Finance – Bachelor of Business

Join Massey University’s finance programme to gain superior decision-making skills and a career advantage.

Where you can study

Auckland campus
Distance and online
Manawatū campus (Palmerston North)

International students

International students are not New Zealand citizens or residents.

Definition of New Zealand citizens and residents

Open to international students on campus in New Zealand

Specialise in Finance for your Bachelor of Business at Massey

Finance and financial decision-making include determining what to invest in, how to pay or finance the investments and what to do with the money earned on those investments.

Real-world learning

As a BBus (Finance) student, you will have access to our state-of-the-art Trading Room. Here you will gain real-world experience in financial markets and financial assets including shares, bonds, foreign exchange, options and futures. Massey’s dedicated student investment fund can also provide you with real fund management experience.

Sound theoretical foundation

The BBus (Finance) will give you a sound theoretical foundation. You will develop your decision-making, logic and analytical skills to solve real business problems.

You will learn about financial markets and how they impact decision-making in organisations. You will also study the core finance areas of business finance, investments, financial institutions and markets, as well as risk management practices in these core areas.  At a more advanced level, you can choose from courses in advanced business finance, international finance, investment analysis, financial risk management (futures and options) and banking.

Business fundamentals

When you graduate, you will be someone that has a sound base in the business fundamentals of accounting, economics, finance, management, marketing, law and communication. The skills gained will be valuable in many different types of businesses – in New Zealand and around the world.

Our lecturers are actively researching both nationally and internationally, bringing the most relevant developments in business theory and practice into your classroom.

Further study

Study options upon completion of this qualification could include:

A Bachelor of Business in Finance is a good fit if you:

  • have an analytical mind
  • want to help solve real world problems
  • are interested in money and how financial markets work.

Planning information

The BBus provides considerable flexibility, enabling you to take control of your own qualification within the regulations.

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 business courses

There are ten core business courses and you must pass at least eight of them. The core courses are 115111115112, 115113, 115114, 115115, 115116115211115212, 115230 and 115340.

You must pass at least 60 credits of 100-level core courses within the first 120 credits, and and at least 30 credits of 200 or 300-level core courses within the first 240 credits of study towards the degree.

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.

In your first year

You must include course 115114 in your first year of study as you require this course to gain entry to one of your major courses.

Minors

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.

A Bachelor of Business (Finance) with a minor

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 qualification will apply.

A Finance minor (for students who are studying a different degree)

If you are not studying a Bachelor of Business (Finance) and wish to complete a minor in Finance see the BBus regulations for the requirements of this minor.  

Official regulations

To understand what you need to study and must complete to graduate read the official rules and regulations for this qualification.

You should read these together with all other relevant Statutes and Regulations of the University including the General Regulations for Undergraduate Degrees, Undergraduate Diplomas, Undergraduate Certificates, Graduate Diplomas and Graduate Certificates.

Returning students

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 qualification 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 qualifications go to the Massey University Calendar.

Please contact us through the Get advice button on this page if you have any questions.

Courses you can enrol in

Course planning key

Prerequisites
Courses that need to be completed before moving onto a course at the next level. For example, a lot of 200-level courses have 100-level prerequisite courses.
Corequisites
Courses that must be completed at the same time as another course are known as corequisite courses.
Restrictions
Some courses are restricted against each other because their content is similar. This means you can only choose one of the offered courses to study and credit to your qualification.

Core courses for the Bachelor of Business

As well as the specialisation courses listed below, this qualification has core courses that you will need to complete.

Bachelor of Business core courses

Finance courses

Compulsory courses

Choose 75 credits from
Course code: 125220 Financial Institutions and Markets 15 credits

An overview of the operation of institutions, products and markets which make up the financial system and discusses the role of governments, both domestically and internationally, in the management of our financial system.

Prerequisites: 115114

View full course details
Course code: 125230 Business Finance 15 credits

The course provides students with a fundamental knowledge of financial theory and practice. In addition to valuation and capital budgeting, students will study working capital management, capital structure, the cost of capital, dividend policy and ethics in finance.

Prerequisites: 115114

View full course details
Course code: 125241 Introduction to Investments 15 credits

An introduction to the fundamental and practical concepts of the investment process. Investment products, including equity, debt instruments, and derivatives are discussed as well as basic portfolio concepts.

