Finance (FINA)

FINA 1800 – 1825 Special Topics in Finance
6 credit hours
Course content varies from year to year.

FINA 1826 – 1849 Special Topics in Finance
3 credit hours
Course content varies from year to year.

FINA 2360  Business Finance I    
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: ECON 1201 and 1202; ACCT 2241; and MGSC 1205
A basic course in business finance introducing the student to the discipline and presenting financial analysis, working capital management, capital budgeting, the tax environment and the role of financial intermediaries.

FINA 2800 – 2825 Special Topics in Finance
6 credit hours
Course content varies from year to year.

FINA 2826 – 2849 Special Topics in Finance
3 credit hours
Course content varies from year to year. 

FINA 3361  Business Finance II    
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: FINA 2360 and either MGSC 2207 or MATH 1216
A continuation from FINA 2360 covering cost of capital, capital mix, capital and money markets, dividend policy, financial instruments and mergers, consolidations and bankruptcy. Microcomputers will be used to perform analyses.
Note: Students may substitute one of BIOL 3308, EGNE 2309, GEOG 3326, MATH 1216, PSYC 2350, or CRIM 3102 in lieu of MGSC 2207.
FINA 3362  Principles of Real Estate and Appraisal    
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: FINA 3361 (or concurrently)
An introduction to the study of real estate investment analysis and valuation. The course relates financial and economic principles to the examination of investment and financing decisions in real estate and mortgage markets. Topics include a discussion of the unique characteristics of real estate assets and markets, the investment process, appraisal, financing and market analysis.
FINA 3364  Canadian Securities    
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: FINA 2360 or permission of instructor
The topics covered in this course include an overview of capital markets and the financial services industry; financial statement analysis; an overview of the Canadian economy; fixed income securities; equity securities; investment funds; derivatives; security analysis; financing, listing and regulation; financial planning and taxation issues; and portfolio management. These topics are based on the curriculum of the Canadian Securities CourseTM (CSC). Substantial additional fees are required for this course.
FINA 3410  Sustainable Finance    
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: FINA 2360 and FINA 3361
Students in this course explore the intersection of sustainability and finance, focusing on investment mandates and fundamental financial concepts across traditional asset classes. Environmental, Social and Governance standards and their applications in shaping financial decisions are examined. The course includes a review of the literature on the roles of corporate stakeholders, financial markets and regulators in influencing ESG performance.

FINA 3826 – 3849 Special Topics in Finance
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: permission of instructor
Course content varies from year to year.

FINA 3876 – 3899 Directed Study
3 credit hours
Course content varies from year to year.

