The Advanced Certificate in Banking Services is a follow-up qualification from the Higher Certificate in Banking Services and therefore builds on the basic concepts of banking to cover more intermediate banking topics.

Once you have completed this programe, you will be able to:

• demonstrate an understanding of banking and business law, and apply the applicable law in a banking services environment
• demonstrate an understanding of the banking system
• demonstrate knowledge and insight into ethics and risk management within the financial services industry
• apply knowledge and skill to operate professionally in a selected discipline within the banking services sector.

DESCRIPTION AND PROGRAMME PURPOSE

The Advanced Certificate in Banking Services is a second-level Higher Education (HE) qualification designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills to operate professionally in a junior position in an organisation that promotes banking services.

The South African banking sector is still viewed as a world-class, strong regulatory and supervisory environment, with adequate capital, technology and infrastructure, employing over 200 000 people. There is a continuous drive in the sector to employ qualified individuals, or to upskill internal staff, based on the regulatory and supervisory requirements.

However, banking as an industry has been widely disrupted for a while already, and this is expected to continue. With major technological advancements come a focus on the sale of more universal, but also non-traditional banking products, as well as a drive for compliance and risk management, and challenges like fraud and financial crime. In an industry that is changing at an unprecedented pace, and where traditional financial institutions transform, and new competitors enter the market, individuals need to be equipped with skills and competencies that are future-fit and get their heads around completely new roles and job profiles.

The purpose of the Advanced Certificate in Banking Services is to build on the basic concepts of banking covered in a previous NQF 5 qualification. Current content at bank management level is covered, and students are enabled to select relevant specialist areas, i.e. sales, business credit, fraud or compliance. With this, students might have potential career prospects as a junior manager in retail or business banking.

The curriculum is designed to ensure that students are knowledgeable about the context within which banking services are promoted. First, a general understanding of the ethical and risk management debate is built, then knowledge about banks and financial systems in general, and finally, insight into the sector’s legal background is provided. Students are also familiarised with and given appropriate skills and knowledge in order to operate in a specific field, and preparing them to move further in their careers.

The Advanced Certificate in Banking Services appears on the Financial Sector Conduct Authority’s (FSCA) list of recognised qualifications for FAIS Fit and Proper purposes.

WHO SHOULD ENROL

The programme would be suitable for:

• a person who has completed the Higher Certificate in Banking Services or similar, and who wants to take their foundational banking knowledge a step higher.
• an employed person wishing to enhance, develop or formalise his skills and knowledge with a qualification in banking services.

PROGRAMME OUTCOMES

Successful completion of this qualification should enable the student to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of banking and business law, and apply the applicable law in a banking services environment.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the banking system.
• Demonstrate knowledge and insight into ethics and risk management within the financial services industry.
• Apply knowledge and skill to operate professionally in a selected discipline within the banking services sector

*Check for prerequisites

Note: Please refer to the timetable to establish in which cycles the module is available.

In order to be admitted to this qualification, applicants should have completed a Higher Certificate in the field of Banking, such as the Higher Certificate in Banking Services, the National Certificate in Banking (Financial Services), the National Certificate in Banking Services Advice, the Certificate in Sales: Banking Services or the Certificate: Bank Credit. Applicants with other relevant NQF Level 5 qualifications will be considered on a case-by-case basis. As this qualification and its modules are advanced, basic knowledge in a certain field might be necessary, depending on the elective combination chosen. Milpark might recommend certain bridging modules.

Other certificates

Any applicant who has a certificate other than a South African National Senior Certificate has to provide:

• a SAQA Certificate of Equivalence, if they want to enrol for a Higher Certificate, Advanced Certificate, Diploma or Postgraduate qualification (www.saqa.org.za)
• or a USAF Exemption Certificate, if they want to enrol for a Bachelor’s degree (https://mb.usaf.ac.za/).

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) applications

Milpark admits a small number of students onto its programme via Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). Applicants interested in applying via RPL will be considered individually by the relevant Head of School.

Distance Learning (DL) Cycles

Distance Learning (DL) Semesters

Downloads

Information Pack

Fees & Funding

Textbooks

Timetable