Finance | Middle Tennessee State University

Table of Contents

Opportunities abound in business, government, and industry for the person who likes
numbers preceded by dollar signs. The Bachelor of Business Administration degree in
Finance is a solid launching pad for a career in the following fields:

  • Banking
  • Commerical lending
  • Consulting services
  • Consumer financial services
  • Financial product development
  • Mutual funds
  • Pension funds 
  • Portfolio management
  • Stock brokerage firms

Employers of MTSU finance alumni include:

  • TVA
  • UBS
  • Federal Reserve
  • FedEx
  • Merrill Lynch
  • Ingram Companies
  • Integra
  • U.S. departments of Commerce, Defense, Labor, and State

A Finance major leads to a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) degree in
Finance, with concentrations in Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate. The Finance major also incorporates a minor in Business Administration. Students
may elect another business minor, although a business minor other than Business Administration
may require the student to complete more than 120 total hours.

For complete curriculum details, click on the REQUIREMENTS button to the right.

Undergraduate majors in all colleges can pursue a minor in Economics, Finance, Real
Estate, and Insurance.

Other programs in the department

Undergraduate
The Department of Economics and Finance also offers two undergraduate degrees with
a major in Economics: a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) and a Bachelor of Science (B.S.). The B.B.A. is a business degree offered
by the Jones College of Business. The B.S. is offered through the College of Liberal
Arts.

Graduate
Graduate students have a number of options in the Department of Economics and Finance.
They can earn a Master of Science (M.S.) in Finance, choosing among concentrations in Corporate Finance and Investments. The department
also offers a Master of Arts (M.A.) or Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Economics. A concentration in Financial Economics is available under the M.A..

Economics and Finance 
615-898-5117

Sean Salter, program coordinator
[email protected]

In addition to meeting the Jennings A. Jones College of Business requirements, a major in Finance consists of 27 semester hours of finance courses and requires a minimum 2.00 GPA. At least 50 percent of the required major hours must be taken in residence at MTSU.

Students pursuing a major in Finance with no concentration may choose to focus their studies in corporate finance, investments, or financial institutions.

The program below includes a Business Administration minor. An alternate business minor may be chosen, but it may require total hours for graduation to exceed 120.

Academic Map

Following is a printable, suggested four-year schedule of courses:

Finance, B.B.A., Academic Map  

Degree Requirements

General Education 41 hours
College of Business Core 42 hours*
Major Requirements 27 hours
Auxiliary Courses 6-7 hours*
Business Elective 3 hours
Electives 1-7 hours
TOTAL 120 hours

*This program requires courses that can also fulfill requirements of the General Education curriculum. If program requirements are also used to fulfill General Education requirements, the number of elective hours will increase.

General Education (41 hours)

General Education requirements (shown in curricular listings below) include courses in Communication, History, Humanities and/or Fine Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social/Behavioral Sciences.

The following courses required by the program meet General Education requirements:

College of Business Core (42 hours)

All students must complete the College of Business Core which requires 42 hours with a 2.000 GPA.

Major Requirements (27 hours)

  • FIN 3810 – Investments

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: FIN 3010; junior standing; admission into the College of Business. Introductory survey course focusing on investment markets and instruments. Emphasis on security characteristics, analysis, and valuation.

  • FIN 3110 – Financial Modeling

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: FIN 3000 or FIN 3010 and admission into the College of Business. Modeling financial problems in a spreadsheet and using financial models to assist in decision making.

  • FIN 3950 – Corporate Finance

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: FIN 3010 with a minimum grade of C (2.00); junior standing; and admission into the College of Business. Reviews and extends the basics of risk, valuation, and the creation of wealth. Explores capital budgeting, capital structure, and their interactions.

  • FIN 4110 – Cases in Finance

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: FIN 3010 with minimum grade of C, FIN 3110, FIN 3810, and FIN 3950; and admission into the College of Business. A case course emphasizing the financial aspects of management. Topics include financial statement analysis, working capital management, capital budgeting, and cost of capital.

