FIN: Finance

FIN 199. Finance Transfer Credits. 1-10 Credits.

Transfer Credits

Repeatable for credit.

FIN 300. International Special Topics in Finance. 3 Credits.

This course provides a comprehensive overview of the Chinese economy and its role in the world economy, including topics such as China's economic reform, its interaction with the world through trade, investment and financial system, etc. This course will incorporate company visits and exploration of cultural sites in China.

Repeatable for credit.

FIN 310. Behavioral Finance. 3 Credits.

Over the past several decades, the field of finance has developed a successful paradigm based on the notions that investors and managers were generally rational and the prices of securities were generally "efficient." In recent years, however, anecdotal evidence as well as theoretical and empirical research has shown this paradigm to be insufficient to describe various features of actual financial markets. In this course we will use psychology and more realistic settings to guide and develop alternative theories of financial market. We will examine how the insights of behavioral finance complement the traditional paradigm and shed light on investors' trading patterns, the behavior of asset prices, corporate finance, and various Wall Street institutions and practices.

FIN 310 Prerequisite: Successful completion of ECO 111 or ECO 112; ECO 251 or MAT 121, all with minimum grades of D-; and minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA.

Distance education offering may be available.

FIN 312. Entrepreneurial Finance. 3 Credits.

This course focuses on the examination of different types of start-up funding and exit strategies, as well as the discussion of useful financial tools for evaluating the various aspects of the start-up funding process. The major valuation approaches as well as the basics of financial statement analysis, financial modeling and forecasting are covered.

FIN 312 Prerequisite: Minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA.

Distance education offering may be available.

FIN 325. Corporate Finance. 3 Credits.

This course is designed to introduce students to the fundamental knowledge in finance. Its main purpose is to help students to develop a logical thinking process, enough financial and analytical skills, and an ability to make and implement strategic corporate financial decisions in the real world. Upon successful completion of this course, students will understand the time value of money, bond and stock valuation, capital budgeting, risk and return trade-off, and weighted average cost of capital.

FIN 325 Prerequisite: Successful completion of ACC 201, ECO 111, and ECO 112; ECO 251, MAT 121, MAT 125, or STA 319; MAT 143 or MAT 161, with minimum grades of D-; and a minimum 2.50 cumulative GP

Distance education offering may be available.

FIN 326. Intermediate Financial Management. 3 Credits.

This course emphasizes the theoretical understanding and practical application of concepts introduced in FIN 325. After completing the course, students should have a firmer understanding of time value of money concepts, portfolio theory, pricing of stocks and bonds, risk and return, and capital budgeting. They will perform a financial analysis of two companies including current trends in the economy and industry, ratio and DuPont analyses and calculation of the weighted average cost of capital (WACC). They will use spreadsheet analysis to value stocks and bonds; determine the cost of capital, NPV and IRR; and calculate beta.

FIN 326 Prerequisite: Successful completion of FIN 325; MAT 143 or MAT 161, with minimum grades of D-; and a minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA.

Distance education offering may be available.

FIN 330. Principles of Insurance. 3 Credits.

The nature and types of risk management and insurance coverage are considered. Conceptual analysis and the impact of financial deregulation on personal and business risk management and insurance are covered.

FIN 330 Prerequisite: Successful completion of FIN 325, with a minimum grade of D-, and minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA.

FIN 332. Real Estate Finance. 3 Credits.

This course provides a basic orientation to the financial instruments and institutional structures and policies of real estate finance.

FIN 332 Prerequisite: Successful completion of FIN 325, with minimum grade of D-, and minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA.

FIN 333. Fundamentals of Financial Planning. 3 Credits.

The course introduces undergraduate students to different aspects of financial planning and provides them with the tools needed to create a financial plan. This elective course in finance blends current practices, trends, and issues in financial planning. A variety of instructional techniques are used, including short lectures, discussions, teamwork, problem solving, case studies, Excel modeling, short written assignments, videos, and guest speakers from the Greater West Chester area. Following the completion of the course students should be able to decide if they want to pursue a career in financial planning and study for the Certified Financial Planner designation.

FIN 333 Prerequisite: Successful completion of FIN 325 and FIN 344, with minimum grades of C.

FIN 336. Python for Business Analytics. 3 Credits.

This course is designed specifically for business students with little or no programming experience who want to build a strong foundation in business analytics programming using Python. By providing hands-on experience with real-world business data, students will learn data manipulation and analysis techniques commonly used in business practice. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be prepared for entry-level jobs that require business analytics programming skills.

FIN 336 Prerequisite: Successful completion of ECO 251 or MAT 121, with minimum grades of D-, and a minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA.

Distance education offering may be available.

