RATIONALE
The Diploma in Banking and Finance (DiBF)is a BQA accredited programme that prepares learners to work in an increasingly competitive banking and finance environment. It fosters a culture of due diligence and compliance with relevant international and national standards and legislation instruments such as the International Financing Reporting Standards (IFRS), the USA Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FACTA), Botswana Banking Act, Bank of Botswana Act, Financial Intelligence Act and recommendations of Financial Action Task Force (FATF). A workforce that conforms to national and international regulatory frameworks presents an opportunity for a thriving economy, as through practice of due diligence, it protects the country against international economic penalties and sanctions associated with non-compliance issues concerning money-laundering (Global Anti-Money Laundering Survey, 2014). For Botswana to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and to be the regional finance hub it aspires to be, is requires a highly competitive workforce in the banking and finance industry that will be able to effectively cope with the skills demands of the 4th industrial revolution. There is a continuous drive in the banking and finance sector to engage qualified individuals, or to upskill existing staff based on industry trends, and regulatory requirements.
The programme responds to these new challenges by providing learners with the requisite knowledge and skills in banking, investment, customer service, regulatory framework, economics, accounting, finance and information technology.Learners will learn and apply business communication skills, business mathematical and accounting skills, collect and integrate basic financial data for use in investment decisions and demonstrate basic knowledge in economics, law, management, marketing, risk management, statistics, taxation and insurance. This programme further aims to prepare an all-rounded ethical banker with the right attitude to effectively serve the banking and finance sector in a competitive business environment.
Purpose
The purpose of this programme is to prepare learners to perform a range of functions in banks and other non-banking financial institutions such as commerce, industry, insurance, private and public enterprises. The programme will empower learners with sound theoretical and practical knowledge to effectively and professionally perform various functions in the ever changing banking and financial industry while also mitigating against the risks inherent to the sector.
Exit-level Outcomes (ELOs) for the Programme
By the end of the programme, learners should be able to:
ELO1. Demonstrate understanding of basic monetary economics in relation to the structure and operations of the Botswana financial system and its interface with comparative financial institutions elsewhere and evaluate the impact of financial technology and financial fraud on the banking and finance sector.
ELO2: Develop and implement technical aspects of lending procedures.
ELO3: Evaluate and manage risk within the banking and financial services industry.
ELO4: Analyse financial data to make informed investment decisions.
ELO5: Comply with relevant financial and banking sector legal statutes.
ELO6: Apply problem solving and analytical skills within a banking and financial context.
Year 1 Semester 1
Type: Fundamental Credit Value: 10
The purpose of this module is to introduce learners to basic management principles, theories and techniques. The module addresses functional areas of management including marketing, human resources, finance and operations.
It is intended to provide learners with a basic understanding of the structure and functioning of organizations. This will enhance their ability to perform effectively at organizational level especially when assigned supervisory responsibilities. Learners will recognise the role of managers, gain skills and knowledge in management and be able to apply such skills in the work environment. The module farther prepares learners to practice the four management functions while applying such to the various areas of their organization.
Type: Fundamental Credit Value: 10
This module is intended to provide learners with a basic understanding of the general nature of economics, emphasis is placed on the micro-economics and macro -economics principles. The course further exposes the learners to the functioning of a mixed economy and other economic systems and the role of the banking and finance industry in the economic landscape of the country. The course offers to equip learners with knowledge beneficial to making informed decisions in any role within the banking and finance environment.
Type: Fundamental Credit Value: 10
The module is designed to provide learners with the necessary language and communication skills that will enable them to use language in its different formats in a business environment. It exposes them to the processes and problems that are involved in communication as well as the different methods that are used in transmitting information. Learners are also taught effective punctuation, grammar, and syntax so as to enable them to produce language correctly in all communicative set ups. The module further outlines the techniques of presenting information visually.
The module farther prepares learners to use language correctly and appropriately so that they can accomplish communication goals in the business and social contexts and write for effective communication in a business environment.