  • Upper-division FIN electives 12 credit hours
  • FIN elective 3 credit hours

Auxiliary Courses (6-7 hours)

  • MATH 1630 – College Mathematics for Managerial, Social, and Life Sciences

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: Two years of high school algebra and a Math Enhanced ACT greater than 25 or MATH 1710. Topics include solving systems of linear equations, Leontief models, linear programming, mathematics of finance, set theory, and probability theory. TBR Common Course: MATH 1630

  • MATH 1810 – Applied Calculus I 
    3 credit hours
     

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    MATH 1810 – Applied Calculus I

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MATH Enhanced ACT 19 or greater or MATH 1710. Introduces mathematical modeling applied to real-world problems. Sets, functions, inverse models, limits, continuity, first and second order model building, single variable differentiation, implicit differentiation, inverse problems (exponential and log models). First and second derivatives used to study the behavior of real-world applications.

  • MATH 1910 – Calculus I 
    4 credit hours
     

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    MATH 1910 – Calculus I

    4 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MATH 1730 with a grade of C or better or Math ACT of 26 or better or satisfactory score on Calculus placement test. An introduction to calculus with an emphasis on analysis of functions, multidisciplinary applications of calculus, and theoretical understanding of differentiation and integration. Topics include the definition of the derivative, differentiation techniques, and applications of the derivative. Calculus topics related to trigonometric, exponential, and logarithmic functions also included. Course concludes with the fundamental theorem of calculus; the definition of antidifferentiation and the definite integral; basic applications of integrations; and introductory techniques of integration. Graphing calculator required. TBR Common Course: MATH 1910

 

  • FIN 4015 – Financial Statement Analysis

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: FIN 3950. Impact of management decisions, strategies, and policies on the firm’s financial statements. Focuses on how to interpret financial statements, analyze cash flows, and how to quantitatively and qualitatively value a firm’s performance.

Business Elective (3 hours)

Electives (1-7 hours)

Curriculum: Finance

Curricular listings include General Education requirements in Communication, History, Humanities and/or Fine Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social/Behavioral Sciences categories.

Freshman

 

  • ENGL 1010 – Expository Writing

    3 credit hours

    The first General Education English course. Emphasis on learning to adapt composing processes to a variety of expository and analytic writing assignments. Minimum grade of C- required to meet degree requirements.

  • ENGL 1020 – Research and Argumentative Writing

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: ENGL 1010. The second General Education English course. Emphasis on analytic and argumentative writing and on locating, organizing, and using library resource materials in the writing. Minimum grade of C- required to meet degree requirements.

  • MATH 1630 – College Mathematics for Managerial, Social, and Life Sciences

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: Two years of high school algebra and a Math Enhanced ACT greater than 25 or MATH 1710. Topics include solving systems of linear equations, Leontief models, linear programming, mathematics of finance, set theory, and probability theory. TBR Common Course: MATH 1630

  • MATH 1810 – Applied Calculus I

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MATH Enhanced ACT 19 or greater or MATH 1710. Introduces mathematical modeling applied to real-world problems. Sets, functions, inverse models, limits, continuity, first and second order model building, single variable differentiation, implicit differentiation, inverse problems (exponential and log models). First and second derivatives used to study the behavior of real-world applications.

  • MATH 1910 – Calculus I

    4 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MATH 1730 with a grade of C or better or Math ACT of 26 or better or satisfactory score on Calculus placement test. An introduction to calculus with an emphasis on analysis of functions, multidisciplinary applications of calculus, and theoretical understanding of differentiation and integration. Topics include the definition of the derivative, differentiation techniques, and applications of the derivative. Calculus topics related to trigonometric, exponential, and logarithmic functions also included. Course concludes with the fundamental theorem of calculus; the definition of antidifferentiation and the definite integral; basic applications of integrations; and introductory techniques of integration. Graphing calculator required. TBR Common Course: MATH 1910

  • COMM 2200 – Fundamentals of Communication

    3 credit hours

    Introduces principles and processes of effective public oral communication including researching, critical thinking, organizing, presenting, listening, and using appropriate language. Counts as part of the General Education Communication requirement. TBR Common Course: COMM 2025

  • ECON 2410 – Principles of Economics, Macroeconomics

    3 credit hours

    As an aid to understanding modern economic society: economic concepts of national income and its fluctuations, inflation, unemployment, role of the banking system, monetary and fiscal policies, and international topics.

  • ECON 2420 – Principles of Economics, Microeconomics

    3 credit hours

    As an aid to understanding modern economic society: economic concepts of consumer and firm behavior; the pricing of goods, services, and productive factors; international topics; and an overview of the American economy.

