FIN - Finance

Courses numbered 500 to 799 = undergraduate/graduate. (Individual courses may be limited to undergraduate students only.) Courses numbered 800 to 999 = graduate.

FIN 610.  Insurance and Risk Management   (3).

Topics include risk identification and analysis, risk management, legal aspects of insurance, structure of the insurance industry, regulation, reinsurance, underwriting, financial issues and analysis, policy analysis, and an overview of many types of personal and commercial insurance including: automobile, homeowner's, property and casualty, umbrella, commercial general liability, errors and omissions, directors and officers, health insurance (including traditional indemnity, HMO and PPO), disability, long-term care and life. For undergraduate credit only. Prerequisite(s): FIN 340 with a grade of C or better, junior standing, advanced standing.

FIN 611.  Real Estate Finance   (3).

Cross-listed as RE 611. Covers the institutions and instruments used to finance residential and commercial properties, and provides essential knowledge and skills for students who are interested in a career as a commercial banker, mortgage banker or an analyst or investor in mortgage-related securities. Topics include fixed-rate and alternative mortgage instruments, financial analysis and decision making, residential mortgage underwriting, mortgage market regulations, primary and secondary mortgage market structure and institutions, and mortgage-backed securities.Prerequisite(s): FIN 340 with a grade of C or better, junior standing, advanced standing.

FIN 618.  Real Estate Investment Analysis   (3).

Cross-listed as RE 618. Covers the tools and techniques used to evaluate the financial profitability of real estate investments, as well as real estate decisions affecting businesses. Students learn about pro forma and discounted cash flow analysis of real estate, the effects of leverage on real estate investments, federal tax treatment of real estate investments, and disposition and renovation decisions. In addition, topics such as lease-versus-own analysis, sale-leasebacks and other corporate real estate issues are discussed. Prior enrollment in RE 310 recommended for students with a declared emphasis in real estate. Prerequisite(s): FIN 340 with a grade of C or better, junior standing, advanced standing.

FIN 620.  Investments   (3).

Analyzes investment risks, financial information and industry characteristics. Examines corporate, government, municipal and financial institution securities and other investment types. Presents personal portfolio construction, supervision and management. Prerequisite(s): FIN 340 with a grade of C or better, junior standing, advanced standing.

FIN 622.  Derivative Markets and Pricing   (3).

Studies pricing of derivative contracts such as futures, forwards, swaps and options. Derivatives market mechanisms as well as practical use of derivative contracts for different trading objectives such as speculation, hedging and arbitrage are covered. Prerequisite(s): FIN 340 with a grade of C or better, junior standing, advanced standing.

FIN 625.  International Financial Management   (3).

Cross-listed as ECON 674 and IB 625. Studies the international financial and monetary system, emphasizing currency markets. Also examines market instruments and techniques, including synthetic and derivative securities and their application to management of currency risk in international trade and finance. Prerequisite(s): FIN 340 with a grade of C or better, junior standing.

FIN 631.  Fixed Income Securities and Markets   (3).

Analyzes the market for fixed-income securities from the investor's point of view. Emphasizes pricing these securities and understanding the factors that determine the structure and level of interest rates. Portfolio management techniques and using derivatives are also covered. Prerequisite(s): FIN 340 with a grade of C or better, junior standing, advanced standing.

FIN 632.  Bank and Financial Institution Management   (3).

Presents and analyzes asset and liability management by banks and financial institutions. Also covers financial institution structure, management, regulation and operations. Covers risk management topics in detail. Prerequisite(s): FIN 340 with a grade of C or better, junior standing, advanced standing.

FIN 635.  Commodity and Energy Trading   (3).

Focuses on trading in commodity and energy markets. Introduces how commodity and energy markets function, emphasizing trading and hedging strategies. Explores the control systems trading firms need in place to manage market, credit and liquidity risks, as well as the financial accounting, regulatory compliance and tax issues that arise from trading. Much of the classwork includes hands-on exercises and a simulated commodity and energy trading game. Students also have the opportunity to interact with local business experts in commodity and energy trading throughout the semester. Prerequisite(s): FIN 340 with a grade of C (2.000) or better, junior standing, advanced standing.

FIN 675.  Analytics Decision Modeling with Spreadsheets   (3).

Cross-listed as BSAN 675.Introduces key principles of business analytics modeling: descriptive, predictive and prescriptive. Models covered in each area may differ from semester to semester. Students learn how to make decisions not based on intuition or “gut feel,” but on models and data. Course adopts a practical approach to the modeling of a wide variety of business problems in various functional areas. Models are built in Excel and add-ins to Excel, allowing students to gain advanced Excel skills, which will benefit them in their careers. Prerequisite(s): DS 350 and FIN 340 each with a grade of C or better; BADM 162, ECON 231, and ECON 232 or equivalents.

FIN 790.  Seminar in Selected Topics   (1-3).

An umbrella course created to explore a variety of subtopics differentiated by letter (e.g., 790A, 790B). Not all subtopics are offered each semester – see the course schedule for availability. Students enroll in the lettered courses with specific topics in the titles rather than in this root course.

FIN 790A.  Finance Analytics: Contemporary and Traditional Topics   (3).

Surveys contemporary issues in finance, introduces selective finance topics/methods that use analytics, and enables students to learn SAS software to conduct basic descriptive and prescriptive analysis of stock market data. The survey of contemporary finance issues includes topics such as digitalization of cash (i.e., cryptocurrencies and underlying block chain technology), payment systems and trading platforms. The selective topics in traditional finance analytics include portfolio optimization, binomial option pricing. SAS programming includes quantitative finance research methods such as event study, portfolio construction and testing using SAS. Prerequisite(s): FIN 340 with a grade of C (2.000).

FIN 790B.  Introduction to FINTECH   (3).

Exploring the intersection of finance and technology, this course offers a deep dive into the essence of FinTech, distinguishing it from traditional financial technology through its emphasis on innovation and disruption in financial services. By examining case studies like Uber's transformative impact on the taxi industry through advanced technologies such as machine learning and digital mapping, students gain insights into how FinTech is reshaping the financial landscape. This program is designed for those eager to understand the dynamics of financial services innovation and how new technologies such as payment technologies, blockchain and cryptocurrencies, and smart contracts facilitate new forms of financial interactions, strategies and services.

FIN 850.  Managerial Finance   (3).

Provides knowledge and tools to make informed investment and financing decisions. Includes capital markets, capital budgeting, decision making under uncertainty, asset pricing models, capital structure, payout policy, restructuring and corporate control issues. Prerequisite(s): MBA 803 or equivalent.

FIN 860.  Advanced Managerial Finance   (3).

Studies advanced strategic issues that impact financial managers. Includes corporate valuation, working capital management, capital structure decisions such as initial public offerings, leveraged buyouts, restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, and issues related to entrepreneurial finance. Prerequisite(s): FIN 850.

FIN 865.  Advanced Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management   (3).

Studies the theory and practice of security valuation and investment management. Includes portfolio analysis, asset allocation, fixed income securities and term structure, equity analysis, derivatives and measurement of performance. Prerequisite(s): MBA 803 or equivalent.

FIN 891.  Directed Studies   (1-5).

Arranged individual directed study in specialized content areas under the supervision of a faculty member. Repeatable for credit up to 6 credit hours. Prerequisite(s): FIN 850 and MBA 800 or equivalent.