A unique major
Join a growing industry with the only university financial planning and advice specialisation in New Zealand.
The skills taught in the Bachelor of Business (Financial Planning and Advice) will help those who are either wanting to become a financial planner, or those already in the industry that are looking to gain further certification. You will develop your numeracy, logic and analytical skills.
A financial planner or adviser works with people to help them make the best financial decisions for their situation – whether it is mortgages, term investments, shares or insurance options.
You’ll learn about the components of the personal financial planning process. You’ll study financial institutions and markets as well as instruments. You’ll get a sound theoretical foundation, on which you can build practical applications.
At a more advanced level, you can choose from courses in advanced tax and estate planning, property finance, investment analysis, personl risk management and banking. You’ll have access to our state-of-the-art Trading Room, where you’ll gain real-world experience in fund management with Massey’s dedicated student fund.
The Bachelor of Business will give you the leadership, communication and critical thinking skills that will make you a sought-after employee. These skills can be used in many different types of businesses, in New Zealand and around the world.
Employment opportunities in the financial advice area are predicted to rise faster than average in the next few years.
A qualification in financial planning and advice offers opportunities in a wide range of careers, from banks or companies that specialise in finance to a financial planning specialist in a small to medium-sized company. Many financial advisers are self-employed.
Careers include:
You may wish to consider going on to postgraduate study once you have finished your degree.
New Zealand is a great place to study. Massey University’s reputation is supported by our international rankings, accreditations and associations. We are rated five star plus by the QS World University Rankings.
Massey University has small class sizes, and our lecturers and staff are friendly and approachable.
As an international student, there are entry requirements that will apply to you. We recommend that you apply at least three months before your anticipated start date so your application can be processed in time. There are additional steps you will need to take. These include obtaining a visa and travel bookings if your study is to be in New Zealand.
All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.
There are no specific entry requirements for this programme, outside of university admission regulations.
To study this programme you must meet Massey University's English language standards.
For information on prior learning, exemptions and transfer of credit or other questions:
If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, we have courses and programmes that may help.
If you need to do a course before you start your programme, there may be options for you in Summer School.
From the Schedule to the Degree including:
Core courses
Major courses
Elective courses including:
Ensure that overall, you have:
You could replace electives with a second BBus major, or some electives with a recognised minor.
See ‘Courses for this programme’ below for schedules of courses.
| 105 credits | ||
|---|---|---|
| 110380 | Estate and Tax Planning | 15 |
| 125211 | The Financial Planning Process | 15 |
| 125220 | Financial Institutions and Markets | 15 |
| 125241 | Introduction to Investments | 15 |
| 125310 | Financial Advice Implementation | 15 |
| 125312 | Applied Personal Financial Management | 15 |
| 125351 | Personal Risk Management | 15 |
| At least 15 credits from | ||
|---|---|---|
| 110289 | Taxation | 15 |
| 115388 | Internship in Business | 30 |
| 115389 | Business Internship | 15 |
| 125340 | Investment Analysis | 15 |
| 125364 | Bank Financial Management | 15 |
| 127245 | Introduction to Property Finance and Investment | 15 |
| 127378 | Property Economics and Planning | 15 |
If you study full-time, in your first year, you’ll take eight 15-credit courses, making a total of 120 credits.
If you wish to study over two semesters, you should aim for 60 credits per semester. You may be able to take some courses at summer school. Make sure you include courses that are prerequisites for the next level of courses you wish to study.
Core courses are compulsory. These are courses which cover topics across the business spectrum. They are designed to give you the leadership, communication and solid business skills that you will need in your career.
The BBus provides considerable flexibility, enabling you to take control of your own programme within the regulations.
‘Capstone’ courses are designed to be taken in your last year of study. This relies on you having completed the correct first and second-year courses and ties your learning together.
For this Financial Planning and Advice major we do recommend that you choose one of the following first year courses for your elective choices in your first year: 161.111 Applied Statistics or 161.122 Statistics. These courses will assist with your numeracy abilities.
Completing a minor is optional. Minors increase the breadth of your degree. They give you extra knowledge, attributes and capabilities.
A minor must be in a different subject from your major.
You may choose a minor from any university undergraduate degree that has recognised minors. If the minor is from another undergraduate degree, the regulations of that programme will apply.
If you are not studying a Bachelor of Business (Financial Planning and Advice) and wish to complete a minor in Financial Planning and Advice, see the BBus regulations for the requirements of this minor.
