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Bachelor’s Degree in Banking & Finance (BSBF)

College of Business & Finance
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Finance as a discipline is forward-focused. It is largely about future planning for firms or investors. Finance consists of three interrelated subject areas:

  • Corporate finance studies how firms raise and efficiently utilise funds obtained from lenders and shareholders.
  • Financial markets and institutions explores how the financial system facilitates the transfer of funds from savers and lenders to borrowers.
  • Investment analysis studies how investors choose securities and asset classes for their investment portfolios.

All of these areas assess the trade-off between risk and reward and the valuation of both financial and capital assets.

The programme is designed to equip students with the intellectual skills and the knowledge they need to work after graduation in the dynamic, growing, highly demanding, fast-changing financial services sector in the region and worldwide. The curriculum is under continuous evaluation and improvement to ensure that graduates meet the industry’s expectations at the time of graduation. Students are provided with a wide-range of opportunities to earn hands-on experience needed by the industry through projects they undertake in different courses.

Programme Facts

  • Department/Center: Department of Accounting Finance and Banking.
  • Title of Final Award: Bachelor’s Degree in Banking and Finance.
  • Awarded Level (NQF): 8.
  • Modes of Attendance offered: Full time

  • Aligned the programme with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
  • Introduced Market related courses (Taxation, Public Finance, Contemporary Issues in Economics and Finance)
  • The programme is aligned with 5 papers exemptions with ACCA
  • Increased Major elective courses (to take two major electives instead of one to increase employability)

Programme Aims

  • To equip students with in-depth knowledge and multi-perspectives on sustainable banking and finance.
  • To provide student with competence to practically apply professional standards related to banking and finance
  • To develop student’s innovation and leadership potential through a variety of soft skills such as communication, teamwork and global citizenship.
  • To develop awareness and appreciation for social and ethical responsibilities at the societal and global levels.
  • To equip students with creative and innovative skills to adapt lifelong learning and research.

Career Opportunities

  • Financial Analysts
  • Financial Examiners
  • Personal Financial Advisors/Planner/Consultant
  • Financial Managers
  • Financial Services Sales Agent
  • Credit Authorisers
  • Auditors
  • Credit Analysts
  • Treasurer/Controllers
  • Bookkeepers
  • Tax Examiners
  • Tax Collectors
  • Actuaries
  • Economists
  • Loan Officers
  • Cost Estimators
  • Bankers
  • Budget Analyst
  • Underwriter
  • Personal Financial Advisors
  • Purchasing Agents/Buyers
  • Administrative Service Managers Real Estate Brokers and Agents
  • Insurance Sales Agents
  • Investment Broker

Programme Learning Outcomes

A. Knowledge and Understanding

A1. Concepts and Theories
Demonstrate critical knowledge and understanding of theoretical fundamentals of banking and finance, their application to contemporary issues to derive alternative solutions.

A2. Contemporary Trends, Problems and Research
Investigate and interpret contemporary trends, major issues related to banking and finance through the execution of defined research projects.

A.3 Professional Responsibility
Demonstrate knowledge and adherence to professional responsibilities and business practices, as a business professional, in the field banking and finance.

B. Subject-Specific Skills

B1. Problem solving
Use specialist-level computational and technological skills to analyze banking and financial data and generating output used in decision-making

B2. Modelling and Designing
Demonstrate creativity in using banking and financial models, empirically identify causal factors underlying, as well as to predict financial trends.

B3. Application of Methods and Tools
Apply specialist software-based information systems and statistical tools, to generate banking and financial sustainable and reliable data used in decision-making

C. Critical Thinking Skills

C1. Analytic Skills
Critically analyze and interpret banking and financial information using specific banking and finance tools.

C2. Synthetic Skills
Demonstrate insight of banking and financial principles and theories in conjunction with professional judgment to generate conclusions in a range of relevant contexts.

C3. Creative Skills
Demonstrate creativity in identifying complex contemporary banking and financial issues as well as the implementation of relevant solutions.

D. General and Transferable Skills (other skills relevant to employability and personal development)

D1. Communication skills
Use specific skills to communicate technical concepts and theories to a variety of audiences by oral, electronic and written means.

D2. Teamwork and Leadership
Operate at specialized level teamwork skills, and lead, multiple and heterogeneous teams within the framework of jointly tackling problems encountered in collaborating efficiently in a variety of professional contexts.

D3. Organizational and Developmental skills
Demonstrate organizational skills and life-long skills needed to support personal and professional development aligned with independent learning.

D4. Ethics and social responsibility
Demonstrate and appreciate ethical and social reasoning in the decision-making of corporate and governmental organizations in terms of stakeholder welfare including a comprehensive.
examination of the importance of sustainable development to the economy and society.

