ACCOUNTING & FINANCE COURSE STUDENT LEARNING OUT COMES

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Identify the forms of business organizations and explain the three principal types of business activities.
  • Name the four primary financial statements and illustrate their main components.
  • List major assumptions and principles in financial reporting.
  • Explain the accounting information system and demonstrate how it is used to record and report common business transactions.
  • Prepare a classified balance sheet, calculate and compare liquidity and solvency ratios using financial reports of public companies.
  • Prepare an income statement, calculate and compare profitability and efficiency ratios using financial reports of public companies.
  • Illustrate how to record and report cash, receivables, long-lived assets, liabilities, and stockholders’ equity items and identify related potential unethical accounting practices.
  • Describe basic differences between the U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and international financial reporting standards (IFRS).

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Describe cost classifications.
  • Describe cost estimation and analysis methods.
  • Apply the cost-volume-profit analysis for business decisions.
  • Explain and apply job-order and activity-based costing methods to different businesses.
  • Describe standard costs and perform variance analysis.
  • Prepare operating budgets for profit planning.
  • Explain and apply different methods for capital budgeting decisions.
  • Describe various methods and calculate measures for performance evaluation.
  • Apply ethical standards in managerial decisions.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Identify the costing systems used in service, merchandising and manufacturing industries.
  • Use job-order costing to determine the cost for jobs which require different types and amounts of direct materials, direct labor and indirect costs.
  • Use the process costing system to determine the product costs when a large number of homogeneous products are manufactured.
  • Estimate the cost of defective units in a process costing environment.
  • Summarize company strategies and explain how the Balanced Scorecard is used to analyze the profitability resulting from implementing its strategies.
  • Identify the cost savings resulting from controlling the cost of ordering and carrying inventory as well as the cost of stocking-out.
  • Examine whether a joint product should be sold at the split-off point or processed further, and explain how allocation of joint costs to joint products leads to better product and service pricing decisions.
  • Identify the critical role of cost allocation in the analysis of customer profitability and sales variances.
  • Explain the increase in the accuracy of determining the cost of cost objects resulting from allocation of support departments to operating departments; and from identifying common costs and revenues.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Describe the conceptual framework for financial reporting.
  • Explain elements of primary financial statements and the statement of comprehensive income.
  • Explain the composition of cash and the recognition and valuation of accounts receivable.
  • Calculate inventory costing and discuss additional valuation issues of inventories.
  • Discuss the valuation of property, plant and equipment in acquisition and disposition, depreciation methods, and impairment issues.
  • Discuss the types and impairment of intangible assets.
  • Explain and apply the five-step model for revenue recognition process.
  • Discuss key differences between U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and international financial reporting standards (IFRS) on above topics.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Identify and apply appropriate accounting classification, measurement, and reporting of debt investments.
  • Explain the accounting valuation and reporting for bonds and leases.
  • Discuss the accounting and reporting for pensions and post-retirement benefits.
  • Discuss the accounting for income taxes, net operating loss and financial statement presentation.
  • Explain the accounting for stockholders’ equity transactions, including issuance and repurchase of stock and payment of dividends.
  • Discuss dilutive securities and determine earnings per share in simple and complex capital structures.
  • Prepare a statement of cash flows using direct and indirect methods.
  • Discuss key differences between U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and international financial reporting standards (IFRS) on above topics.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Summarize basic contract law and explain advanced contract concepts such as the Statute of Frauds, assignment, delegation, performance and discharge, breach of contract and remedies.
  • Describe the Uniform Commercial Code and domestic sales and lease contracts, title, risk and insurable interest.
  • Explain the basic concepts of warranties and product liability.
  • Explain legal concepts related to negotiable instruments, creditors’ rights and bankruptcy.
  • Name the requirements to form and terminate an agency relationship.
  • Explain basic employment, labor law and employment discrimination concepts.
  • Summarize the advantages and disadvantages of business entities such as the C and S Corporations, sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, and limited liability companies.
