Traits, skills and aptitudes
Those working in the financial sector tend to be methodical, social, innovative and directive.
You need:
- an aptitude for numbers
- respect for confidentiality
- strong listening and communication skills
- the ability to understand complex financial documents, such as insurance policies, pension plans, financial statements and tax regulations
- coping skills to deal with rapid changes
- quick decision-making skills
- an interest and willingness to keep their knowledge up to date.
You should enjoy gathering and analyzing information, finding innovative solutions to problems and working with people.
Academic path
Graduates of this program with a minimum 2.3 cumulative GPA (67% or C+) may be eligible to enter the Bachelor of Business Administration and earn their degree with an additional two years of study.
Our degree includes more advanced finance courses that provide an opportunity to complete the Canadian Securities Course (CSC) and the Canadian Securities Courses that lead toward the Personal Financial Planning (PFP) designation.
Practicum, co-op and work integrated learning opportunities
You’ll have the option to participate in an integrative experience capstone project in your final semester.
If you choose a capstone project, you’ll work collaboratively with students from other majors to address a challenge faced by a local business or organization. You’ll work together as a team to investigate and analyze the challenge or problem before presenting a solution to company representatives.
Accreditations, designations or certifications
You’ll have the opportunity to complete the Investment Funds in Canada (IFIC) mutual funds licensing exam through the Canadian Securities Institute. If you pass the exam, you’ll be qualified to apply for registration with the provincial securities regulator to sell mutual funds.
The Financial Planning Standards Council recognizes this program as meeting the core and advanced curriculum requirements for the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) certification (QAFP) and Canadian Institute of Financial Planners Registered Retirement Consultant (RRC) designation.
Credential
Upon successful completion of this program, you’ll receive a SAIT Business Administration diploma with a major in Financial Services.
Accepts international applicants - not-PGWP eligible
This program is open to international applicants; however, program availability may be limited. This program does not meet the eligibility criteria for the Post-Graduation Work Permit program.
Related careers
Our graduates may work in the following occupations. Some careers require additional experience and education.
Potential careers (NOC):
- Financial managers (10010)
- Insurance, real estate and financial brokerage managers (10020)
- Banking, credit and other investment managers (10021)
- Financial auditors and accountants (11100)
- Financial and investment analysts (11101)
- Financial advisors (11102)
- Securities agents, investment dealers and brokers (11103)
- Other financial officers (11109)
- Supervisors, finance and insurance office workers (12011)
- Accounting technicians and bookkeepers (12200)
- Banking, insurance and other financial clerks (14201)
- Customer services representatives - financial institutions (64400)
Admission requirements - Applicants educated in Canada
Applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency and meet all of the following requirements or equivalent:
- at least 50% in Math 30-1 or Math 30-2, and
- at least 50% in English Language Arts 30-1 or 60% in English Language Arts 30-2.
SAIT accepts high school course equivalents for admission for applicants educated outside Alberta.
Application process
When applying in the application portal, select Business Administration. You will declare your major before your second year of the program.
Program outline
The Business Administration - Financial Services diploma requires 60 credits (20 courses) to complete.
The program spans two years, with two semesters each year.
Required courses
You must take all of the following courses to complete this program.
Required courses - Business core
Required courses - Financial services major
Elective courses
You will choose courses from the following lists.
Elective courses - Business core (choose one)
Elective courses - Business core integrative experience (choose one)
Suggested schedule of study
We recommend you complete the courses in the order listed below.
Semester 2 elective (choose one)
Integrative experience elective (choose one)
Progression
You must attain a PGPA and/or a CGPA of 2.0 or better each semester and pass the prerequisite courses to progress through the program.
To qualify for graduation, you must pass all courses, attain a CGPA of 2.0 or better and complete course requirements within the prescribed timelines.
Review our grading and progression procedure >
Books and supplies
Books and supplies are approximately $1,000 - $1,500 per full-time year.
This is a bring-your-own-device program with standard hardware and software requirements. See the specific requirements on our computers and laptops page.
Find your booklist on the SAIT Bookstore’s website. The booklist will be available close to your start date. Can’t find your program or course? The bookstore didn’t receive a textbook list. Contact your program directly to determine if they’re still refining course details or if you’re in luck; no textbook purchase is required for that term.
Program outcomes
Core program outcomes
- Strategy - Incorporate strategy into business knowledge and practice.
- Team - Achieve project goals through teamwork.
- Economic theory - Apply economic theory in the business environment.
- Professional behaviours - Develop appropriate personal skills and professional behaviours to uphold general management practices.
