Sabhushan Kari (Nepal) – “I have a background in mathematics, and that is why I chose to do an IBA in Financial Services Management at Wittenborg. I would like to work in the financial sector after obtaining my degree, preferably in the Netherlands, because I want to gain more international experience in my field.”
Introduction
Financial Services Management looks at the different branches of banking: Insurance, Financial Advice, Investment. Students learn about mortgages, loans, insurance, pensions, investments and the stock market. Financial systems and regulations imposed by different countries are illustrated, analysed and compared.
Core aims: Through combining theoretical perspectives with case studies from practice, the programme aims to allow students to develop a critical and contextualised understanding of the issues, problems and solutions faced by and offered to financial services institutions worldwide. Students will learn to understand the function of financial services within a wider economic context, also from the perspective of developing countries.
Course Content
In addition to the base IBA modules, the programme focuses on various industry-specific areas such as pensions and investment, the legal environment of financial services, financial tax regulations, mortgages and real estate. Also the fundamentals of the banking world and international finance are studied.
The modules introduce students to key factors driving change in the banking sector, the financial services marketing environment, the key principles of regulation, and the global frameworks that exist. Work placement is carried out within a bank or financial services company.
Key Financial Services modules include:
- European Financial Regulations
- Money & Banking
- International Mortgages & Loans
- Pensions & Investment
- Personal Insurance
The Industry
The Financial Services Industry plays a vital role in the world economy, often acting as an intermediator between organisations that require funds and those able to provide financial investment and support.
The industry includes a broad range of organisations and companies that provide economic services and manage money. These include:
- Banks
- Insurance companies
- Pension funds
- Investment companies
- Accountants
- Credit-card providers
- Stockbrokers
- Financial Loan companies
- Securities Trading companies
- Government-sponsored/regulated companies
- Provincial Mortgage Societies and Banks
- Regulatory Agencies and Securities Exchanges
- Public Accounting firms
- Financial Information Services
- Financial Consulting
Customers of the financial services industry include individuals, non-profit organisations, agencies of government, and, of course, companies and businesses of all sizes.
Career Prospects
Financial Services specialists work in various branches of varying sizes, from corporate banks and insurance companies to SME companies advising home owners and private investors on matters relating to their personal finance.
Financial advisors are affiliated to most real-estate brokers and law firms and many Wittenborg Financial Services Management graduates have gone on to work in international banks such as HSBC in Shanghai, Commercial Bank of China in Beijing, RaboBank Netherlands in Utrecht and ABN AMRO in Rotterdam. Also, many students have also gone on to work for mortgage, investment and insurance companies such as Nationale Nederland, Achmea, and AON Consulting. A number of students have started their own consultancies.
The Financial Services Sector tends to be cyclical: when there is a downturn in the economy the industry requires fewer graduates; when it starts to recover there is a great shortage! Presently the economy is in recovery!
Entry Requirements
Entry Requirements - Bachelor Programmes
High School Diploma or final certificate, equivalent to the Netherlands HAVO or MBO level-4 diploma / UK AS & A-Level or BTEC. Please contact the Admissions Office to receive High School diploma comparisons. Advanced Placement / Credit Transfer Possible - please see Credit Transfer & Accreditation of Prior Learning at WUASfor more information.
English Language Requirements
IELTS 6 or TOEFL equivalent. Click here for an overview of the equivalent scores.
TOEFL Code of Wittenborg is 4889.
Not got the English level requirements? Find out about our Foundation Programme here.
Apply / Information Request
Fill in the Information Request Form to get more information about our programmes and admissions process. You can also send an email to admission@wittenborg.eu, and one of our team members will reply to you as soon as possible.
Please note that our office is open Monday to Friday from 08:30 to 17:00 Dutch time.
If you wish to directly start your application, please start your application here.