Course Overview

Human Capital Initiative (HCI) graduate conversion programme available to business and non-business graduates

THIS PROGRAMME IS FREE OR 90% FUNDED (See Key Facts for eligibility criteria).

The Higher Diploma in Financial Analysis is a graduate conversion course funded by the Government’s Human Capital Initiative programme.

Graduates equipped with skills drawn from the dual disciplines of accounting and economics will play increasingly key and impactful roles in financial, banking and business sectors in the future. The goal of the Higher Diploma in Financial Analysis is to introduce students to and equip students with the applied analytical skills they need to secure future employment in the financial, banking and business sectors.This course will introduce students to the fundamental principles and analytical methods of accounting and economics in addition to modules from other business related disciplines.

Upon graduating, course participants will be equipped with a foundation of knowledge and skills that will prepare them for further studies and future careers in this field. The long-term employment prospects for graduates from this course are extremely good. In terms of further study opportunities, graduates will be equipped to progress to MSc level programmes, such as the MSc Corporate Finance and the MSc International Finance at University of Galway. In terms of career opportunities, graduates may take up a range of positions in the financial, banking and business sectors.

Students of this programme secure exemptions from some of the examinations of the accountancy bodies ACCA and the Institute of Certified Public Accountants (CPA).

The ACCA grants exemptions from exams in three subjects to all graduates, and from the exam Financial Management if students have completed modules AY872 Financial Management I and AY875 Financial Management II.

The CPA grants exemptions from three subjects at their foundation exam level, and one subject at their professional exam level.

ACCA Accredited

CPA

Applications and Selections

Application via Springboard Courses website.

Who Teaches this Course

Requirements and Assessment

Semester One exams: December.
Semester Two exams: April/May.

A range of assessment methods are applied throughout the programme. These include essays, projects, reports, presentations and case studies.

Key Facts

Entry Requirements

University of Galway entry requirement: The programme is open to degree holders from a university or other recognised degree-awarding body. Applicants should hold an NQAI Level 8 qualification or equivalent; IELTS score of 6.5 or equivalent, if applicable.

HCI/Springboard+ Eligibility Requirement:

You must:

  1. be living full-time in the Republic of Ireland
  2. have your own, valid PPS Number
  3. meet the nationality/visa requirement
    • You are an EU/EEA/UK/Swiss national or:
    • You have Stamp 4/Stamp 4 EU FAM, Stamp 5, or Stamp 6 on your Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card. This includes those resident here on Stamp 4 on the basis of:
      • having permission to remain in Ireland as a family member of an EU citizen or;
      • having official Refugee/Subsidiary Protection status in Ireland /being here on the basis of refugee family reunification or;
      • having been granted Humanitarian Leave to Remain in the State (prior to the Immigration Act 1999) or;
      • having permission to remain following the Minister’s decision not to make a deportation order.
  4. have lived in either the EU, the EEA, the UK, Switzerland for at least 3 out of the last 5 years
    • Any period the Department of Justice can count towards Citizenship can count towards residency (except stamp 2 & 2 a).
    • If you have Refugee/Subsidiary Protection status in Ireland, residency is counted from the date you applied for International Protection.

    Note 1: Applicants who are in receipt of an eligible DSP payment are not expected to demonstrate that they meet the Nationality/Visa requirement or 3 of the previous 5 years EU/EEA/UK/Swiss residency requirement.

    Note 2: The process for determining eligibility is undertaken by the third level institution to which the student is attending.

  5. have completed a level 8 degree or have recognised equivalent prior learning if applying to a level 8 or level 9 course.

 

 

Additional Requirements

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for entry may be considered. Applicants who do not have the required academic qualifications for entry purposes, but have relevant work experience in the financial, banking or business sectors, may be entitled to apply under the University’s Recognition of Prior Learning Policy. Further information is available on the University’s Recognition of Prior Learning website


Recognition of Prior Learning for module exemptions is not available on this programme due to external professional accreditation requirements.

Duration

1 year, full-time

Next start date

September 2024

A Level Grades ()

Average intake

30

QQI/FET FETAC Entry Routes

Closing Date

Check Springboard for details.

