Finance Course Descriptions
ACT 210 - Accounting for Financial Decision Making
3 Credits
A study of basic concepts and fundamentals underlying the measurement, valuation,
analysis and communication of financial accounting information to external users for
decision making and problem solving.
Co-requisites: CIS 107.
ACT 220 - Accounting for Managerial Decision Making
3 Credits
A study of basic concepts and fundamentals underlying the planning, controlling and
communicating of managerial accounting information to internal users for decision
making and problem solving.
Prerequisite: ACT 210 with a minimum grade of C-; or permission of instructor and
division chairperson.
ACT 310 - Intermediate Accounting I
3 Credits
A detailed study of the theoretical and practical aspects of the conceptual framework
of financial systems, including an in-depth examination of generally accepted accounting
principles (GAAP). Emphasis is placed on asset valuation and financial statement reporting.
Prerequisites: ACT 220 with a minimum grade of C-, or permission of instructor and division chairperson.
BUS 220 - Principles of Marketing
3 Credits
An introduction to the process of creating and fulfilling consumer and organizational
needs through strategies involving the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution
of ideas, goods, and services in a market economy.
BUS 240 - Management & Organizational Behavior
3 Credits
This course focuses on the role of the manager in contemporary business and explores
behavioral science concepts and research directed toward understanding human behavior
and management within organizations.
BUS 250 - Legal Environment of Business
3 Credits
This course serves as an introduction to the American legal system, dispute reconciliation,
and functions of the law. The emphasis is on understanding the functions of contracts
in American business law. The course will examine the history and sources of American
law, the legal systems and procedures, agency and employment, sales and other topics.
Not open to students with credit in BUS 345.
BUS 318 - Business & Society
3 Credits
This course is designed to equip business students with materials and tools to aid
them in resolving ethical dilemmas they may face in their professional lives. The
purpose here is to counterbalance the negative behaviors seen in media coverage with
the realization and firm conviction that business can operate in an ethical and honorable
manner. Classic case studies, topical case materials, simulations, and course readings
will challenge the student to take a journey through the world of business ethics
at the ground level of the contemporary business organization.
Prerequisites: BUS 240 and ECN 205 or ECN 207-208.
BUS 343 - Human Resource Management
3 Credits
This course provides a broad understanding of the complex role of the human resource
management function. Special emphasis is placed on demographic, professional and workforce
trends that shape human resource management in contemporary business.
Prerequisite: BUS 240, or BUS 305 for non-business majors, and junior or senior status. Not open to students with credit in BUS 243.
BUS 479 - CORE: Strategic Management
3 Credits
This course is the capstone learning experience for business administration, international
business, finance, and accounting majors. It encourages a reflective search for truth
in enterprise while focusing on how firms formulate, implement, and evaluate strategies.
The course is designed to integrate student’s functional business knowledge including
ethical considerations through an engagement with a significant research project.
The major learning challenge for students in this course will be to make and justify,
through oral and written communication, subjective strategic decisions informed by
extensive analysis and supported by the application of a variety of strategic tools.
Finally, this course partners with the Career Development Center to provide students
learning modules on resume preparation, etiquette, dress, and informational interviewing.
Prerequisites: Completion of junior core seminar; BUS 220, 240, 343, 345; FIN 325. Not open to students who have completed BUS 498.
CIS 107 - Computer Applications
3 Credits
This course introduces computer literacy and electronic spreadsheets. Topics include
computer systems, the Internet, functions and tools in electronic spreadsheets and
their applications in business fields.
Not open to students with credit for CIS 106, CIS 180, or CIS 203. Course will not
apply to a major in Computer Information Systems.
CIS 234 - Database Management Systems
3 Credits
A study of relational database management concepts and features, including the creation,
maintenance, and manipulation of database files using a current relational database
management system.
Not open to students with credit for CIS 204 and CIS 340.
ECN 207 - Principles of Microeconomics
3 Credits
A basic study of the decision making behavior of individuals, households, firms, industries,
and other economic units regarding resource allocation. Students will explore how
markets function to coordinate the economic activities of different economic units.
Topics include scarcity, opportunity cost, demand and supply, consumption, production,
market structures, and profit maximization.