Type: Fundamental Credit Value: 15
This module is a non-technical course that introduceslearners to the importance of ICT in Banking and Finance. It reflects on the use of ICT in key areas of banking and finance such as: front desk service; risk management, fraud, money laundering and security; forms of money; lending, vetting and controlling procedures; systems audits and internal controls; investments analysis; compliance, regulatory and legal frameworks; workplace health, safety and security; data management, stakeholder engagement; customer analysis, including KYC; marketing, competitor and strategic analysis.
The module addresses basic principles in ICT that lay a foundation for the hands-on application of ICT skills in all key areas of banking and finance, creating the necessary competences to remain relevant in an industry with various opportunities to replace traditional banking and finance services with alternative substitute services altogether.
Type: Fundamental Credit Value: 20
This module is about the lending environment and factors affecting the principles of lending and related policies. It covers various types of credit facilities, borrowers and their lending requirements. The whole lending process will be covered entailing lending operations, environment and principles. Attributes of good lending i.e. safety, liquidity and profitability will be the guiding model together with relevant laws, practice and policies.
The course also covers lending guidelines, products and types of borrowing.The course will ensure that learners acquire the necessary skills to collect information and use it to compile a compelling credit application with all the necessary facts. General, practical and legal aspects of securities together with relevant statutory instruments are discussed.
The module will farther facilitate learners to acquire skills on the credit process including analysis of companies, improved quality of advice to customers which will in turn improve the quality of lending and collections in the industry, growing the lending book of the organisation raising profitability of the lending institutions and improved government tax revenue collection.
Year 1 Semester 2
Type: Fundamental Credit Value: 10
This module focuses on the principal legal areas affecting banking and finance content. An underlying theme of the course will be the relationship between the banker and the customer, and the legal regulations pertinent to the relationship. The course also builds on knowledge of a variety of legal topics already studied in this programme, such as, Botswana legal system, law of contracts, and negotiable instruments or instruments of payment, but requires learners to rethink these areas from the perspective of how they impact upon banking and finance as they carry out their roles of banking and finance. The course will cover the core areas of law and its general principles. We will also consider new frontiers and contemporary case studies involving contracts and negotiable instruments. The banking and finance landscapes are transforming and we examine how legal frameworks can be reformed and/or further developed to address the challenges involved.
Type: Core | Credit Value: 15
The principal objective of this module is to introduce learners to basic concepts and theories on issues relating to banking and finance. The course will introduce learners to the principles of monetary and financial information, banking, monetary policy and the role of the different financial regulators in the economy. It will further explore the non-banking financial industry and its importance to economic development. The course will address these issues in a developing country context, with reference to Botswana and how it compares to the regional and international banking and finance markets.
Type: Core | Credit Value: 15
The module is intended to expose the candidates to the basic principles of accounting and financial reporting in accordance with international financial reporting standards (IFRS). As banking is at the heart of the financial world, this is an important module in the development of candidates whose skills are needed to drive the cog wheels of this sector and the wider economy. Moreover, there is a need to report the financial impact of transactions and events of entities in a timely, accurate and fair manner. As with accountants, bankers have an obligation to society to maintain high standards of integrity, objectivity, confidentiality, professional competence, and professional behaviour, among others. The module introduces the basic principles of accounting that lay the foundation needed to develop an all-rounded banker.
Accounting 1 precedes Accounting 2, which is a more advanced stage of financial reporting. It is therefore imperative for candidates to ground themselves in the basic principles of Accounting 1 in order to better place them in a position to grasp the financial reporting and management accounting applications of Accounting 2.
While Accounting 1 is somewhat introductory, a candidate who goes through the module will be able to prepare a full set of financial statements of a single entity and to interpret them to add value to clients. This module will ensure that candidates do not merely acquire knowledge by regurgitating accounting principles and terminologies, but acquire practical, hands-on skills that enable them to apply their accounting knowledge to different situations.
Type: Core | Credit Value: 20
The purpose of the module is to introduce learners to investment fundamentals. The module will enable learners to classify, analyze and choose investments through a methodical approach. Learners will get an appreciation of the risks inherent within the different investment instruments and how to measure it. Portfolio management will be introduced, and modern portfolio theory concepts will be instilled on the learners to foster investment management techniques.
