TL;DR: BSBA Financial Management is one of five CHED-recognized majors under CMO No. 17, series of 2017, adding 24 units of finance-specific coursework (Financial Management, Investment and Portfolio Management, Banking and Financial Institutions, Capital Market, and others) on top of BSBA's shared 122-unit core. It requires no board exam, unlike BS Accountancy's CPA path. PayScale's 2026 Philippines data shows Financial Analyst pay averaging around ₱402,488 a year (about ₱33,500/month), with entry-level analysts closer to ₱316,500 a year (about ₱26,400/month). Tuition tracks general BSBA pricing: free at SUCs under RA 10931, roughly ₱20,000-₱250,000+ a year at private schools depending on tier.
BSBA Financial Management is the major students pick when they want a finance career without committing to the CPA licensure track. It shows up constantly in searches for "bsba major in financial management" from students choosing between it, BS Accountancy, and Business Economics. This guide breaks down exactly what CHED requires in the Financial Management major, how the full BSBA structure fits around it, what separates it from BS Accountancy, and what the finance-analyst and credit-analyst jobs it leads to actually pay. For the full picture of BSBA as a degree, start with our BSBA degree guide; for every major's subject list side by side, see BSBA subjects by major.
What Is BSBA Financial Management?
BSBA Financial Management is one of five official majors under CHED CMO No. 17, series of 2017, the "Revised Policies, Standards and Guidelines for the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Program." The other four are Human Resource Management, Marketing Management, Operations Management, and Business Economics. Every BSBA student takes the same general education and business-core foundation; the major determines the final 24 units of professional coursework and 12 units of electives in the third and fourth year.
Financial Management trains students in corporate finance, investment analysis, banking operations, and credit evaluation, positioning graduates for roles inside a company's finance department, a bank, or an investment or insurance firm, rather than for public accounting or audit work.
Disclaimer: curriculum details and unit counts are set by CHED as a floor. Individual schools may add units or rename courses; confirm the exact current curriculum with your target school's registrar.
What Subjects Does the Financial Management Major Cover?
CHED's CMO No. 17, s. 2017 names 8 professional major courses for Financial Management, worth 24 units, plus a separate 12-unit elective block chosen from a CHED-suggested list.
| Financial Management — Professional Major Courses | Units |
|---|---|
| Financial Management | 3 |
| Financial Analysis and Reporting | 3 |
| Banking and Financial Institutions | 3 |
| Monetary Policy and Central Banking | 3 |
| Investment and Portfolio Management | 3 |
| Credit and Collection | 3 |
| Capital Market | 3 |
| Special Topics in Financial Management | 3 |
| Total | 24 |
For the 12 units of electives, CHED suggests schools draw from a list that includes Public Finance, Cooperative Management, Entrepreneurial Management, Treasury Management, Risk Management, Security Analysis, Behavioral Finance, Franchising, Financial Controllership, Mutual Fund, Venture Capital, Global Finance with Electronic Banking, and Personal Finance. Which four of these a school actually offers varies, so ask for the current elective list before enrolling if a specific specialization (say, Risk Management or Security Analysis) matters to your career plan.
How Many Years and Units Is BSBA Financial Management?
BSBA is a four-year program with a CHED-set minimum of 122 units, the same floor for every major since the major only changes which 24 professional units and 12 elective units you take.
| Curriculum Component | Minimum Units |
|---|---|
| General Education, NSTP, PE | 50 |
| Common Business/Management Courses | 6 |
| Business Administration Core | 24 |
| Financial Management Major | 24 |
| Financial Management Electives | 12 |
| Internship (OJT) | 6 |
| Total | 122 |
The Business Administration core (24 units, shared by all five majors) covers Basic Microeconomics, Business Law (Obligations and Contracts), Taxation (Income Taxation), Good Governance and Social Responsibility, Human Resource Management, International Business and Trade, Business Research, and a Thesis or Feasibility Study, per the same CMO. Many schools require more than the 122-unit CHED floor, so treat this as the minimum, not a guarantee of the exact unit count at your target school.
Does BSBA Financial Management Require an Internship?
Yes. CHED's curriculum sets a 6-unit, 600-hour internship for every BSBA major, including Financial Management, typically completed in the fourth year. CHED describes the internship as a program that "integrates the theory and knowledge of the course content with the application of principles and practices in a work environment." Financial Management students commonly intern in a bank's back office, a corporate finance or treasury department, or a credit and collections unit, though the specific placement depends on what your school's internship coordinator arranges.
Disclaimer: internship placement partners and exact hour distribution vary by school. Confirm the current internship requirement and placement process directly with your target school's business department.
BSBA Financial Management vs BS Accountancy: What's the Real Difference?
