Your pathway to understanding financial markets
In partnership with the Australian Financial Markets Association (AFMA), our Foundations of Financial Markets provides a rounded base-line view of the workings of financial markets.
This course is for:
- compliance and legal professionals
- IT or operations professionals working in financial markets
- people who want to understand financial markets
- people who want to work in financial markets
- people working in support functions seeking an understanding of how financial markets work.
Program overview
By completing the Foundations of Financial Markets, you will:
- learn how to critically assess the core functions of financial markets and their environments
- analyse financial market products and their relevance
- learn how transactions are executed within a risk management framework and in accordance with relevant regulation.
Note: This program does not lead to AFMA Accreditation. To receive AFMA Accreditation you must complete the full Financial Markets Certificate.
Key details
- Part-time
- Online
- 6 weeks (per unit)
- 3 months (complete program)
- AFMA member firms
- $3030 (2 units)
- General public
- $3390 (2 units)
At the end of the program, participants will be able to:
- critically assess the functions of financial markets and their environments to evaluate the implications for all relevant stakeholders
- analyse financial market products, their relevance and transaction execution in accordance with relevant regulation.
By participating in this program, you join the first two units of the longer Financial Markets Certificate. The first two core units provide the fundamental information on how financial markets work.
Note: Studying the two units of the Foundations of Financial Markets simultaneously in one term is not permitted.
The Foundations of Financial Markets consists of an orientation module and two core units.
Orientation module
The orientation module provides an all-inclusive study guide, providing you with a roadmap to the program structure, mastering the technical environment, essential study tips and tricks, referencing techniques and upholding academic integrity.
There are six terms per year and each of the two units are offered each term.
The minimum estimated workload for each unit is 75 hours. This estimate includes time spent completing unit readings and working on assessments.
You must complete two units sequentially in order to complete the Foundations of Financial Markets. Units must be taken in the following order:
- Financial Markets Concepts
- Financial Markets Transactions
Financial Markets Concepts unit
This unit provides a broad overview of the Australian ‘over-the-counter’ and exchange-traded financial markets. It introduces financial market sectors, participants and the economic environment. Participants will assess how the Reserve Bank of Australia’s monetary policies and the business cycle affect the money, bond and FX markets.
Leading economic indicators and their effects on economic output and financial markets are also examined. Participants will analyse longer-term macroeconomic developments and their effect on financial markets such as inflation targeting and quantitative easing.
Download Financial Markets Concepts unit outline PDF.
Financial Markets Transactions unit
This unit provides an overview of the financial products traded in financial markets.
Participants will:
- identify the underlying key features of products, who uses them and how and why they are used
- examine the deal lifecycle of a financial transaction to gain an appreciation of how to execute transactions and to recognise that institutions have their own specific requirements
- review, through the lens of regulatory frameworks, ongoing requirements of a general nature that govern how market participants should conduct themselves.
We evaluate issues using professional codes of conduct and ethical principles.
All course material is located on our online learning platform ProLearn. You will have access to course notes, videos, quizzes, workshop details, assessment tasks and discussion forums where you can ask facilitators questions throughout the term.
Successful completion of the Foundations of Financial Markets provides 10 credit points towards relevant Post Graduate programs.
Participants who successfully complete the Foundations of Financial Markets program have several continuing education pathways to consider:
Important information: new payment platform from 1 July 2025
From Tuesday, 1 July 2025, the registration and payment platform for AFMA unit registrations will be changing.
- only credit/debit card payments will be accepted.
- invoice payments will no longer be available.
- you will not be able to complete registration without making payment, so make sure you have credit/debit card details handy when completing the registration form.
If your organisation is covering the cost of your study, discuss with your organisation the best way to make payment using a credit card prior to registration. This may include one of the following options:
- Use a company credit card at the time of registration, or
- Pay with your personal credit card and request reimbursement from your company
For any questions, please contact us at afma@mq.edu.au
Term dates
We have designed this program to suit busy professionals. Course content is available online, so you can study in your own time, complemented by workshops designed to reinforce learning.
Each unit involves the following key events:
- a live online welcome session in Week 1 (highly recommended)
- a live online workshop in Week 4 (compulsory).
