the final exam mark) will not be addressed.

Late submissions and extensions

Tasks 10% or less – No extensions will be granted. Students who have not submitted the task prior to the deadline will be awarded a mark of 0 for the task, except for cases in which an application for special consideration is made and approved.

Tasks above 10% - 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 special consideration is made and approved. No submission will be accepted after solutions have been posted.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Case Analyses 50% No See iLearn
Participatory Task 30% No See iLearn
Professional Self Reflection 20% No See iLearn

Case Analyses

Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: See iLearn
Weighting: 50%

 

Most weeks have a case assignment that students are required to work on before and during their class. Students are required to submit their Case Analysis Note, contribute to team and in-class discussions and provide peer review. Each week’s Case Assignment is equally weighted.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Interpret what is meant by professionalism in the banking and finance industry and relate it to the focus on the importance of ethics and trust and to recent events in the sector.
  • Investigate and critically analyse ethical and professional practice issues and challenges related to financial markets, financial services and financial management.
  • Reflect and evidence the impact career development activities have had in supporting and preparing them to transition from university to a career in the finance and banking sector.
  • Demonstrate professional communication skills appropriate to context and audience in a range of tasks and display team problem-solving capabilities in assigned case application activities.

Participatory Task

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: See iLearn
Weighting: 30%

 

Ongoing in-class and/or online activities e.g. exercises, mini-case discussions, problem-solving challenges, presentations, quizzes, forums, etc. Each week’s task is equally weighted.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Interpret what is meant by professionalism in the banking and finance industry and relate it to the focus on the importance of ethics and trust and to recent events in the sector.
  • Investigate and critically analyse ethical and professional practice issues and challenges related to financial markets, financial services and financial management.
  • Reflect and evidence the impact career development activities have had in supporting and preparing them to transition from university to a career in the finance and banking sector.
  • Demonstrate professional communication skills appropriate to context and audience in a range of tasks and display team problem-solving capabilities in assigned case application activities.

Professional Self Reflection

Assessment Type 1: Reflective Writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: See iLearn
Weighting: 20%

 

Students have a take home paper containing essay style questions requiring reflection on both the content and application of the activities completed and knowledge gained throughout the session.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Reflect and evidence the impact career development activities have had in supporting and preparing them to transition from university to a career in the finance and banking sector.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Required Text

Materials will be provided on iLearn.

Unit Web Page

You are required to access a device (e.g. computer) and the internet at various times in completing this unit, to download course material available on the learning management system (iLearn), and to complete assessment tasks.

Delivery

Format and

Other Details

Classes and teams

This Unit uses a team-based learning approach. This approach requires that you prepare for class. Pre-class activities may take six hours or more before the stated deadline for completion - typically the first class of week - and are essential preparation for your contributions to the class.

Classes are typically between two and three hours in duration. Attendance at your enrolled class is compulsory. Team participation in activities is an essential part of the learning process. You should ensure that you are able to commit and attend your assigned class as much of the learning comes from in-class activities that cannot be addressed via ECHO video recordings (even where they are available). The Lecturer has the discretion to adjust the mark allocated to each team member where the Lecturer determines the participation of team members is not equal. Non-participation may mean a mark of zero.

The timetable for classes can be found on the University web site at: http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au/

We recognise that there will be a mix of prior work experience. Lecturers will suggest services offered for those seeking support in areas not covered in this unit such as resumes and job interview skills.

Recommended

Readings

Recommended texts, on the Library Reserve Reading list, that you may wish to consult include:

  • A Matter of Trust: The Practice of Ethics in Finance (2017) by Paul Kofman, Claire Payne
  • Ethics in finance 3 Ed by John R. Boatright. Malden, Mass., Malden, Mass.: Blackwell Publishers.
  • Working Ethically in Finance: Clarifying Our Vocation (2015) by Anthony Asher
  • Grace, D., & Cohen, Stephen. (2010). Business ethics / Damian Grace & Stephen Cohen. (4th ed.). South Melbourne, Vic.: Oxford University Press Australia & New Zealand.

Inherent

requirements

Inherent requirements are the essential components of a course or program necessary for a student to successfully achieve the core learning outcomes of a course or program. Students must meet the inherent requirements to complete their Macquarie University course or program. For more information see https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/inherent-requirements.

The content of this unit guide provides specific requirements such as attending classes with a suitable device and working in small groups.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) 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 or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@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 help you improve your marks and take control of your study.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

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

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@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.


Unit information based on version 2021.03 of the Handbook