  • Natural Sciences (2 prefixes) 8 credit hours
  • Electives 4 credit hours

Subtotal: 30 Hours

 

Sophomore

 

  • ENGL 2020 – Themes in Literature and Culture

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020. Traces a specific theme or idea through a number of literary texts that reflect different historical and cultural contexts. Subject will vary.

  • ENGL 2030 – The Experience of Literature

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020. The reading of a variety of literary types which illuminate themes and experiences common to human existence.

  • HUM 2610 – World Literatures

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: ENGL 1010 and ENGL 1020. Representative works of French, German, and Hispanic authors in English translation. No foreign-language proficiency required. Carries General Education credit.

 

  • Humanities and/or Fine Arts (2 prefixes) 6 credit hours
  • Social/Behavioral Sciences 3 credit hours
  • ACTG 2110 – Principles of Accounting I

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: A college-level math course; ENGL 1010; sophomore standing. Financial accounting for proprietorships and partnerships with emphasis on the accounting cycle for service and merchandising organizations. Additional topics include accounting for receivables; inventories; property, plant, and equipment; and current liabilities. (Not open to students with credit in ACTG 3000.)

  • ACTG 2120 – Principles of Accounting II

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: ACTG 2110. A continuation of financial accounting concepts with emphasis on debt and equity structures, the statement of cash flows, and ratio analysis. Managerial accounting topics include job, standard- and activity-based costing, cost/volume/profit (CVP) analysis, and budgeting. (Not open to students with credit in ACTG 2125 or ACTG 3000.) [Same as TBR Community Colleges ACCT 1020.]

  • BIA 2610 – Statistical Methods

    3 credit hours

    The application of collecting, summarizing, and analyzing data to make business decisions. Topics include measures of central tendency, variation, probability theory, point and interval estimation, correlation and regression. Computer applications emphasized.

Choose 6 hours from:

  • HIST 2010 – Survey of United States History I

    3 credit hours

    Survey of the political, economic, social, cultural, and diplomatic phases of American life in its regional, national, and international aspects. Discusses the era from the beginning to 1877. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement. HIST 2010 is NOT a prerequisite for HIST 2020. TBR Common Course: HIST 2010

  • HIST 2020 – Survey of United States History II

    3 credit hours

    Survey of the political, economic, social, cultural, and diplomatic phases of American life in its regional, national, and international aspects. Discusses the era from 1877 to the present. May be used to satisfy one part of the the General Education History requirement. HIST 2010 is NOT a prerequisite for HIST 2020. TBR Common Course: HIST 2020

  • HIST 2030 – Tennessee History

    3 credit hours

    The role of the state in the development of the nation. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement. TBR Common Course: HIST 2030

  • HIST 2040 – Survey African American History I

    3 credit hours

    The role of African Americans in establishing and shaping the American nation. Covers their historical development and contributions to American art, music, literature, and religion. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement.

    NOTE: HIST 2040 is not a prerequisite for HIST 2050.

  • HIST 2050 – Survey African American History II

    3 credit hours

    The role of African Americans in shaping the American nation and creating a twentieth-century racial identity. Covers their historical development and examines their contributions to American art, music, literature, and religion. May be used to satisfy one part of the General Education History requirement.

Subtotal: 30 Hours

 

Junior

 

  • BLAW 3400 – Legal Environment of Business

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: Junior standing. Legal rights and potential liabilities of business persons. Presentation of the dynamic nature of law in responding to the changing social, ethical, political, regulatory, and international environment. Includes the development and nature of the legal system; business crimes; the law of torts and product liability; constitutional limitations on regulatory powers; legislative, judicial, and administrative control of business activity through the laws of business organizations, securities regulations, antitrust laws, employment laws, labor and safety laws, and consumer protection.

  • BCED 3510 – Business Communication

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: Junior standing. (Keyboarding skills helpful.) A review of the theory and processes in oral and written business communication. Emphasis on the extensive functions of written and electronic communications.

  • BUS 3000 – The Dale Carnegie Course

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: Junior standing and major in the Jones College of Business. Uses the proven content and design of The Dale Carnegie Course(R), which includes lecture, in-class activities, reflective exercises, and interactive experiences. Helps students develop self confidence and leadership ability; strengthen ability to relate to and to motivate others; enhance ability to communicate effectively, reduce stress, and present a positive attitude. A Dale Carnegie(R) certificate of completion is a requirement for earning a passing grade (D- or better [0.67 or higher]). May not be audited. Must be taken for a grade.