If you need to transfer after Week 2 of the current term you are enrolled in, or are unable to attend the mandatory workshop, you will need to transfer to the next available term. Transfer fees will apply.
Note: If you registering as a General Public participant, your enrolment will be confirmed by Macquarie University once your application has been reviewed and approved. You will be notified via email of the decision and issued an invoice for payment on acceptance. AFMA members are automatically enrolled.
The University reserves the right to cancel a unit if there are insufficient registrations and will refund any fees paid in the event of a cancellation or transfer you to the next available term.
Terms 6 2025: 13 October – 23 November 2025
Terms 1 2026: 12 January – 22 February 2026
Unit name | Term | Online welcome session | Online workshop | Assessment due date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Financial Concepts | Term 6 2025 | Monday 13 October 5pm – 6pm | Monday 3 November 10am – 3pm | Sunday 23 November |
Financial Markets Transactions | Term 1 2026 | Tuesday 13 January 6.30pm – 7.30pm | Tuesday 3 February 10am – 3 pm | Sunday 22 February |
Terms 1: 12 January – 22 February 2026
Terms 2: 9 March – 19 April 2026
Unit name | Term | Online welcome session | Online workshop | Assessment due date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Financial Concepts | Term 1 2026 | Monday 12 January 5pm – 6pm | Monday 2 February 10am – 3pm | Sunday 22 February |
Financial Markets Transactions | Term 2 2026 | Tuesday 10 March 2025 6.30pm – 7.30pm | Tuesday 31 March 10am – 3 pm | Sunday 19 April |
Terms 2: 9 March – 19 April 2026
Terms 3: 4 May – 14 June 2026
Unit name | Term | Online welcome session | Online workshop | Assessment due date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Financial Concepts | Term 2 2026 | Monday 9 March 5pm – 6pm | Monday 30 March 10am – 3pm | Sunday 19 April |
Financial Markets Transactions | Term 3 2026 | Tuesday 5 May 6.30pm – 7.30pm | Tuesday 26 May 10am – 3pm | Sunday 14 June |
Terms 3: 4 May – 14 June 2026
Terms 4: 29 June – 9 August 2026
Unit name | Term | Online welcome session | Online workshop | Assessment due date |
Financial Concepts | Term 3 2026 | Monday 4 May 5pm – 6pm | Monday 25 May 10am – 3pm | Sunday 14 June |
Financial Markets Transactions | Term 4 2026 | Tuesday 30 June 6.30pm – 7.30pm | Tuesday 21 July 10am – 3pm | Sunday 9 August |
Terms 4: 29 June – 9 August 2026
Terms 5: 24 August – 4 October 2026
Unit name | Term | Online welcome session | Online workshop | Assessment due date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Financial Concepts | Term 4 2026 | Monday 29 June 5pm – 6pm | Monday 20 July 10am – 3pm | Sunday 9 August |
Financial Markets Transactions | Term 5 2026 | Tuesday 25 August 2025 6.30pm – 7.30pm | Tuesday 15 September 10am – 3pm | Sunday 4 October |
Terms 5: 24 August – 4 October 2026
Terms 6: 19 October – 29 November 2026
Unit name | Term | Online welcome session | Online workshop | Assessment due date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Financial Concepts | Term 5 2026 | Monday 24 August 5pm – 6pm | Monday14 September 10am – 3pm | Sunday 4 October |
Financial Markets Transactions | Term 6 2026 | Tuesday 20 October 6.30pm – 7.30pm | Tuesday 10 November 10am – 3pm | Sunday 29 November |
Terms 6 2026: 19 October – 29 November 2026
Term 1 2027: TBC
Unit name | Term | Online welcome session | Online workshop | Assessment due date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Financial Concepts | Term 6 2026 | Monday 19 October 5pm – 6pm | Monday 9 November 10am – 3pm | Sunday 29 November |
Financial Markets Transactions | Term 1 2027 | TBC | TBC | TBC |
Register for Foundations of Financial Markets
- AFMA Foundation – Member Firm
- AFMA Foundation – General Public
Note: Please check if you are unsure your organisation is an AFMA Firm member here.