  • Identify the formation and financing of corporations and the roles of corporate shareholders, directors, and officers.
  • Name the requirements of corporate mergers and acquisitions.
  • Explain the requirements of federal and state securities laws.
  • Name the basic terminology associated with real and personal property.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Describe the auditing standards applicable to both Issuers and Nonissuers.
  • Explain the ethical and legal responsibilities of financial statement auditors in the public accounting profession.
  • Describe audit objectives, audit planning and analytic procedures, and risk assessment.
  • Describe the types and persuasiveness of audit evidence.
  • Evaluate, test and report internal controls for both manual and IT environments.
  • Apply statistical and non-statistical audit sampling methods to gather and evaluate evidence.
  • Develop problem solving and critical thinking skills through audit cases.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Describe the role of taxes in today’s economic environment, tax policy, and the sources of Federal tax law.
  • Identify taxable income for individuals.
  • Differentiate between types and benefits of tax deductions and report deductions.
  • Determine and report capital gains and losses.
  • Calculate and report an individual’s taxable income and tax liability.
  • Apply analytical reasoning tools to assess the timing of income recognition and deductions.
  • Discuss tax planning and strategies for individuals.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Identify and adhere to the ethical standards of a VITA volunteer.
  • Develop and apply professional skepticism essential to solving tax issues.
  • Identify and describe the intake/interview and quality review VITA processes.
  • Prepare VITA in-scope Federal and California individual income tax returns.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Explain how accounting information systems add value to an organization.
  • Describe the production of accounting information for the five accounting and business cycles.
  • Describe and apply the internal control framework to create basic internal controls of the accounting information systems.
  • Construct document flow charts and data flow diagrams to analyze the business cycles and processes.
  • Analyze accounting information for business decisions using advanced data-analysis functions, database applications or other commonly-used accounting software.
  • Explain the fundamentals of information security, accounting database systems, disaster recovery, and business continuity.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Identify ethical issue(s) arising in business situations.
  • Discuss different approaches to ethical reasoning.
  • Apply ethical reasoning techniques to ethical dilemmas.
  • Communicate an appropriate conclusion to an ethical dilemma.
  • Explain the codes of conduct for accountants by the American Institute of CPA’s (AICPA), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX).
  • Explain the ethical responsibilities an accountant has in conducting an audit and in the professional accounting working environment.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Explain the differences in measurement focus and basis of accounting between governmental entities and for-profit businesses.
  • List fund categories for state and local governments and indicate the measurement focus, basis of accounting, and financial reporting of each fund.
  • Describe budgetary accounting within state and local governments, including recording legally adopted budget and encumbrance.
  • Record revenue and expenditure transactions in governmental funds for state and local governments.
  • Explain the nature and contents of a Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR).
  • Prepare the adjustment needed to derive government-wide financial statements from fund financial statement data.
  • Describe the content of financial statements for not-for-profit entities.
  • Describe the accounting for revenues and expenses for not-for-profit entities.
  • Analyze financial statements for state and local governments and not-for-profit entities.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Summarize accounting for the formation, dissolution, partner changes, earnings distribution, and liquidation of partnerships.
  • Identify and apply appropriate accounting classification, measurement, and reporting for equity investment.
  • Categorize consolidation issues and compare accounting standards on consolidation under U.S. GAAP and IFRS.
  • Apply appropriate accounting procedures to prepare consolidated financial statements for the parent company with its fully- and partially-owned subsidiaries as of the date of acquisition.
  • Apply appropriate accounting procedures to prepare consolidated financial statements in periods subsequent to acquisition, including intra-entity transfer of assets.
  • Apply appropriate accounting standards under U.S. GAAP and IFRS to translate foreign currency financial statements and explain the impact from the translation on the consolidated financial statements.
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Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Describe the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB), the International Standards on Auditing (ISAs), the International Ethics Standards Boards for Accountants (IESBA), and the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants.
