Knowledge Gained
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fin534033va016_1168.docx|
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FIN 534 031VA016-1168-001 – Financial Management |
(Prerequisite: ACC 557 or ACC 556)
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Introduces the concepts of finance. Reviews the basic tools and their use for making financial decisions. Explains how to measure and compare risks across investment opportunities. Analyzes how the firm chooses the set of securities it will issue to raise capital from investors as well as how the firm’s capital structure is formed. Examines how the choice of capital structure affects the value of the firm. Presents valuation and integrate risk, return and the firm’s choice of capital structure.
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
Required Resources
Brigham, E. F., & Ehrhardt, M. C. (2014). Financial management (14th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.
Supplemental Resources
MBA Primer
Note: The MBA Primer is designed to help students with little or no educational background in business to prepare for the rigors of an MBA program. The MBA Primer is also a useful tool for students who have the business background but might need a refresher. It is a way to help you prepare for the types of activities and concepts that will be covered in the MBA program, so you can feel more comfortable and confident as you progress into higher level courses. Students are emailed an access code for this product when they purchase MBA Primer from the Strayer Bookstore, accessible through iCampus.
CNN Money. (2013). General format. Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/
Criniti, A. (2013). The necessity of finance. Philadelphia, PA: Criniti Publishing Company.
Fidelity Investments, Inc. SWOT analysis. (2013). Fidelity Investments, Inc. SWOT Analysis, 1-8.
Hasseltoft, H. (2012). Stocks, bonds, and long-run consumption risks. Journal of Financial & Quantitative Analysis, 47(2), 309-332. doi: 10.1017/S0022109012000075
Kumar, A. (2009). Who gambles in the stock market? Journal of Finance, 64(4), 1889-1933.
Learn About Finance. (2013). General format. Retrieved from http://learn-about-finance.com/
Why Learn Finance. (2013). General format. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/WhyLearnFinance/finance-list
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Critique financial management strategies that support business operations in various market environments.
2. Analyze financial statements for key ratios, cash flow positions, and taxation effects.
3. Review fixed income strategies using time value of money concept, bond valuation methods, and interest rate calculations.
4. Estimate the risk and return on financial investments.
5. Apply financial management options to corporate finance.
6. Determine the cost of capital and how to maximize returns.
7. Formulate cash flow analysis for capital projects, including project risks and returns.
8. Evaluate how corporate valuation and forecasting affect financial management.
9. Analyze how capital structure decision-making practices impact financial management.
10. Design working capital management concepts to enhance tactical financial strategies.
11. Develop financial management strategies for global corporate environments.
12. Use technology and information resources to research issues in financial management.
13. Write clearly and concisely about financial management using proper writing mechanics.
WEEKLY COURSE SCHEDULE
The standard requirement for a 4.5 credit hour course is for students to spend 13.5 hours in weekly work. This includes preparation, activities, and evaluation regardless of delivery mode.
|
Week |
Preparation, Activities, and Evaluation |
Points |
|
1 10/2 |
Preparation · Reading(s) · Chapter 1: An Overview of Financial Management and the Financial Environment · Scenario (See Faculty Notes for more details) · e-Activity · Use the Internet to locate examples of companies that have been guilty of ethics-based malfeasance related to financial management. Be prepared to discuss. Activities · Discussion Due 10/10 9:00 am Evaluation · None |
20
|
|
2 10/9 |
Preparation · Reading(s) · Chapter 2: Financial Statement, Cash Flow, and Taxes · Chapter 3: Analysis of Financial Statements · Scenario (See Faculty Notes for more details) · e-Activity · Use the Internet to research instances when a company’s financial ratios did not align with those of other firms that operate within the same industry. Be prepared to discuss. Activities · Discussion Due 10/17 9:00 am Evaluation · Homework Due 10/17 9:00 am · Homework Set #1 can be found in the course shell |
20
100 |
|
3 10/16 |
Preparation · Reading(s) · Chapter 4: Time Value of Money · Chapter 5: Bond, Bond Valuation, and the Interest Rates · Scenario (See Faculty Notes for more details) Activities · Discussion Due 10/24 9:00 am Evaluation · None |
20 |
|
4 10/23 |