Study Plan

First Year

During the first year, students are exposed to a range of foundation level courses such as accounting, management, IT and language oriented courses. The first academic year starts the students off with the basic required knowledge for them to initiate their journey into the field of accounting & finance.

Second Year

In the second year, the student develops further understanding of accounting and finance.

Students also learn about the principles behind macroeconomics, statistics and modern history of Bahrain. MIS and bank management are other courses taught in second year level.

At this stage, students develop their understanding from basic knowledge to the deeper level of accounting and finance.

Third Year

n the third year of a student’s academic journey, subjects include intermediate accounting, auditing, cost and accounting along with intermediate finance courses.

Further, students will learn money and banking, business law, international finance, insurance and re-insurance and ethics.

Fourth Year

During the fourth year, the student is expected to study advanced accounting, contemporary issues in accounting, research method, monetary and financial system, investment portfolio management and can choose two free electives.

Students are encouraged during their university life to get engaged in curricular and extra-curricular activities including attending guest lectures, seminars, conferences, participate in student clubs activities, local and international competitions, sports, and other social activities.

Programme Exemptions

Association of Chartered Certified Accountants

Exemptions from the following ACCA papers upon completion of the programme:

Business and Technology On completion
Management Accounting
Financial Accounting
Taxation (2021 Graduates Onwards)
  • Taxation (ACCT 411)
Financial Management (2021 Graduates Onwards)
  • Financial Management I (FINC 211)
  • Financial Management II (FINC 312)

Chartered Institute of Management Accountants

Exemptions from the following CIMA examinations during the programme:

  • BA1 Fundamentals of Business Economics
  • BA2 Fundamentals of Management Accounting
  • BA3 Fundamentals of Financial Accounting
  • BA4 Fundamentals of Ethics, Corporate Governance and Business Law
  • F1 Financial Reporting and Taxation

The student can sit for the first CIMA exam at the end of his/her 3rd year

Entry Requirements

To be eligible for consideration for admission at the undergraduate level, an applicant should normally hold a recently issued recognized secondary school certificate or its equivalent. The requirements for admission stated by the University are in all cases the minimum demanded for admission, and their fulfilment by a candidate does not automatically ensure his /her selection. Prior to enrolling at Ahlia University, citizens of non-GCC States should secure residence permits in the Kingdom of Bahrain; otherwise, their admission will be conditional and subject to being rescinded at the discretion of the University

English Language Proficiency

Applicants must demonstrate a level of English proficiency consistent with the demands of an academic programme taught and assessed almost exclusively in the English language. This can be done in one of the following ways:

  • Submission of an internationally recognized certificate of English language proficiency, e.g. Cambridge ESOL SCE or City & Guild’s Pitman Intermediate Level.
  • Attainment of an acceptable score on an internationally recognized examination of English language proficiency, typically either IELTS or TOFEL.
  • Passing the University English language placement test.

Recognized Secondary Certificates

  • Bahraini secondary School certificate (Tawjihia).
  • Secondary school certificates awarded by private secondary school in the Kingdom of Bahrain provided such certificates are endorsed by the Bahraini Ministry of Education.
  • Arab secondary school certificates awarded by Arab Ministries of Education. Where applicable, the streams of these certificates are given the same consideration as the Bahraini Tawjihia.
  • Any other certificates recognized by the Bahraini Ministry of Education as equivalent to a Tawjihia certificate.

Programme Specific Requirements

The applicants who meet the following programme specific admission requirements will be admitted to the programme:

Academic Score in the Secondary School Certificate (Tawjihia) or its Equivalent

  • Unconditional Acceptance: 60%
  • Conditional Acceptance; Passing an interview: 50%
  • Tracks Accepted: All tracks

Undergraduate Tuition & Fees

The estimated duration for completion of a Bachelors Degree at Ahlia University is 4 years. This is structured around 134 credit-hours covering 45 courses.

The duration of study for each course is fifteen weeks, covering approximately 45 study hours.

Item Fee
Application Fee BD 20
Registration Fee BD 200
Placement Tests Fee ( if applicable ) BD 40
Orientation Courses ( if applicable ) BD 1,200
100 Level Courses – 12 courses ( BD 300 Per Course ) BD 3,600
200 Level Courses – 11 courses ( BD 330 Per Course ) BD 3,630
300 Level Courses – 11 courses ( BD 360 Per Course ) BD 3,960
400 Level Courses – 11 courses ( BD 390 Per Course ) BD 4,290

Available Scholarships

Item Discount
Orphans and people with special needs 50%
High school average of 95% or above 50%
High school average of 90% or above 25%
High school average of 80% or above 20%
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