By the end of the module, learners will have a broad understanding of the investment management process and be able to perform basic investment analysis in a professional setting.
Year 2 Semester 1
Type: Core | Credit Value: 20
The purpose of this module is to build up on the basic accounting principles learnt in Accounting 1. Candidates doing this module should have successfully completed module 1 or equivalent. Due to the ever-growing importance of making fair presentations of the effects of financial transactions of entities, financial reporting should be done in accordance with InternationalFinancialReportingStandards (IFRS) and Generally Accepted Accounting Practices (GAAP).
As banking is at the heart of the financial world, this is an import module in the development of candidates whose skills are needed to drive the cog wheels of this sector and the wider economy. Moreover, there is a need to report the financial impact of transactions and events of entities in a timely, accurate and fair manner. As with accountants, bankers have an obligation to society to maintain high standards of integrity, objectivity, confidentiality, professional competence, and good ethical conduct, among others.
Candidates who have done this module will be able to articulately apply international accounting standards (IASs), international financial reporting standards (IFRSs) and Generally Accepted Accounting Practices (GAAP) in reporting, interpreting, and analysing financial statements information.
Candidates for Accounting 2 will develop into the management accounting aspect of accounting, which involves critical decision making and control processes of an entity to the extent that is relevant for banking and finance practitioners
Type: Core Credit Value: 20
The module is aimed at developing a broad understanding of the principles of trade finance in a global environment. More specifically, an understanding of the role of banks in international trade in general, and international finance in relation to import and export operations and multinational interactions. Topics include methods of payments in international trade, trade risk currency exchange risk and its management, export and import credit finance, the foreign exchange market and international monetary markets.
Learners are encouraged to analyse and consider global finance practices and are taught methodologies that banks employ to mitigate risk when it comes to cross-border payments and other transactions.
Type: Elective Credit Value: 10
There is a growing interest in the role that entrepreneurship plays as a catalyst to achieve economic and social development objectives, including growth, innovation, employment and equity. The module introduces learners to entrepreneurshipand prepares them into all-rounded bankers in an industry which is becoming increasingly and highly competitive. The module provides learners with the entrepreneurial mindsets and skills to participate and support participation and performance in a range of entrepreneurial activities within the economy. Learners will have an understanding of the entrepreneurial process and issues faced by entrepreneurs. Besides empowering learners to develop entrepreneurial mindsets, the module also fosters skills to effectively generate business ideas, evaluate the feasibility of a business idea and know how investors make financial decisions to create value and grow their operations.
Type: Elective Credit Value: 20
This module introduces the candidates to principles and practices relating to human resource management.
The impetus of the module is to highlight the responsibilities of the human resource function as far as putting into operation the strategies of the organisation is concerned, as well as well as the generation and administration of information by personnel within the organisation. The module is replete with human resource skills to impart to learners as it teaches learners how to effectively coordinate between an ogranisation and its employees. This will enable them to understand that top-notch human resource management involves more than management functions like planning, organizing, directing, and controlling but also involve good elements such as communication, psychology, economics, and sociology. This module will enable them to bring all these skills together to become good managers of human resources in their organisations.
More importantly, the module enables the learners to apply the theoretical knowledge by analyzing, designing and developing robust human resource interventions to solve human resource problems within an organisation.
Year 2 Semester 2
Type: Core | Credit Value: 20
This module seeks to introduce learners to Regulation and Compliance in the Banking and Finance Industry in Botswana. The banking sector in Botswana is a cornerstone of the national economy. The sector is evolving to more complex transactions demanding highly skilled personnel. The HRDC 2016 top priority areas document identifies compliance managers, financial services managers, and business intelligence managers among others in high demand. Besides, the banking sector has to address new challenges like unprecedented incidents of money laundering, increased incidents of financing of subversive actions such as terrorism, and the general proliferation of cyber-crime as they continue to unfold. Given these risks and associated ethical infractions the module therefore, fosters a culture of due diligence and compliance with relevant international and national standards and legislation instruments such as the Compliance Act (FACA), Botswana Banking Act, Bank of Botswana Act, and Financial Intelligence Act among others. The purpose of this module is therefore to prepare learners to perform a range of various functions in banks and other non-banking financial institutions. Learners will learn and apply law, relevant to the banking and finance sector.