  • Compare and contrast the U.S. and international professional standards for Issuers and Nonissuers.
  • Compare and contrast the U.S. standards among audits, attestation, assurance services, compilations, and reviews.
  • Design auditing procedures for sales and collection cycle, acquisition and payment cycle, inventory and warehouse cycle, capital acquisition and repayment cycle, and cash and financial instruments.
  • Develop and present reports of different types of engagements and services and communicate with those charged with governance.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Explain the internal audit process including the professional standards applicable to the internal audit profession.
  • Explain the professional standards required for internal audit functions operating under the auspices of The Institute of Internal Auditors’ International Practices Framework.
  • Describe the application of internal auditing procedures to performance, operational, efficiency & effectiveness, and financial related audits.
  • Assess manual and information system controls.
  • Identify and describe sampling methodologies commonly used within the audit profession.
  • Explain the ethical and legal responsibilities of auditors in the internal audit profession.
  • Develop and apply problem solving and critical thinking skills essential to solve unstructured auditing problems.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Apply the Committee on Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission’s (COSO) Internal Control-Integrated Framework to identify the information technology (IT) risks.
  • Apply the Information Systems Audit and Control Association’s (ISACA) Control OBjectives for Information and Related Technology (CoBIT) framework to the governance and management of IT assets.
  • Evaluate the design of IT controls in terms of the COSO’s Internal Control-Integrated Framework.
  • Develop audit programs and apply basic techniques to perform audits of computerized accounting information systems.
  • Apply generalized audit software to perform an audit of financial statements through the accounting information systems.
  • Analyze results of audit findings to communicate with those in charge of governance.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Define fraud including the fraud triangle and understand the different types and symptoms of fraud.
  • Explain why people commit fraud and know the types of people who commit fraud.
  • Explain the importance of fraud prevention, including how to assess and mitigate the risk of fraud as well as how to eliminate or decrease opportunities for fraud.
  • Identify and understand the symptoms of fraud, including analytical and behavioral symptoms and how to perform basic data analysis procedures for fraud detection.
  • Describe internal controls that help deter and detect fraud.
  • Describe the various ways frauds are investigated and when to use each investigation method.
  • Describe the types of evidence, the different methods of obtaining documentary evidence and understand the value of this evidence in fraud investigation.
  • Plan and conduct an interview and prepare a fraud report.
  • Identify and detect various types of fraud schemes including financial statement fraud, revenue related and inventory related fraud, asset misappropriation and corruption, investment and consumer fraud, inadequate disclosure fraud and e-commerce fraud.
  • Describe different options for legal action that can be taken once fraud has occurred.
  • Identify important aspects of the court system and understand the civil and criminal litigation processes.
  • Describe the nature of an expert witness.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Identify the characteristics of a C Corporation.
  • Identify the accounting periods and methods of C Corporations.
  • Identify the tax consequences relating to the formation of a corporation.
  • Calculate a corporation’s taxable income and tax liability.
  • Reconcile GAAP financial statement net income (loss) to corporate taxable income.
  • Identify the tax consequences and planning strategies associated with corporate distributions—including dividends, redemptions, and liquidations.
  • Identify the tax consequences and planning strategies associated with electing S Corporation status.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Compare and contrast the various partnership forms and identify IRS Code requirements for tax years.
  • Identify the basis of partner's interest and the basis of assets contributed to the partnership.
  • Distinguish between items included in partnership ordinary income or loss and those that must be separately stated.
  • Explain transactions between partners and the partnership.
  • Explain the distribution of partnership assets.
  • Explain ownership changes in partnership.
  • Explain liquidation and termination of partnership.
  • Explain tax planning techniques from partnership losses and in liquidating or selling a partnership interest.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Identify and adhere to the ethical standards of a VITA quality reviewer.
  • Develop and apply professional skepticism while reviewing tax returns.
  • Quality review in-scope federal and CA individual income tax returns.
  • Apply research skills in solving tax issues as they arise.