ECN 208 - Principles of Macroeconomics
3 Credits
A basic study of the overall economy including inflation, unemployment, economic growth,
money supply, national income, and government economic policies. It emphasizes the
important measures used to determine an economy’s performance and explores the potential
impacts of macroeconomic policy.
ECN 260 - Financial Institutions & Markets
3 Credits
A study of the structure, regulation and management of financial markets and institutions.
It adopts a historical and evolutionary perspective to emphasize how innovation, globalization,
regulation and technology affect the financial environment. It covers monetary policy
and the role of financial institutions and markets in the global economy.
Prerequisite: ECN 205 or ECN 207-208. Not open to students with credit for ECN 360.
ECN 355 - Public Finance
3 Credits
Economic analysis of public debt, expenditures and revenues. Examines the role of
government, with particular attention to public goods theory, project evaluation using
cost-benefit analysis, and taxation. Covers the economic basis of government programs
such as social security and food stamps. Some sections may include a service-learning
component.
Prerequisite: ECN 205 or ECN 207-208. Not open to students with credit for ECN 255.
FIN 110 - Personal Finance
3 Credits
This course gives students a practical, down-to-earth introduction to sound money
management. It explores the real-life problems that students will face, and trains
them to solve those problems. Students will develop the skills needed to deal with
housing, insurance, investments, budgeting, the workplace, retirement, smart shopping,
borrowing and more.
FIN 310 - Investments
3 Credits
Providing a solid foundation for success in the field of investments, this course
focuses on the useful and practical implications of financial theory. The usefulness
of financial theory lies in the framework it provides for characterizing and predicting
stock and bond returns. The major focus of the course is on stocks, bonds and financial
derivatives, such as options, futures and futures options. This course serves as the
springboard to more advanced courses within the Finance major.
Prerequisite: ACT 210.
FIN 325 - Managerial Finance
3 Credits
A study of the forms of business organization, the financial organization of business
activities, and financial decision theory.
Prerequisite: ACT 210 or ACT 205; ECN 205 or ECN 207-208; MTH 140.
FIN 328 - Entrepreneurial Finance
3 Credits
This course introduces the theories, knowledge, and financial tools an entrepreneur
needs to start, build, and harvest a successful venture. Sound financial management
practices are essential to a venture’s operation. The successful entrepreneur must
know how and where to obtain the financing necessary to launch and develop the venture.
Eventually, that same successful entrepreneur must know how and when to interact with
financial institutions and regulatory agencies to take the venture to its potential
and provide a return and liquidity for the venture’s investors.
Prerequisite: MTH 102 or higher.
FIN 330 - Case Studies in Finance
3 Credits
Course coverage varies depending on interests of students and faculty. Topics include
cases in financial theory, financial history, or ethics.
FIN 380 - A Review for NASD Series 6 Exam
3 Credits
This course is designed to prepare students to sit for the NASD Series 6 examination.
The NASD Series 6 is used to qualify candidates for an investment company/variable
contracts products limited representative. Registered Representatives in this limited
category of registration are permitted to transact a member’s business in redeemable
securities of companies registered pursuant to the Investment Company Act of 1940,
securities of closed-end companies registered pursuant to the Investment Company Act
of 1940 during the period of original distribution only, and variable contracts and
insurance premium funding programs and other contracts issued by an insurance company
except contracts that are exempt securities.
This category of registration does not allow a RR to transact a member’s business
in corporate securities, direct participation programs, municipal securities, or option
products. It is anticipated that students who successfully complete this course will
find internships with financial institutions that sponsor them for the actual exam.
Prerequisite: FIN 310.
FIN 405 - Financial Statement Analysis & Security Valuation
3 Credits
The premise of this course is that students learn financial statement analysis most
effectively by performing the analysis on actual companies. Students learn to integrate
concepts from economics, business strategy, accounting, and other business disciplines.
This course is designed to synthesize the knowledge learned in accounting, finance,
and economics and apply that knowledge to the study of actual companies.
Prerequisite: ACT 210 and FIN 325. Not open to students with credit for AIS/BUS/FIN
350.