The core difference is licensure. BS Accountancy exists specifically to prepare graduates for the CPA Licensure Examination, administered by the PRC's Board of Accountancy, and its curriculum concentrates on financial accounting, auditing, taxation, and business law in far greater depth than BSBA's single Taxation course. BSBA Financial Management, by contrast, has no licensure exam attached and approaches money management from a broader corporate-finance and investment angle rather than an audit and compliance one.
| BSBA Financial Management | BS Accountancy | |
|---|---|---|
| Licensure exam | None | CPA Licensure Examination (PRC Board of Accountancy) |
| Core focus | Corporate finance, investment, banking, credit | Financial accounting, auditing, taxation |
| Typical entry roles | Financial/business analyst, credit analyst, treasury assistant | Junior auditor, accounting associate, tax associate |
| Path to a formal credential | CFA (optional, separate exam) | CPA (required for certain audit/attest functions) |
| Legal restriction on practice | None | Only a licensed CPA may sign off on audited financial statements |
In practice, this means a BSBA-FM graduate can start working in a bank or corporate finance department immediately after the internship, while a BS Accountancy graduate is on a track toward the CPA license, which the law requires for specific accounting and audit functions in the Philippines. See accountant and CPA salary in the Philippines for what that license is worth in pesos over a career, if you're weighing the CPA route against Financial Management.
How Much Does BSBA Financial Management Tuition Cost?
CHED does not set a separate tuition rate per major, so BSBA-FM pricing follows the same tiers as BSBA generally. Based on SchoolFinderPH's own BSBA degree guide cost research, expect roughly ₱20,000-₱45,000 a year at budget private schools, ₱35,000-₱80,000 at mid-range private universities, and ₱90,000-₱250,000+ at premium schools with smaller class sizes. It's free at state universities and colleges (SUCs) under RA 10931, subject to admission and retention requirements.
Disclaimer: tuition figures are approximate ranges and change by school year. Confirm the current rate directly with the admissions office of your target school before budgeting.
What Jobs and Pay Can BSBA Financial Management Graduates Expect?
BSBA-FM graduates typically start as financial or business analysts, credit analysts, treasury assistants, or in management-trainee programs at banks, insurance companies, and conglomerates. It is the most quantitative of the five BSBA majors alongside Business Economics, and it feeds most directly into finance-analyst-track roles.
| Role | Approx. Annual Pay | Approx. Monthly Pay | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Financial Analyst (overall average) | ~₱402,488 | ~₱33,500 | PayScale Philippines, 2026 |
| Financial Analyst (entry-level, under 1 yr) | ~₱316,500 | ~₱26,400 | PayScale Philippines, 2026 |
| Credit Analyst (overall average) | ~₱397,827 | ~₱33,150 | PayScale Philippines, 2026 |
| Treasury Analyst (overall average) | ~₱398,105 | ~₱33,175 | PayScale Philippines, 2026 |
Disclaimer: these are average compensation figures across surveyed roles, not guaranteed starting pay for any individual graduate. A first job, especially a treasury or credit assistant role rather than a full analyst title, commonly starts below these averages and grows with experience, certifications (like CFA), or an MBA.
For a broader view of where BSBA-track pay sits against other business courses, see in-demand courses in the Philippines and highest-paying courses in the Philippines.
Is BSBA Financial Management Right for You?
Before committing to this major over Business Economics or BS Accountancy, weigh these questions:
- Do you want the licensure-free path into finance? Financial Management gets you into banking, corporate finance, and credit roles without a board exam. If you specifically want to be a CPA, choose BS Accountancy instead.
- Are you comfortable with numbers-heavy coursework? Investment and Portfolio Management, Capital Market, and Monetary Policy and Central Banking are quantitative subjects; if you'd rather work with people-management topics, Human Resource Management or Marketing Management may fit better.
- Have you checked which electives your target school actually offers? CHED suggests a 12-unit elective list, but each school picks a subset — confirm whether Risk Management, Security Analysis, or Treasury Management (rather than more generic options) are actually available before enrolling.
- Do you want to add a credential after graduating? Many Financial Management graduates who move into investment or portfolio roles later pursue CFA certification, which is a separate, private-body exam, not a CHED or PRC requirement.
- What strand did you take in senior high? ABM graduates typically enter with the strongest business-math foundation; see college admission requirements in the Philippines if you're still mapping out your application timeline.
Ready to find the right school? Browse schools or compare BSBA programs and tuition across hundreds of Philippine colleges and universities on SchoolFinderPH.
Sources
- CHED CMO No. 17, s. 2017 — Policies, Standards and Guidelines for the BSBA Program (official PDF)
- PayScale — Financial Analyst Salary in Philippines
- PayScale — Credit Analyst Salary in Philippines
- PayScale — Treasury Analyst Salary in Philippines
- SchoolFinderPH — BSBA Explained: Majors, Subjects, and Career Paths
- SchoolFinderPH — BSBA Subjects: Complete Curriculum by Major
- SchoolFinderPH — Accountant and CPA Salary in the Philippines
