Financial planning courses
Help me choose a courseIntroduction to Financial planning
Are you a natural planner with a talent for numbers and a passion for helping people? Channel your focus into a financial planning career and drive individuals, businesses or major organisations towards financially sound decisions.
Take the leap with a course in financial planning through Open Universities Australia. We’re here to help you find and enrol in courses that are delivered online by leading Australian universities.
Explore financial planning courses
Discover financial planning courses
Online financial planning subjects and short courses
UndergraduateUSA-BANK2010
100% online
No ATAR required. Start with a subject.
Starts 16 Sep 2024
UndergraduateGRF-AFE122
100% online
No ATAR required. Start with a subject.
Starts 15 Jul 2024
UndergraduateTAS-BFA204
100% online
No ATAR required. Start with a subject.
Starts 22 Jul 2024
PostgraduateCUR-MT621
100% online
No ATAR required. Start with a subject.
Starts 26 Aug 2024
Online financial planning degrees
PostgraduateGRF-CFP-MAS
Equip yourself for growth
Learn to grow the wealth of others while you grow your own career. Become a master in planning for the ultimate financial success of your clients – from superannuation to retirement, investment, tax advice and more.
100% online
Approx. 1.5 years full time or part time equivalent
PostgraduateTAS-MFP-GDI
Become confident in providing compliant advice
Graduate as a financial planner who feels assured in giving compliant financial advice. Hone your knowledge in planning and para-panning services, different financial products and meeting various clients’ needs.
100% online
1 year full time or part time equivalent
UndergraduateSCU-BFS-DEG
An accredited financial services specialisation
Learn how to thrive in the interconnected business world of finance. You’ll study financial planning, business law, risk management, and more. Get to know the tools of business financial management. Join the booming financial services sector.
Online & on-campus
3 years full time or part time equivalent
PostgraduateSWI-FPL-GCE
Update and affirm your financial planning knowledge
Refresh your financial planning foundational skills. You’ll revisit superannuation, insurance, investments, and more. Learn to manage and strengthen your client relationships. Build trust. Reflect on ethical principles.
100% online
8 months full time or part time equivalent
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Financial planning study FAQs
If you’re able to make people feel comfortable during challenging conversations, a financial planning course could be the career path for you. In addition to mathematics, data and listening skills, those who thrive in team settings or get a thrill out of helping others achieve their goals may find fulfilment in this corner of finance.
You won’t be alone in joining the financial planning community. Labour Market Insights data indicates that the industry has grown strongly over the last 5 years and is expected to continue, with 68,800 financial planners and advisors likely to be employed by 2026.
Already working full-time or otherwise committed? Take advantage of the flexibility and availability of online finance courses in Australia through Open Universities Australia. It’s hard to go back to the classroom after experiencing the freedom of studying your way.
Generally, it takes 3 to 5 years to become a financial planner, depending on the pace at which you study.
Aspiring financial planners must complete a 2-year advanced diploma or 3-year bachelor degree, as per Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) guidelines. You can choose from a range of degrees, as a general business course or accounting qualification both meet the Certified Financial Planner minimum criteria, provided you've listed financial planning as a major.
Once you’re qualified, you'll be required to complete a year of professional experience under a licensed financial planner to meet ASIC requirements.
Here at Open Universities Australia, we make enrolling online as straightforward as possible. To get started, find the course for you by browsing the options on this page. You can also compare different qualifications using our handy comparison tool, or request help from one of our student advisors.
When you’ve made your choice, click ‘Apply now’ on the relevant course page and follow the prompts to begin your enrolment. We’ll ask you to supply some supporting documentation, including proof of your identity, your tax file number, and a unique student identifier (USI) during this process.
Your university will get in touch with you via email to confirm whether or not your application has been successful.
If you get stuck at any time, reach out to us and we’ll talk you through it.
You can also take a look at our online self-service enrolling instructions.
Before starting an enrolment, it’s important to read the entry requirements for your chosen course to ensure that you’re eligible to apply. If you don’t quite meet the requirements, we may be able to help you find a pathway into your course through open-entry subjects, which anyone can study.
Chat with us to find out more.
There are a lot of reasons to study your course online through us.
- You can enrol without entry requirements
We have a unique open-door policy that makes it possible for everyone to enrol in university study, no matter their academic history. If you don’t meet the entry requirements for a degree, we’ll help you get in through single undergraduate subjects and transition into a qualification from there. - You have total control over how you study
Upskill without committing to a whole degree upfront. Or enrol in a full degree, but take it a subject at a time. We’ll introduce you to flexible study options you didn’t even know about, so you can fit uni around what matters to you. - You’ll graduate with the same qualification as an on-campus student
Once you enrol through us, you’ll study online with the university that provides your degree. This means that when you complete your qualification, you’ll graduate with the same degree as on-campus students. - We’ll help you navigate the university world
Our friendly student advisors will be your guide every step of the enrolment journey. They'll help you compare universities, choose a course, provide documentation and understand your finance options.
- You can enrol without entry requirements
What you'll learn in a financial planning course
Whether you’re new to financial planning or come from a strong background in the space, studying a financial planner course can help you take the next step in a rewarding career.
As an undergraduate student, you’ll explore the foundations of business and finance, so you can understand clients' financial goals and then research the best ways to get them there. As a postgraduate student, you’ll build on this knowledge at a more advanced level, which can give you the experience you need to meet new regulatory requirements or progress to a management role.
Get ready to develop your skills in areas such as:
- personal financial planning
- risk management and insurance
- Australian tax law
- investment planning
- insurance planning
- superannuation and retirement planning.
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Studying through Open Universities Australia means we take care of the guesswork and administration of university study, so you can focus on learning.
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