Description of the Core Finance courses

FN2201 Financial Institutions and Markets

3 credits

The course introduces topics such as the functions, organization, structure and regulation of financial institutions and markets. Students also study the role and operations of financial markets and institutions in the economy; supply and demand for funds, interest rate determination, monetary and fiscal policy, and flow of funds analysis. In addition, the course analyzes basics of financial policies and operations of commercial banks and other financial institutions as well as an overview of the globalization process.

FN2202 Principles of Finance

3 credits

This is an introductory course to the field of finance with a broad scope and emphasis on general principles. Students will learn basics of financial system; time value of money and discounting, financial performance analysis, basics of capital budgetting, asset pricing, and introduction to corporate finance.

Description of Required Finance Courses

FN3210 Corporate Finance

3 Credits

This is an intermediate business financial management course, combining theory and applications. The course focuses on detailed look at capital budgeting methods including Net Present Value and Internal Rate of Return, capital budgeting under uncertainty, risk and return analysis, financial planning and forecasting, dividend policy, capital structure policy, working capital policy, and interactions of investment and financing decisions.

FN3220 Investments

3 Credits

This course introduces the foundations of portfolio theory, asset pricing, trading and valuing securities as well as provides frameworks for investment analysis of various financial instruments. The course begins with an introduction of the modern portfolio theory and then turns to asset valuation based on the capital asset pricing model and arbitrage pricing theory. The two subsequent areas of study are valuation and analysis of fixed income instruments and stocks. Overall, this course represents the minimal financial theory and necessary practical tools with which an undergraduate student majoring in finance should be able to make meaningful investment decisions and be prepared for advanced courses in investment management.

FN3230 Financial Institutions Management

3 Credits

The course provides an analysis of the role of private financial intermediaries in providing financial services to the public with a focus on the latest techniques of asset/ liability and risk management in modern day financial institutions. Other topics include the impact of recent regulations and the breakdown of geographic barriers worldwide on the risks and opportunities to financial institutions. The impact of ethical, technological and diversity issues affecting managerial decision making in financial intermediation is also discussed.

Description of Elective Finance Courses

FN3201 Money and Banking

3 Credits

The course examines the functioning of monetary systems and the meaning of monetary policy from the point of view of banks and other financial institutions. Various monetary theories will be analyzed in terms of the impact of changes in the volume of money on capital formation, national income, employment, prices and interest rates.

FN3202 Small Business Finance

3 Credits

The course provides comprehensive learning of principles and practices of financial management for small enterprises; analytical techniques and financial strategies for financing and managing the resources of small business efficiently and profitably. Intermediate knowledge of financial and cost accounting required.

FN3222 Personal Finance

3 Credits

This course focuses on the analysis of the problems involved in efficient handling of personal finance. Topics include time value calculations, budgeting, career planning, banking, insurance, home buying, consumer credits and money management, investment planning, retirement planning, and estate planning.

FN4211 Financial Modeling

3 Credits

This course will involve using spreadsheets to model financial transactions, perform valuations, and solve complex financial problems from all areas of finance (equity, debt, and their derivatives). It will also involve the use of financial functions and formulas, macros, and new programming in various financial applications. Intermediate knowledge of any electronic spreadsheet (Microsoft Excel, Lotus, etc) is required.

FN4212 Mergers and Acquisitions

3 Credits

The course provides advises and guidance on: the key financial sources and instruments used for M&A deals; how to select the most appropriate type of financing - debt, equity, or a combination of the two; financing via debt, bonds, and leases, and ways to borrow or lend; tactics considered in contracts, including contingent payments, earn-outs, and equity kickers; how to determine when refinancing is necessary; how volatile global events affect economic systems and their impacts on M&A financing and refinancing; debt/equity hybrids and other financing methods including mezzanine financing and seller take-back financing.

FN4213 Venture Capital Investing

3 Credits

The course introduces principles of entrepreneurial spirit, and skills associated with venture capital investing. Financial analysis of business, risk and return characteristics, and discussion of the various financing sources and the required returns to venture capital investors will be studied. Students acquire real-world exposure through the development of strategic and business plans and the presentation of venture capital proposals to business professionals.

FN4214 Financial Statement Analysis

3 Credits

The course objective is to teach financial analysts to accurately read and analyze financial statements of various companies in a great variety of industries. It examines the uses and misuses of financial statement data for a wide range of financing decisions. The course analyzes various reporting options that affect income, assets, cash flow forecasts, financial ratios, and trends; distinguishes between accounting rules and underlying economic realities, and examines approaches that analysts can take when external reports do not reflect a firm’s underlying economics. The course focuses on the pragmatic implications of corporate disclosures and nondisclosures. Real-world case studies and classroom discussion are used to enhance relevance and to promote participation in the learning process.

