Course Descriptions

Accounting I (ACCT 610)

Acct 610 is an introduction to the foundations of financial and managerial accounting.  The course covers topics that are essential for preparing, reading, understanding, interpreting, and using financial statements that are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.  The course also covers uses of accounting information for making managerial decisions.
 

Managerial Economics (MFE 600)

This is a course in applied microeconomics. Theories of consumer and firm behavior will be developed and applied to business decisions regarding allocation of scarce resources and pricing of commodities. The objectives are to demonstrate how the free market economy functions and how modern managers may use microeconomic tools to manage resources efficiently. The topics to be discussed are: The goals of a firm, supply and demand, demand elasticity, demand estimation,, forecasting, the theory of production and cost, the estimation of production and cost functions, market structure and output and pricing decisions, break-even analysis, special pricing practices, capital budgeting, time and uncertainty, and profit maximization under uncertainty.
 

Quantitative Analysis for Financial Markets (MFE 500)
Basic tools necessary for understanding how economic theory is applied to financial markets. Financial economic theory is expressed in the language of mathematics and is applied to the real world using statistics. This course offers a blend of mathematics and statistics designed especially for the financial market practitioner. Major topics include solving systems of equations, optimization, probability theory and hypothesis testing.

Accounting II (ACCT 611)

This course provides students a solid foundation in the Environment of Financial Reporting including the following:  Objectives of financial reporting, qualitative characteristics of accounting information, students develop proficiency with introduction to SEC reporting requirements, audit opinions, and standard setting at the US and International levels. Other topics are cash flow statement, inventories,  depreciation/asset impairment,  issues in revenue recognition,  bonds,  leases,  pensions, deferred Taxes,  consolidation processes,  foreign currency translation, stock based compensation, hedging, financial instruments having characteristics of both debt and equity.

Seminar in Investment (FIN 623)

Principles and theory of evaluation, analysis, and determination of investment media. The decision making process in the management of individual and institutional securities portfolios. Model building and other criteria applicable to selection, risk-return tradeoffs revision, and evaluation of portfolio performance will be included.

Financial Management I (FIN 620)

The role and responsibilities of today's financial manager with special emphasis on advanced tools and techniques for solving complex financial problems. Topics of special interest in budgeting, funds analysis, and allocation will be discussed.

Seminar in Money & Capital Market (FIN 650)

The role of financial institutions in today's economy will be studied. Specifically, market characteristics, efficiency, regulations, and international integration of markets are included. In addition, the roles of institutions and the financial system will be examined.

Financial Management II (FIN 621)

This course involves the application of financial theory and analysis techniques to the major financial decisions facing managers.  Topics include financing current operations, capital structure, cost of capital, dividend policy, and investment decisions.  

Statistics & Econometrics: Theory and Applications (MFE 639)

In this course students will first study the basic statistical concepts such as probability, various probability distributions, and hypothesis testing. Then they will study the classical linear regression model. Problems with the classical model such as heterscedasticity, serial correlation, and simultaneous equation bias will be studied. Applications to the study of financial markets make up the next portion of the course. Topics include empirical models of financial markets such as the capital asset pricing model (CAPM), the portfolio balance model, and the arbitrage pricing theory (APT). Time-series techniques will also be applied to test foreign exchange market efficiency and studies of interest rate determination, the demand for money, and models of inflation. Advanced econometric procedures such as ARMA and GARCH modeling will be applied to the study of these and other problems in applied financial economics.

Macroeconomics and Business Fluctuations (MFE 601)

Analysis of national and international economic environments, the structure of macroeconomic systems as well as questions and controversies concerning policy questions and empirical estimates of key relationships. Topics will include the following: aggregate expenditures, national income, measurement of gross domestic product; savings and investment in open economies; economic growth; unemployment and inflation; fiscal policies; money supply process; asset markets and monetary policy. 

Financial Derivatives (MFE 644)

This is a risk management course. It would deal with a contract specification, characteristics of options and trading procedures and the pricing mechanism that joins commodity, options, futures and futures options markets. Examples on the use of these instruments are discussed to illustrate how risk is managed in hedging or speculation. This course offers an introduction to futures and options, including the financial instruments themselves, the markets where they are traded and strategies which might give rise to their use. The specific items underlying the derivatives include the traditional commodity markets for grains, livestock, precious metals, energy and soft commodities, and the newer financial derivative market for stocks, stock indices, bonds and currencies. 

International Trade and Financial Economics (MFE 640)

The benefits from international trade, the law of comparative advantage, the factor endowment explanation of international, economies of scale as a basis for trade, the preference similarity hypothesis (Linder's explanation of international trade), the effects of trade barriers (tariffs, quotas, etc) on domestic production, prices, and consumption, economic integration (the European Economic Union), different theories of exchange rate determination, spot, and forward markets, currency swaps, interest arbitrage, interest rate parity, portfolio theory, speculation, balance of payments, international indebtedness, the interrelationship between exchange rates, balance of payments, fiscal and monetary policy, international banking: reserves, debt, and risk, and Eurocurrency markets.

Master’s Research Paper (Econ 696)

A topic of your choice related to financial economics under the supervision of a faculty member of the Department of Economics/Finance.

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