Finance – Business | Durham College

Program Overview

Are you a pro at managing money with an added interest in stocks, bonds, investing and financial planning? Have you considered getting paid to help others manage their financial portfolios? The two-year Finance – Business program provides a concrete foundation in business as well as training in various areas of financial planning, investments, and life and health insurance. During the program you will have the opportunity to develop your skills and be prepared to write the Canadian Investment Funds Course (CIFC)® exam to be eligible for mutual fund licensing, as well as the Canadian Securities Course (CSC)® exams to be eligible for a securities license*.

Admission Requirements

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or Mature Student Status
Grade 12 English (C or U)
Grade 11 mathematics (C, M or U)

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Tuition

Year one domestic: $2,722 (CAD)
Year one international: $13,852 (CAD)

View Full Costs

Semester 1 Courses

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Laptop Program

Financial Planning

Investment

Intakes and Availability

Date	Domestic Availability	International Availability
January 2022	Open	Closed
September 2022	Open	Open
January 2023	Open

Career Options

WHAT YOU COULD BE:

Accounting clerk
Budget co-ordinator
Credit officer
Customer service representative
Insurance representative

View all Career Options

Program Details

NOTE: Students enrolling in this program are required to purchase their own laptop. For specific hardware and software requirements for this program click here.

The Finance – Business program provides students with the skills and training required to work in a variety of areas within financial services including, personal banking, financial planning, firms dealing with pension plans, scholarships, educational savings plans, and investments funds. In addition to a foundation in business, learning is focused on a range of areas including, personal financial management, taxation, retirement planning, investments and estate planning. Graduates of this program possess skills in financial analysis, planning and control.

There are also opportunities for graduates to pursue further education including DC’s Finance – Business Administration advanced diploma.

Students learn how to:

Efficiently use Naviplan, an industry financial planning software tool used by advisors to forecast financial scenarios, such as retirement, for different situations or clients.
Keep a simple set of books for small businesses using accounting concepts and practices
Understand the needs of clients in order to create relevant financial goals that are specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and time-sensitive
Examine other countries, businesses and individuals to observe how they tackle the problem of scarce resources in order to satisfy needs and wants
Efficiently use industry-standard money management software to perform transactions, keep track of sales and expenses and create financial reports.

Students can also earn the following globally recognized certificates by taking Microsoft Office Specialist exams as part of their computer courses:

Microsoft Office Specialist: Word Associate (COMP1209)
Microsoft Office Specialist: PowerPoint Associate (COMP1209)
Microsoft Office Specialist: Excel Associate (COMP2209)
Microsoft Office Specialist: Excel Expert (if applicable currently will be offered in Accounting and Supply Chain programs)

Students who successfully pass all three exams can earn an extra certificate that recognizes their accomplishment with the Microsoft Office Specialist: Associate (Office 365 and Office 2019) certificate. DC students are provided access to Microsoft Office 365 through the college’s Microsoft Office account. See more details about this opportunity.

Students may also be prepared to seek related licenses in finance. Specifically, this program may prepare students to complete the following exams and certifications:

Canadian Investment Funds (IFSE) mutual funds licencing exam.
Canadian Securities Course exams.
Students will also receive some preparation to write the Life Licence Qualification Program (LLQP) exam certificate required for selling life insurance products.
QAFP designation offered by FP Canada
Financial Planning Exam 1 – a required step toward obtaining a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation.

Note: The requirements for each designation/certification listed above are set by the granting body, not Durham College. In order to qualify for any of these designations/certifications, students need to follow and meet the required processes.

Successful graduates will be able to:

Process and maintain financial records in compliance with relevant policies, procedures and regulations for individuals and/or organizations.
Prepare and present financial information in compliance with relevant legislation and regulations for individuals and/or organizations.
Generate financial reports and contribute to the development of a financial plan.
Contribute to the development and the implementation of marketing strategies to promote financial products and services and to enhance customer service.
Analyze within a Canadian context the impact of economic variables, legislation, ethics, technology and the environment on individuals’ and/or organizations’ operations.

