Bachelor of Science in Finance

The Bachelor’s in Finance provides students with both the economic theory and the practical tools for financial analysis, accounting control, and asset allocation/valuation. Graduates from the Bachelor’s in Finance programme are leading recruits for Kazakhstan’s banks, foreign corporations, and the Big Four accounting firms. At the same time, KBS is a thought leader in Kazakhstani financial education – classical theory and value under assumptions of efficiency are taught, but so too are their real-world limitations in an emerging market.

Goals

The overarching common goals are to:

• Offer undergraduate programmes in business administration with integrated multi-disciplinary curriculum and comparable, in terms of quality and standards, to leading programmes offered at universities in Europe and the US.
• Educate and develop business leaders capable of effectively managing organizations in Kazakhstan and internationally, in an ethical manner.
• Prepare graduates who will make significant contributions to the community in which they work, whether in business or in the public and non-profit sectors.

Programme Objectives

Common objectives of programmes are to:

• Provide students with undergraduate-level, cross-functional knowledge in the areas of Economics, Accounting, Finance, Management, Marketing, Information Systems, Operations Management, Business Law and Taxation.
• Foster students‘ critical thinking, analytical and communication skills.
• Provide a solid foundation knowledge to graduates who want to pursue graduate study in the field of business and related disciplines.
• Educate undergraduate students for ethical service to their society and the broader regional and international community.
• Provide specialized knowledge and develop necessary skills for successful careers in one of the areas of Accounting and Audit, Finance, Management, and Marketing.

Common Learning Objectives

The common learning objectives of all undergraduate business programmes are to ensure that graduates have:

• A satisfactory knowledge of:
  • the microeconomic business issues and macroeconomic business environment.
  • the core business disciplines of Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Management, Operations Management, Information Systems Business Law and Taxation.
  • quantitative and qualitative techniques of problem-solving.
• The necessary cognitive, interpersonal and self-management skills to:
  • communicate ideas and information clearly and effectively in written and oral English.
  • use information technology for the retrieval, analysis, and presentation of information.
  • work effectively with others in the pursuit of common objectives.
  • undertake supervised independent research and internship, involving the synthesis and application of theoretical constructs to topics in the fields of business, with a specific focus on Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
  • describe the interdisciplinary nature and challenges of business operations and apply cross-functional knowledge for the strategic management of organizations.
  • ethics as they apply both to general business practices and in the area of specialization.

Common Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

At the successful completion of each programme, students will be able to:

• Describe and articulate key concepts and major paradigms and theoretical perspectives within the discipline of business administration.
• Identify and apply various decision-making tools and techniques in functional areas of Accounting, Finance, Management, and Marketing.
• Analyze and solve business problems, using the necessary quantitative and qualitative tools.
• Use information technology for the retrieval, analysis, and presentation of information for effective management of business organizations.
• Communicate ideas and information clearly and effectively in written and oral English.
• Describe and apply the concepts and theories of ethics as they apply to business organizations.
• Synthesize and apply integrated knowledge for the effective strategic management of organizations.
• Undertake supervised practical training and independent research, involving the synthesis and application of theoretical constructs to topics in the fields of business.

Unique Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) – Finance

At the successful completion of the programme, graduates will be able to:

• Describe and apply capital budgeting techniques in evaluating investment decisions.
• Demonstrate analytical and computational skills in determining the optimal level of capital structure.
• Analyze the current business and investment environment (domestic and international), including the effect of changes in exchange rates, interest rates, and inflation, in making investment and portfolio management decisions.
• Explain and apply the methods of evaluating portfolio performance.
• Demonstrate knowledge in analyzing financial statements of banks and banking operations and performance.
• Describe financial regulations and supervision requirements and demonstrate computational skills in calculating the capital adequacy ratio.
• Describe and apply the concepts and theories of ethics as they apply to the field of Finance.

Degree Requirements

Specific course requirements for a BS in Finance programme are as follows:

Required Courses – 93 credits, including:

• Investments
• Managerial Accounting
• Financial Accounting in accordance with IFRS
• Taxes and Taxation
• Financial Statement Analysis
• Derivatives
• World Financial Institutions and Markets
• Financial Risk Management
• Business Planning

Elective Courses – 36 credits, including:

• International Economics
• Data Analysis and Economic Forecasting
• Business and Corporate Valuation
• Computer Applications in Business
• Audit and Budgeting
• Strategic Management
• Project Management
• Human Resource Management
• Marketing Communications