FINC - Finance

FINC 601 Financial Analysis Practicum

Credits 0 to 6. 0 Lecture Hours. 0 to 6 Other Hours. Application of finance theory to careers in finance; development of practical skills for finance professionals, including proficiency with industry-standard software, databases and analytic products; operational, legal and ethical aspects of the financial industry; financial career planning. May be taken five times for credit. Prerequisite: Admission to MS-FINC program.

FINC 602 Corporate Finance

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Theoretical development of principles of corporate financial management; application of principles to problems faced by financial officers, such as capital budgeting, cost of capital, capital structure, dividend policy, financial distress and corporate valuation. Prerequisite: Admission to master of science in finance program or approval of Department Head.

FINC 603 Investments

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Theoretical development and application of principles of investment management; topics include measuring risk aversion, portfolio optimization, factor models, asset pricing models, bond pricing, term structure of interest rates, bond portfolio management and equity valuation. Prerequisite: Admission to master of science in finance program or approval of department head.

FINC 604 Fixed Income Securities

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Economics and institutional analysis of bond markets and determinants of interest rates for bonds, including Treasury issues, federal agency issues, corporate bonds, municipal bonds, mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities; features of fixed income securities from microeconomic and macroeconomic perspectives; analysis of risk and return, valuation, term structure, trading strategies and credit risk. Prerequisite: FINC 602 and FINC 603 or approval of Department Head.

FINC 605 Valuation and Financial Modeling

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Principles of value creation; definition of fundamental value, market value and replacement value; differences between well-established valuation approaches; applications to measuring the value of business organizations using rigorous applications of financial theory and accounting principles. Prerequisite: FINC 602 or approval of department head.

FINC 612 Finance for the Professional

Credits 1 to 4. 1 to 4 Lecture Hours. Focuses on investment and financing decisions in corporate firms; emphasis on principles, techniques and applications in corporate finance including risk and return, capital budgeting, discounted cash flow valuation, capital structure, and payout policy. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course. Prerequisite: ACCT 610 or equivalent; enrollment is limited to BUAD classification 7.

FINC 613 Finance for the Professional II

Credits 1 to 3. 1 to 3 Lecture Hours. Focus on advanced topics in domestic and international finance; analysis of dividend, capital structure and refinancing decisions; exposure to financial derivatives; foreign exchange rate determination and risk management. Prerequisite: FINC 612. Enrollment is limited to BUAD classification 7.

FINC 629 Financial Management I

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Analysis of finance function, credit and equity markets, financing and dividend decisions; mechanics of financial analysis. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course. Prerequisites: FINC 612 or FINC 635; ACCT 610 or ACCT 640.

FINC 630 Financial Management II

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Basic concepts of finance applied to solution of business problems using case studies; financial analysis skills further developed and refined; investment and financing decisions analyzed. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course. Prerequisite: FINC 629.

FINC 632 Investment Management

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Introductory course in investments; nature and functioning of securities markets; various investment media and tools for analysis of these media; analysis of debt and equity securities. Alternative trading strategies evaluated. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course. Prerequisite: FINC 612 or FINC 635.

FINC 633 Seminar in Commercial Banking

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Cases and problems on contemporary management challenges and problem-solving techniques in commercial banks. Prerequisite: Admission to Mays Commercial Banking Program.

FINC 634 Commercial Credit Analysis

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Techniques for assessing the ability and willingness of business firms to service debts; regulatory and ethical requirements for structuring and documenting commercial bank loans to protect interests of shareholders, depositors and deposit insurers. Prerequisite: Admission to Mays Commercial Banking Program.

FINC 635 Survey of Finance

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Financial markets; the investment banking process; interest rates; financial intermediaries and the banking system; financial instruments; time value of money concepts; security valuation and selection; international finance. May not be used for elective credit by a master’s candidate in business administration. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.

FINC 637 Systematic Trading Strategies

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Overview of quantitative investing using algorithmic trading for investment management; topics include exploration of collecting and preparing financial trading data, time series analysis, trend systems, momentum and mean reversal, arbitrage, backtesting, order execution, and reporting of risk and performance measures; tools, methods, and trading techniques are taught using the R programming language and using R Studio. Prerequisites: Admission to Master of Science in Quantitative Finance program or approval of department head.

FINC 640 Macro Finance

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Recent developments in the nature and causes of financial crises; the role of money; financial liquidity; financial leverage; financial stability regulation; unconventional monetary policy and macroprudential policy.Prerequisites: FINC 351, FINC 603, or FINC 632; FINC 361, FINC 602, or FINC 629.

FINC 641 Valuation

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Theory and application of various approaches to valuation; measuring and managing the value of corporations; principles of value creation; fundamental valuation methodology; application of value creation principles to managerial problems; special cases and complex valuation issues. Prerequisites: ACCT 229 or ACCT 610 or ACCT 640; FINC 351 or FINC 632; FINC 361 or FINC 629.

FINC 642 Analysis of Money and Capital Markets

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. U.S. money and capital markets; changes in supply of and demand for money and capital as they influence the policies of financial intermediaries, fiscal and monetary authorities and nonfinancial firms. Interest rates; factors affecting their level and structure; flow of funds in the U.S. economy. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course. Prerequisite: FINC 612 or FINC 635.

