Courses
FINA-109. First Year Experience: Financial Literacy And Making Smart Financial Decision In Chicago. 3 Hours.
In this course the four foundations (Future planning, Academics, Self-discovery and Transitions) of the First-year Experience are interwoven with the field specific concepts of financial literacy. Students will be introduced to basic knowledge and skills to manage their financial resources effectively in college and beyond. Students will learn to understand the importance of financial literacy, identify important personal financial goals, and develop financial planning skills to achieve goals such as college financing, debt repayment, investment and retirement planning. Livelihood in Chicago is incorporated throughout the course to aid students to make better and more informed personal finance decisions in Chicago.
FINA-309. Foundations In Personal Finance. 3 Hours.
This course introduces knowledge and skills necessary to understand, plan, and manage personal financial affairs. Topics include cash management, budgeting, goal attainment, spending and credit, insurance, tax, and savings and investing. This course will provide a foundational understanding for making informed and responsible personal financial decisions.
FINA-350. Foundations Of FinTech. 3 Hours.
This course is to provide an overview of the technological innovations in the finance industry. Topics include new and disruptive financial products and services, new technology related to fintech, and fintech regulations.
Prerequisite: FINA-360 with a minimum grade of C.
FINA-360. Principles Of Financial Management. 3 Hours.
The purpose of this course is to provide a broad overview of the fundamental concepts in financial management such as creation of value for the shareholders, ratio analysis, time value of money, stock and bond valuation, risk and return, cost of capital and capital budgeting.
Requirement: All Foundation Courses completed
Prerequisite: ACTG-201 with a minimum grade of C.
FINA-362. Investment. 3 Hours.
An introduction to financial markets. Particular emphasis is placed on valuation and the characteristics of different financial assets.
Prerequisite: FINA-360 with a minimum grade of C.
FINA-363. Security Analysis. 3 Hours.
This course analyzes the factors affecting the market valuation of securities utilizing fundamental analysis and modern portfolio theory.
Prerequisite: FINA-360 with a minimum grade of C.
FINA-364. Problems In Business Finance. 3 Hours.
This course, employing the case method, is designed to help the student through problem-solving as well as learning skills for making financial decisions for corporations.
Prerequisite: FINA-360 with a minimum grade of C.
FINA-365. Personal Financial Planning. 3 Hours.
This course is a broad-based introduction to a wide range of personal financial topics, including setting financial goals, budgeting, saving and credit management, insurance, tax planning, asset acquisition, investments, and retirement planning. It will provide the informational and decision-making tools needed for implementing a sound personal financial plan. Prereq.:MATH-165 and FINA-360.
Prerequisite: (MATH-110 with a minimum grade of C or MATH-165 with a minimum grade of C) and FINA-360 with a minimum grade of C.
FINA-366. Financial Institutions And Markets. 3 Hours.
The course is designed to provide students with a broad and integrated view of the concepts and principles of the financial system as well as an understanding of pertinent issues faced by different types of financial institutions. Prereq.: FINA-360.
Prerequisite: FINA-360 with a minimum grade of C.
FINA-367. Short-Term Financial Management. 3 Hours.
This course focuses on short-term assets and liabilities and discusses the implications of short-term financial management from the perspective of value creation. It also develops skills useful to a bank loan officer, a credit analyst, a cash manager, or a corporate treasurer. Prereq.: FINA-360.
Prerequisite: FINA-360 with a minimum grade of C.
FINA-368. Financial Management Of Financial Institutions. 3 Hours.
The objective of this course is to expose the student to the techniques of financial management employed by the financial institutions and other financial intermediaries. The course emphasizes the use of tools for decision making within a financial institution framework which is in a state of transition.
Prerequisite: FINA-360 with a minimum grade of C.
FINA-369. Speculative Markets. 3 Hours.
