Students

AFIN8081 – Professional Development in Banking and Finance

2024 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Damian Bridge
damian.bridge@mq.edu.au
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.
  • ULO5: Students will work collaboratively, in groups, to solve a banking and finance scenario or problem.

General Assessment Information

Late Assessment Submission Penalty (written assessments) 

Late Assessment Submission Penalty (written assessments)  

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical concern.   

For any late submissions of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, students need to submit an application for Special Consideration. 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Participatory Task 30% No Ongoing
Group Assignment 30% No Week 11
Final Assessment 40% No Week 13

Participatory Task

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Ongoing
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.

Group Assignment

Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Week 11
Weighting: 30%

 

Students will work collaboratively, in groups, to solve a banking and finance scenario or problem

 
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.
  • Students will work collaboratively, in groups, to solve a banking and finance scenario or problem.

Final Assessment

Assessment Type 1: Reflective Writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 35 hours
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 40%

 

Students have a take-home paper containing 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:
  • 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.

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

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, 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 before classes of the 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.

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-st udy-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 connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

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

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

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.

Changes from Previous Offering

Assessments have been updated to include a group assignment worth 30%.

Unit information based on version 2024.02 of the Handbook