Finance Course Descriptions
Note: As of Fall 2006 students must earn a "C" or better in all FIN prerequisites before being allowed to take any FIN course.
FIN 2250-3 Personal Money Management (3 + 0) Prerequisite: sophomore standing and non-business major
This survey course is oriented to the identification and solution of personal financial problems. The subject matter ranges from the determination of one’s financial condition to estate planning, including controlling credit usage, making major purchase decisions, buying insurance, making investments, and planning retirement. (Credit will be granted for either FIN 2250 or FIN 3150, not both. Business majors must take FIN 3150.) (General Studies - Level II-Social Sciences)
FIN 3010-3 Financial Markets and Institutions (3 + 0) Prerequisite: ACC 2010 with "C" or better, ECO 2010 & 2020, Junior or Senior standing
This course provides a framework for understanding our financial environment, including markets, institutions, and securities. Each type of market and how financial institutions use it, its internationalization, and recent events that have affected it are studied.
FIN 3100-3 International Money and Finance (3 + 0) Prerequisite: ECO 2010 & 2020, Junior or Senior standing
This course covers the basics of the foreign exchange market, the balance of payments, parity conditions in international finance, foreign exchange risk and forecasting, the financing of international activities, and international capital flows. The course will focus on the financial management of the multinational firm.
FIN 3150-3 Personal Financial Planning (3 + 0) Prerequisite: Business major or minor, Junior or Senior standing
This course is an introduction to the field of personal financial planning for business students. The student will study money management, investments, insurance, employee benefits, retirement planning, and estate planning as they relate to individual and family financial planning. (Credit will be granted only for FIN 2250 or FIN 3150. Business students should take FIN 3150.)
FIN 3300-3 Managerial Finance (3 + 0) Prerequisites: ACC 2010 w/ "C" or better, ECO 2010, ECO 2020, MTH 1320, Junior or Senior standing
This is a study of the dynamic environment of financial management exposing students to various finance topics such as financial analysis and forecasting, time value of money, security valuation, capital budgeting, risk and return, cost of capital, working capital management, and international finance.
FIN 3320-3 Entrepreneurial Finance (3 + 0) Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing
This course is designed to acquaint students with the basic concepts of obtaining funds for the start-up and financing the continued growth of the firm. Th course covers start-up financing, growth capital, daily financial management, valuation, and strategic financial planning.
FIN 3420-3 Principles of Insurance (3 + 0) Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing
This course explores the underlying principles of insurance, and the need for insurance in a progressive, dynamic society. It includes an introductory examination of insurable risks, uses of insurance, as well as a study of the important coverages that are currently available.
FIN 3450-3 Retirement Planning and Employee Benefits (3 + 0) Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing
This is a study of the principles of retirement planning and employee benefits, including the determination of financial needs at retirement. The various employee benefits and retirement plans for employees and self-employed persons will be studied.
FIN 3600-3 Investments (3 + 0) Prerequisites: FIN 3300 w/ "C" or better, Junior or Senior standing
This course is a survey of the organization and regulation of security markets; security analysis and valuation; and principles of portfolio management from the viewpoint of the individual investor.
FIN 3800-3 Real Estate Practice and Law (3 + 0) Prerequisite: Junior or Senior standing
This course surveys the principles and practices of real estate. Subject areas treated include the nature and description of real estate, real property interests and ownership, finance, appraisal, contract and agency law, and real estate investment.
FIN 3810-3 Advanced Real Estate Practice and Law (3 + 0) Prerequisites: FIN 3800 w/ "C" or better, Junior or Senior standing
This course builds upon the material covered in FIN 3800 by providing expanded, in-depth coverage of the topics, as well as introducing some new topics to provide a broad coverage of the field of real estate.
FIN 3830-3 Real Estate Finance (3 + 0) Prerequisites: FIN 3800 w/ "C" or better, Junior standing
This course is designed to provide the student and real estate professional with a basic understanding of the instruments, methods, procedures, institutions, and money markets involved in the financing of real property. There is special emphasis on the mathematics of real estate financing and practical problems.
FIN 3850-3 Intermediate Finance (3 + 0) Prerequisites: FIN 3300 with "C" or better, Junior or Senior standing
This is an advanced, integrated study of the theory, concepts, and techniques encompassed by financial markets, institutions, and investments as applied in managerial finance. Computer usage is required, especially spreadsheet applications, such as Lotus 1–2–3.
FIN 4200-3 Financial Modeling with Spreadsheets (3 + 0) Prerequisite: FIN 3300, FIN 3600 w/ "C" or better, FIN 3850 w/ "C" or better, CIS 2010, CIS 2300 w/ "C" or better
This course provides the student with a a set of financial analysis skills to use in building complex financial models utilizing electronic spreadsheets. The topics covered include building financial statements, analysis of financial statements, modern portfolio theory, capital budgeting, regression analysis, and both linear and non-linear programming for financial applications.
