Program Overview

If you don’t yet meet the entry requirements for the UC course you’re aiming for, UC College’s diplomas –  also known as higher education diplomas – will provide you with an introduction to your chosen study area. They act as an alternative entry pathway for admission to UC undergraduate courses and prepare you for university study.

Diploma of Business
The Diploma of Business is an entry level qualification, and will develop your knowledge and skills in a broad range of business-related tasks within a variety of organisational situations and environments. The Diploma offers you a pathway to the second year of a variety of business courses. Substantial credit may also be available in other courses including the Bachelor of Building and Construction Management and the Bachelor of Laws. When you study the Diploma you not only gain credit into your course but you are also supported in the development of your language and academic skills required to ensure ongoing success in your undergraduate studies. The Diploma consists of two to three terms of study (depending on the admission period). Graduating students will have the ability to perform at a level of professional expertise that allows you to confidently enter and contribute to a range of fields including Accounting*, Management, Business, Finance*, Administration and Commerce. (*Credit dependant on units studied in diploma and if seeking industry professional accreditation.

On successful completion of the Diploma of Business, you’ll receive up to 24 credit points (one year) of advanced standing into the second year of the Bachelor of Commerce (Financial Planning) at the University of Canberra:

Bachelor of Commerce (Financial Planning)
With a Bachelor of Commerce (Financial Planning) you’ll gain a solid grounding of critical concepts and issues in commerce while studying the specifics of the financial planning industry. The course is delivered using a practical focus and you’ll learn how to undertake a selection of real-world activities, including creating risk management strategies, preparing best-practice Statements of Advice, and helping individuals plan for retirement by developing essential strategies for wealth creation and protection.

You’ll engage in a range of authentic, Work Integrated Learning (WIL) opportunities to help improve your professional practice and will graduate work-ready, with the skills and ambition to progress your career or study plans to the next level.

Study a Bachelor of Commerce (Financial Planning) at UC and you will:

• Evaluate the concepts and theories acquired in financial planning
• Exercise critical thinking skills when dealing with ambiguous and incomplete information
• Identify and obtain relevant information for decision making and providing advice to stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds
• Utilise discipline-specific technologies to analyse complex problems in a variety of contexts
• Communicate a clear, coherent and independent exposition of knowledge and ideas to a variety of stakeholders, addressing a diverse range of business/commerce problems
• Develop the capacity to exercise initiative and professional judgement in an ethically and socially responsible manner.

Work Integrated Learning
The Bachelor of Commerce (Financial Planning) sees academics and industry working together to develop a range of diverse WIL opportunities for students, including internships, work placements, industry projects, competitions, exhibitions, study tours, virtual real-world learning experiences and more.

Through the WIL experiences across the course, you’ll acquire the necessary professional skills consistent with industry expectations for your future career in the worlds of commerce and financial planning. Previous Financial Planning students have undertaken internships with organisations including National Australia Bank, Legal Aid ACT, International IDEA, eChoice and the US Embassy.

The course culminates in a capstone project, which aims to integrate what you’ve learned across your degree and prepare you for the transition to either successful future employment or further studies.