Bachelor of Commerce and Science - Finance

The University of Otago

Finance focuses on investments (including portfolio theory) corporate finance (how businesses make internal financial decisions) derivatives (the study of financial securities deriving their value from other assets’ values) and international finance (finance across borders).Finance is both a science and an art – a science because it systematically analyses information and uses it to make and testpredictions an art because these activities are not exact and there is frequently no ''right'' answer.Finance deals not only with the measurable, ''quantitative'' aspects, but also with the unmeasurable, in which intuition and experience play a strong role. Skills in these areas are invaluable in the workplace.The range of careers in finance is wide and varied, and well-paid. Graduates work in planning and budgeting, portfolio management, investments, securities, trading, risk management and foreign currency trading. They are employed by government departments, the education sector, banks, insurance companies, investment banks, accounting firms, stockbroking firms and many others.Because a Finance degree is relevant to economic structures worldwide, it is highly exportable. There are many job opportunities overseas, and Otago graduates compete well in international markets.