  • MGMT 3610 – Principles of Management

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: Junior standing. Concepts of the management functions of planning, organizing, and controlling with an emphasis on behavioral science concepts as applied to managing people in organizations.

  • MKT 3820 – Principles of Marketing

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: Junior standing. Survey of the functions, processes, and institutions involved in the distribution of consumer and industrial goods and services. Decision making in marketing management introduced.

  • FIN 3010 – Principles of Corporate Finance

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: Junior standing. Theory of corporate finance, emphasizing wealth creation, valuation, risk, capital budgeting, and cost of capital.

  • FIN 3110 – Financial Modeling

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: FIN 3000 or FIN 3010 and admission into the College of Business. Modeling financial problems in a spreadsheet and using financial models to assist in decision making.

  • FIN 3810 – Investments

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: FIN 3010; junior standing; admission into the College of Business. Introductory survey course focusing on investment markets and instruments. Emphasis on security characteristics, analysis, and valuation.

  • BIA 3620 – Introduction to Business Analytics

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: BIA 2610 or MATH 1530, junior standing. Introduces the concepts and application of data analytics in business. Spreadsheet software and associated analytic tools utilized to visualize, model, and analyze business data using a hands-on-approach.

Subtotal: 30 Hours

 

Senior

 

  • FIN 3950 – Corporate Finance

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: FIN 3010 with a minimum grade of C (2.00); junior standing; and admission into the College of Business. Reviews and extends the basics of risk, valuation, and the creation of wealth. Explores capital budgeting, capital structure, and their interactions.

  • FIN 4015 – Financial Statement Analysis

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: FIN 3950. Impact of management decisions, strategies, and policies on the firm’s financial statements. Focuses on how to interpret financial statements, analyze cash flows, and how to quantitatively and qualitatively value a firm’s performance.

  • FIN 4110 – Cases in Finance

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: FIN 3010 with minimum grade of C, FIN 3110, FIN 3810, and FIN 3950; and admission into the College of Business. A case course emphasizing the financial aspects of management. Topics include financial statement analysis, working capital management, capital budgeting, and cost of capital.

  • FIN elective 3 credit hours §
  • Business elective 3 credit hours
  • Upper-division FIN electives 12 credit hours §
  • BUAD 4980 – Strategic Management

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: Admission into the College of Business; must be taken after completion of the business requirements and in the semester in which the student graduates. Development of top management perspective with emphasis on policy and strategy formulation and evaluation through the demonstration of competence in handling multifunctional business problems. Transfer credit not allowed; must be taken in residence.

Subtotal: 30 Hours

 

NOTE:

 * A 2.25 GPA in these courses is required for admission to the Jones College of Business.

   § Admission required.

 


Our adjunct faculty bring outstanding professional experience to our programs. Many are industry leaders with decorated careers and honors. Importantly, they are innovative educators who offer hands-on learning to our students to prepare them to enter and thrive in a dynamic, and oftentimes emerging, industry and professional world. They inspire, instruct, and challenge our students toward academic and professional success.

Finance

FIN 2010 – Personal Financial Planning

3 credit hours

(Same as ECON 2110.) Includes budgeting and saving techniques, tax planning, insurance principles, consumer credit, housing, investment alternatives, and retirement and estate issues.

FIN 3000 – Survey of Finance

3 credit hours

Prerequisite: Junior standing. Will not substitute for FIN 3010. An overview of the fundamental concepts and tools for financial decision making within a business firm. (Not open to business majors.)

FIN 3010 – Principles of Corporate Finance

3 credit hours

Prerequisite: Junior standing. Theory of corporate finance, emphasizing wealth creation, valuation, risk, capital budgeting, and cost of capital.

FIN 3030 – Principles of Real Estate

3 credit hours

Prerequisite: Junior standing. Real estate practices and procedures, basic principles of real property ownership utilization and transfer, mortgage financing, brokerage, management, valuation, subdividing, and legislation.

FIN 3040 – Entrepreneurial Financial Management

3 credit hours

(Same as ENTR 3040.) Prerequisites: ENTR 2900; junior standing. Focuses on tools, processes, systems, and practices used by entrepreneurs to manage resources. Specific focus on cash budgeting, working capital management, sources of capital, and financial analysis/forecasting for the small business/startup

FIN 3050 – Principles of Risk Management and Insurance

3 credit hours

Prerequisite: Admission into the College of Business; junior or senior standing. An introductory study of the risk management process and the importance of insurance as a method of handling risk; insurance carriers; regulation of the insurance industry; home and auto insurance; life and health insurance; workers compensation and employee benefits.