 

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Varies depending on topic selected.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Explain the conceptual framework for financial reporting under both the U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and international financial reporting standards (IFRS).
  • Prepare an income statement and describe issues dealing with its content, presentation, and disclosure.
  • Prepare and interpret a classified balance sheet and a statement of cash flows using the indirect method.
  • Identify, explain, and apply the five-step model for revenue from contracts with customers.
  • Specify the initial measurement and subsequent valuation and reporting issues and their effects on income statement from transactions involving cash, accounts receivable, inventories, operating tangible and intangible assets, including the key similarities and differences between GAAP and IFRS.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Contrast and compare key similarities and differences between U.S. GAAP and IFRS.
  • Explain the classification, measurement, and reporting of investments.
  • Examine and analyze accounting issues related to the measurement and reporting of liabilities including bonds, leases, pensions, and post-retirement benefits, and deferred income taxes.
  • Demonstrate the accounting valuation and presentation for various items affecting stockholders' equity including issuance, repurchase, and conversion of stocks, payment of dividends, reporting of earnings and other comprehensive income, and granting of employee stock compensation.
  • Compute basic and diluted earnings per share.
  • Categorize and compare the reporting for accounting changes.
  • Construct a statement of cash flows using both direct and indirect methods.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Demonstrate accounting for the formation, dissolution, partner changes, earnings distribution, and liquidation of partnerships.
  • Explain consolidation issues and the development of accounting standards on consolidation for U.S. GAAP and IFRS.
  • Prepare consolidated financial statements with fully-and partially-owned subsidiaries as of the date of acquisition and for subsequent periods, including intra-entity transfer of assets.
  • Demonstrate the translation of foreign currency financial statements and explain their impacts on the consolidated financial statements.
  • Identify the format and content of a comprehensive annual financial report for state and local governments.
  • Describe the accounting for encumbrances, nonexchange revenue transactions, expenditures, and interfund activity for state and local governments.
  • Identify the format and content of financial statements for private not-for-profit organizations.
  • Measure, record, and report revenues and expenses for private not-for-profit organizations.
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Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Recognize whether there is (are) an ethical issue(s) involved in any particular situation.
  • Discuss the different approaches to ethical reasoning.
  • Demonstrate ethical reasoning in dealing with ethical dilemmas.
  • Explain the codes of conduct that apply to accountants.
  • Explain the ethical responsibilities an accountant has in conducting an audit and in the professional accounting working environment.
  • Communicate an appropriate conclusion to an ethical dilemma.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Describe the auditing standards applicable to both issuers and non-issuers.
  • Explain the ethical and legal responsibilities of historical financial statements audit.
  • Describe fraud triangles.
  • Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of internal control for audit planning.
  • Apply analytical procedures in historical financial statements audit.
  • Develop problem solving and critical thinking skills through audit cases.
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Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Compare and contrast the professional standards for Issuers and Nonissuers.
  • Compare and contrast among audits, attestation and assurance services, compilations, and reviews.
  • Design risk assessment procedures to evaluate the implementation of internal controls relevant to an audit of financial statements.
  • Identify and document financial statement assertions and formulate audit objectives.

Upon completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Identify the types of business entities-including the check-the-box regulations.
  • Identify the "common law" doctrines of federal taxation.
  • Identify the characteristics of a C Corporation.
  • Identify the accounting periods and methods of a C Corporation.
  • Identify the tax consequences relating to the formation of a corporation.
  • Calculate a corporation's taxable income and tax liability.
  • Reconcile GAAP financial statement net income (loss) to corporate taxable income.
  • Identify the tax consequences and planning strategies associated with corporate distributions--including dividends, redemptions, and liquidations.
  • Identify the tax consequences and planning strategies associated with carryovers of corporate tax attributes and anti-avoidance rules. 

Upon completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Describe the Uniform Commercial Code and domestic sales and lease contracts, title, risk and insurable interest.
  • Explain legal concepts related to negotiable instruments, creditors' rights and bankruptcy.
  • Explain basic employment, labor law, and employment discrimination concepts.
  • Identify the formation and financing of corporations and the roles of corporate shareholders, directors, and officers.
  • Identify the requirements of corporate mergers and acquisitions.
  • Identify the requirements of federal and state securities laws.
  • Identify the basic terminology associated with real and personal property.
  • Identify regulatory and compliance issues in an SEC or IRS audit or investigation. 

