Finance professionals play a vital role in most businesses across all sectors. They set and achieve financial goals that help companies succeed and grow.

Some responsibilities of those working in the finance industry may include identifying and mitigating financial risks, creating action plans to improve a client’s financial health, developing budgets and more. Their duties may vary according to their role, level of experience and the industry they work in.

Getting certified by specific professional bodies may also improve your credibility as a finance professional. Some organisations include the Certified Practising Accountant (CPA), the Malaysian Association of Company Secretaries (MACS) and the Financial Planning Association of Malaysia (FPAM). You can obtain certification by completing their requirements, such as passing their examinations and having relevant work experience.

While anyone can start a career in finance, getting a finance degree may set you apart from other candidates. It may serve as evidence of your financial knowledge and skills that employers are looking for. The academic qualification may also be a prerequisite for a lot of finance-related roles.

What you will learn in finance courses

Studying a finance degree allows you access to various subject areas and skills. Some of the most covered subjects in finance courses are:

• Principles of finance: Explore essential key concepts in finance. You may learn about capital budgeting, risk and return, time value of money, cash flow and more.
• Corporate finance: Gain a comprehensive understanding of how corporations employ financial planning strategies to fund their business activities. Some concepts you may learn are equity finance and retained earnings.
• Islamic banking and finance: Obtain knowledge of financial activities that abide by the Islamic law. Islamic banks use the equity participation method instead of charging interest to earn a profit.
• Financial economics: Study how resources are utilised and distributed in markets. It includes learning how various factors like time, opportunity costs and inflation can influence an organisation’s financial decisions.
• Business communication: Acquire skills in relaying information effectively between executives, clients, investors and more. This is used to improve the workplace environment, upgrade marketing performance and ensure that employees are aligned with the company’s objectives.
• International finance: Learn about the economic dealings between multiple countries. Some topics that may be covered include foreign direct investment and purchasing power parity.
• Financial risk management: This area of study involves learning how to find, analyse and reduce risks when making financial decisions.

Career opportunities in finance

You can explore many career opportunities or paths with a finance degree. Check out this list of general professions in finance that can help give you an idea:

Banker

• A banker interacts closely with customers daily and may also be their first point of contact when they enter a bank.
• They give clients financial guidance about loans, savings, investments and insurance. They may also help customers manage bank accounts.
• Average salary: RM3,300 to RM3,800 monthly.

Insurance agent

• In this role, you will help clients choose the best insurance plan that fits their criteria. You may also suggest extra coverage in addition to their current policies.
• You will help process your clients’ claims to supply them with insurance benefits.
• Average salary: RM3,000 to RM4,000 monthly.

Actuary

• In this role, you will use your expertise in statistics, mathematics and financial principles to predict an organisation’s financial consequences.
• Some key responsibilities may include calculating the success probability of a business decision and outlining insurance policies and company plans to mitigate financial risks.
• Average salary: RM3,000 to RM4,000 monthly.

Financial consultant

• A financial consultant’s main duty is to assist clients to become or remain financially stable.
• They help clients meet their financial objectives by crafting financial strategies and advising them about taxes and investments.
• Average salary: RM3,350 to RM5,850 monthly.

Risk analyst

• Risk analysts collect data from an organisation’s records to analyse and identify risks they may face.
• Other responsibilities may include making revenue forecasts, creating strategies to reduce risks and ensuring that the company is abiding by regulations appropriately.
• Average salary: RM3,900 to RM6,300 monthly.

Accountant

• An accountant handles a company’s financial transactions. It may include billing, invoicing, tax duties and processing employee salaries.
• They may also work with external parties such as public auditors and banks to ensure the company’s financial documents are properly organised.
• Average salary: RM5,000 to RM7,000 monthly.

Investment banking analyst

• As an investment banking analyst, you may become the middle person between investors and organisations searching for capital.
• Other duties may involve studying stock performance, helping investment bank officials to make new financial offerings and pitching investment opportunities to businesses.
• Average salary: RM6,000 to RM7,000 monthly.

Quantitative analyst

• A quantitative analyst uses statistical analysis methods to help companies make financial decisions, identify investment risks and find commercial opportunities.
• They usually work for stockbrokers, wealth management institutions and investment banks.
• Average salary: RM7,000 to RM8,000 monthly.

Finance manager

• In this position, you will manage an organisation’s financial health and help make important financial decisions.
• Some responsibilities include studying market trends to find growth opportunities, reviewing the company’s financial policies and designing business strategies according to the organisation’s financial situation and forecasts.
• Average salary: RM8,000 to RM10,000 monthly.

Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

• As a CFO, you are responsible for an organisation’s overall financial activities.
• You will examine your company’s strong and weak points in financial performance and collaborate with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to suggest action plans for improvement.
• Average salary: RM13,750 to RM16,250 monthly.

Top institutions offering finance degrees

Postgraduate level

FAQs about finance degrees in Malaysia

Explore more about studying finance

Graduating with a finance degree offers you the versatility of working in various sectors, as most businesses need finance professionals. These programmes will provide you with a solid foundation of financial knowledge and skills that are necessary for your career. Kickstart your journey and explore general and specialised finance courses offered by top universities in the nation, which you can find at the top of this page.