Type: Core Credit Value: 20
Strategic Marketing Management is a core module of the Diploma in Banking and Finance (DIBF) program. It was developed to provide learners with in-depth knowledge in marketing management, focusing on key concepts and strategy development. It is expected that learners will use the knowledge gained to strengthen marketing related roles within the organisation. The module comprises contemporary learning content, self-study questions and activities that should be used to develop the learner’s confidence and competency.
The aim of this module is to empower, enlighten and create value in learners so that they can perform well in marketing roles. Marketing is a very dynamic field and as such it is necessary to create and develop learners’ marketing competences that can meet the demands of the modern business environment. Learners are empowered to analyze the business environment, develop marketing strategies and apply them to their context.
Type: Elective Credit Value: 15
Money laundering and terrorist financing and other related commercial risks pose a significant threat to the stability of the financial system in general and the economy of Botswana in particular. The module is intended to introduce learners to the basics of money laundering and terrorist financing as stand-alone risks. The course content will provide learners with the skills required to implement risk mitigation procedures to ensure organizational compliance with the Botswana anti-money-laundering legislation. The course will look at common typologies used by criminals to commit commercial crimes and strategies to combat these crimes. Learners will be able to gain invaluable insights to international and Botswana frameworks, regulations and guidelines on client identification, money laundering schemes, tracing of assets, and asset seizure and forfeiture.
This module will offer invaluable benefits to the learners including but not limited to;
- Consistent adherence to regulatory requirements
- General awareness and protection from Money-Laundering and Terrorist Financing risks
- Efficient monitoring of accounts to aid in early detection of money laundering and terrorist financing risks
The module further prepares learners to develop mitigating strategies that will protect their organisations from sanctions related to AML non-compliance.
Type: Elective Credit Value: 20
Tax has become a critical part of doing business and the banking sector is no exception. Tax costs can consume a significant portion of business and individual wealth. Almost all business decisions involve tax considerations. The study of taxation is important for any business major, but it has added importance for learners interested in careers in banking.
There are also identified skills gap in the tax component. It is therefore important for learners to get basic understanding of taxation that will help them in their workplace and future career paths
The Taxation module provides learners with basic understanding of the tax landscape in Botswana and broader tax principles. The course is designed in such a way that learners will be able to do basic tax computations, prepare returns and analyze financial statements with taxation as a key component of business activities.
Year 3 Semester 1
Type: Core Credit Value: 20
This module introduces to learners the fundamentals of Digital Banking. It will introduce learners to the different suites of products that digital banking offers. Learners will be familiarized with the infrastructure that is required in order for digital banking to be successful and will be sensitized to the risks associated with digital banking and how these can be mitigated. It provides a sound foundation in the digital banking products such as Cards, ATMs, Mobile and Internet Banking and PoS.The state of the digital banking landscape in Botswana will be discussed and compared against the rest of the world to understand the local digital environment.
This non-technical, business-focused course will address why Digital Banking is important to the growth and profitability of banks and what is required to kick-off the digital banking initiatives in the local banking industry. The module prepares learners to seamlessly integrate into a banking institution and be able to take up roles that are directly linked to delivering digital services.
Type: Core Credit Value: 20
This module will equip learners with requisite risk management skills in a business environment, particularly a banking and finance environment. It empowers learners with the tools to discern what risks are, how to quantify and measure them, how to control them and how to keep monitoring them. Every facet of risk faced by banking institutions is imparted in the module. A fair amount of time is spent on the risk management process from risk identification up to review of the process to sensitize learners to its importance.
By the end of the module, learners will be able to perform an organization wide risk analysis and be able to recommend risk mitigation measures and communicate the relevant statistics to the various stakeholders within the business.
Type: Elective Credit Value: 10
This module seeks to introduce learners to insurance in Botswana; and the principles and concepts of insurance and the Law governing insurance to enable them to identify and appreciate the significance and operations of insurance in a banking business environment. Insurance is very critical as it is used as a risk control measure to guard against default risk, assists in disaster recovery and business continuity management for organisations. The banking sector has to address new challenges like unprecedented incidents of money laundering, increased incidents of financing of subversive actions such as terrorism, and the general proliferation of cyber-crime as they continue to unfold. Given these risks and other risks in form of natural disasters the banking sector is exposed to, the module will therefore, be able to provide required solutions.