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Develop techniques to deliver effective presentations and persuasive speeches, and answer difficult questions.
  • Identify their strengths and weaknesses in communication.
  • Develop skills to give, receive, and apply constructive feedback.
  • Develop skills to inspire, motivate, and connect in a more authentic and effective way.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Write effective professional communication documents such as memos, letters, proposals, and reports

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Identify and assess the economic characteristics that drive competition in an industry.
  • Evaluate firm profitability and compare the profitability of firms using the rate of return on assets and its components.
  • Evaluate a firm's short-term liquidity risk and long-term solvency risk.
  • Apply the concept of quality of accounting information.
  • Develop financial statement forecasts including balance sheets, income statements, and statement of cash flows.
  • Estimate risk-adjusted expected rates of return.
  • Estimate the firm value using dividend-based, cash-flow-based, earnings-based and market-based valuation approaches.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Identify and assess the economic characteristics that drive competition in an industry.
  • Evaluate firm profitability and compare the profitability of firms using the rate of return on assets and its components.
  • Evaluate a firm's short-term liquidity risk and long-term solvency risk.
  • Develop financial statement forecasts including balance sheets, income statements, and statement of cash flows.
  • Estimate the firm value using cash-flow-based valuation approaches.
  • Estimate the firm value using earnings-based valuation approaches.
  • Estimate the firm value using market-based valuation approaches.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Explain basic legal terminology.
  • Identify the structure of the federal, state and local court systems.
  • Describe court procedures.
  • Summarize the difference between courts and alternative dispute resolution forums.
  • Explain the authorities defined in the United States Constitution to regulate business.
  • Discuss the role of ethics in business decision making.
  • Define the elements of causes of action for intentional torts.
  • Define the elements of causes of action for negligence and strict liability.
  • Explain the rights and responsibilities associated with various forms of intellectual property such as trademarks, copyrights and patents.
  • Examine the basic differences between criminal law and civil law.
  • Discuss the basics of contract law such as offer, acceptance, consideration, and capacity to contract.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Explain corporate governance and some of the ethical issues financial managers face.
  • Explain time value of money and determine the present and future values of cash flows.
  • Describe the role of prices and interest rates in financial markets.
  • Define the components of risk, determine the level of each type of risk for a given financial asset, and explain the interplay of risk and return.
  • Compute the market value of financial assets such as bonds and stocks.
  • Calculate net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), profitability index (PI), and Payback Period (PP) of a single capital project and describe the capital budgeting process of a company.
  • Explain and compute the Weighted Average Cost of Capital of a company.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Identify and explain the four financial statements.
  • Explain U.S. and International accounting standards and regulations that govern financial reporting. 
  • Analyze and record transactions, prepare accounting adjustments, construct financial statements, and close the book for the accounting period.
  • Compute and interpret measures of profitability and risk.
  • Explain revenue recognition criteria and describe accounting for operating expenses.
  • Describe and explain accounting for different operating assets.
  • Describe the accounting for current operating liabilities and long-term liabilities.
  • Describe and illustrate the accounting for contributed capital and earned capital.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Explain the fundamental concepts and theories in corporate finance.
  • Analyze corporate performance with financial analysis.
  • Compute firm value using different valuation methods.
  • Explain the concepts of risk and return trade-off in different assets and construct investment strategies in the financial markets.
  • Compute the appropriate discount rate for assets and cost of capital for a firm.
  • Compute capital budgeting for capital investment decisions.
  • Analyze how corporate financial decisions (such as short-term and long-term financing policies, capital structure, dividend policies, corporate control and governance, etc.) influence firm value.
  • Integrate analysis and valuation with applications of different corporate financial management problems.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Develop personal financial goals.
  • Calculate time value of money situations to analyze personal financial decisions.
  • Relate money management and savings activities to achieving financial goals.
  • Describe the importance of taxes for personal financial planning.
  • Describe the costs and benefits of different types of payment accounts.
  • Examine your credit capacity and build your credit rating.
  • Develop a plan to manage your debts.
  • Identify strategies for effective consumer buying for a motor vehicle or a home.
  • Describe home, motor vehicle, health insurance, property, and life insurance.
  • Describe fundamentals for investing in stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.
