Finance: Course Descriptions

FIN 316 – Financial Markets and Institutions (3)
An examination of the nature and functions of money, financial institutions within the larger economic system, and central banks. Course emphasizes the role of financial instruments, financial markets and financial institutions as well as the function of the Federal Reserve System by examining monetary policy and its roots in macroeconomics and monetary theory. Special focus is on structure and evolution of the banking industry, depository institutions, and regulation of financial intermediaries within the context of the global financial system and international monetary system. Prerequisite: ECO 202.

FIN 327 – International Finance (3)
This course presents an overview of the international financial environment and detail analysis of tools and techniques for international capital and money markets, international portfolio diversification, multinational capital budgeting, import-export financing, direct foreign investment, and international banking. Prerequisites: ECO 202, FIN 319.

FIN 352 – Fundamentals of Security Analysis (3)
This course is an introduction to the theories, techniques, and strategies of investment management, with emphasis on the global context of investment decisions. Topics include domestic and foreign securities markets, analysis and valuation of stocks and bonds, fundamental security analysis, efficient markets and technical analysis, hybrid and derivative securities, options and futures, portfolio and capital market theory and applications including diversification strategies with foreign securities. Prerequisites: FIN 319. Corequisites: FIN 360, FIN 316.

FIN 360 – Financial Statement Analysis (3)
This course will take a user perspective rather than a preparer perspective in the analysis of financial statements. A global perspective is also presented through the use of both U.S. GAAP and the International Accounting Standards. The course provides the concepts necessary to understand and interpret financial statements and also provides the analysis techniques that enable the analyst to further understand the relative position and performance of a company. Corequisites: FIN 319

FIN 419 – Financial Policy and Strategy (3)
This course is a continuation of FIN 319 covering more advanced issues such as options, futures, pensions, leasing mergers, acquisitions, and bankruptcies. Prerequisite: FIN 319.

FIN 465 – Management of Financial Institutions (3)
This course provides a conceptual framework for analyzing the optimal management of financial institutions as well as the impact of the economic, political, legal and technological environment. Prerequisites: FIN 316, FIN 319, FIN 352, FIN 360.

FIN 470– Portfolio Management and Risk Analysis (3)
This course provides the student the theories, tools, techniques, and applications of Modern Portfolio Theory and Portfolio Risk Management. Building upon the contents of Finance 352, the course presents the Markowitz portfolio optimization concept as the basis for designing, developing, and managing portfolios of securities. Asset allocation models and techniques are emphasized. The course also extends the student’s knowledge of derivative contracts, such as options and futures contracts, to their uses in assessing and managing portfolio risk, and presents methods for evaluating the return and risk performance of portfolios of securities. Prerequisite: FIN 352. Corequisite FIN 419

The following course is a mandatory corequisite for this concentration: MAT 210, Calculus with applications. Prerequisites: MAT 108 or appropriate MATH SAT or ACT score.

Business Core Courses

BUS 181 – Introduction to Business (3)
The purpose of this course is threefold: 1) to introduce students to the academic opportunities and activities offered by the Andreas School of Business as well as its professors; 2) to help students to develop the cognitive skills they need to understand the principles and mechanics that regulate everyday business life; and 3) to prepare students to deal effectively with the challenges of contemporary life, including issues in the business-society relationship, its history, world events, economic issues, and future expectations.

ACC 201 – Financial Accounting (3)
An introduction to the accounting concepts, principles, and techniques used in recording business transactions. The accounting cycle, the measurement of income and valuation problems, reporting of financial position and results of operations for business enterprise are explored. Prerequisite: CAT 102.

ACC 202 – Managerial Accounting (3)
An introduction to concepts and methods to assist management in the evaluation of the business enterprise and to aid in its planning, organizing, and controlling functions. Topics include cost systems, break-even analysis, flexible budgets, variance analysis, and capital budgeting. Prerequisite: ACC 201.