This course reviews the mechanics of the major futures contracts: commodities, financial, stock index, and currency futures. Particular emphasis is placed n hedging price risk with futures contracts, and speculating with futures and options contracts. The student is expected to complete a project involving a simulated trading game involving futures and options. Prereq.: FINA-360.
Prerequisite: FINA-360 with a minimum grade of C.
FINA-370. Option Pricing:Theory And Strategic Applications. 3 Hours.
The course is designed to familiarize students with the theoretical foundations of options pricing. This knowledge is then used to design strategies for profiting from mispriced options. Mathematical complexity will be kept to a minimum. The use of personal computers as decision-making aids will be strongly emphasized.
FINA-371. International Financial Management. 3 Hours.
The course focuses on the international aspects of finance management. Particular emphasis is placed on the control of exchange rate risk and financing multinational corporations.
Prerequisite: FINA-360 with a minimum grade of C.
FINA-372. Portfolio Management. 3 Hours.
The course covers the theory and the techniques of portfolio management. Particular emphasis is placed on definition of objectives for and the construction of portfolios. This course prepares the student for the first CFA exam.
Prerequisite: FINA-360 with a minimum grade of C and MNGT-368 with a minimum grade of C.
FINA-373. Intermediate Financial Management. 3 Hours.
This course is and extension of FINA-360. It seeks to build upon the theoretical framework developed in FINA-360, enabling students to acquire new conceptual and applied knowledge of corporate finance. The course covers, among other topics, advanced issues in capital budgeting, optimal capital structure theory, debt policy, dividend policy, buy versus lease decisions, current asset management, mergers, bankruptcies and reorganizations. Students are expected to have a familiarity with a spreadsheet package.
Prerequisite: FINA-360 with a minimum grade of C.
FINA-374. Futures Trading Strategies. 3 Hours.
The course is designed to emphasize the practical, rather than theoretical, aspects of futures markets. Students will be exposed to technical analysis, mechanical system development, and to disciplined money management techniques. The student is expected to participate in a simulated trading game involving futures. Prereq.: FINA-360.
Prerequisite: FINA-360 with a minimum grade of C.
FINA-375. Debt Markets And Portfolio Strategies. 3 Hours.
The first part of the course is designed to introduce students to some of the very recent innovations in the fixed-income securities market, as for example, zero coupon bonds, floating rate notes and convertible issues. The next segment familiarizes students with portfolio management considerations unique to debt instruments. Mathematical complexity, though inevitable, will be kept to a minimum.
Prerequisite: FINA-360 with a minimum grade of C.
FINA-376. Technical Analysis Of The Futures Market. 3 Hours.
This course will enable students to read and interpret futures price charts. Technical analysis (as opposed to fundamental analysis) stresses the information content of part and price data and is based on the premise that prices do not always move randomly. Students believing in this underlying philosophy ought to benefit from this course.
Prerequisite: FINA-360 with a minimum grade of C.
FINA-377. Real Estate Finance. 3 Hours.
The primary objective of this course is to provide an overview of real estate finance. This course involves an exploration of the characteristics, institutions, and markets through which financing of real estate occurs. This course focuses on the dynamic changes that have occurred in the real estate field in the past few years and also assess the impact that these changes have had on both the availability and costs of mortgage debt and the risks associated with its use.
Prerequisite: FINA-360 with a minimum grade of C.
FINA-378. Introduction To Risk Management And Insurance. 3 Hours.
The individual, family, business entity, and society are all exposed to accidental loss events that may have a significant bearing on their financial, analyzing, controlling, financing, and monitoring these loss exposures. The primary focus of this introductory course is to provide an understanding of the various risks that businesses and individuals are exposed to and the alternative methods that are available to manage these risks.
Prerequisite: FINA-360 with a minimum grade of C.
FINA-380. Entrepreneurial Finance. 3 Hours.
This course offers a framework for understanding fundamentals of entrepreneurial finance. Topics include introduction to entrepreneurial finance, financial statement analysis, cash flow management, valuation of business, raising capital, debt financing, equity financing and other sources of funding.