FINA 4462 Real Estate Investment Decisions
3 credit hours

FINA 4463  Financial Management    
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: COMM 2293 and a minimum grade of C in both FINA 2360 and FINA 3361
This course expands on the three basic corporate finance decisions: capital investment, capital structure and dividend policy. It also examines current practices in short and long-term financing as well as financial planning. Finally, the course examines issues in topics such as lease financing, mergers and acquisitions and hedging risk. Case studies may be utilized to apply different concepts and techniques learned in the class to real world problems.
FINA 4464  Issues in Corporate Finance    
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: FINA 4463 and COMM 2293
This is a senior level case-study based course in financial management. It integrates the tools learned in earlier courses in finance and applies them to comprehensive cases. By understanding the complexity of and relationship among different financial policies, students will be able to utilize finance theory to make reasonable financial decisions under realistic environments. The course will also emphasize the importance of undertaking research through information gathering for case analysis. Finally, it encourages group discussion and team work, enhances students presentation skills and their ability to compose a well-structured, meaningful report. Data bases, spreadsheets and some financial analysis software will be used in this course.
FINA 4466  Investments    
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: COMM 2293 and a minimum grade of C in both FINA 2360 and FINA 3361
This course presents an overview of the Canadian investment environment. A framework is developed for assessing the merits of various securities that trade in the money and capital markets. Topics covered in this course include sources of financial information, Canadian market indicators, risk and return and market efficiency, the analysis of fixed income and equity securities, derivatives and margin trading on securities. A brief introduction to portfolio management is given.
FINA 4467  Portfolio Management    
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: FINA 4466 and COMM 2293
A comprehensive analysis of the decision-making process of portfolio management. Major subject areas include the different types of funds, their objectives and performance evaluation; an analysis of the aggregate stock market, industry, and company; bond portfolio analysis and interest rate risk management.
FINA 4468  Financial Derivatives    
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: FINA 4466 and COMM 2293
This course provides a comprehensive analysis of the types of financial innovations taking place in the marketplace, focusing on derivative securities such as the futures, options, and swap markets. Topics covered include stock and index option strategies, currency options, and interest rate options; commodity futures; currency, interest rate, and commodity swaps. Applications to hedging strategies will be emphasized.
FINA 4470  Fixed Income Securities    
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: FINA 4466 and COMM 2293
This course provides a detailed analysis of the bond market and the instruments available therein. Although the emphasis is on North American securities, global portfolios are also examined. Bond valuation and bond portfolio strategies are covered in depth. Treasury securities, corporate bonds, municipal bonds, mortgages, mortgage backed securities, CMO’s and interest rate options are addressed.
FINA 4471  Financial Institutions    
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: FINA 3361 and COMM 2293
This course will deal with the structure and function of Canadian financial institutions such as: banks, brokers and investment banks, insurance companies and mutual funds. The role of each type of institution in the economy will be discussed as well as regulation of the industry. The main emphasis of the course will be on the institutions as businesses; their profit and risk structure.
FINA 4472  Computerized Portfolio Analysis    
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: FINA 3361; COMM 2293; and ACCT 2242
This course will provide students with exposure to the use of various software packages in analyzing and tracking investment decisions. Emphasis will be on the gathering of financial and economic data, analysis of data in making investment decisions, and tracking and analyzing investment performance. In addition to common tools such as spreadsheets, the course will make use of state-of-the art software currently used in the financial services industry.
FINA 4473  Current Trends in Capital Markets    
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: COMM 2293, ACCT 2242, and FINA 3361
The purpose of this course is to provide a broad overview of the various financial instruments available and their role within investment strategies, as well as to examine current trends in the global capital markets. While some time will be allocated to the traditional asset classes (equities, bonds), the emphasis of the course is on the non-traditional, or alternative, assets classes that have recently been developed or gained popularity, such as mortgages backed securities and other fixed income securities, the myriad forms of swaps, other derivatives, real estate, private equity, etc. The emphasis is on the structure of these instruments and their risk-return characteristics. The usual context will be that of a large institutional investor such as a pension plan, insurance company or hedge fund. Also the linkages amongst the various markets in a global context will be discussed.
FINA 4476  International Financial Management    
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: FINA 3361 and COMM 2293
This course is divided into three major parts. The first part provides a basic understanding of the forces that determine the relative values of currencies in the foreign exchange markets. Parts two and three focus on the firm with the financing of international operations and capital budgeting decisions.
FINA 4490  Seminar in Finance    
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: COMM 2293 and permission of Chairperson
This course deals with selected topics in finance. It is offered when in sufficient demand, and specific topics covered may vary depending on the interests of students and instructor.
FINA 4571  IMPACT Program 1    
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: permission of instructor
This is an introductory course in applied investment management. The course is the first of two courses that support the investment management of the Sobey School of Business’s IMPACT Fund. Students who are admitted to the program will undertake a comprehensive economic analysis of the Canadian economy and use this to generate top-down portfolio allocation decisions. In addition, students will learn how to generate financial research reports using state-of-the-art financial tools. Emphasis will be placed on generating, interpreting and applying comparative company analysis reports.
FINA 4572  IMPACT Program 2    
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: FINA 4571 and permission of instructor
This is an advanced course in applied investment management. The course is the second of two courses that support the investment management of the Sobey School of Business’s IMPACT Fund. Students who are admitted to this program will be responsible for making portfolio allocation decisions for the fund. Students will use comparable company analysis in conjunction with more advanced financial models, such as cash flow and real options models, in making bottom-up active portfolio management decisions.

FINA 4826 – 4849 Special Topics in Finance
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: permission of instructor
Course content varies from year to year.

FINA 4876 – 4899 Directed Study
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: COMM 2293 and permission of Chairperson
Intended to supplement or provide an alternative to the regular finance courses in order to meet the special needs and interests of students, the course provides an opportunity to study a particular subject in detail and requires from the student some measure of independence and initiative.  Prior to undertaking registration for this course, students must have a detailed course proposal approved by the appropriate instructor.  Proof of this approval must be submitted at the time of registration for the course.  Students are encouraged to obtain this approval prior to leaving campus in the spring. Tutorial and independent study.