FIN 410 - Intermediate Finance
3 Credits
This course is designed for finance majors and serves as an extension of FIN 325 Managerial
Finance. Much of the material in FIN 325 will be revisited in greater depth. The objective
of the course is to explore the theories and concepts of corporate finance, including
the fundamentals of working capital, acquisition of capital, capital budgeting, and
dividend policy in greater depth. The focus of this course in on financial management
techniques under uncertainty and managing the balance between assets and liabilities.
This course is designed to prepare the student for graduate level finance work.
Prerequisite: FIN 325.
FIN 425 - Bank Management
3 Credits
The management and regulatory environment of commercial banks has seen rapid change
in recent years. This course is designed to introduce commercial bank management and
the recent changes. The course focuses on bank management problems now and in the
21st Century in a way that helps students apply financial concepts to a variety of credit,
investment, and funding decisions.
Prerequisite: FIN 325.
FIN 430 - Real Estate Finance and Investments
3 Credits
The management and regulatory environment of commercial and residential real estate
has seen rapid change in recent years. This course is designed to provide a modern
introduction to the investment opportunities and the recent changes. The course focuses
on financing and investment problems now and in the 21st Century in a way that helps students apply financial concepts to a variety of credit,
investment, and funding decisions.
Prerequisite: FIN 325.
FIN 435 - Risk Management and Insurance
3 Credits
An introduction to the legal principles underlying insurance, the basics of risk management,
the application of risk management techniques to personal risk management problems,
personal property and liability insurance contracts including the personal auto policy
and the homeowner’s package, insurance regulation, and the insurance marketplace.
This course provides a comprehensive study of the property-liability insurance industry
as well as various economic and financial implications related to issues such as automobile,
life, health and property insurance costs and prices, tort reform effects on insurance
markets, insurance distribution systems, corporate governance and organizational structure
of insurance companies.
Prerequisite: FIN 325.
FIN 480 - A Review for the NASD Series 7 Exam
3 Credits
This course is designed to prepare students to sit for the NASD Series 7 examination.
Successful completion of this examination would qualify a candidate to conduct a member’s
business in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and limited partnerships. The Series 7 exam
determines whether a candidate has attained the level of competency required to function
as a Registered Representative.
This category of registration does allow a RR to transact a member’s business in corporate
securities, direct participation programs, municipal securities, or option products.
It is anticipated that students who successfully complete this course will find internships
with financial institutions that sponsor them for the actual exam.
Prerequisites: ACT 220; FIN 310, 325.
FIN 2/3/485 - Special Topics in Finance
3 Credits
Course coverage varies depending on interests of students and faculty. Topics include
cases in the topic of interest, financial theory, financial history, or ethics.
FIN 2/3/486 - Independent Study in Finance
3 Credits
A faculty supervised intensive individual work, project, or activity in a financial
topic.
Prerequisites: Consent of the instructor, academic advisor, and division chairperson.
FIN 397/497 - Internship in Finance
1-3 Credits
A faculty supervised internship of 40 clock hours for each semester hour of credit.
Intensive work experience. The internship placement and activities are arranged with
the advisor, student, and representative from the sponsoring organization.
Prerequisites: Open only to finance majors or minors with a minimum grade point average
of 3.000 or higher; completion of FIN 325. Consent of the instructor, academic advisor,
and division chairperson; successful completion of application requirements for internship.
IBA 311 - International Accounting & Finance
3 Credits
This course provides the students with an understanding of international accounting
and accounting standards, the operation and functions of the foreign exchange markets
and the strategies for financial risk aversion. It also discusses the importance of
global capital markets as a major source of financing for multinational enterprises.
Other topics include capital mobility, the roles of hard currencies in cross-border
trades and investments.
Prerequisite: ACT 220.
MTH 140 - Introduction to Statistics
3 Credits
An introduction to the basic concepts and computations used in statistical analysis
as well as their application to problems in other disciplines, especially biology,
business, education, and social sciences. Topics include the description of data graphically
and numerically, the collection of data via samples and experiments, and the process
of drawing inferences or conclusions from data.
The laboratory component of the course emphasizes conceptual understanding, interpretation
of statistical quantities, and written/oral communication and will require the use
of mathematical software.
Prerequisite: MTH 102 or placement.
PHL 346 - Principles of Business Ethics
3 Credits
An introduction to traditional ethical theories in preparation for more advanced study
of problems in social philosophy and business.