Financial Economics
The Bachelor of Science in Financial Economics contains a unique mix of courses providing economic theory that correlates to financial decision-making, while also offering practical courses in finance and investment. This degree program will challenge you to stretch your intellectual competencies and problem-solving abilities.
The School of Business and Computer Science provides comprehensive offerings for students seeking either general or specialized degrees in the fields of business and technology. Our increasingly-popular five-year tracks (BS/MBA and BS/MS Accounting) are rigorous programs for motivated students seeking to advance their business skills on an expedited basis.
Faculty emphasis extends beyond academics to fostering students’ business interpersonal skills and practical experiences through internships and international travel study trips. Business programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) as noted; all other programs are aligned with applicable accreditation standards and will pursue full accreditation when eligible.
In addition to the outcomes achieved in the Business Administration program, the Financial Economics program develops an understanding of the connection between economics and finance. Students analyze capital markets, risk allocation, diversification of assets, the Federal Reserve System, monetary and fiscal policy, and factors impacting financial decision analysis. Students engage in active learning activities, including case studies and market analyses in specific industries.
STUDENTS WHO MAJOR IN FINANCIAL ECONOMICS MUST COMPLETE:
Course Code : BU 105
Course Description :
Surveys the various fields of business. The student will be introduced to the different forms of business ownership, managerial skills, marketing principles, accounting, financial analysis, computer terminology, money and banking, business law and international trade.
Credit : 3 – 3
Course Code : BU 110
Course Group(s) : GE DIV
Active Term : Fall
Course Description :
Emphasizes models of management-oriented modern business communications in the digital age: letters, reports, memoranda, emails, blogs and digital résumés. Develops oral communication skills: interviews, presentations, listening techniques. Includes use of computer lab and relevant presentation, writing and report generating technologies.
Credit : 3
Prerequisites :
CS 115 or waiver, CS115, CS115X
Course Code : BU 205
Active Term : Fall
Course Description :
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of microeconomic theory. It deals with the behavior of individual economic units that are small relative to the national economy. The course explains how consumers, workers, investors, owners of land, and business firms make their decisions, and how they interact to form larger units of markets and industries. A thorough survey of market failure and government failure also will be covered.
Credit : 3
Prerequisites :
MA 112 or other equivalent math core with grade of B- or higher
Course Code : BU 208
Course Description :
Analyzes the economic, cultural, political, and legal context in which International Business is conducted. It reviews the major factors linked to the development of International Business. The course considers globalization, the economic and political aspects of trade, how countries differ, the global monetary system and foreign exchange.
Credit : 3
Prerequisites :
BU105
Course Code : BU 210
Course Description :
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of macroeconomic theory. It deals with aggregate economic quantities, such as the level and growth rate of national output, interest rates, unemployment, and inflation. The course explains how the aggregate markets for goods and services, for labor, and for corporate stocks and bonds are formed, what the trade-off is between inflation and unemployment, and how the government develops and implements its monetary and fiscal policies.
Credit : 3
Prerequisites :
BU205
Course Code : BU 211
Course Description :
This course introduces fundamental principles in financial accounting. It provides a basic understanding of accounting theory, practices, and procedures through the accounting cycle as well as recording transactions in journals and ledgers. The course introduces the basic financial statements of balance sheet, income statement, and statement of owner's equity, explaining their purpose and composition.
Credit : 3
Prerequisites :
MA131, MA140, MA220, MA106, MA130, MA221, MA112 or other equivalent math core with grade of B- or higher.
Course Code : BU 212
Course Description :
This course covers the measurement and reporting of claims by creditors and equity investors; explains business structures of partnerships and corporations; and covers topics such as income taxes and financial analysis. The course introduces the statement of cash flows, its purpose and composition.
Credit : 3
Prerequisites :
BU211
Course Code : CS 219
Course Description :
This course emphasizes analysis and solutions to contemporary business problems through the use of the current version of Microsoft Excel. Students are introduced to business decision modeling processes to strengthen logical reasoning and analytical skills. Microsoft Excel is used as the basis for managerial decision support through analysis of contemporary business case problems. Students apply the appropriate functions and features of Microsoft Excel to solve business cases. The course also emphasizes oral presentation and written reports on business processes used in case solutions to further strengthen students’ communication skills.
Credit : 3
Prerequisites :
CS115, CS115X, MA207, MA112
Course Code : BU 221
Course Description :
Marketing is an organizational philosophy and a set of guiding principles for interfacing with customers, competitors, collaborators, and the environment. The class will cover the fundamental theories and concepts of marketing as well as real life applications including digital and social media strategies. Students will create a marketing plan for a real business at the end of the course.
Credit : 3
Prerequisites :
CS115
Course Code : BU 245
Course Description :
The course introduces students to the essentials of rational decision-making under uncertainty. Topics include thinking about the decision problem in its entirety, making trade-offs when one cannot achieve all objectives at once, accounting for one’s appetite for risk, coordination of current and future decisions, and proper structuring of decision processes.
Credit : 3
Course Code : BU 260
Course Description :
This course focuses on the basic management skills of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling, with additional emphasis on ethics, social responsibility, and management skills for the future. This course deals with understanding the manager’s job, decision-making, motivation, leading change, and innovation.