FIN 3090 – Financial Planning

3 credit hours

Prerequisites: Junior standing; admission into the College of Business. Financial and estate planning with a focus on issues and applications relevant to professional financial and estate planners. Topics include the role of the planner, the planning process, insurance planning, estate planning, retirement planning, tax planning, cash management, credit management, and comprehensive financial and estate plans.

FIN 3099 – Special Topics in Finance

3 credit hours

Prerequisite: FIN 3000 or FIN 3010 or permission of instructor. An in-depth study of a special topic in finance. Interested students should contact the instructor for specifics.

FIN 3110 – Financial Modeling

3 credit hours

Prerequisites: FIN 3000 or FIN 3010 and admission into the College of Business. Modeling financial problems in a spreadsheet and using financial models to assist in decision making.

FIN 3120 – Financial Data Analysis

3 credit hours

Prerequisites: FIN 3010; admission into the Jones College of Business; Finance majors only. Introduces students to the use of programming to answer empirical questions within finance. Students will progress through hypothesis generation, to opening data, cleaning data, preparing the data for analysis, and creating models and visualizations to provide actionable insights. Focuses on empirically understanding foundational theories within finance.

FIN 3210 – The Financial System and the Economy

3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ECON 2410; junior standing. Basic introduction to the functions of financial institutions and markets in the conduct of domestic and international economic transactions. Within financial market context, focus on special role that money plays as an asset and a determinant of the price level, the cause of inflation and inflation’s effects on interest rates and borrowing costs, and the influence of Federal Reserve actions (monetary policy) on money and interest rates.

FIN 3430 – Public Finance

3 credit hours

(Same as ECON 3430.) Prerequisites: ECON 2410, ECON 2420; junior standing; and admission into the College of Business. Economic foundations of federal tax and expenditure policies. Current issues in federal budget policy. Policy applications illustrating key concepts such as public goods, externalities, income distribution, tax incidence, tax equity, and allocative efficiency. Intergovernmental fiscal relations.

FIN 3660 – Life Insurance and Health Insurance

3 credit hours

Prerequisites: Junior standing and admission into the College of Business. Problems of purchaser and seller; critical investigation of life and health insurance with emphasis on social and economic aspects.

FIN 3750 – Commercial Insurance

3 credit hours

Prerequisite: FIN 3050. Examines the concepts and coverages of commercial property and liability insurance. Primary emphasis on loss exposures faced by typical organizations and the corresponding types of insurance for covering those loss exposures. Additional emphasis placed on commercial liability insurance.

FIN 3810 – Investments

3 credit hours

Prerequisites: FIN 3010; junior standing; admission into the College of Business. Introductory survey course focusing on investment markets and instruments. Emphasis on security characteristics, analysis, and valuation.

FIN 3950 – Corporate Finance

3 credit hours

Prerequisites: FIN 3010 with a minimum grade of C (2.00); junior standing; and admission into the College of Business. Reviews and extends the basics of risk, valuation, and the creation of wealth. Explores capital budgeting, capital structure, and their interactions.

FIN 4015 – Financial Statement Analysis

3 credit hours

Prerequisite: FIN 3950. Impact of management decisions, strategies, and policies on the firm’s financial statements. Focuses on how to interpret financial statements, analyze cash flows, and how to quantitatively and qualitatively value a firm’s performance.

FIN 4020 – Treasury Management

3 credit hours

Prerequisites: Junior standing; admission to the Jones College; FIN 3010. Introduces students to the concepts and topics necessary to fulfill the primary treasury functions of a business firm. Applies concepts and topics to a variety of business situations and trends.

FIN 4100 – Advanced Financial Data Analysis and Applications

3 credit hours

Prerequisite: FIN 3120. Focuses on developing advanced financial data analysis skills, including financial data gathering, momentum and value factor investing, portfolio creation, and conveying complex financial data in an easily understood format.

FIN 4110 – Cases in Finance

3 credit hours

Prerequisites: FIN 3010 with minimum grade of C, FIN 3110, FIN 3810, and FIN 3950; and admission into the College of Business. A case course emphasizing the financial aspects of management. Topics include financial statement analysis, working capital management, capital budgeting, and cost of capital.