FINC 643 Commercial Bank Management

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Financial management problems of commercial bank management including raising funds, investing funds and making loans; nontraditional bank activities; emphasis on actual case situations. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course. Prerequisite: FINC 642.

FINC 644 Funding New Ventures

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Introduction to the general phenomena of small business and entrepreneurship; central focus provides students an understanding of entrepreneurship and the financing of entrepreneurial ventures; addresses the types of financing available at different stages of the new venture. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course.

FINC 645/IBUS 645 International Finance

Credits 1 to 3. 1 to 3 Lecture Hours. Problems confronted by financial managers of firms with international business operations; international money and capital markets; exchange rate risks and political risks. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course. Prerequisite: FINC 341, FINC 409, FINC 602, FINC 612, or FINC 635. Cross Listing: IBUS 645/FINC 645.

FINC 646 Technical Analysis of Financial Markets

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Use of price, volume and other non-fundamental, market and behavioral data to analyze and predict security prices; emphasis on pattern recognition and correlation analysis over theory and casual analysis; application of technical analysis as an investment discipline for institutional portfolio management; principles, terminology, techniques, and emerging theories of technical analysis. Prerequisites: FINC 351, FINC 603, or FINC 632 and FINC 361, FINC 602, or FINC 629 or approval of graduate finance program director.

FINC 647/ACCT 647 Financial Statement Analysis

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Analytical approach to financial statements; application of finance and accounting principles relevant to the analysis of financial statements. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course. May be taken three times for credit. Prerequisites: FINC 612 or FINC 635; ACCT 610 or ACCT 640. Cross Listing: ACCT 647/FINC 647.

FINC 648 Advanced Investments

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Application of finance theory to complex investment problems; implementation of asset pricing models, portfolio theory and arbitrage strategies; implications of principles of market efficiency and behavioral finance for selection of individual securities and portfolios. Prerequisites: FINC 351 or FINC 632; FINC 361 or FINC 629.

FINC 649 Financial Modeling

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Computer-based modeling of contemporary problems in investments and corporate finance including asset pricing, portfolio optimization, valuation, capital budgeting, cost of capital, risk assessment, and option pricing; using models to evaluate financial decision variables and alternative investment strategies. Prerequisites: FINC 351, FINC 603, or FINC 632; FINC 361, FINC 602, or FINC 629; ACCT 327 or equivalent.

FINC 651 Financial Innovation and Risk Management

Credits 1 to 3. 1 to 3 Lecture Hours. Development of an understanding of the nature of capital markets where various financial instruments trade; study of the underlying determinants of interest rates as well as the term structure of interest rates, the role played by the Federal Reserve System (the Fed) in the conduct of monetary policy and how it affects the economy; exploration of the risk-return relationship to financial derivatives like options; important major innovations in the financial markets; development of an understanding of a broad range of complex securities and how financial decision makers can use them for a variety of purposes including in refinancing and valuation decisions to adjust risk exposure and manage a variety of risks. Prerequisite: Enrollment is limited to Classification 7 MBA students.

FINC 655 Seminar in Investment Banking

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Boot-camp course for select graduate students actively looking for internships in investment banking or asset management; review of core finance concepts such as investments, financial analysis and leverage; advanced finance concepts and tools applied to key financial issues including valuation of companies, leveraged buyouts, and mergers and acquisitions; preparation to recruitment cycle and interviews, including technicals, behavioral skills, communication skills and mock interviews; discussion of current news. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.

FINC 660 Fixed Income Analysis

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Characteristics of fixed income securities including Treasury issues, federal agency issues, corporate and municipal bonds, mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities; institutional features fixed income markets; risks of bond investing; fixed income valuation; term structure; trade strategies; modeling and assessing credit risks; hedging with fixed income derivatives. Prerequisites: FINC 351 or FINC 603 or FINC 632; FINC 361 or FINC 602 or FINC 629.

FINC 661 Trading Risk Management

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Focuses on Mid-office risk management strategies using the energy markets as a focus; develops understanding of commodity market behavior, use of forwards and options for risk management, risk management reporting, Greeks and simulation-based VaR analysis. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course. Prerequisite: FINC 632.

FINC 662 Energy Finance

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Analysis of financial aspects of the energy industry from exploration to delivery with emphasis on upstream segment; identification of differences in upstream, midstream and downstream; evaluation of profitability of key financial decisions. Prerequisite: Enrollment is limited to Classification 7 MBA students.

FINC 663 Trading and Markets

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Issues relating to securities trading and securities markets; discusses why and how people trade, and the operation, structure, and regulation of securities markets; focus on equity markets; comparisons to the markets for derivatives and other securities. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course. Prerequisite: FINC 632.

FINC 664 Active Portfolio Management

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Analysis of investment tactics designed to earn abnormal returns; identification and evaluation of active strategies that exploit capital market anomalies and market inefficiencies; portfolio structuring, stock and sector selection, performance measurement, attribution analysis and benchmarks in inefficient markets. Prerequisites: Graduate classification; classification 6 students may not enroll in this course; FINC 421 or FINC 632; FINC 434 or FINC 629.

