Foundation Degree in Financial Services
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Foundation Degree
- Code
- G16
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Made up of
- 240 credit points
Description
The Open University’s Foundation Degree in Financial Services will provide you with a broad and deep understanding of the knowledge and skills that you will need to progress with a career in the financial services industry.
You will learn about personal finance – including concepts such as financial planning, portfolio management, investment classes and techniques – and the changing economic and social context for financial decisions and financial services products. You’ll also get a broader understanding of business organisations and their structures and cultures; wider considerations such as environments, markets and processes; and how all these work together to contribute to organisational success in the financial services industry. This foundation degree will enable you to understand the ideas that are important to anyone working, or intending to work, in financial services. These ideas include the concepts of risk and uncertainty, how ethical notions can inform financial decision-making, and how important economics is in financial decision-making. You will gain an appreciation of personal diversity in financial issues and financial products. The foundation degree will also give you an insight into essential business functions such as marketing, accounting and finance, and their relevance to working life. You’ll also develop relevant practical skills, in particular in information and communication technologies (ICT), numeracy, study and thinking skills, as well as the necessary skills to engage in a process of lifelong learning which will enable you to develop as a reflective practitioner in the financial services industry.
The courses within this foundation degree have been designed to allow you to study in a flexible manner through distance and work-based learning. Your study will be underpinned by tutor support and a wide range of supplementary resources, including online activities, enabling you to adapt your learning patterns to work within your own constraints.
Students who wish to have their qualification recognised in Scotland might prefer to study the Diploma of Higher Education in Financial Services (E54).
Planning your studies
The foundation degree allows you to count relevant professional and industry-specific qualifications directly towards the award at both Level 1 and Level 2 of the foundation degree. Additionally, if you take Managing in the workplace (B121), this will enable prior study of an appropriate vocational qualification at pre-HE level to be converted into a further 30 points in less than the usual study time for a 30-point course.
Alongside your core studies for the Foundation Degree in Financial Services, you can choose options which suit your particular professional or personal interest. At Level 1 this includes management, accounting and introductory mathematics, and at Level 2 you can choose between economics and financial accounting.
While studying for a foundation degree, you can achieve a Certificate in Business Studies (C63) along the way if you choose the right combination of courses.
Successfully completing this foundation degree will also prepare you to follow further study options. You can take a further 120 points at Level 3 to obtain a BA/BSc Open degree (BD). At Level 3 you could also opt to study for a Professional Certificate in Management (C31) acquiring a further professional qualification while studying for this degree.
There is no time limit for obtaining the required credit points for this qualification; however, you should note that courses cease to be countable towards this qualification ten years after their final presentation.
Career relevance and employability
This foundation degree contributes to career development through work-based and work-related learning. It develops cognitive skills, such as writing, critical thinking, analysis and evaluation; ICT skills; presentation skills and numeracy. You will explore the context for your work in the financial services industry, learning the skills of successful practice in this sector, and how to use these in your own working contexts. You will also learn about personal finance, financial planning, investment product and practices and portfolio planning. You’ll examine how business organisations are shaped, changed and influenced, incorporating an understanding of the contribution of stakeholder behaviours and management decision-making in the various organisational functions. You can take option courses in economics, or financial accounting, which will further develop your skills set.
This important set of skills and knowledge are recognised by employers as being of great value for work in the financial services sector but also in management and business more broadly. Indeed, it is recognised and endorsed by the National Skills Academy for Financial Services as the preferred Foundation Degree in England. They state that ‘The Open University has developed a Foundation Degree for the financial services industry which offers a realistic work-based pathway into higher education for non-graduates. The degree, available across the UK, features the OU’s established successful supported distance learning method and provides flexibility of study through the modular non-prescriptive design. It recognises existing professional qualifications and can incorporate these. The National Skills Academy for Financial Services is pleased to endorse this Foundation Degree believing it to enhance and develop skills much needed by the industry at large’.
This foundation degree is an innovative and accessible introduction to the world of financial services that equips you to follow a number of career paths. If you complete the foundation degree successfully, you will also be able to ‘top up’ directly into Level 3 of an honours degree.
For planning your next career steps, visit the OU Careers Advisory Service.
Courses
For this 240-point foundation degree you require:
70 points from the following compulsory courses:
| Level 1 compulsory courses | Points | Next start |
|---|---|---|
|
30 | May 2010 |
|
30 | May 2010 |
|
10 | May 2010 |
And 30 points from the following optional courses:
| Level 1 optional courses | Points | Next start |
|---|---|---|
|
30 | May 2010 |
|
30 | May 2010 |
And 20 points from the following optional courses, including only one of Y159, Y162 and Y165:
| Level 1 optional courses | Points | Next start |
|---|---|---|
|
10 | May 2010 |
|
10 | Feb 2010 |
|
10 | Mar 2010 |
|
10 | Mar 2010 |
|
10 | Mar 2010 |
| A new 20-point course planned for February 2011 |
And 90 points from the following compulsory courses:
| Level 2 compulsory courses | Points | Next start |
|---|---|---|
|
60 | Feb 2010 |
|
30 | May 2010 |
And 30 points from the following optional courses:
| Level 2 optional courses | Points | Next start |
|---|---|---|
|
30 | |
| A new 30-point course in economics planned for first presentation in November 2012 |
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:
- Knowledge and understanding
- Cognitive skills
- Practical and professional skills
- Key skills
Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes, and how they are acquired through teaching, learning and assessment methods.
Credit for previous study elsewhere
If you have already completed some successful study at higher education level at another institution we may be able to give you credit for this study that you can count towards this Open University qualification. You can find out more on our Credit Transfer site. If you make a successful claim for transferred credit it may affect your choice of courses so you are advised to investigate this option as soon as possible.
Credit transfer details for this qualification:
On completion
On successful completion of the required number and type of courses you will be awarded a Foundation Degree in Financial Services and and will be entitled to use the letters FD (Open) after your name. You will have the opportunity to attend a degree ceremony to collect your award certificate.
Regulations
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the Award Regulations and the Student Regulations.
Award Regulations
- Introduction to the Award Regulations
- General Award Regulations
- Foundation Degree in Financial Services
Student Regulations
The Student Regulations (including the Code of Practice for Student Assessment and the Code of Practice for Student Discipline) are available on our Policy Documents for Students website.
How to register
To register for this qualification, read the description and check you meet any specific requirements (for example, some of our qualifications, require you to be working in a particular environment, or be sponsored by your employer). Then select the course you wish to study first and ensure it is suitable for you before following the registration procedure for that course.
About this page
An undergraduate qualification in Business and Management and Social Sciences.
Study explained
- Credit points
- - show how much study is required to complete a course or qualification. One credit point represents roughly 10 hours of study.
- Level
- - indicates how difficult a course is. Undergraduate study starts at Level 1.
- Financial support
- - find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.
- Study explained
- - all you need to know about studying with the OU.
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