Bachelor of Commerce Honours in Financial Management

The broad aim of the qualification is the preparation of participants for executive positions in financial management. The approach is interdisciplinary with the emphasis on the development of conceptual knowledge and problem-solving ability in issues regarding Financial Management within the context of strategic management planning.

The objectives of the qualification are as follows

• Focus on the underlying concepts in financial management and management control within the context of strategic management, through the study of appropriate textual and journal material.
• Create the structure which allows the participants to develop a rational approach to financial management in a relatively unstructured academic environment.
• Provide opportunities for participants to receive instruction and to discuss financial planning, management and control issues in depth.

Develop the ability, given a particular financial situation within a business environment to

• Identify key issues.
• Focus on relevant information.
• Rank issues in order of importance.
• Process required computations.
• Suggest and debate alternative courses of action.
• Select the most appropriate course of action.
• Develop the ability to present a motivated solution to a complex financial issue, given the possibility of alternative solutions, to small and large groups of participants.
• Develop the participant's oral and written communication skills.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The institution conducts RPL in terms of the policy and guidelines of the institution to recognise other forms of formal, informal and non-formal learning and experience.

In cases where learners do not comply with the formal admission requirements, the institution applies its RPL policy.

Entry requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Bachelor of Commerce in Economics or Accounting, NQF Level 7.
• Advanced Diploma in the field of Economics or Accounting, NQF Level 7.

1. Understand and manipulate quantitative information provided in tables, graphs and sets of equations.
2. Critically understand written texts of descriptive, prescriptive and argumentative characters.
3. Produce written texts of descriptive, prescriptive and argumentative characters to accepted international standards.
4. Find information of professional relevance efficiently and independently.
5. Use and organise such information to conduct systematic research aimed at providing answers to questions whose resolutions are not antecedently known, or to verifying answers that are assumed based on 'accepted wisdom.
6. Evaluate a given particular financial situation and identify key issues, rank issues, suggest and debate alternative courses of action and select the most appropriate course of action.
7. Present a written motivated solution to a complex financial problem.
8. Present the motivated solution orally to both small and large groups of stakeholders.
9. Use information-technology efficiently and independently.
10. Use the internet to find and access information.
11. Understand when and how to acknowledge the limitations of his or her expertise and elicit the more appropriate expertise of others.
12. Appreciate the importance of life-long learning and the importance of self-initiative in pursuing it.
13. Understand and initialised as a personal value the importance of conducting financial activity within the scope of the law.

The following associated assessment criteria apply across all Exit Level Outcomes

• Produce solutions to both familiar and novel business problems as these arise in the course of financial management.
• Communicate his or her understanding of business problems and solutions to others in ways that are clear but not arrogant or presumptive.
• Critically receive and understand the descriptions and suggestions of business colleagues and clients.
• Understand the difference between personal and social (often corporate, sometimes public) goals.
• Understand the importance of commitment to the latter even when they diverge with his or her personal interests.
• Appreciate the contexts in which specific technical competencies identified below can best be integrated with the general competencies just identified.

Integrated Assessment

Integrated assessment is designed to collect evidence from the learner to demonstrate that the purpose(s) of the qualification as a whole has been achieved, that the exit level outcomes have been attained. It is often used to assess, at the exit point from qualification, the integration and application of knowledge, skills (and values/attitudes) learnt from all aspects of the requirement.

Inevitably, integrated assessment demands a variety of assessment methods such as group presentations, discussion papers, individual assignments, group assignments and a research report. The combination of these methods provides evidence that the learner has achieved the applied competence at the exit point of a qualification that the qualification claims as its purpose.

The learner will be assessed specifically on competencies in critical literacy, critical reasoning, numeric, computer-literacy, practical research and report writing. Such competence will be assessed through a mix of formal written examinations, individual and group projects, individual and group presentations, team problem-solving workshops and simulations. In all such assignments, a learner's performance will be assessed based on his or her:

i) Demonstration of ability to organise ideas and facts in a logical, coherent way.

ii) Demonstration of ability to anticipate the responses and objections of an imagined reader.

iii) Ability to integrate numerical data into prose descriptions and arguments.

iv) Demonstrated understanding of the need to cite references fairly and accurately.

v) Demonstrated ability to represent and consider views and perspectives alternative to his or her own.

The BCom. (Honours) in Financial Management learner will be assessed specifically on practical competencies in ability to identify and research, assess and formulate and solve convergent and divergent problems related to financial information, read critically, understand and integrate financial data and reports, make basic judgements on the value of an item of financially related information, prepare financially-related reports with objectivity, conciseness and clarity.

Such competence will be assessed through assigned individual projects and classroom debate, written examinations and the research report of approximately 10 000 words. The research report must demonstrate competence in the following areas, all of which are examined in the examination of the research report.

• Research problem formulation.
• Integration of literature.
• Use of appropriate methodology.
• Integration of findings.

The research report is subject to external examination.