School of Financial Services

Postgraduate Diploma in Banking

Do you have a commerce-related degree? Are you currently employed in the financial services sector? Do you wish to broaden your banking knowledge with a view to enhancing potential career prospects at regional or head office level? Why not consider enrolling in Milpark Education’s Postgraduate Diploma in Banking? Not only will this qualification allow you to build solid senior banking knowledge, but it could also fast-track your promotion.

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NQF Level

8

SAQA

93608

Minimum Credits

120

The Postgraduate Diploma in Banking will enable you to develop an understanding of generic banking topics at a strategic level, and also to specialise in certain technical or departmental areas of the bank. It will help you to establish yourself as a credible participant in the field, and will also open doors for advancement to more senior positions within the banking sector.

DESCRIPTION AND PROGRAMME PURPOSE

The Postgraduate Diploma in Banking will equip the student with the skills necessary to function in various management or specialist positions in the banking and financial services sector. The South African banking sector is viewed as a worldclass, 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. Hence, employment in the banking sector has always beenhighly sought after. The field has a strong professional image and offers a variety of opportunities for growth in an exciting and challenging environment, with opportunities for international exposure.

At the same time, the sector is changing at an unprecedented pace. Banking as an industry has been widely disrupted for a while already, and this is expected to continue. As 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 head around completely new roles and job profiles. Graduates are expected to be future-fit in terms of financial services specialist as well as management skills, but also general skills, such as creativity, systems-thinking, problem-solving and persuasion.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Banking will enable students to develop an understanding of generic banking and management topics at a strategic level, and to specialise in certain technical or departmental areas of the bank. In the compulsory subjects, students will be familiarised with strategic views on issues such as bank risk management, regulation, ethics and corporate governance, social responsibility, as well as international bank management and strategy. With this knowledge, students will be able to evaluate problems and advise on solutions in an ethical and professional manner within the highly regulated banking sector. Students will also be exposed to research methodology and complete a project in their field of expertise, be it retail and private or corporate and investment banking. Finally, electives will allow students to specialise in strategic management or corporate finance.

Hence, students who have achieved this Postgraduate Diploma will demonstrate competence in a wide range of current and future banking- and management-related aspects and will be able to establish themselves as credible participants in their field. It will also open doors for advancement to more senior positions within the banking sector.

WHO SHOULD ENROL?

The programme would be most suitable for an individual with a commerce-related degree who is working in the financial services sector and who wishes to broaden their banking knowledge with a view to enhancing potential career prospects at regional or head office level.

PROGRAMME OUTCOMES

Successful completion of this qualification should enable the student to:

  1. Apply knowledge of the concepts and the implementation of bank risk management.
  2. Demonstrate understanding of basic research methods in business, as well as an ability to write and present a report about a bank/work-related topic.
  3. Demonstrate an understanding of global bank regulation and ethical behaviour in the financial services industry.
  4. Display knowledge of the key issues in international bank management and strategy.
  5. Demonstrate an understanding of the different concepts applicable to specialised areas in the bank.

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

Module name  NQF  Credits  C/E
Induction  Compulsory
Bank Risk Management   20  Compulsory
Business Ethics and Corporate Governance  15  Compulsory
Social Responsibility and Environmental Management  15 Compulsory
Research Methodology   20 Compulsory
International Bank Management and Strategy   20 Compulsory
Banking Project  10 Compulsory
Bank Regulation  5 Compulsory
Financial Services Technology  20 Electives: choose any
1 of these 3
Strategic Management  20
Financial Reporting and Analysis and Corporate Finance  20
       

The minimum admission requirement is a relevant NQF 7 qualification (Bachelor degree or Advanced Diploma).

Depending on the modules completed in the undergraduate qualification as well as work experience, Milpark might recommend certain bridging modules for individuals who need to augment their knowledge on certain subject matters.

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)

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) applications

*Kindly contact the relevant Programme Manager BEFORE applying online for admission on RPL grounds to determine availability, as RPL admissions are limited to 10% of the total intake and it is therefore continuously oversubscribed.

Applicants who do not have the required degree but who have extensive work experience and/or proven leadership in their field of endeavour may apply in terms of Milpark’s Recognition of Prior Learning policy; however, admission on these grounds is limited. RPL applicants must have a minimum of 10 years of employment experience and demonstrate potential to complete the programme, and must submit:

  • a comprehensive curriculum vitae and relevant certificates.
  • a one-page essay motivating why they believe they should be admitted to the programme.

In addition, an applicant may be required to present him/herself for an interview with the Selection Panel.

Block 1
Registrations Close: 12 February 2024  

 

Block 2
Registrations Close: 05 April 2024

 

Block 3
Registrations Close: 05 July 2024

 

Block 4
Registrations Close: 13 September 2024

What's next after this?

How about continuing your learning journey with us by completing another related Postgraduate Diploma or even your MBA?