New financial advice diploma

Massey University has joined Australian education institute Kaplan Professional to launch a Diploma of Business Studies (Financial Advice) aimed at financial advisers.

Tuesday, April 18th 2023, 8:00AM

by Andrea Malcolm

The diploma is open to anyone with the NZCFS v2 level 5 or Massey’s equivalent qualification – the Certificate in Financial Advice which is also provided through a partnership with Kaplan. Holders of either can go on to gain the new Massey diploma by completing two additional subjects including options on client engagement and ethics.

The new diploma provides entry into Massey University’s Bachelor of Business Financial Planning and Advice, which is unique to the New Zealand market.

Massey is the only university offering level 5 certification for financial advice and has graduated about 700 people.

Massey Business School director of international and strategic partnerships Dr Jeff Strangl says, providing the certificate, in the first instance, and now the diploma is part of a long term strategy to work with the financial services industry. By completing both the certificate and diploma and earning credits, gives advisers a pathway to achieving a full bachelors degree.

To achieve the Massey diploma, advisers must complete any two of the following specialist electives within 12 months:

client engagement skills which includes behavioural finance concepts, how emotional intelligence and critical thinking can assist advisers to better understand the perspectives of clients.
ethics in financial advice which examines the ethical and professional obligations of advisers through a broad philosophical lens, to better navigate complex situations they may encounter when engaging clients in the advice process.
investment
life, disability and health insurance
general insurance
residential property lendingdential property lending.

Intakes will happen twice a year with the first taking place on June 6.

“This is a very incremental approach that recognises that regulatory environments change. If, and we’re not saying it will, but if New Zealand follows other countries’ regulatory environments then this kind of incremental approach will be beneficial to the industry.”

An example of this overseas is Australia’s reform of professional standards for financial advisers which means financial advisers will have to have a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) from January 2026.

Tags: Massey University