Preparation · Reading(s) · Chapter 6: Risk and Return · Chapter 7: Valuation of Stocks and Corporations · Scenario (See Faculty Notes for more details) · e-Activity · Use the Internet to research instances when a company’s stock prices are affected more by long-term or short-term performance. Be prepared to discuss. Activities · Discussion Due 10/31 9:00 am Evaluation · Homework Due 10/31 9:00 am · Homework Set #2 can be found in the course shell |
20
100 |
|
5 10/30 |
Preparation · Reading(s) · Chapter 8: Financial Options and Applications in Corporate Finance · Chapter 9: The Cost of Capital · Scenario (See Faculty Notes for more details) Activities · Discussion Due 11/7 9:00 am Evaluation · Midterm Exam Part 1: Chapters 1 through 3 Due 11/7 9:00 am · Midterm Exam Part 2: Chapters 4 through 7 Due 11/7 9:00 am |
20
50 50 |
|
6 11/6 |
Preparation · Reading(s) · Chapter 10: The Basics of Capital Budgeting: Evaluating Cash Flows · Chapter 11: Cash Flow Estimation and Risk Analysis · Scenario (See Faculty Notes for more details) · e-Activity · Use the Internet to research two (2) mutually exclusive investment projects to compare. The projects may involve any kind of investment, as long as the time frame for one (1) of the investments is a maximum of one (1) year (short-term) and the time frame for the other investment is five (5) years minimum (long-term). Be prepared to discuss. Activities · Discussion Due 11/14 9:00 am Evaluation · Homework Due 11/14 9:00 am · Homework Set #3 can be found in the course shell |
20
100 |
|
7 11/13 |
Preparation · Reading(s) · Chapter 12: Corporate Valuation and Financial Planning · Chapter 13: Agency Conflicts and Corporate Governance · Mini Case (Chapter 13) · Scenario (See Faculty Notes for more details) Activities · Discussion Due 11/21 9:00 am Evaluation · None |
20 |
|
8 11/20 |
Preparation · Reading(s) · Chapter 14: Distributions to Shareholders: Dividends and Repurchases · Chapter 15: Capital Structure Decisions · Scenario (See Faculty Notes for more details) · e-Activity · Use the Internet to research a company that declared a 100% stock dividend or a 2-for-1 split. Be prepared to discuss. Activities · Discussion Due 11/28 9:00 am Evaluation · Homework Due 11/28 9:00 am · Homework Set #4 can be found in the course shell |
20
100 |
|
9 11/27 |
Preparation · Reading(s) · Chapter 16: Supply Chains and Working Capital Management · Scenario (See Faculty Notes for more details) Activities · Discussion Due 12/5 9:00 am Evaluation · Assignment 1: Financial Research Report Due 12/5 9:00 am |
20
300 |
|
10 12/4 |
Preparation · Reading(s) · Chapter 17: Multinational Financial Management · Scenario (See Faculty Notes for more details) · e-Activity · Use the Internet to research the economic activity of Brazil and Switzerland. Be prepared to discuss. Activities · Discussion Due 12/12 9:00 am Evaluation · Homework Due 12/12 9:00 am · Homework Set #5 can be found in the course shell |
20
100 |
|
11 12/11 |
Preparation · Reading(s): None Activities · Discussion Due 12/19 9:00 am Evaluation · Final Exam Part 1: Chapters 8 through 12 Due 12/19 9:00 am · Final Exam Part 2: Chapters 13 through 17 Due 12/19 9:00 am |
20
60 60 |
GRADING SCALE – GRADUATE
|
Assignment |
Total Points |
% of Grade |
|
Homework (5 sets worth 100 points each) |
500 |
40% |
|
Assignment 1: Financial Research Report |
300 |
24% |
|
Midterm Exam (open book with a 3-hour time limit for each part; 1 attempt for each part) Part 1: Chapters 1-3 (25 questions worth 2 points apiece) Part 2: Chapters 4-7 (25 questions worth 2 points apiece) |
100 |
8% |
|
Final Exam (open book with a 3-hour time limit for each part; 1 attempt for each part) Part 1: Chapters 8-12 (30 questions worth 2 points apiece) Part 2: Chapters 13-17 (30 questions worth 2 points apiece) |
120 |
10% |
|
Participation (11 discussions worth 20 points each) |
220 |
18% |
|
Totals |
1,240 |
100% |
|
Points |
Percentage |
Grade |
|
1,116 – 1,240 |
90% – 100% |
A |
|
992 – 1,115 |
80% – 89% |
B |
|
868 – 991 |
70% – 79% |
C |
|
Below 868 |
Below 70% |
F |
Weekly Course Schedule
The purpose of the course schedule is to give you, at a glance, the required preparation, activities, and evaluation components of your course. For more information about your course, please access your online course shell.
The expectations for a 4.5 credit hour course are for students to spend 13.5 hours in weekly work. This time estimate includes preparation, activities, and evaluation regardless of the delivery mode.
Discussions
To earn full credit in an online threaded discussion, students must have a total of 2 posts per discussion thread. Each week, you will be required to participate in discussion threads by answering initial questions and then responding to at least one classmate’s posts, for a total of two (2) posts per discussion question. Initial discussion thread responses should be at least 125 words. Note that responses such as, “I agree,” or “That’s a great point,” do not count towards discussion thread participation points.