FINC 665 Derivative Securities

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Valuation of financial forward contracts, futures contracts and basic options; course covers valuation and behavior of interest rate and exchange rate forward curves, fixed-for-float transactions, stock options, and index based-options. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course. Prerequisite: FINC 632.

FINC 666 Wall Street, Investment Banking and the Financial Markets

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Provides students an opportunity to visit Wall Street and the heart of U.S. financial and security markets; focuses on visitations to Wall Street firms and interaction with financial market professionals. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.

FINC 668 Applied Investment Analysis

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Theoretical and analytical developments in security selection and portfolio management; includes macroeconomic analysis, portfolio theory, and portfolio performance evaluation; concepts applied to the allocation of investments in a student-managed equity portfolio. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course. Prerequisites: FINC 632 and approval of instructor.

FINC 669 Titans of Investing

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Readings from the most influential theorists and practitioners of 20th and 21st century investing. Case studies and portfolio sector exercises in an institutional context, based on detailed assessment of global investment risks. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.

FINC 670 Real Property Analysis

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Provides the economic and financial tools used to analyze real estate investments, new property developments and the redevelopment of existing properties. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.

FINC 671 Opportunities in Real Estate Finance

Credit 1. 1 Lecture Hour. Seminar in current issues and career opportunities in the real estate finance industry. May be taken for credit up to three hours. Prerequisite: Admission to Master of Real Estate.

FINC 672 Real Property Finance

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Primary and secondary mortgage markets; mortgage markets' institutional organization, alternative mortgage instruments, creative financing techniques, loan underwriting factors and risk hedging strategies. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course. Prerequisites: FINC 612 or FINC 635; FINC 670.

FINC 673 Real Property Valuation I

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Procedures used to estimate market value of real property; market analysis and valuation techniques most appropriate for appraising income-producing properties; demonstration appraisal report. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course. Prerequisites: FINC 612 or FINC 635; FINC 670; enrollment in MRE program.

FINC 674 Market Analysis for Development

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Techniques and data sources for market analysis for development; analysis for housing development; trade area analysis and market analysis for retail development; analysis for office, industrial parks and for specialized development. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course. Prerequisites: Enrollment in MRE program; FINC 670.

FINC 675 Analysis of Real Estate Investment Decisions

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Analytical techniques for real estate investment decision-making which emphasize the importance of income tax considerations, the magnitude of relevant cash flows and the timing of both; case histories used to analyze investment problems. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course. Prerequisite: FINC 612 or FINC 635.

FINC 676 Commercial Real Estate Law

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Commercial real estate law including legal ownership interests in oil and gas law, real estate sales contacts, financing, instruments and closings, commercial leases and real estate regulations and taxation. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course. Prerequisite: Graduate classification.

FINC 677 Real Estate Development Analysis

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Financial aspects of real estate development; project investment characteristics and merits. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course. Prerequisites: FINC 612 or FINC 635; enrollment in MRE program.

FINC 678 Real Estate Analytics

Credit 1. 1 Lecture Hour. Specialized training for the real estate finance industry including Excel, Argus and GIS software. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course. Prerequisite: Enrollment in Master of Real Estate.

FINC 684 Professional Internship

Credits 1 to 6. 1 to 6 Other Hours. A directed internship in an organization to provide students with on-the-job training with professionals in organizational settings appropriate to the student's professional objectives. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course. Prerequisites: Approval of committee chair and department head.

FINC 685 Directed Studies

Credits 0 to 6. 0 to 6 Other Hours. Directed study of selected problems using recent developments in business research methods. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course. Prerequisites: Graduate classification and approval of instructor.

FINC 688 Doctoral Seminar

Credits 3. 3 Other Hours. Historical development of the conceptual framework of finance theory and practices; analysis of current research and controversial issues in the field. For doctoral students only. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Doctoral classification.

FINC 689 Special Topics in...

Credits 1 to 4. 1 to 8 Lecture Hours. Selected topics in an identified area of finance. May be repeated for credit. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course.

FINC 690 Theory of Research in Finance

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Design of research in various subfields of finance and the evaluation of research results using examples from the current research literature. May be repeated for credit. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course. Prerequisite: Doctoral classification.

FINC 691 Research

Credits 1 to 23. 1 to 23 Other Hours. Research for thesis or dissertation. Classification 6 students may not enroll in this course. Prerequisite: Doctoral classification.

FINC 705 Corporate Financial Decisions

Credits 1 to 4. 1 to 4 Lecture Hours. Investment and financing decisions in corporations; principles, techniques and applications in corporation finance; time value of money; risk and return; capital budgeting; role of debt and equity; discounted cash flow valuation, capital structure and payout policy. Prerequisite: For Master of Science in Business students only.

FINC 710 Entrepreneurial Finance

Credits 1 to 4. 1 to 4 Lecture Hours. Financing small and medium sized business from the perspective of the entrepreneur and investors; estimation of cash flow needs; sources of financing for new ventures, including angels and various types of private equity; models for structuring venture capital contracts. Prerequisite: For Master of Science in Business students only.