Overview
The Financial Services concentration is a second-year option of the Business Administration diploma program. In this concentration, you're introduced to a broad range of financial services areas, including:
- Retail banking and related services
- Mortgages
- Lending, mutual funds, investing
- Insurance
- Financial planning concepts
You learn how these topics fit together and have an impact on both businesses and individuals. You also develop an understanding of the importance of sales skills and customer relationship management with a client-centered focus.
We have strong relationships with our financial services partners, giving you the opportunity to network directly with many of their human resources staff and hiring managers. Faculty maintain memberships in professional organizations, sharing their real-world experience and knowledge.
You'll have an opportunity to jumpstart your career by taking the three available industry-recognized courses: Personal Financial Service Advice, Personal Loans and Mortgages, and Mutual Funds, which can help you earn accreditation through the Canadian Securities Institute.
Work experience
- Field experience (work placement) is a mandatory credit course, providing you with the opportunity to apply your knowledge and skills outside of the classroom.
- Opportunities are typically paid in the financial services industry due to the strict confidentiality guidelines of most financial institutions and last approximately 5 weeks.
- Transportation, accommodations and other costs related to work placements are your responsibility.
- To complete the work experience component of this concentration (and to work in the financial services industry), you must be bondable.
- For more information visit Work Experience Opportunities.
Choose NSCC
- You acquire the skills and experience industry wants; we maintain strong connections to employers and keep the program relevant to industry needs.
- We have strong relationships with our financial services partners, and you'll have the opportunity to network directly with many of their human resources staff and hiring managers.
- Our faculty maintain memberships in professional organizations; they share their real-world experience and knowledge.
- Small class sizes provide you with lots of one-on-one interaction and hands-on opportunities to learn.
Other info
- You'll have an opportunity to jumpstart your career by taking the three available industry-recognized courses: Personal Financial Service Advice, Personal Loans & Mortgages, and Mutual Funds, which can help you earn accreditation through the Canadian Securities Institute.
Courses may include
These are some of the courses offered in this program. It is not a complete list and courses are subject to change in advance of the academic year.
Recognizing prior learning / transfer credits
If you have previous learning (course, employment, etc...) that's relevant to your program, you can apply to earn credit. Learn about our recognizing prior learning (RPL) process.
FINA 2316 - Financial Management
Financial Management is a course that provides the student with the opportunity to assess the financial health of a business and employ various decision-making model in the assessment process.
FINA 3011 - Introduction to Financial Planning
This course will introduce the learner to the fundamentals of personal financial planning and will be presented from the perspective of a Financial Planning professional giving advice to a client.
FINA 3014 - Financial Products & Systems
This course delivers an introduction to basic banking product offerings, industry career path opportunities, professionalism, service learning, and customer relationship management practices. Through a hands on, interactive approach including guest presenters, learners will develop a basic understanding of the products and systems needed to create personal financial plans and professionally assist clients with meeting their everyday financial needs. Learners will also gain exposure to professional ethics & attire, regulatory practices, and service learning opportunities to assist them in setting personal goals, choosing career paths, and networking to help achieve employment and advancement within the financial services field.
FINA 3020 - Personal Lending and Mortgages
The Personal Lending and Mortgages® course is delivered under agreement with the Canadian Securities Institute (CSI) using their course materials to prepare learners for the Personal Lending and Mortgages® exam. CSI describes the course as providing “comprehensive coverage of consumer credit and both standard and advanced mortgages. The course addresses a full range of critical issues related to loan and complex mortgage products. It prepares professionals to answer sophisticated questions from demanding clients and to clear up common misunderstandings. Those who complete the course will be able to increase client trust and boost business by demonstrating a level of expertise that sets them apart from their peers.” Additionally, it is another step toward earning the CSI Certificate in Personal Banking®.
Students must also be registered in the related course with the CSI. For more information, please go to the Canadian Securities website at www.csi.ca .
FINA 3101 - Mutual Funds
The Mutual Funds course is delivered under agreement with the Canadian Securities Institute (CSI) using their course materials to prepare learners for the Investment Funds in Canada® exam. CSI describes the IFC® course as providing the opportunity to obtain “the certification you need to start giving advice and to start helping your clients make smart investment decisions based on their needs. The IFC prepares you to advise clients about their mutual funds investments based on their objectives, timeline and risk tolerance. It also explains a mutual fund representative's legal, ethical and professional responsibilities.”
Students must also be registered in the related course with the CSI. For more information, please go to the Canadian Securities website at www.csi.ca.
FINA 4001 - Financial Services Practicum
This capstone course integrates many aspects of the learning concepts in the Financial Services concentration by enabling the student to prepare and present a comprehensive financial plan based on a realistic scenario.
FINA 4320 - Personal Financial Services Advice
The Personal Financial Services Advice® course is delivered under agreement with the Canadian Securities Institute (CSI) using their course materials to prepare students for the Personal Financial Services Advice® exam. CSI describes the course as designed “to help you confidently deliver the right advice to your clients based on their individual needs. You'll improve your communications skills, build stronger, more profitable relationships and ultimately, grow your client-base. What's more, completing the PFSA puts you one step closer to earning the new Personal Financial Planner (PFP®) designation and Certificate in Financial Services Advice - CSI's newest industry-leading credentials”. Topics include ethics and the regulatory environment, economics, time value of money, risk management, customer relations, and personal financial statements. Students must also be registered in the related course with the CSI. For more information, please go to the Canadian Securities website at www.csi.ca.
FINA 4995 - Work Experience
The work experience component provides the learner with an opportunity to apply new skills and concepts appropriate for entry-level positions within the occupation. Learners will assess their own performance and be evaluated by an industry partner. Learners will identify personal outcomes they wish to attain during the work experience and will keep a journal. This is a course of 175 hours spread over five weeks
INSU 3000 - General Insurance Essentials
The General Insurance Essentials course is delivered under agreement with the Insurance Institute of Canada (IIC) using their course materials to prepare learners for the Principles and Practice of Insurance® exam. The IIC describes the course as introducing students “to risk and shown how insurance deals with it. You study the basic concepts and language of insurance; the legal context of insurance; and the participants in the industry and their relationship to each other. Specific types of insurance are not discussed. The principles you learn here underlie every situation you will encounter in insurance […]”. Concepts to be examined will include the business of insurance, contracts, insurance documents, the law and insurance, personal lines insurance, liability and commercial insurance. Additionally, the course is the first in a series of IIC courses which lead to designations and opportunities in all aspects of the General Insurance industry.
Students must also be registered in the related course with the Insurance Institute of Canada. For more information, please go to the IIC website at http://www.insuranceinstitute.ca/en.aspx .
MGMT 3015 - Human Resource Management
Students will examine the activities involved in attracting, recruiting, training, developing, controlling, rewarding, motivating, directing, and maintaining the human resources of a business. Topics will include challenges and trends in the field of human resource management, legal and ethical issues, staffing, employee development, and compensation.
PSAL 2015 - Professional Selling
The main focus of this course is selling skills which are advantageous in the work force. Many of these skills are introduced through theory and practice. Learners will use these skills in virtually any profession they enter. This course introduces consultative selling techniques to develop strategies and tactics that “get, keep and grow” customers.
Learners can receive a certificate from the Canadian Professional Association (CPSA) for successfully completing the “Professional Selling” course, and other specific courses in the Business Administration program.
Prescribed Elective. Students must complete two unit/credit
