Financial planning
Discipline
Our industry-leading financial planning courses and units prepare aspiring and employed financial advisers with the necessary skills and qualifications to grow successful careers helping clients achieve their financial goals.
New undergraduate business and commerce courses launching in T1 2027
If you are interested in financial planning, explore our redesigned Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Commerce – built for unbeatable employability. Applications open in August 2026.
Explore your study options
From a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in financial planning to various postgraduate options, Deakin is where you'll develop the skills and knowledge to meet industry standards and build your career as a financial adviser.
Choose a financial planning degree that will get you work ready
Gain an industry-recognised qualification and learn from our team of world-class teaching professionals.
Highly sought-after graduates
Choose the leader in financial planning education to grow your career. For over 30 years, Deakin graduates have been the preferred candidates within industry, recognised by accrediting bodies, for their skills, knowledge and high professional standards.
Learn from the best
Our award-winning financial planning courses are taught by unit leaders who bring industry experience and research insight to your learning, delivering practical expertise you can apply to your work.
How to meet financial adviser standards
The following courses and units are FAS compliant:
- Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Financial Planning
- Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning.
Financial Adviser Standards (FAS) is a unit within Treasury that sets education and training standards and the code of ethics for licensed financial advisers in Australia.
Already a financial adviser?
If you were listed on the Financial Advisers Register any time between 1 January 2016 and 1 January 2019, you have until 1 January 2026 to meet the qualification and education standards.
Depending on your current qualifications, you may only need to do between one and three bridging course units or you may need to study an eight-unit graduate diploma. If you have completed an approved degree, you will need to complete the Ethics for Professional Advisers bridging course to comply with the new standards unless otherwise specified in the current legislative instrument.
Under the new existing adviser pathway for experienced financial advisers, an eligible adviser* may meet the qualifications standard without further education and training.
Existing advisers who are eligible for the experienced provider pathway may still be required to complete some study to continue to provide tax (financial) advice services from that date.
Continue your professional development
Examine key topics and issues facing the modern financial planning professional. Use these webinars to gain valuable continuing professional development (CPD) points by completing a short assessment task, or simply to explore areas of interest.
Study online at the #1 Victorian uni for graduate employment
Deakin’s online financial planning degrees are designed to fit your lifestyle and career goals so you can study anytime, anywhere. Join over 78,000 online students who have already graduated from Deakin.
I loved the access to quality content, the academic rigour in standards required, the range of subjects covered, and I enjoyed the interaction with lecturers and students via Zoom tutorials.
Financial planning graduate, Partner and Senior Financial Adviser, Kelly Wealth Services
Professional recognition
The Bachelor of Commerce with Financial Planning major, Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning, and bridging units (MAA769, MLC714 and MAA728) meet Financial Adviser Standards.
The Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning allows graduates to undertake the Certified Financial Planner® (CFP) program with the Financial Advice Association of Australia (FAAA).
Top professional roles in financial services
Financial broker, dealer and investment adviser roles are projected to increase by 12.4% or 15,658 new jobs by 2033 according to Australian Government employment projections.
- 7,430 new jobs for financial investment advisers
- 5,730 new jobs for financial brokers
- 2,396 new jobs for financial dealers.
Get ahead with Deakin – we’ll help you build your network within the community and industry.
Be rewarded for your experience
We’ll grant recognition of prior learning inline with FAS education requirements. You may be eligible for up to two credits in our graduate diploma and up to four credits in our masters. There is no time limit on qualifications.
Partner with us
We're happy to discuss establishing B2B partnerships with licensees and other organisations, which provide significant benefits in the form of course discounts and rebates, support services and a personalised student experience.
Forming a partnership with Deakin provides your organisation and advisers with access to a comprehensive range of education services including:
- a full complement of education courses that satisfy FAS education requirements
- the ability to complete units as part of a qualification or as separate non-award single enrolments
- free credit assessments and mapping
- study support and practice questions for the national examination
- access to our top students as interns and/or work-ready graduates.
Contact us to learn more about B2B partnership opportunities with Deakin.
Business partnership discounts
Deakin offers students from selected partnerships a discount on course fees. Explore the of partner organisations below or contact us to get involved. You may be eligible for a discount or rebate if you are affiliated with any of the following organisations:
- Aged Care Steps
- CPA Australia
- Fiducian
- Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA)
- FSAspire CPD
- Insignia
- Self Managed Super Fund Association (SMSF Association)
- STEP
- TAL Insurance.
Want to explore more?
Why study to become a financial planner?
Deakin graduates Wayne and Luke tell us why they chose to study financial planning and share their life after graduation.
Discover your financial planning career
Looking for a career that gives you the opportunity to help people achieve their financial goals? Find out why now is the time to study financial planning.
Deakin references data from a range of government, higher education and reputable media sources. For more information, visit our University rankings page.
Contact us
For more information on financial planning courses and units, contact:
Domestic students
1800 693 888
Enquire online
International students
+61 3 9918 9188
Enquire online