- Financial principles - Use basic financial and accounting principles in a business setting.
- Mathematics - Apply mathematical formulae and statistical calculations to support basic business functions
- Legal - Explain key legal principles of the Canadian legal system and the basic laws governing business ownership and transactions.
- ICT - Integrate information and communication technology to achieve efficient business practices.
- Marketing - Apply marketing theory and processes in a business environment
- Organizational behaviour - Comprehend organizational behaviour and theory as applied in the business setting.
Accounting major program outcomes
- Accounting - Apply financial and management accounting principles in a business setting.
- Tax - Apply tax calculation formulae to solve a variety of business-related problems.
- Finance - Apply finance concepts and practices in a business setting.
- Management information systems - Adopt Management Information Systems practices to achieve efficient business practices.
- Ethics - Model the ethical expectations of the accounting profession.
Financial Services major program outcomes
- Financial principles and theories - Interpret and use financial concepts, theories and tools and effectively present findings.
- Financial planning - Apply personal financial planning concepts.
- Analyze and understand client needs:
- Assess the client’s financial needs and the mechanisms to fulfill those needs.
- Apply effective selling principles.
- Knowledge of the financial services sector - Investigate the Canadian financial system.
Human Resource Management major program outcomes
- HR functions - Apply HR management theory and practice to support HR functions.
- HR professional skills - Demonstrate leadership capabilities and HR professional skills to evolve and grow in dynamic business environments.
- Employment law - Explain employment law, regulations and standards applicable in the HR setting.
- Technical/analysis - In support of organizational effectiveness, use technical knowledge and skills to compile and retrieve data and create reports relating to further Human Resource Management.
Management major program outcomes
- Human resources - Apply human resources management theory in the workplace.
- Entrepreneurship and small business - Apply entrepreneurship and small business theory.
- Marketing - Apply marketing theory and marketing processes.
- Operations management - Explain the theories and practices of operations and supply chain management.
- Project management - Apply project management theories and tools.
- International business - Explain the principles of international business.
Marketing major program outcomes
1. Brand management
- Develop products to satisfy organization objectives.
- Develop pricing strategies to fit the organizational objectives.
- Determine optimal distribution channels to support planning objectives.
- Develop promotion strategies to optimize planning objective
2. Strategy and planning
- Conduct an environmental scan.
- Identify relevant market segments.
- Develop products to satisfy organization objectives.
- Develop pricing strategies to fit the organizational objectives.
- Determine optimal distribution channels to support planning objectives.
- Develop promotion strategies to optimize planning objectives.
3. Research insights and analytics
- Conduct an environmental scan.
- Identify relevant market segments.
- Develop products to satisfy organization objectives.
- Develop pricing strategies to fit the organizational objectives.
- Determine optimal distribution channels to support planning objectives.
- Develop promotion strategies to optimize planning objectives.
4. Product
- Conduct an environmental scan.
- Identify relevant market segments.
- Develop products to satisfy organization objectives.
- Develop pricing strategies to fit the organizational objectives.
- Determine optimal distribution channels to support planning objectives.
- Develop promotion strategies to optimize planning objectives.
5. Business development, consumer behaviour, applied psychology
- Determine optimal distribution channels to support planning objectives.
- Develop promotion strategies to optimize planning objectives.
Supply Chain Management major program outcomes
- Supply chain functions
- Apply SCM theory and practice in the workplace, including the support of critical supply chain functions, to enable organizational strategy.
- Utilize appropriate regulatory guidelines, ethical practices, and industry and corporate standards to support supply chain activities.
- Data analysis
- Summarize data used to inform decision-making for supply chain functions.
- Differentiate between various supply chain technology management systems and processes to support business performance.
- Professional and leadership
- Demonstrate professional accountability, responsibility, change management and leadership skills within supply chain management.
Graduate outcomes
A. Safety - awareness of safety standards relevant to the workplace.
B. Responsible leadership - personal, ethical and respectful behaviour within the workplace and global community.
- Teamwork and multi-disciplinary collaboration
- Self-initiative
- Ethical reasoning and action
- Global awareness
- Sustainability
C. Communication - the exchange of information professionally and effectively.
- Language skills
- Interpersonal skills
D. Information literacy - the strategies used to become informed, from recognizing an information need to accessing and evaluating information and using it effectively and ethically.
- Problem-solving and critical thinking
- Quantitative literacy
- Technological literacy
E. Technical knowledge, skills and abilities - technical competence specific to the discipline or industry.
- Specialized technical skill set
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