  • Describe retirement planning and estate planning.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • List and define the Time Value of Money concepts in real estate investment decision-making.
  • Interpret a Pro forma statement and discuss it in analyzing real estate investments.
  • Explain the three appraisal processes and their applications.
  • Describe the steps in the property development process.
  • Apply why location, location, location affects real estate demand, hence prices.
  • Evaluate the government impact on property development and descriptions.
  • Analyze and explain REIT buy analyses and reports.
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Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Identify the importance of support provided to real estate professionals by real estate associations.
  • Identify the daily responsibilities of real estate sales and brokerage practices.
  • Explain the selling and buying processes of real property.
  • Explain the handling of a real estate transaction from listing to closing escrow, purpose and importance of title.
  • Apply the process of qualifying listings and prospects, advertising, financing, closing the sale, and expediting the escrow.
  • Examine the ethical responsibilities of owning and operating a real estate business, managing salespeople and office personnel, budgeting, and developing and maintaining effective community relation.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Describe the legal facets of real property acquisition, ownership and disposition.
  • Describe the nature of property ownership.
  • Discuss acquisition of titles, transfer of ownership, deeds, creatment of easements, zoning laws, leases and contracts.
  • Discuss community property, types of tenancies.
  • Examine mortgage and construction laws, brokerage laws and land-use regulation.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Describe working capital management and evaluate a company’s management of accounts receivable, inventory, and accounts payable over time.
  • Describe how firms raise venture capital, make initial public offering, and use private placement.
  • Explain the capital structure and analyze how financing decisions influence firm value.
  • Describe how dividends are paid and explain factors that affect a firm’s dividend policy.
  • Compute the value of a firm using different methodologies.
  • Discuss how management uses financial planning models in the planning process and explain what factors determine a firm’s sustainable growth rate.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Outline the process and methods of financial decision-making.
  • Identify appropriate financial theory and analytical techniques to solve various corporate financial problems.
  • Develop techniques for corporate decision making under conditions of risk.
  • Investigate the elements of corporate financial policy.
  • Apply an integrated approach to problem-solving and decision-making theory to analytical techniques, and investment decision models presented in previous courses.
  • Conduct financial decision-making in areas of current asset management, capital budgeting, capital structure considerations, the lease-versus-buy dynamic, and/or mergers and acquisitions.
  • Communicate analytical insights and conclusions to various corporate stakeholders - customers, creditors, stockholders, and management.
  • Convey solutions both verbally and in writing.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Define the major asset classes, various securities within those classes and features of those securities.
  • Explain how financial securities are traded.
  • Calculate and compare various measures of risk and return.
  • Describe the key theories and concepts related to investment portfolios.
  • Calculate bond values and yields and explain various bond investment strategies.
  • Calculate equity values using alternative valuation models.
  • Use information technology tools to find and trade financial securities and build investment portfolios.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Define derivatives and explain the characteristics of derivatives markets.
  • Define forward contracts, describe the pricing and valuation of forward contracts, and explain the characteristics of forward markets.
  • Define futures contracts, describe the pricing and valuation of futures contracts, and explain the characteristics of futures markets.
  • Define call and put options and explain the characteristics of options markets.
  • Calculate the option price by using the Binomial model and the Black-Scholes-Merton model.
  • Explain the trading, hedging, and risk management applications of forward, futures, and options.
  • Describe the characteristics of other derivatives such as swaps.
  • Explain the valuation and risk management applications of swap contracts.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Describe, discuss, and apply contemporary financial measures of risk management and performance.
  • Identify the role of the US Federal Reserve system, including its dual mandate, monetary policy tools, and the impact on the yield curve.
  • Evaluate the economic environment and the impact of regulatory policies on consumers and financial institutions.
  • Develop and present the various markets for securities and understand their role in financial markets.
  • Analyze contemporary measures of risk management and practices in financial institutions.
  • Critically evaluate trends and risk factors leading up to financial crises.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Accurately compute the estimated market value of financial and non-financial assets using MS Excel-based models.
  • Analyze and assess corporate and financial market data through on-line data sources for use in the analysis of financial issues.
  • Efficiently retrieve, organize and analyze large amounts of data for use in Excel based models.
  • Distinguish the appropriate financial valuation model and use to value common asset classes. 

