BFX4000 Research skills
Faculty of Business and Economics
BFX4000 Research skills is a level 4, 6-credit-point, undergraduate and postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Business and Economics, offered in 2026 in Semester 1 at Caulfield. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 1
- Caulfield
- Assessment
- No exam
- 2 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before BFX4000
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After BFX4000
No unit lists BFX4000 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
You must be enrolled in course B3701 to undertake this unit.
Overview
This unit is designed to provide practice in the key research skills that are necessary for banking and finance research. This unit will allow you to develop these skills in a collaborative and supportive environment through interactive activities and engagement. The concepts that you engage with are designed to provide them with the skills necessary for working in industry, collaborating in empirical research and/or continuing their education.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Caulfield | On campus |
Assessment
- Exercise60%
- Written40%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
acquire a thorough understanding of how to access and acquire data through commonly used databases in banking and finance research
- 2
apply knowledge and skills in programming useful for undertaking empirical research in banking and finance
- 3
develop technical and computing skills in statistical packages, such as SAS and Stata, that facilitate research
- 4
apply critical thinking, problem solving and presentation skills in individual and/or group activities dealing with research skills and demonstrate in an individual summative assessment task the acquisition of a comprehensive understanding of the topics covered by BFX4000.
Workload and teaching
- Workshops36 hours
- Teaching approachResearch activities
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities. You are expected to complete all pre-class activities prior to your scheduled class, and post-class activities should be completed after your scheduled class. Learning activities may include a combination of teacher directed, peer directed and online engagement activities.
This unit allows you to develop your research skills by engaging in structured inquiry using a systematic approach and discipline-specific methodologies.
Learning resources
Required resources
You should download and install SAS software, which is available from esolutions.
Technology resources
There may be an additional cost associated with purchasing a physical and/or virtual calculator. Specific details will be provided in the Learning Management System by commencement of Orientation week.
Where it fits
BFX4000 is part of 1 area of study in the 2026 handbook.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Sergio de Holanda Rocha
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for BFX4000?
BFX4000 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is BFX4000 offered?
In 2026, BFX4000 runs in Semester 1 at Caulfield.
How much work is BFX4000?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does BFX4000 have an exam?
No. BFX4000 has 2 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include BFX4000?
BFX4000 is part of Finance.