If you wish to meet the education requirements for becoming a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERCM professional you must take the seven compulsory courses for the Bachelor of Business (Financial Planning and Advice) major and 125.340 as your elective paper of the major.
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERCM is a common law certification mark owned outside the U.S. by Financial Planning Standards Board Ltd. Financial Advice New Zealand is the marks licensing authority for the CFP Marks in New Zealand, through agreement with FPSB.
Your tuition fees may be different depending on the courses you choose. Your exact fees will show once you have chosen your courses.
There will also be some compulsory non-tuition fees and for some courses, there may also be charges for things such as study resources, software, trips and contact workshops.
If you already know which courses you are going to take, you can use our fees calculator to get an estimate of your fees.
You may be eligible for a student loan to help towards paying your fees.
The New Zealand Government offers fees-free tertiary study for eligible domestic students. Find out more about the scheme and your eligibility on the Fees Free website. To use the site's eligibility checking tool, you will need your National Student Number.
Current and returning Massey students will find their National Student Number on their student homepage.
Massey Business School is rated in the top 5% of global business colleges by AACSB International.
This qualification satisfies the education requirements for becoming a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERCM professional.
Massey University is ranked by QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) as one of the top 300 universities for business and management.
Massey University is ranked #1 in New Zealand and in the top 150 universities globally for business administration and finance by ShanghaiRanking.
Compare qualifications and academic information across different New Zealand institutions.
Review this important information before you apply for this programme. This gives you full details of the rules and regulations about what you need to study and what you must achieve in order to graduate with this qualification. That includes structure, courses and requirements. These regulations should be read in conjunction with all other Statutes and Regulations of the University including the below.
If you are ready to apply, have a look at our application checklist. It will help you get prepared with what you need. Please also check the entry requirements carefully before you apply.
You will apply for the programme using the Apply now button on this page. You’ll also choose your specialisation (major, subject or endorsement) if applicable.
Some programmes have additional requirements such as the submission of a portfolio or CV. Click on Apply now and you will be able to submit those documents as part of the application process.
You will receive an Admission Offer of Place when you have been accepted into the programme. You need to accept this before you can enrol in your courses. International students also need to pay their fees at this point.
You’ll then get access to your own student homepage (also known as the student portal). This is where you can enrol in courses. Any updates on your application or enrolments will also be on your student homepage. Make sure you check this regularly.
When you choose courses, ensure you check for any requirements that apply including:
Each of our courses has its own webpage where you can find this information. You can use our course search to find course pages.
More information on courses is in the ‘Courses for this programme’ section on this page.
You can find information on application due dates and semester dates on the key dates page.
We look forward to welcoming you to Massey!
If you have any questions, contact us through the Enquire button on this page.
Each Massey programme is made up of courses (in some tertiary institutions they are called ‘papers’).
You will have some compulsory courses and some you can choose from.
Each course is worth a certain amount of credits (often 15 credits, but this does vary). You must gain a set number of credits to be able to graduate from this programme.
There may also be some rules about which courses you need to pass to progress to the next year, or stage, of your study (known as progression). There are also courses you must pass to graduate with a specialisation.
The first three digits of our course numbers show you which subject the course is about.
The second three digits show you the level and course ID number. For instance:
| 1 | 6 | 2 | . | 3 | 0 | 1 | |
| Subject area | Level | Course ID number | |||||
Electives are courses that are not compulsory. Certain guidelines are usually provided on courses you may take. Elective courses contribute to the programme, but not to your major or specialisation.
Elective courses can be chosen from any area of study that interests you, as long as it fits the timetable (if you are studying on campus) for courses for your Bachelor of Business.
If English is not your first language we also recommend you include English language electives as part of your study. See the ‘If you do not have the entry requirements’ section for more.
Use this tool to help determine how much time you will need each week to complete your studies.
For returning students, there may be changes to the majors and minors available and the courses you need to take. Go to the section called ‘Transitional Provisions’ in the Regulations to find out more.
In some cases the programme or specialisation you enrolled in may no longer be taking new enrolments, so may not appear on these web pages. To find information on the regulations for these programmes go to the Massey University Calendar.
Please contact us through the Enquire button on this page if you have any questions.
There are a number of scholarships available for new and current students. They could relate to your situation, achievement or interest.