FIN 337. Financial Markets and Institutions. 3 Credits.

Covers a variety of domestic and international financial markets and institutions. Analysis is provided for the regulation, operation, and management of these institutions. Written and oral presentations are required.

FIN 337 Prerequisite: Successful completion of ECO 111, ECO 112, and FIN 325, with minimum grades of and a minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA.

Distance education offering may be available.

FIN 339. Personal Finance. 3 Credits.

This course is designed to introduce students the fundamental knowledge in personal finance. The course includes developing the ability to make your own financial decisions, assess the advice of financial advisers, and become financial advisers. Students will have the opportunity to work on the development of these skills in the context of assignments and class discussions.

FIN 339 Prerequisite: Successful completion of FIN 325, with minimum grade of D-, and minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA.

Distance education offering may be available.

FIN 344. Investments. 3 Credits.

This course helps students to acquire the knowledge of how the financial market works, to understand the characteristics of various types of financial securities traded on the market, and to know how to determine their value. Investment analysis includes valuation of bonds, valuation of stocks, and valuation of derivatives. Students will develop their skills on critical thinking, decision making, quantitative methods, oral communication, and written communication. Through the term project students will get hands-on practice at designing, managing, and monitoring personal investments.

FIN 344 Prerequisite: Successful completion of FIN 325, with minimum grade of D-, and minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA.

Distance education offering may be available.

FIN 346. Equity Asset Valuation. 3 Credits.

This course focuses on the characteristics, analysis, and valuation of equity securities, including the discussion of useful frameworks for conducting economic, industry, and individual company analysis. The three main equity valuation approaches (present value, multiplier, and asset-based), as well as the basics of financial statement analysis, financial modeling, and forecasting is covered. There will be two parts to the course: the first part will involve learning the course materials, while the second part will focus on the practical application of the knowledge gained from the course. The course will culminate in preparing, presenting, and delivering an actual equity research report as a team.

FIN 346 Prerequisite: FIN 325; or a prerequisite or corequisite of FIN 344; a minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA; and acceptance to the Finance major.

Distance education offering may be available.

FIN 351. The Market for Corporate Control. 3 Credits.

The question of who controls an economy's assets is essential to understanding the success of the economy. The aim of this course is to thoroughly examine the market for corporate control, which includes mergers, acquisitions, LBOs, proxy fights, reorganizations, and anti-takeover protections. We will cover the history of M&A markets, review corporate governance practices, and investigate the current theories and empirical evidence on buyouts and acquisitions. The course includes a rigorous treatment of deal valuation and financial modeling. Throughout the course, case studies provide students with access to key concepts and an interactive experience.

FIN 351 Prerequisite: Successful completion of FIN 326 with minimum grade of C.

FIN 360. Financial Analysis Using Excel. 3 Credits.

Teaches students how to use Excel spreadsheets to structure, analyze, and solve financial problems. Students will use Excel to develop financial forecasts, perform break-even analyses, perform sensitivity analyses, and make capital budgeting decisions.

FIN 360 Prerequisite: Successful completion of FIN 325, with minimum grade of C, and minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA.

Distance education offering may be available.

FIN 372. International Finance. 3 Credits.

Understanding of the exchange rate behavior and risks caused by the fluctuations of exchange rates for multinational enterprises; making financial decisions in an international context.

FIN 372 Prerequisite: Successful completion of FIN 325, with minimum grade of D-, and minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA.

Distance education offering may be available.

FIN 385. Data Mining with Python. 3 Credits.

Institutions today face both the challenge and the opportunity of big data. This course is designed for business students to build knowledge of data mining using Python. Upon the completion of this course, students will be able to apply multiple data mining techniques, such as linear models, Discriminant Analysis, Support Vector Machines, k-Nearest Neighbors, Regression Trees, and Neural Nets, to make predictions and classification.

FIN 385 Prerequisite: Successful completion of FIN 336, with minimum grade of D-, and minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA.

Distance education offering may be available.

FIN 399. Finance Transfer Elective Upper Level. 1-10 Credits.

Transfer Elective Upper Level

Repeatable for credit.

FIN 400. Senior Seminar in Finance. 3 Credits.

This capstone course is a seminar for senior finance majors. Its main objective is to deepen students' understanding of relevant finance topics and current developments attributed to them, and to sharpen writing, speaking and critical thinking skills in the context of important finance topics. Students will explore various finance topics through quality finance sources, in-class activities and assignments.

FIN 400 Prerequisite: Successful completion of FIN 326 and FIN 344, with minimum grades of D-; and a minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA.

Gen Ed Attribute: Speaking Emphasis, Writing Emphasis (select both)

Distance education offering may be available.