Prerequisites: 115114 Restrictions: 125240

View full course details
Course code: 125330 Advanced Business Finance 15 credits

A study of finance theory in practice, designed to facilitate effective corporate financial decision making.

Prerequisites: 125230

View full course details
Course code: 125340 Investment Analysis 15 credits

The application of analytical techniques to investment decision-making.

Prerequisites: 125241 Restrictions: 125342

View full course details

Subject courses

Choose 45 credits from
Course code: 125250 Financial Modelling 15 credits

An examination of the principles of sound financial decision-making with the use of spreadsheets for analysis. Students will use various applications to perform quantitative analysis, assessing risk and return, and asset valuations.

Prerequisites: 115114 or 115105

View full course details
Course code: 125320 International Finance 15 credits

This course provides an overview of the theories and institutional environment of international finance. Students will gain insight into exchange rate determinations and instruments available for managing financial risk in a globalised economy.

Prerequisites: 125230; and one of 125220 or 125241 or 110209 or 152261

View full course details
Course code: 125350 Financial Risk Management 15 credits

This course provides an overview of the theory and practice of financial risk management or hedging. Financial risk exposures can be categorised into three areas: interest rate risk, foreign exchange risk and commodity price risk. The focus will be on the methods of identifying and measuring the impact of these exposures and the appropriate instruments to hedge the firm's exposures.

Prerequisites: 125230; and either 125220 or 125241

View full course details
Course code: 125364 Bank Financial Management 15 credits

An application of finance and economic theory to the financial management and operation of banks globally, from a risk and regulatory perspective.

Prerequisites: 115114 or 115105; and 125220 Restrictions: 125360, 125361, 125362, 125363

View full course details
Course code: 125388 CFA Examination Prep 15 credits

This course studies ethical issues related to Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) level 1 examination and reviews and applies all core subject areas covered by the CFA level 1 examination.

Prerequisites: Appraisal Required Corequisites: 110209 and 115213 and 125330 and 125340 and 125364 and 178280

View full course details

Entry requirements

Admission to Massey

All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.

Specific requirements

There are no specific entry requirements for this qualification, outside of university admission regulations.

English language requirements

Competence in English is essential. If you are not confident in this subject we recommend that you undertake additional study prior to enrolling.

To study this qualification you must meet Massey University's English language standards.

English language skills

If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, see our English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses.

Can't meet the entry requirements?

If you need to do a course before you start your qualification, there may be options for you in Summer School.

Fees and scholarships

Fees, student loans and free fees scheme

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.

Already know which courses you're going to choose?

You can view fees for the courses that make up your qualification on the course details pages.

Student loans (StudyLink) and Fees Free scheme

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 can find their National Student Number in the student portal.

Fees disclaimer

This information is for estimation purposes only. Actual fees payable will be finalised on confirmation of enrolment. Unless otherwise stated, all fees shown are quoted in New Zealand dollars and include Goods and Services Tax, if any. Before relying on any information on these pages you should also read the University's Disclaimer Notice.

Careers and job opportunities

A finance major will open many employment doors in corporate, investment banking, fintech, commercial or retail banking, financial services industry, financial planning, hedge funds, private equity and venture capital and insurance.

Careers include:

  • securities analyst
  • investment banking analyst
  • portfolio or fund manager
  • share broker, investment broker, financial trader, quant trader
  • analyst for businesses, Reserve Bank and Treasury
  • Chief financial officer (CFO)
  • finance/commercial manager
  • Capital investment manager
  • Personal financial planner
  • financial analyst
  • bank manager and loan officer
  • risk management officers
  • actuary.

International students

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.

Accreditations and rankings

Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)

Massey Business School is rated in the top 5% of global business colleges by AACSB International.

Learn more

Chartered Financial Analysts Institute (CFA)

Massey University is part of the Chartered Financial Analysts Institute's (CFA's) University Affiliation Programme.

Learn more

QS Ranking – Accounting and Finance

Massey is ranked by QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) as one of the top 250 universities for accounting and finance.

Learn more

QS Ranking - Business Management Studies

Massey University is ranked by QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) as one of the top 350 universities for business and management.

Learn more

ShanghaiRanking – Business Administration

Massey University is ranked #2 in New Zealand for business administration by ShanghaiRanking.

Learn more

Related study options