Bachelor of Applied Finance and Accounting

The Bachelor of Applied Finance and Accounting at the Top Education Institute (Australian National Institute of Management and Commerce) is a three-year degree for students who want to work in finance and accounting, not just study one or the other. You'll take units in financial accounting, management accounting, corporate finance, investment analysis, taxation law, auditing and business statistics. The finance and accounting sides are taught together on purpose: employers in banking, funds management and public practice want people who can read a balance sheet and build a valuation model.

How the degree is structured

Australian bachelor degrees are made up of units of study, each worth a set number of credit points, usually delivered across two semesters a year or three trimesters if the institution runs a trimester calendar. You accumulate credit points until you meet the requirements for the award. The course is registered on CRICOS as 089808B and takes three years of full-time study; part-time study is common among students who work. Confirm the current unit list, semester or trimester pattern and credit point rules on the official page before you apply, because they're updated from time to time.

Expect a capstone unit in your final year that pulls the accounting and finance strands together, often through a case-based project or a research report. Work-integrated learning appears in this field as internships, industry projects and placements with accounting firms, banks and corporate finance teams. Some students arrange a placement in a chartered or CPA firm and use it towards their degree. The exact placement or internship options, and whether they're credited, vary, check with the institute.

Skills you build

You'll learn to prepare and interpret financial statements, apply Australian accounting standards, analyse investments, manage risk, use accounting software and spreadsheets for reporting, and explain financial information to people who aren't accountants. Group work and presentations are part of most units, because that's how the job works.

Who it suits

This degree suits school leavers who are comfortable with numbers and want a professional career path, and also mature-age students moving into accounting or finance from another field. If you're aiming for membership of a professional accounting body, or for a role in banking, funds management, corporate advisory or public practice, the combination of accounting and finance gives you more options than either alone. International applicants need to meet the English requirement, IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall is the common undergraduate standard, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the institute's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa itself. Student visa holders can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while studying, and graduates may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register.

• Accountant in public practice, corporate accounting teams and government, preparing financial statements, tax returns and management reports.
• Auditor at chartered firms, checking financial records and internal controls for clients across retail, mining, health and not-for-profit sectors.
• Financial analyst in banking, funds management and insurance, building models, valuing companies and writing investment research.
• Management accountant in manufacturing, logistics, agribusiness and professional services, budgeting, costing and performance reporting.
• Tax accountant or tax adviser in accounting firms and corporate tax teams, working with Australian tax law and compliance.
• Treasury or credit analyst in banks, credit unions and fintech lenders, assessing borrowing and managing cash flow.
• Business services accountant in suburban and regional practices, looking after small business clients.
• Graduate roles in the Australian Public Service, state treasuries and regulators, where accounting and finance skills are in steady demand.