Program Learning Outcomes

Process and maintain financial records in compliance with relevant policies, procedures and regulations for individuals and/or organizations.
Prepare and present financial information in compliance with relevant legislation and regulations for individuals and/or organizations.
Generate financial reports for individuals and/or organizations by applying financial mathematics and statistics.
Contribute to the development and the implementation of a financial plan to meet individuals’ and/or organizations’ needs and objectives.
Contribute to the development and the implementation of marketing strategies to promote financial products and services and to enhance customer service.
Develop and implement strategies to establish and maintain professional networking and business relationships in the finance sector.
Analyse, within a Canadian context, the impact of economic variables, legislation, ethics, technology and the environment on individuals’ and/or organizations’ operations.
Develop and implement ongoing strategies for personal and professional development, highlighting ethics, values and standards in the finance sector.

Admission Requirements

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or Mature Student Status
Grade 12 English (C or U)
Grade 11 mathematics (C, M or U)

Courses

The courses listed below are for incoming students. If you are a current student, please refer to your program of study for the year you began your program. Your program of study can be found on MyCampus.

Semester 1

Semester 2

Semester 3

Semester 4

Courses and course descriptions are subject to change. Please note that as a result of COVID-19 the 2022-23 program of study may be modified to accommodate program delivery changes.

Costs

Career Options

WHAT YOU COULD BE:

Accounting clerk
Budget co-ordinator
Credit officer
Customer service representative
Insurance representative

WHERE YOU COULD WORK:

Asset management companies
Banks
Credit card companies
Credit unions
Finance companies
Insurance companies
Mortgage brokers
Other independent advisors

Program Transfer, Degree Completion and Additional Credentials

There are opportunities for graduates to pursue further education qualifications. They may complete one extra year of study to achieve the advanced diploma in Finance – Business Administration.

Qualified graduates may be eligible to apply their academic credits towards further study through Durham College’s partnerships with many Canadian and international colleges and universities.Sample diploma-to-degree opportunities include:

Bachelor of Commerce (Hons), bridge - Ontario Tech University (Ontario Tech)

Please visit our pathways page to learn more about how you can transfer your credits towards a degree.

Laptop Requirements

MINIMUM RECOMMENDED HARDWARE

Laptop: Personal computer (PC). A Mac is not recommended – see notes below*
Operating System: Windows 10 Professional (64-bit only) and later
Processor: Intel Core i5 or better
Memory: 4 GB of RAM (8 GB preferred)
Hard Drive: 250 GB or larger (Solid State Drive (SSD) preferred)
Warranty: 3 years parts and labour (On-site preferred)
2 USB ports
Webcam
Microphone (headset preferred)

*Mac Computers

Some required software applications are not available for Mac.
Students who choose a Mac may need to purchase additional software to complete assessments and class exercises at their own cost.

SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

Windows 10 Professional (64-bit only)
Microsoft Office 2019 or 365 (Students will be provided access to Microsoft Office 365 through the College’s Microsoft Office account)
Internet Explorer
Mozilla Firefox
Acrobat Reader
Real Player
Windows Media Player
Adobe Flash Player and Browser Plug-in
K-Lite Codec Pack
Sage AccPac 5.5(Year 2)

OPTIONAL

AVG
Avira

Finance – Business

Program Overview

Admission Requirements

Tuition

Semester 1 Courses

Intakes and Availability

Career Options

WHAT YOU COULD BE:

Program Details

Program Learning Outcomes

Admission Requirements

Courses

Semester 1

Semester 2

Semester 3

Semester 4

Costs

Career Options

WHAT YOU COULD BE:

WHERE YOU COULD WORK:

Program Transfer, Degree Completion and Additional Credentials

Laptop Requirements

MINIMUM RECOMMENDED HARDWARE

SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

OPTIONAL

Finance - Business in the news

Helpful Resources

Have a Question? Attend a Program Information Webinar

Financial Aid Information

Graduate Employment Report [PDF]

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Attend a Program Information Webinar