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If you are undertaking the Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance or Master of Applied Finance you have the option to specialise in a specific area of professional work. This allows you to customise your qualification to align with your specific career ambitions. This process involves making sure that the elective courses you select are related to the specific professional field you are interested in.
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Specialising within the Master of Applied Finance or Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance allows you to deepen your technical capability, enhance your professional profile and align your studies with your career objectives. Kaplan Professional offers four distinct specialisations; Project Management, Business Intelligence, Investment Analysis and Corporate Finance. Each is designed to reflect areas of high demand in the financial services sector.
To be awarded a specialisation, you must complete the designated three elective subjects for your chosen discipline as part of your postgraduate qualification. This achievement is formally recognised on both your academic transcript and testamur.
For those not pursuing a full Applied Finance qualification, Kaplan Professional also offers verified digital badges in the Project Management and Business Intelligence disciplines, which can be earned upon completion of the relevant subject sets and used to demonstrate your capability publicly.
Business intelligence focuses on underpinning data analytic concepts and techniques to harness the power of data to apply data-driven decisions and solve problems creatively. The subjects offered in this specialisation enables students to gain knowledge, skills, and techniques to solve problems creatively by integrating design thinking with analytics capability. Students will also learn to investigate how insights from quantitative and qualitative data analysis, and meaningful data visualisation can inform better decision-making.
This specialisation may be relevant to any professionals in the finance industry looking to develop skills to understand data for better decision-making driving improvements and work with multidisciplinary teams.
This specialisation may be relevant to the following roles:
Download our specialisation table to view subject requirements you need to complete for each specialisation/discipline.
Specialisation table effective from Study Period 1 2026 onwards
Earn this digital badge by successfully completing the three Business Intelligence subjects. Whether you’re working towards a postgraduate qualification or completing them as a standalone discipline, this badge offers professional recognition of your business intelligence capabilities.
Please note: You will not be formally recognised as a Business Intelligence, Applied Finance specialist unless you complete either the Graduate Diploma or Master of Applied Finance.
Find out more about digital badges here.
Project management explores how projects align with a company’s strategic goals and how to manage the cyclical stages of a project from idea generation until project completion achieving all project goals within the given constraints. The subjects offered in this specialisation enable students to learn about what tools are needed at different stages in a project’s lifecycle and develop skills to assess the viability of the project, identify and plan for potential risks and organise adequate financing. Students will also learn how to tackle problems related to task allocations and managing resources to ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget.
This specialisation may be relevant to any professionals in the finance industry looking to develop project management skills. Some roles include but are not limited to:
Earn this digital badge by successfully completing the three Project Management subjects. Whether you’re working towards a postgraduate qualification or completing them as a standalone discipline, this badge offers professional recognition of your project management capabilities.
Please note: You will not be formally recognised as a Project Management, Applied Finance specialist unless you complete either the Graduate Diploma or Master of Applied Finance.
Corporate Finance is an area of finance dealing with the financial decisions corporations make and the tools and analysis used to make these decisions. The primary goal of corporate finance is to maximise corporate value while reducing the firm’s financial risks. The subjects offered in this specialisation provide students with an opportunity to gain skills and techniques in financial analysis and valuation across a variety of areas.
This specialisation may be relevant to corporate finance roles including:
Investment analysis is the process of evaluating potential investment options (e.g. shares, bonds, real estate) to meet the specified investment goals of investors. The subjects offered in this specialisation provide students with an opportunity to learn quantitative and qualitative methodologies, formulate investment opinions, provide investment management services and undertake processes including elements of financial analysis, asset allocation, stock selection, and implement and provide ongoing monitoring of investments. They will be able to gain specific skills to analyse a broad range of investment options evaluating the profitability and risk of an investment.
This specialisation may be relevant to investment analysis roles including:
Download our specialisation table to find out which subjects you need to complete for each specialisation.
Specialisation Table
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Kaplan Professional is offering education update presentations for advice firms – available online or in person – designed to help advisers navigate the evolving professional landscape.
The financial advice profession is rarely a straight path. Increasing regulation, rising client expectations, technological change and higher professional standards mean advisers must continually adapt to remain relevant and competitive.
This presentation maps the full career lifecycle of an adviser – from entry into the profession through to specialisation, leadership and long-term sustainability. At each stage, we explore the capabilities required, the common challenges advisers face, and the role education plays not just as a compliance requirement, but as a strategic enabler of professional growth.
• Education pathways from entry to senior leadership
• How capability requirements evolve across career stages
• The shift from minimum standards to advanced technical and strategic expertise
• The role of ongoing education in building resilience, sound judgement and sustainable careers
Designed for adviser teams and leadership groups, this presentation provides practical insights into how structured learning supports long-term performance, professionalism and business sustainability.