The purpose of this module is therefore to prepare learners to perform a range of various functions in banks and other non-banking financial institutions. Learners will learn and apply insurance and risk management, relevant to the banking and finance sector.
Type: Elective Credit Value: 20
This module is designed as an introductory course to provide learners with the foundation in the use of statistics in various aspects of banking and finance. The module emphasizes on making quality decisions using statistics in the banking and finance industry. The module prepares learners to effectively use statistics to solve problems in and outside a work environment.
Year 1 Semester 2
Type: Core | Credit Value: 20
Today, there are many businesses all trying to create wealth under turbulent conditions as it is in every business environment. The module provides learners with an opportunity to acquire some basic skills in management and leadership to steer the business to become successful. The Management Practices module is introduced as a foundation for people involved in business, so that they can become effective leaders and managers in their organisations, communities, and any other business environment.
Type: Core Credit Value: 20
The Monetary and Financial Services module provides learners with a basic understanding of the workings of the major monetary and financial systems in the world, and Botswana in particular and their recent development. It covers topics like money supply process, currency board system, and the functions of financial markets and financial institutions. It also helps learners understand the basic economic concepts and theories related to financial markets and financial institutions as well as financial instruments.
An understanding of the topics provides learners with a foundation upon which to understand causes of financial crises, by observing factors in financial markets that significantly affect real economic activities. The course will develop student abilities to critically evaluate economic policies by applying empirical evidence and relevant theoretical models regarding monetary and financial systems to the banking and finance services sector.
Type: Elective Credit Value: 15
The module introduces learners to the full suite of investment banking services, from raising capital to mergers and acquisition. The module further prepares learners to gain the skills to execute these services competently. Each aspect of investment banking is dealt with separately and broken down to give learners in-depth understanding. Learners will learn about sales and trading activities and the methodologies utilised in offering advisory services.
While discussing investment banking in a global context and highlighting how investment banking is carried out in international markets, the focus of the module will be on the investment banking activities in Botswana. Contrasting between Botswana and international markets and where investment banking is developing towards as it matures in Botswana.
The module empowers learners to do an analysis of a client’s needs and be able to recommend to clientswhich investment banking area would best serve them and facilitates learners toproviderelevant advice and service to clients in the organisation.
Type: Elective Credit Value: 20
This module facilitates candidates to develop knowledge in the area of revenue sources and expenditure for public sector organisations.
The module examines the underling opportunities and financial constraints behind decision making and the setting of policies within the public sector. The module prepares the candidate to be grounded in the knowledge of the implications of revenue and expenditure in the public sector and how public policy decisions affect the same. It also empowers the candidate to demonstrate an understanding of, and the ability to judgmentally evaluate a wide array of potential sources of funding for organizations within the public sector.
The Introduction to public finance module has a concise focus on the role government borrowings play in the support of state activities. The module also has an extensive focus on taxation and the important role it plays in public finance. It emphasizes the impetus of a robust taxation systems as far as proper public financial management and governance is concerned. This includes a comparison of approaches to taxation across different jurisdictions.
Type: Elective Credit Value: 15
The module will introduce learners to basics of Islamic economic philosophy and its position on interest back through history. Learners will have an opportunity to study issues relating to the origins and development of Islamic Banking, as well as the corporate responsibility expected from financial institutions that offer Islamic Banking products. Learners will be presented with practical examples, be allowed to engage in discussions, debates, as well as comparison of salient features of conventional and Islamic banking.
The goal of the course is to familiarize the learners with the basic theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of Islamic economy, banking and finance. The course will apprise learners with the development of Islamic finance, present the Islamic financial system, and explain individual Islamic financial instruments and financial models.
* Electives: Learners should ensure that their choice of electives will result in a cumulative credit value of at least 120 credits for the academic year.
Full Time – P3410 per module
Membership – P638 per annum