FN4215 Securities Analysis

3 Credits

The course deals with fundamental analysis and valuation techniques used to value company’s securities. The topics include: the processes and principles of financial valuation, valuation model and its components; building pro-formas; capital structure and cost of capital; multiple valuation; and valuation of debt and convertible securities.

FN4221 Investment Banking

3 Credits

The course provides a study of investment banking activities, including their regulatory, institutional and market environments, with extensive reference to the global marketplace. Students will learn the analysis of the main investment banking services with emphasis on the mechanics and economics of the issuance process. Analysis of the market for new issues and appraisal of their spread and price performance will be provided. Consideration of ethical, technological and diversity issues in investment banking operations will be made.

FN4220 Real Estate Finance

3 credits

This course provides a broad introduction to real estate with a focus on financing issues. Project evaluation, financing strategies, and capital markets issues related to real estate are covered. Other topics include real estate law; government regulations of real estate uses; development and marketing of commercial and residential real estate.

FN4224 Portfolio Management

3 Credits

The course provides thorough analysis of systematic portfolio management, including such topics as: portfolio construction and analysis; security valuation and risk analysis; asset class management; derivatives valuation and portfolio applications; and portfolio evaluation.

FN4225 Fixed-Income Securities

3 Credits

The course provides in-depth coverage, analysis, and guidance on topics such as: types and features of fixed income securities; risks and risk control strategies; mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities; bond market indexes; bonds with embedded options; floating rate securities; municipal bonds; fixed-income portfolio management; treasury securities; inflation-indexed bonds; and interest rate derivatives and their applications.

FN4231 Commercial Banking

3 Credits

The course aims on understanding the field of banking from the perspectives of both a bank customer as well as a bank manager. Topics include introduction to the business of banking; asset-liability management techniques and hedging against interest rate and credit risk; managing the bank’s investment portfolio and liquidity position; managing bank sources of funds; providing loans to businesses and consumers; the bank’s organizational structure and service options: choosing a channel for future growth and expansion.

FN4232 Risk Management

3 Credits

The course provides comprehensive analyses and insights in risk management including: risk management overview - from the history of risk management to the new regulatory and trading environment, a look at past and present risk management; risk management program designs - techniques to organize the risk management function, and design a system to cover your organization’s many risk exposures; risk management implementation - how to use the myriad systems to derive value at risk (VaR), stress-testing, and derivatives for measuring and hedging risk in today’s marketplace.

FN4234 Introduction to Financial Derivatives

3 Credits

This course offers an introduction to derivative markets. A derivative is an instrument whose value depends on the values of other more basic underlying variables.

This course focuses on the financial derivatives. Emphasis is placed on organization and role of put and call options markets, futures and forward markets, swaps markets, and their interrelations. Major topics include arbitrage relations, valuation, hedging and speculating with derivatives and implementation of derivatives trading strategies.

FN4235 International Financial Management

3 Credits

This course covers principles and applications of managerial finance to international and multinational business. Major topics include analysis of risks and problems unique to businesses involved in multinational operations; international sources and uses of funds; foreign exchange risk management; and managing international assets, liabilities, and securities.

FN4238 Intermediate Financial Derivatives

3 credits

This course will provide the student with a through understanding of the derivatives markets. Students will study the practical and theoretical aspects of these markets including use of derivatives in hedging and speculation. The course further examines the perspective of corporate securities as derivatives, the functions of derivatives in securities markets and recent innovations in derivative markets.

FN4241 Case Studies in Finance

3 Credits

The course offers various advanced case studies of problems in planning, procuring, and maintaining optimum distribution of financial resources of business entities. Applications of principles used in finance industrials, utilities, trading enterprises, and selected financial institutions. Topics of case studies will vary depending on the interests of business environment, the students, and the course instructor.

FN4242 Selected Topics in Finance

3 credits

The course examines particular issues and contemporary subject areas in Finance at an intermediate level. Selection of topics depends on students and instructors preferences.

FN4243 Internship in Finance

3 credits

A work-study program is open to senior finance majors. Students work a minimum of 120 hours in a structured finance-training program offered by a for-profit or non-for-profit organizations.

FN4244 Research/Simulation in Finance

3 Credits