Prerequisite: ACTG-201 with a minimum grade of C.
FINA-382. Internship In Finance. 3 Hours.
FINA-383. Internship In Finance. 4 Hours.
FINA-384. Internship In Finance. 5 Hours.
FINA-385. Internship In Finance. 6 Hours.
FINA-395. Independent Study In Finance. 3 Hours.
FINA-396. Independent Study In Finance. 2 Hours.
FINA-397. Independent Study In Finance. 1 Hour.
FINA-400. Fundamentals Of Financial Management. 2 Hours.
This course centers on corporate financial management, providing students with an overview of essential financial concepts such as time value of money, the relation between risk and return, stock valuation, bond valuation, and the analysis of corporate financial performance.
Prerequisite: ACTG-400 with a minimum grade of C.
FINA-402. Issues In Corporate Finance. 3 Hours.
This course provides a broad exposure to the principles and techniques of Financial Management. The course discusses how important areas in Financial Management, namely, the Investment Decision, Financing Decision, and Payout Decision can contribute to the goal of shareholder value creation, from a domestic and international perspective. Prereq.: COBM-402 or undergraduate/graduate exposure to Financial Management.
Prerequisite: COBM-402 with a minimum grade of C.
FINA-460. Financial Management. 3 Hours.
Prerequisite: MNGT-368 with a minimum grade of C.
FINA-462. Investment Strategies. 3 Hours.
This course provides an overview of investing with an emphasis on the fundamental approach to investing. Students will be exposed to modern portfolio theory and its implications and gain an understanding of asset pricing models, bond portfolio management strategies, and equity portfolio management strategies. Prereq.: FINA-400 or equivalent and graduate standing.
Prerequisite: FINA-460 with a minimum grade of C.
FINA-469. Mergers And Acquisitions. 3 Hours.
This course involves an examination of the key elements of the mergers and acquisitions process. It provides the analytical framework and vital tools necessary to successfully plan and execute mergers, acquisitions, and corporate restructuring. One key goal of this course is for the students to develop a critical appreciation of the key financial and strategic criteria in a proposed acquisition. The primary purpose of this course is to make sure students understand what works and what does not, in the world of mergers and acquisitions.
Prerequisite: FINA-400 with a minimum grade of C.
FINA-470. Corporate Financial Strategy. 3 Hours.
Corporate financial strategy in practice is emphasized in this course. Topics to be discussed include: (a) financial planning, (b) strategies for raising capital, (c) strategies for allocating capital among different uses, and (d) strategies for working capital management.
Prerequisite: FINA-400 with a minimum grade of C.
FINA-471. International Financial Management. 3 Hours.
This course emphasizes the theoretical concepts of international finance such as currency arbitrage and interest rate parity and their practical ramifications. Particular emphasis is placed on the hedging of exchange risks for importers and exporters, swap financing, international capital budgeting, and the cost of capital for local and foreign currency borrowing. Prereq.: FINA-400 or equivalent and graduate standing.
Prerequisite: FINA-400 with a minimum grade of C.
FINA-474. Seminar On Futures And Options Markets. 3 Hours.
This seminar provides an overview of the commodity/financial futures and options markets. Particular emphasis is placed on hedging price risk with futures contracts, valuing options contracts, and speculating with trading strategies involving futures and options contracts. The course will emphasize trading strategies using the futures and options markets with the help of a simulated trading game. Prereq.: FINA-400 or equivalent and graduate standing.
Prerequisite: FINA-400 with a minimum grade of C.
FINA-475. Management Of Financial Institutions. 3 Hours.
This course focuses on the application of traditional finance concepts to the management of commercial banks and other depository intermediaries, which are part of the Financial Services Industry, operating in domestic and international markets.
Prerequisite: FINA-400 with a minimum grade of C.
FINA-500. Project. 3 Hours.
Approval of major advisor is necessary.
FINA-501. Thesis. 3 Hours.
Approval of major advisor is necessary.