FIN 4260 – Financial Markets and Institutions

3 credit hours

(Same as ECON 4260.) Prerequisites: FIN 3010; junior standing; and admission into the Jones College of Business. Examines the structure and functioning of our monetary-financial system. Emphasis on the institutional process of financial intermediation in the financial marketplace and the role that specific institutions and instruments play.

FIN 4310 – Problems in Government Finance

3 credit hours

(Same as ECON 4310). Prerequisites: ECON 2410 and ECON 2420; junior standing; and admission into the College of Business. Current issues in taxation, theory of income taxation, consumption taxes, property and wealth taxes. Advanced treatment of tax incidence, tax efficiency, income distribution, fiscal federalism, and state and local budget issues.

FIN 4360 – Management of Financial Institutions

3 credit hours

Prerequisites: ECON 3210; junior standing; and admission into the College of Business. Development of fundamental concepts and principles of sound institution management. Includes the financial environment, strategy, performance measures, asset/liability management topics, within an overall decision framework.

FIN 4390 – Employee Benefits

3 credit hours

Prerequisites: Junior standing and admission into the College of Business. Includes descriptive review and taxation, legislative, and administrative dimensions of the major components of employee benefit plans such as retirement systems, deferred compensation plans, health insurance, death benefits, disability benefits, paid and unpaid time off. Technical analysis and problem solving emphasized to develop applied skills. Social insurance and international benefits integrated.

FIN 4430 – Real Property Valuation

3 credit hours

Prerequisites: FIN 3030; junior standing;admission into the College of Business; and  FIN 3010 strongly recommended. Theory and methods of real property valuation. Employs qualitative and quantitative analysis to appraise residential and income-producing properties. Emphasizes comparable sales, cost-depreciation, and income capitalization.

FIN 4440 – Real Estate Finance

3 credit hours

Prerequisites: Junior standing; admission into the College of Business; FIN 3030; FIN 3000 or FIN 3010. Financial analysis applied to various types of real property. Includes underwriting, sources of funds, portfolio problems, and government programs. Emphasizes analysis of money and mortgage markets and modern creative financing.

FIN 4470 – Real Property Law for Commerce and Agriculture

3 credit hours

(Same as AGBS 3140 and BLAW 4470.) Prerequisite: Junior standing. Legal rights and limitations of ownership of property, estates, titles, methods of transferring titles, abstract of titles, mortgages, leases, easements, restrictions on the use of property, real estate development, application of contract law to real property, and the role of real estate in the administration of estates. Emphasis on specific application to agricultural businesses and farms.

FIN 4510 – Real Estate Brokerage and Management

3 credit hours

Prerequisites: FIN 3030; FIN 3000 or FIN 3010; junior standing; and admission into the College of Business. Management principles and techniques for the successful real estate brokerage firm. Topics emphasized are organizing, planning, management, marketing, and advertising techniques.

FIN 4550 – Real Estate Investment Analysis

3 credit hours

Prerequisites: FIN 3030; FIN 3000 or FIN 3010; junior standing; admission into the College of Business. Analysis of real estate projects and markets. Emphasizes market research, taxes, financing techniques, and discounted cash flow analysis. Requires computer-assisted investment tools and case analysis.

FIN 4590 – Independent Study in Real Estate

1 to 3 credit hours

Prerequisites: Junior standing and admission into the College of Business. Current analysis of issues in the field of real estate with concentration on major problems and policies in managing real estate and other related resources.

FIN 4710 – Insurance in Estate Planning

3 credit hours

Prerequisites: FIN 3050; junior standing; and admission into the College of Business. Insurance as it may relate to estate planning examined in detail. Focus on estate planning principles including the problems of estate liquidity, taxation, governmental regulation, and costs involved in handling estates. Also included are ownership provisions and beneficiary designations, settlement options, and trusts.

FIN 4730 – Insurance Company Operations

3 credit hours

Prerequisites: FIN 3050; junior standing; and admission into the College of Business. Insurance marketing, underwriting, reinsurance, rate making, claims adjusting, loss control activities, and other functions and activities.

FIN 4750 – Enterprise Risk Management

3 credit hours

Prerequisites: FIN 3050; junior standing; and admission into the College of Business. A capstone course for Risk Management and Insurance majors. Students implement concepts learned in other courses to develop a broad framework for identifying, assessing, controlling, and financing the ever-increasing portfolio of risks threatening the organization’s business model and strategic plan.