To book an education update session for your advisers please contact your Corporate Relationship Manager to arrange a suitable time.
Date: Wednesday, 11 March
Time: 1:00pm – 3:00pm AEDT
Fee: $280
Where: Online (Zoom)
Host: Matthew Farley
A certificate of attendance outlining CPD hours will be awarded at the conclusion of this workshop. A full list of topics is available on our website.
Date: Thursday, 19 March
Time: 1:00pm – 3:30pm AEDT
Fee: $340
Host: Dr Jenny Diggle
Kaplan Professional has expanded the Financial Adviser Accelerator Suite with a new set of practical topics designed to further strengthen capability across both technical and client engagement areas.
As client expectations continue to rise and advice scenarios become more complex, early career advisers must combine sound technical knowledge with strong communication skills and thoughtful decision-making. The latest additions to the suite support this ongoing professional development.
Practical frameworks to enhance credibility, strengthen adviser presence and build more meaningful, long-term client relationships.
Structured approaches to assessing appropriate cover, modelling client scenarios and supporting well-reasoned, client-centred risk advice.
Applying probability-based thinking to improve strategic judgement and support more confident decision-making in uncertain environments.
These additions build on the Financial Adviser Accelerator Suite focus on applied, real-world learning, equipping advisers with skills that can be immediately implemented in practice.
The ongoing expansion of the Financial Adviser Accelerator Suite reflects Kaplan Professional’s commitment to supporting advisers as they continue to develop deeper expertise and deliver high-quality, client-focused advice.
For advisers who have now met the education standard, the focus shifts from compliance to opportunity.
Kaplan Professional offers clear pathways to build on the bridging courses and subjects already completed and convert that study into a full, recognised qualification. Advisers who have completed individual units toward the education standard may be eligible to articulate into the Graduate Certificate in Financial Planning or Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning, formalising their academic achievement and strengthening their professional standing.
From there, eligible Graduate Diploma alumni can upgrade to the Master of Financial Planning, completing the remaining subjects to attain a postgraduate qualification that positions them above the minimum regulatory requirement. The Master’s program also provides direct pathways toward leading professional designations, including CFP® and SSA®, enabling advisers to align academic progression with industry-recognised credentials.
Advisers who have completed the Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning are already eligible to obtain leading professional designations through the College for Financial Planning®. This includes globally-recognised credentials such as the Accredited Behavioural Finance ProfessionalSM (ABFP®) and Chartered Retirement Planning CounsellorSM (CRPC®) designation.
No further study is required to meet the education component for these certifications, allowing advisers to leverage their existing qualification to secure respected professional recognition and further strengthen their standing in the industry.
Beyond core qualifications, Kaplan Professional also offers access to additional specialist electives and professional designation pathways, allowing advisers to differentiate in areas such as superannuation, retirement, ethics and client strategy.
In short, completing the education standard doesn’t have to be the end point. With Kaplan Professional, it can be the foundation for higher qualifications, respected designations and long-term career progression.
Contact your Corporate Relationship Manager to discuss the education options and pathways for your adviser network. Alternatively, contact 1300 135 798 (option 2) or email courseadvice@kaplan.edu.au.
Kaplan Professional will host a special Women in Finance webinar on Tuesday, 3 March, celebrating the achievements, leadership and career journeys of women shaping the financial services industry.
The session will explore leadership, career progression and the role education has played in supporting professional success across diverse areas of the sector.
Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning dux, two-time Olympian and Financial Adviser at HLB Mann Judd.
Graduate Diploma graduate, business owner and founder of a caregiving training institute in Bangladesh, with more than 20 years’ industry experience.
Master of Applied Finance graduate and Director at BDO Sydney, specialising in governance, risk and assurance across financial services.
Date: Tuesday, 3 March
Time: 1:30pm AEDT
Location: Online (Zoom)
The webinar will include practical leadership insights, reflections on career growth, discussion on the impact of education in finance, and an interactive Q&A session.
Now
9 March
25 March
29 May
Kaplan Professional is offering eligible Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning alumni a limited-time opportunity to upgrade to the Master of Financial Planning at a fixed alumni price of $5,000.
This exclusive offer enables alumni to complete their remaining four subjects – two core subjects (FPC009 Complex Financial Planning and KAP001 Capstone Project) and two electives – at a substantially reduced cost compared to standard postgraduate tuition fees.
To access the offer, eligible alumni must enrol and commence their first subject by the Study Period 2 census date, 25 March 2026.
Upgrading to the Master’s degree provides advisers with the opportunity to deepen technical expertise, broaden strategic capability and position themselves strongly as professional standards across the industry continue to rise. The program also supports progression toward additional professional designations.
Full details, including subject structure, study plans and application steps, are available below.