ECO 201 – Introductory Macroeconomics (3)
Introduction to the foundations of economic analysis with concentration on macroeconomics structure and models as they relate to the global economy with an emphasis on the U.S. Course focuses on fundamentals of demand and supply analysis, salient facts about the economy’s performance; measures of economic activity such as GDP, employment and inflation; determinants of trends in economic growth and business cycle fluctuations; fiscal, monetary and international trade policies and their effect on domestic and foreign business cycles and growth. Counts as a distribution for the social sciences.

ECO 202 – Introductory Microeconomics (3)
Economic analysis of consumer and producer behavior and decision making with a concentration on how economic agents voluntarily interact in markets for various goods and services. Topics include advanced demand/supply analysis emphasizing allocational efficiency, opportunity cost and elasticity; the theory of consumer utility maximization; short and long-term cost and production decisions in the theory of the firm; price, output and profit maximization under differing market structures including competitive, monopolistic and hybrid alternatives; the pricing of input resources including labor and capital along with income distribution implications; market failure and the consequences of government regulation; and introduction to international finance and the balance of payments. Prerequisite: ECO 201.

MIS 215 – Introduction to Information Systems (3)
This course introduces students to the basic concepts and developments in information systems. Areas of study include computer technology, information system concepts, information system development, and the use of technology in organizations. Students gain hands-on experience by using microcomputers to solve business problems. Prerequisite: CAT 102.

MGT 305 – Organizational Behavior and Management (3)
Organizational behavior as it relates to the management functions of planning, organizing, leading and controlling is the focus of this course. Examination is made of the individual’s role within the organization, of interpersonal influence and group behavior, and of organizational processes. The course will provide the tools necessary for the development of a personal management philosophy.

MGT 325 – Operations Management (3)
Study of processes used to efficiently transform resources into goods and services. Process types, capacity planning, inventory systems, workforce utilization and quality management to produce defect-free, competitive products and services delivered on time Prerequisites: BUS 311, MGT 305.

MKT 306 Marketing Concepts and Applications (3)
Elements of the marketing functions in bringing the organization’s goods and services from the producers to the consumer.

BUS 311 – Applications of Statistics in Business (3)
Use of statistics to solve business problems. Topics include decision theory, forecasting, simulation analysis of variance, multiple regression, design of experiments and statistical process control. Prerequisite: MAT 108, MAT 152, CAT 102.

BUS 339 – Business Law I (3)
Designed to afford the student a background of basic legal principles, concepts and the nature of the judicial process. The first part of the course is devoted to the legal environment of business, including common, statutory and administrative law, federal and state court structure, theories of law, court procedure, conflicts of law and judicial forms of dispute resolution. This is followed by a detailed study of contracts including basic elements, interpretation, remedies for breach, assignment and discharge. The course concludes with agency and employment.

FIN 319 – Managerial Finance (3)
Financial techniques and analysis for business decision making which build upon the prerequisites of economics, accounting, and statistical methods. The major tools include cash flow, financial statement structure and analysis, the time value of money, and risk. Specific topics studied with these tools include working capital management, asset investment and capital budgeting, corporate structure and the choice of debt vs. equity financing, financial market valuations, and the financial implications of business strategic decisions. Prerequisite: ACC 201, junior/senior status.

BUS 366 – International Business
Overview of the unique problems faced by firms engaging in international activities; the importance of understanding the foreign economic, social, political, cultural, and legal environment; the mechanics of importing an exporting; joint venture, franchising, and subsidiaries, international dimensions of management, marketing and accounting, international financial management; the special problems of multi-national corporations; recent problems of the international economic system; country-risk analysis; the increasing use of counter trade. Prerequisites: ECO 201, ECO 202.

BUS 498 – Strategic Management (3)
A capstone course with integrates the various business disciplines. Using a senior management perspective, the student addresses strategy formulation and implementation in a volatile business environment. The case method of instruction is actively used. This course should be taken in the last semester before graduation. Prerequisite: Graduating Senior.