FIN 4780 – Behavioral Economics and Finance

3 credit hours

(Same as ECON 4780.) Prerequisites: ECON 2410, ECON 2420, and FIN 3010; junior standing; admission into the College of Business. Concepts in behavioral economics and finance. Focuses on common behavioral tendencies not well integrated into standard neoclassical economic theory. Topics include other regarding preferences, risk aversion, sunk cost fallacies, endowment effects, and common biases and errors in judgment and decision making. Explores applications of these concepts in finance and other areas of business.

FIN 4790 – Independent Study in Insurance

3 credit hours

Prerequisite: Admission into the College of Business. Application of various insurance coverages to fulfillment of personal, business, and social needs. Special problems chosen or assigned in areas of the student’s interest in joint consultation between student and instructor.

FIN 4800 – Microfinance

3 credit hours

Prerequisites: FIN 3010 and admission into the College of Business. For senior Finance major/minors or M.B.A. students. Explores and analyzes the key issues associated with microfinance and wealth creation. Topics include introduction to microfinance, credit methodology, microfinance institutions, client impact studies, effective interest rates, performance measurement of management, strategic issues in microfinance I: sustainability, challenges in microfinance, other microfinance product and offerings-social businesses and delinquency management.

FIN 4810 – Portfolio Theory and Management

3 credit hours

Prerequisites: Senior standing; FIN 3810; and admission into the College of Business. Rigorous development of investment theory from its origins to current extensions and alternatives. Emphasis on investor rationality, efficient portfolio selection, capital asset pricing and options valuation models, and market efficiency.

FIN 4850 – International Insurance Markets

3 credit hours

Prerequisite: FIN 3050; admission to the Jones College of Business. International business concepts with emphasis on the insurance industry. Transfer of risk to ultimate risk bearers abroad. Students required to hold (or acquire) a valid US passport and participate in a one- to two-week visit to a foreign country during the course. 

FIN 4860 – International Financial Management

3 credit hours

Prerequisites: Senior standing; admission into the College of Business; and FIN 3010. International capital markets, exchange rate exposure, risk management, and other multinational finance issues. Essential not only for United States exporters, but also for those facing competition from abroad.

FIN 4880 – Internship in Risk Management or Insurance

3 credit hours

Prerequisites: Junior status; admission into College of Business; and recommendation of advisor. Supervised work experience in an approved insurance agency/brokerage, insurance company, or risk management department of a business entity or government agency. Pass/Fail.

FIN 4890 – Internship in Finance

1 to 3 credit hours

Prerequisites: Junior status; admission into the College of Business; and recommendation of advisor. Supervised work experience in cooperating business firms or government agencies together with specialized academic study relating to the work experience. Pass/Fail.

FIN 4900 – TVA Investment Challenge

3 credit hours

Prerequisites: FIN 3010 and admission into the College of Business. Theories and concepts related to investing, security analysis and portfolio management in the management of a real portfolio of stocks. Topics include TVA investment guidelines, portfolio management strategies, stock selection, investment gurus, individual investment styles, data sources and Internet sites, stock screening techniques, and portfolio rebalancing.

FIN 4910 – Options, Futures, and Other Derivatives

3 credit hours

Prerequisites: FIN 3010 or equivalent; junior standing; and admission into the College of Business. Valuation and hedging of options, forward contracts, futures contracts, swaps, and other derivatives. Examines fundamental tools commonly used for pricing and hedging and options and futures contracts. For undergraduate and graduate students with little mathematics beyond algebra.

FIN 4920 – Business Decisions Using an Intelligence System

3 credit hours

Prerequisites: Junior standing; admission to Jones College of Business. Logic, techniques, and practical implementation of a business intelligence system to empower business decisions for companies. Focuses on incorporating the concept of economic value added into data modeling to ensure system is built to generate valuable strategic information for management decision making processes.

FIN 4950 – Finance Competition and Challenge

1 to 3 credit hours

Prerequisites: Junior standing and permission of department. Students engage in projects related to local, regional, and/or national competitions in finance.

FIN 4990 – Independent Study in Finance

1 to 3 credit hours

Prerequisites: Junior standing and admission to the College of Business.  Problems for intensive study are chosen in joint consultation between student and instructor.