Finance

Risk and return relationships; valuation models; cost of capital; capital structure; capital budgeting; dividend policy; international financial transactions; financial statement analysis and forecasting; working capital management. Emphasis on computer applications and case studies.

Special finance topics offered in lecture/seminar format. Permission of Department Chair or Instructor.

Overview of fixed income markets and securities traded within those markets; bond valuation; duration and convexity of fixed income securities; asset backed security markets and valuation; credit risk analysis interest rate determination and models; interest rate risk management.

The structure, operation, management, and regulation of commercial banks, savings and loan associations, mutual savings banks, credit unions, insurance companies, finance companies, pension funds, investment companies, and international financial institutions; structure and operation of the Federal Reserve system; measurement and management of the risks of financial institutions.

Risk and return; market efficiency; structure of equity markets; equity trading strategies; financial statement analysis and ratio analysis; financial forecasting; valuation of common stocks using fundamental, relative, and technical analysis; convertible securities, warrants, equity options, and risk management applications.

Advanced investment management with an emphasis on portfolio management; forecasting economic conditions; risk-return characteristics of securities; asset allocation (optimization) techniques; selecting investment goals; evaluating portfolio performance; international diversification; portfolio management with options and futures; computer applications in investment management.

Overview of financial and non-financial derivatives including options, forwards, futures and swaps; derivatives valuation; trading strategies; application of derivatives for managing financial risks. Prerequisite senior standing.

Liquidity, market structure, and trading in financial markets; alternative market structures and their economic and operational underpinnings; tactical trading decisions within different market structures using simulation software and real-time data services.

Hedge Funds; Private Equity; Shadow Banking; Cryptocurrency, Benchmarking; Trading Strategies; Statistical Methods for Finance. Emphasis on data work and computer applications.

Acquisition process and other methods of corporate restructuring. Advantages of internal and external expansion; types of combinations; requisite financial analysis; negotiation strategies; tax options; the role of government. Benefits and limitations of IPOs, leveraged buyouts, employee stock ownership plans and bankruptcy.

Financial modeling; valuation methods; investment banking process; discounted cash flow models; comparable firms; precedent transactions; leveraged buyout model; mergers & acquisitions; restructurings. Emphasis on computer applications.

Foreign exchange markets, foreign derivatives markets, external currency market and their instruments, international parity conditions, foreign exchange risk management, foreign investment analysis, political risk assessment, financing foreign trade, managing the multinational financial system.

Contemporary issues and topics in Financial Management, Financial Markets, Investments, or International Finance.

Management of real-dollar portfolios using various investment styles; business cycle analysis; industry analysis; investment objective screening; security analysis; portfolio analysis, compliance; portfolio reporting. Approval of Finance Department Chair and instructor required.

Continuation of FIN 2342.

Quantitative Trading Strategies; Factor Models; Smart Beta; Index Strategies; Behavioral Finance; Backtesting, Statistical Methods for Finance; Data Analysis and Computer Applications.

Public real estate debt and equity markets. Mortgage Backed Securities, Commercial Mortgage Backed securities, Collateralized Mortgage Obligations, Prepayment Modeling, Real Estate Equity Valuation.

Applied Financial Statistics; Risk and Return; Probability Distributions; Difference Models; Stationarity; ARDL Models; ARCH/GARCH; Panel Data; Fixed Effects; Difference in Difference; Regression Discontinuity; Computer Applications. Class does not count as Finance elective.

Employment with an approved firm in the area of Finance where experience is gained with appropriate training, instruction, and supervision. Course does not fulfill the requirements for major. Prerequisites: junior or senior standing, a minimum GPA of 2.5, approval of department chair.

Independent study under a faculty member's guidance in an area of special interest to the student. The area of interest must be discussed with the faculty member prior to registration. Course does not fulfill the requirements for major. Prerequisites: Finance major with senior standing, and written permission of chairperson required.

Full-time employment with an approved firm in the area of Finance where experience is gained through appropriate training, instruction, and supervision. Course does not fulfill the requirements of the major. Prerequisite: Finance major with junior status; minimum gpa requirements will vary; approval of department chair.

An introduction to the field of real estate, includes the following broad topical areas: the legal nature of real estate, valuation and appraisal, real estate finance, and the secondary mortgage market.

Topics in real estate law: ownership, possession and management of land and buildings, landlord and tenant, nonpossessory rights, contractual documents and agreements, transfer of rights; title insurance, moral and ethical dimensions, financing the transaction, litigation and claims involving real estate.

Contemporary topics in Real Estate: Contemporary issues and topics in Commercial real estate including valuation, sustainability and topics of interest in the current environment. Must be enrolled in one of the following Fields of Study (Major, Minor, or Concentration): Real Estate

Employment with an approved firm in the area of Commercial Real Estate where experience is gained with appropriate training, instruction, and supervision. Course does not fulfill the requirements for major. A minimum GPA of 2.5, approval of the office of Business Relations and written permission of the chairperson.

Valuation of commercial real estate properties including discounted cash flow approach. Pro forma accounting statement modeling, cash flow forecasting, lease price determinants, initial and exit cap rate determination and ultimately valuing actual real estate properties. The """four food groups"""" of commercial real estate."

Apply advanced modeling techniques to underwrite and value commercial real estate assets, Argus certification, excel based modeling. Monte Carlo simulation, Google sketch-up, partnership waterfall modeling.

Independent study under a faculty member's guidance in an area of special interest to the student. The area of interest must be discussed with the faculty member prior to registration. Course does not fulfill the requirements for major. Prerequisites: Real Estate major with senior standing, and written permission of chairperson required.

Senior capstone class that focuses on the development process from land acquisition to final product incorporating real time real estate development projects. Specific topics include land acquisition, tax issues, optimal land use decisions, architectural and sight design, contracting and construction, leasing and marketing of properties and optimal exit strategies.

The theory and techniques of financial management. Financial markets; financial statements and analysis; time value of money; interest rates; bond valuation; risk and return; equity valuation; cost of capital; capital budgeting; working capital management. Restricted to VSB students and Business Minors.

Critical personal finance skills for financial stability and success. Topics include: planning personal finances, money management and budgeting, tax strategies, investments, credit and debt, purchase decisions, insurance, retirements and estate planning. This course will NOT be used to fulfill a Finance major or Finance minor elective requirement.