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Discuss selected topics in recent developments in financial theory and management practice.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Identify the determinants of currency prices in the foreign exchange (FX) markets.
  • Distinguish how various exchange rate systems affect currency prices in the FX markets.
  • Analyze balance of payments and how U.S. trades with its trading partners.
  • Explain parity conditions which link the prices of goods, interest rates, spot rates and forward rates throughout the world.
  • Explain how exchange rate exposure may create risks and opportunities for domestic and multinational firms.
  • Compare and contrast the basic characteristics of various financial instruments (e.g. forward contracts, futures contracts, options, and swaps) and explain how these instruments may be used to hedge against exchange rate exposure.
  • Examine real world data to apply the parity conditions to determine currency appreciation/depreciation.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Identify the characteristics of start-ups.
  • Compare and contrast financing options available to entrepreneurs.
  • Analyze the roles and expectations of each participant in the venture capital industry.
  • Apply different valuation methods for ventures.
  • Examine different options of exiting from the venture.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Define the ethical choices and professional standards related to investments.
  • Perform fixed income investment analysis including spot rate-based bond valuation, asset–backed security valuation, and credit analysis.
  • Perform equity investment analysis including industry, financial statement, DuPont, and technical analysis and forecasting for valuation.
  • Compare various types of alternative investments.
  • Describe the portfolio management process including the investment policy statement and performance evaluation measures.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Identify time value of money (TVM), ATIRR and NPV concepts which apply to mortgage financing and real estate investment decision-making.
  • Compute fixed-, adjustable-rate and other alternative mortgage payments.
  • Construct pro-forma statements for alternative financing such as participation, interest only, convertible and sale-leaseback loans.
  • Analyze construction financing including the construction and permanent (take-out) loan.
  • Construct limited partnerships financial analysis including ATIRR and NPV.
  • Analyzing REIT financial statements for investment decision-making such as understanding the importance of FFO.
  • Compute pricing of MBSs including secondary mortgage market related derivative securities and applying option pricing techniques to price MBSs while incorporating prepayment and default risks.
  • Compute duration for MBSs and understanding the effects of convexity on MBS pricing.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Identify time value of money (TVM), IRR and NPV concepts which apply to real estate valuation.
  • Use real estate appraisal models with data and interpret the results while incorporating feasibility and market analysis concepts.
  • Apply central place theory to property value analysis.
  • Evaluate mortgage yields, default, underwriting procedures, and price indices.
  • Compute and interpret duration for mortgage bonds.
  • Discuss the use of portfolio theory and CAPM in real estate valuation.
  • Develop strategies for international real estate investment.
  • Examine advanced valuation techniques (such as real options) used to make real estate investment decisions.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Identify communities within cities/places that can benefit from sustainable real estate development.
  • Identify Census demographic data to best address development revitalization specific to a city’s characteristics.
  • Describe the correlations between a city’s industry and its sustainable real estate development decision-making.
  • Identify time value of money (TVM), IRR and NPV concepts which apply to real estate development.
  • Discuss land use mistakes and development opportunities.
  • Construct a sensitivity analysis table based upon a sustainable real estate development project by following the LEED system (see http://www.usgbc.org/).
  • Apply MARR to NPV model for a sustainable real estate development project.
  • Evaluate and critique sustainable building concepts to write a sustainable real estate development case study with a solution.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Explain housing research by following a step-by-step approach to identify a housing question/issue/motivation, provide a literature review, collect and discuss data (including descriptive statistics), discuss and use a specific methodology to analyze data, summarize results, and provide a conclusion which includes policy implication(s).
  • Apply and discuss the hedonic methodology to estimate the value of housing characteristics such as a bedroom as well as the overall value of house prices.
  • Critique advanced topics which pertain to real estate markets.