Credit : 3
Instruction methods : Lecture: 3 Hours
Prerequisites :
BU105
Course Code : CS 285
Course Description :
The course will teach students about the use of computers and business data networks to solve management and corporate problems. The course examines the components and concepts of management information systems in managing information in business environments. The evolution and future direction of current corporate and institutional computing environments will be analyzed. The impact of emerging e-commerce marketplaces on corporate strategies and infrastructure will also be examined. The ways in which businesses develop or procure information technology resources and systems will be discussed. Case studies will be used for illustrate key concepts in systems development, implementation and management. In addition, students will learn how businesses manage and protect critical information and data.
Credit : 3
Instruction methods : Lecture: 3 Hours
Prerequisites :
CS219
Course Code : BU 305
Course Description :
Studies the collection, classification, presentation, and analysis of statistical data with an emphasis on business applications.
Credit : 3
Prerequisites :
MA 112 and CS 219 or equivalents.
OR
Course Code : MA 311
Course Description :
An introduction to the theory of probability and statistics utilizing methods from calculus. Topics include the axioms and rules of probability, Bayes Theorem, discrete and continuous random variables, univariate probability distributions, expectation, variance, and generating functions.
Credit : 3
Prerequisites :
MA 220 or MA 140
Course Code : BU 337
Course Description :
Introduces the techniques employed by firms in raising and allocating funds. Describes analytical tools used by financial managers.
Credit : 3
Prerequisites :
BU305, BU210, BU212, MA311, MA207
Course Code : BU 350
Course Description :
This course examines the legal environment of business including legal liability and ethical issues in the context of the business and economic environments and in e-commerce applications. The course provides an overview of the American legal system and the legal rights, duties, and obligations of the individual, with emphasis on contract law.
Credit : 3
Course Code : BU 400
Course Description :
This course helps students to acquire proficiency in application of fundamental quantitative methods that are most widely used in designing and implementing practical financial projects. The topics comprise: probability distributions, including nonnormal distributions; stochastic dominance; mean-variance analysis; Random Walk Model, which plays a critical role in the theory of Efficient Capital Markets; portfolio choice; predictablility of asset returns; bid-ask spread; Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM); arbitrage; option pricing; and nonlinearities in financial data.
Credit : 3
Prerequisites :
BU537, BU337, MA207, PS208, BU305
Course Code : BU 417
Course Description :
Surveys the international marketplace; foreign exchange market; balance of payments; exchange systems; adjustment in the balance of payments and economic stability; flexible versus fixed exchange rates; purchasing power party;the Bretton Woods System; and the present international monetary system.
Credit : 3
Prerequisites :
BU208, BU337, BU537
Course Code : BU 420
Course Description :
Applies analytical techniques and managerial concepts to operations of large-scale business. Within that context, it will highlight ethical business practices and ethical sensitivity in the decision-making process.
Credit : 3
Prerequisites :
Senior status with at least 105 credits and BU 337, BU537
Course Code : BU 433
Course Description :
The structure and workings of the financial markets and the institutional framework in the global economy. The study of the basic concepts of risk and reward and understanding of how different kinds of financial instruments are used, valued and traded. These instruments include equity, fixed income securities, options, futures, currencies, commodities and other related derivatives. Students will be required to select a portfolio of securities and monitor its performance during the semester. The policies set by central banks, regulators and governments and their impact on global markets will be examined.
Credit : 3
Instruction methods : Lecture: 3 Hours
Prerequisites :
BU337
Course Code : BU 434
Course Description :
Applies basic economic principles to explain the nature and functioning of financial markets and institutions; how different kinds of financial instruments are used, valued and traded; functions of the Federal Reserve System, as well as goals and targets of monetary policy. Students are introduced to a survey of risk management.
Credit : 3
Instruction methods : Lecture: 3 Hours
Prerequisites :
BU433
Course Code : BU 436
Course Description :
Individuals and businesses need to manage the processes that drive success, including the processes that bring goods and services to market, as well as the individual projects that are needed in every functioning area of business. This process-management course introduces students to essential concepts in operations management and project management to drive the success of individuals and businesses. Operations management focuses on converting resources and materials into finished products and services and methods for improving process operations to enhance competitive advantage in the growing global economy. Project management includes organizing and managing project teams, project selection, project planning, project scheduling, and project cost management, all in the context of costs/budgeting and risk management.
Instruction methods : Lecture: 3 Hours
Prerequisites :
CS285, CS219
Course Code : BU 455
Course Description :
This course equips students with a thorough understanding of the interplay between basic concepts of Economics and Finance. Step-by-step, students learn how the theory of efficiently functioning competitive markets for goods and services (Economics) lay the ground for the theory of informationally efficient capital markets, how concepts of opportunity cost and risk aversion (Economics) underlie the concept of risk premium in return on risky assets, and so on. The course explains how modern financial diversification of assets reduces the systematic risk. The course reviews Option Pricing, Debt and Deposit Contracts, and Venture (Entrepreneurial) Capital.
Credit : 3
Prerequisites :
BU400, BU433
Note
NOTE: Financial Economics majors are strongly encouraged to participate in an internship (BU 487).
This program is ACBSP-accredited.
Your degree includes credits from Liberal Arts and Sciences Core, Major, and Electives.