Please note: Material in the online class will be made available on the previous Thursday. As it is always possible that students could lose their work due to unforeseen circumstances, it is a best practice to routinely save a working draft in a separate file before posting in the course discussion area.
Students are expected to participate in class discussions using appropriate language and tone. In an online class, without having the benefit of using nonverbal cues to interpret a classmate’ s message, we must be careful in how we express ourselves in order to maintain a civil and respectful class environment. Please do not type in all CAPS, as this denotes yelling. Also, it is perfectly acceptable to disagree with a classmate, but please be respectful of other classmates’ opinions, which may differ from your own.
Your discussion thread responses do not need to adhere to specific formatting requirements. However, please make sure to proofread carefully. Grammar and spelling errors impact grading. Your responses should reflect critical thought and should relate the course content to the real-world. In addition, if your responses include information taken from a source other than the textbook, you must provide the source of your content. However, the majority of your responses should be your own original thoughts. I want to know what you think about the topics, not what a researcher, the textbook author, or someone else thinks.
Grammar and spelling are considered when I grade the threaded discussions. No slang or abbreviations should be used in the threaded discussion areas. Write complete sentences with clearly articulated thoughts. Your responses should be original thoughts (see note about plagiarism in the Policies and Procedures document). Using information from another source should be cited appropriately according to APA standards.
The rubric for discussion thread participation is as follows:
|
Criteria |
Below Expectations |
Developing |
Competent |
Exemplary |
Points |
|
Points |
0 |
1.5 |
3 |
4 |
|
|
One initial major response (minimum 200 words) to first discussion question. |
Did not complete this portion of the assignment or most of the discussion points were inappropriate or were not identified. |
The discussion points were identified and described but with fair accuracy and some of the discussion points were inappropriate or were not identified. |
The discussion points were identified and described with good accuracy and appropriate information was identified and discussed. |
The discussion points were identified and described with high accuracy and all appropriate information was identified and discussed clearly. |
|
|
Points |
0 |
.5 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
Writing – Grammar, sentence structure, paragraph structure, spelling, punctuation (APA required) |
5 or more different errors in sentence structure, paragraph structure, spelling, punctuation, or APA usage. References are expected. (Major issues) |
3-4 different errors in sentence structure, paragraph structure, spelling, punctuation, or APA usage. References are expected. (Many issues) |
1-2 different errors in sentence structure, paragraph structure, spelling, punctuation, or APA usage. References are expected. (Minor issues) |
No errors in sentence structure, Paragraph structure, spelling, punctuation or APA usage. References are expected. (Minor issues) |
|
|
Points |
0 |
.5 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
Responding to other students. |
Did not respond to other students or responses were trite with no substance. |
Responded to other students but responses were trite with no substance. |
Responded to one other student, response was substantive. |
Responded to two or more other students, responses were substantive. |
|
|
Points |
0 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
|
Frequency of responses |
Did not post in the threaded discussion. |
Posted on only 1 day of the week. |
Posted on two or more different days of the week. |
|
Tests
Tests (midterm and final exams) are available for student access and completion through the online course shell. Check the online course shell to determine how you are expected to take the tests. Midterm is due Week 5 and Final is on last week .
Assignments
Grades are based on individual effort. There is no group grading; however, working in groups in the online or on-ground classroom is acceptable.
All assigned course work must be submitted by the due date in the appropriate area of the course. Students are expected to keep a hard copy and a disk copy of any work they submit. All late work will be subject to losing points. There will be no late discussions accepted, and no late writing assignments. All work is due each week by Monday, 9:00 AM EST.
Resources
The Resource Center navigation button in the online course shell contains helpful links. Strayer University Library Resources are available here as well as other important information. You should review this area to find resources and answers to common questions.
Technical support is available for the following:
· For technical questions, please contact Strayer Online Technical Support by logging in to your iCampus account at https://icampus.strayer.edu/login and submitting a case under “Student Center,” then “Submit Help Ticket.” If you are unable to log in to your iCampus account, please contact Technical Support via phone at (877) 642-2999.
· For concerns with your class, please access the Solution Center by logging in to your iCampus account at https://icampus.strayer.edu/login and submitting a case under “Student Center,” then “Submit Help Ticket.” If you are unable to log in to your iCampus account, please contact the IT Help Desk at (866) 610-8123 or at mailto:[email protected].
TurnItIn.com is an optional online tool to assess the originality of student written work. Check with your professor for access and use instructions.
The Strayer Policies link on the navigation bar in the online course shell contains academic policies. It is important that students be aware of these policies.
© 2015 Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University Confidential and Proprietary information and may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University.
FIN 534 Student Version 1156 (6-5-2015) Final Page 9 of 9