Upon successful completion of the course, a student will be able to:

  • Identify tools (such as time value of money (TVM), IRR, NPV, and etc. concepts) need, which pertain to the advanced real estate topics covered in the course.
  • Explain and discuss advanced topics in real estate.
  • Analyze advanced topics in real estate.
  • Critique advanced topics in real estate.

Upon successful completion of this course, a student will be able to:

  • Define the major asset classes, various securities within those classes and features of those securities.
  • Show how financial securities are traded.
  • Calculate and compare various measures of risk and return.
  • Describe the key theories and concepts related to investment portfolios.
  • Calculate bond values and yields and explain various bond investment strategies.
  • Calculate equity values using alternative valuation models.
  • Use information technology tools to find and trade financial securities and build investment portfolios.
  • Integrate analysis and selection of securities using the portfolio management process.

Upon successful completion of this course, a student will be able to:

  • Define derivatives and explain the characteristics of derivatives markets, the pricing of derivatives using no-arbitrage, and uses of derivatives.
  • Define forward contracts, describe the pricing and valuation of forward contracts, and explain the characteristics and institutional features of forward markets.
  • Define future contracts, describe the pricing and valuation of futures contracts, and explain the characteristics and institutional features of futures markets.
  • Define call and put options and explain the characteristics and institutional features of options markets.
  • Calculate the option price by using the Binomial model and the Black-Scholes-Merton model.
  • Explain the trading, hedging, and risk management applications of forward, futures, and options.
  • Describe the characteristics of other derivatives such as swaps.
  • Explain the valuation and risk management applications of swap contracts.
  • Integrate derivatives with applications of financial innovation, financial engineering, trading strategies, and decision making.

Upon successful completion of this course, a student will be able to:

  • Describe, understand, and apply contemporary financial measures of risk management and performance.
  • Understand the role and determinants of interest rates and interaction of interest rates with the money supply as controlled by the Federal Reserve System.
  • Evaluate the economic environment and the impact of regulatory policies on consumers and financial institutions.
  • Evaluate the various markets for securities (including money markets, bond markets, mortgage markets, foreign exchange markets, derivative markets) and its role in financial markets.
  • Understand recent trends in the industry and causes of financial crises.

Upon successful completion of this course, a student will be able to:

  • Discuss the regulatory structure within which banks operate.
  • Identify and describe the role of banks within financial markets.
  • Discuss recent trends in the industry and causes of the recent financial crisis.
  • Define the CAMELS rating system used by the Federal Reserve to monitor banks.
  • Define and discuss the Asset/Liability management practices used by modern banks.
  • Define and discuss the liquidity management practices used by modern banks.
  • Estimate the risk weighted assets and Tier One capital ratio of an example bank.

Upon successful completion of this course, a student will be able to:

  • Identify the determinants of currency prices and explain how these prices change in the foreign exchange (FX) markets.
  • Distinguish how various exchange rate systems affect currency prices in the FX markets.
  • Explain how a country's balance of payments affect currency prices in the FX markets.
  • Explain international parity conditions that link the prices of goods, interest rates, spot rates and forward rates throughout the world.
  • Explain ways in which national, international, political, and events impact exchange rate exposure for domestic and multinational corporations.
  • Compare and contrast the basic characteristics of various financial instruments in the currency markets and explain how these instruments may be used to earn speculative profits, or hedge against exchange rate exposure.
  • Discuss the legal and ethical boundaries that shape the economic policy of a given country and its effect on currency value.
  • Examine real world data to apply the parity conditions to determine currency appreciation/depreciation.

Upon successful completion of this course, a student will be able to:

  • Identify the unique structure of venture capital industry.
  • Compare and contrast different forms of financing available to entrepreneurs.
  • Explain the unique risks involved in venture financing and the structure of the contracts.
  • Apply the real-option approach to valuation.
  • Calculate the value of the venture.
  • Examine different options of exiting from the venture.