FIN 4400-3 Estate Planning (3 + 0) Prerequisites: Business major or minor, Junior or Senior standing
The course provides the student with the basic concepts of estate planning and why it is an important part of overall financial planning. The course covers the tools and techniques of estate planning so as to arrange the efficient future wealth transfers to maximize the financial well being of both the individual and the survivors who are recipients of the wealth.
FIN 4500-3 Analysis of Financial Statements (3 + 0) Prerequisites: FIN 3850 w/ "C" or better, Senior standing
An in-depth study of current financial reporting practices; analysis and interpretation of corporate financial statements, utilizing text and selected cases.
FIN 4600-3 Security Analysis and Portfolio Management (3 + 0) Prerequisites: FIN 3600 with "C" or better, FIN 3850 w/ "C" or better, Senior standing
This course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of security analysis and portfolio management. The focus of the course is on selecting the appropriate securities and managing the portfolio to meet the investor’s objectives.
FIN 4700-3 Special Topics in Finance (Variable Title) (3 + 0) Prerequisites: Approval of Finance Department Chair, Senior Standing
This is an in-depth study of selected topics in finance not available otherwise in the curriculum. Typically, this course will focus on current issues or developments in finance, and the content will vary. This course may be repeated for credit under different topics.
FIN 4750-3 Seminar in Personal Financial Planning (3 + 0) Prerequisites: Fin 3420, Fin 3450, Fin 3600 and ACC 3090 or ACC 4100
This is a senior-level integrative course for finance majors concentrating in personal financial planning. It brings together the various aspects of financial planning with heavy emphasis on case studies.
FIN 4950-3 Financial Strategies and Policies (3 + 0) Prerequisites: FIN 3850 w/ "C" or better, FIN 3600 w/ "C" or better, and completion of all Business Core Courses (except MGT 4950), Senior standing
This is an integrated, case study approach to financial management. Emphasis is on presentation of analysis and recommendations for strategies and policies. This is the capstone and assessment course for finance majors. Proficiency in personal computer word processing and spreadsheet applications is necessary.
Please Note: It is the policy of the departments within the School of Business to enforce prerequisites.
Archived Courses
These courses are not currently offered and have been archived. It is possible that one or more of them will be revived at some point in the future.
FIN 3430-3 Property and Liability Insurance (3 + 0) Prerequisites: FIN 3420 and junior standing
This course is an examination and study of the principles and uses of property and liability insurance. It also includes types of property and liability insurance, products selection, classification of property and liability risks, and organization and regulation of property and liability insurers.
FIN 3440-3 Life and Health Insurance (3 + 0) Prerequisites: FIN 3420 and junior standing
This course is an examination and study of the principles and uses of life and health insurance. It also includes types of life and health risks, and organization and regulation of life and health insurers.
FIN 3460-3 Risk Management (3 + 0) Prerequisites: FIN 3420 and junior standing
This course is an analysis of risk identification and evaluation, measurement of protection, and methods of handling risk. It also includes insurance buying, loss financing, and international insurance exposures.
FIN 4100-3 International Financial Management (3 + 0) Prerequisites: FIN 3100, FIN 3300, ECO 3550, and senior standing
The purpose of this course is to provide a conceptual framework to analyze business financial decision making in the international setting. All the traditional areas of corporate finance are explored, especially working capital management, capital budgeting, cost of capital and financial structure, and evaluation and control of operations. These topics are examined under conditions of multiple currencies, frequent exchange rate changes, varying rates of inflation, differing tax systems, multiple money markets, exchange controls, segmented capital markets, and political risks.
FIN 4000-3 Management of Financial Institutions (3 + 0) Prerequisites: FIN 3010 and senior standing
The purpose of this course is to provide an integrated approach for the financial management of financial institutions. With this objective, the course concentrates on providing the theoretical framework and techniques of financial management, recognizing the rapid changes taking place in the institutional environment.
FIN 4650-3 Small Business Consulting (3 + 0) Prerequisite: senior standing and must have completed or be coregistered in the remaining business core courses
This senior-level course is designed to provide an opportunity for students to apply a broad range of their classroom knowledge and problem-solving skills to the specific needs of an actual business. The students work in teams, under the guidance of the instructor, with selected small businesses in the community providing research, consulting, and problem-solving assistance to specified problems. In most cases, the student team will also assist with the development of a long-range strategic plan.
FIN 4840-3 Real Estate Appraisal (3 + 0) Prerequisites: FIN 3800 and senior standing
This course is designed to teach the student various methods of estimating real property value. The primary emphasis will be to apply these methodologies to single-family residences, but some coverage is provided on commercial real estate.
FIN 4850-3 Commercial and Investment Real Estate (3 + 0) Prerequisites: FIN 3800, FIN 3830, and senior standing
This course studies real estate as an investment medium, the techniques used in evaluating and comparing the investment quality of property, and certain tax factors relevant to real estate investment.