NFQ level

Mode of study

ECTS weighting

60

Award

CAO

Course code

Course Outline

Students on this programme study 12 modules, made up of 11 core modules and one elective module. The core modules consist of four modules in Accounting and Financial Analysis, three modules in Economics, two modules in Management, and one module each in Marketing and Management Information Systems. In semester Two, students choose one elective module. Currently, the elective modules are AY209 International Financial Reporting, EC362 Economics of Financial Markets, EC3100 Economics and Philosophy and MS319 Enterprise Systems (may be subject to change).

Students will take these modules alongside other business students in the Higher Diploma in Business Studies (Semester 1)

Semester 1 (30 credits) *All core, compulsory modules

EC5133: Principles of Economics for Business
AY5123: Accounting and Financial Analysis
AY872: Financial Management I
MG524: Management
MK204: Marketing Principles
MS873: Management Information Systems I

Semester 2 (30 credits) *Core, compulsory modules

EC2101: Macroeconomics and the Business Environment
EC247: Introduction to Financial Economics
AY874: Accounting For Management Decisions
AY875: Financial Management II
SBE3001: Innovation: Creativity and Enterprise

*Optional modules. Choose one module:

EC362: Economics of Financial Markets
EC3100: Economics and Philosophy
AY209: International Financial Reporting I
MS319: Enterprise Systems

Curriculum Information

Curriculum information relates to the current academic year (in most cases).
Course and module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Glossary of Terms

Credits
You must earn a defined number of credits (aka ECTS) to complete each year of your course. You do this by taking all of its required modules as well as the correct number of optional modules to obtain that year's total number of credits.
Module
An examinable portion of a subject or course, for which you attend lectures and/or tutorials and carry out assignments. E.g. Algebra and Calculus could be modules within the subject Mathematics. Each module has a unique module code eg. MA140.
Subject
Some courses allow you to choose subjects, where related modules are grouped together. Subjects have their own required number of credits, so you must take all that subject's required modules and may also need to obtain the remainder of the subject's total credits by choosing from its available optional modules.
Optional
A module you may choose to study.
Required
A module that you must study if you choose this course (or subject).
Required Core Subject
A subject you must study because it's integral to that course.
Semester
Most courses have 2 semesters (aka terms) per year, so a three-year course will have six semesters in total. For clarity, this page will refer to the first semester of year 2 as 'Semester 3'.

Why Choose This Course?

Career Opportunities

- No prior knowledge of business is required

- Students are exposed to a broad spectrum of modules across accountancy, economics and management

- Excellent career opporunities in finance, accounting and fintech

- The advanced financial knowledge and expertise learned on this programme are highly sought after by employers. 

- A unique opportunity to gain a highly sought after Level 8 qualification for free or at a highly discounted rate

- Exemptions from ACCA and CPA examinations

The finance industry is highly competitive, and having this Diploma will give graduates an edge over other candidates when applying for jobs. It demonstrates one's commitment to the field and one's proficiency in analysing financial data, which is a crucial skill in many finance-related roles. Graduates can expect to secure a position in the financial, banking or business sector.

For graduates already working in the finance field, the Diploma in Financial Analysis can open up opportunities for career advancement. It can help them specialise in areas such as investment analysis, financial planning, risk management, or portfolio management. 

Who’s Suited to This Course

This programme will suit both business and non business graduates.

Learning Outcomes

Transferable Skills Employers Value

Work Placement

Study Abroad

Related Student Organisations

Course Fees

Fees: EU

€6,000 p.a. 2024/25*

Fees: Tuition

Fees: Student levy

Fees: Non EU

*A 10% course fee contribution (€600) for graduate conversion courses is applicable for employed participants and recent graduates.

The formerly self-employed not in receipt of a DEASP payment must also pay 10%. This is payable directly to the provider.

There are no tuition fees for DEASP customers or Returners but any subsequent costs such as travel, and course materials must be borne by the participant.

For further details see https://springboardcourses.ie/faq

Find out More

Application via Springboard website. Information on how to apply: here.

Further information contact us:
E: HCIBusiness@universityofgalway.ie

Programme Director:
Enatasha.caulfield@universityofgalway.ie