Finance Certificate Online

The course shows how the techniques of marketing management can be used to attract and satisfy customers while building long-term business profitability. Topics include (1) market, consumer and competitive analysis; (2) segmentation, targeting and positioning; (3) product development, pricing, promotion and distribution; and (4) marketing strategy and planning.

This course focuses on the firm's management accounting system as its primary information system. It examines the problems of cost measurement, planning, coordination, control and performance evaluation. It explores how accounting systems address business problems and evolve in response to the changing economic environment. The course will relate ethical and global issues to managerial accounting topics. Students will explore and analyze real-world data and apply their gained knowledge to contemporary managerial accounting problems and cases. Prerequisite: MBA 601, MBA 602 or equivalent course work.

This is a survey course focusing on how managers can construct a decision-making process that maximizes the value of the firm. Because the majority of financial decisions require an estimate of future events, considerable time will be spent investigating how to achieve the above objectives, subject to the constraints of an uncertain future. Outside readings, case studies, and text material will be used to integrate current financial theory with pragmatic financial decision making. A working knowledge of the basic concepts in finance, accounting and statistics is assumed. The use of an electronic spreadsheet is needed for homework assignments and case analysis. Prerequisite: MBA 601, MBA 602 or equivalent course work.

This course introduces students to the growing field of business analytics. Business analytics is the use of data, information technology, statistical analysis, and quantitative methods and models to support effective organizational problem solving and informed decision making. The course includes methods, tools and techniques for summarizing and visualizing historical data, which is relevant to descriptive analytics–the use of data to find out what has happened in the past or is currently happening; methods, tools and techniques for extracting information from existing data in order to determine patterns, which is relevant to predictive analytics–the use of data to find out what will happen in the future; and methods, tools and techniques for optimization, which is relevant to prescriptive analytics - the use of data to determine the best course of action in the future. Prerequisite: MBA 601, MBA 602 or equivalent course work.

This course covers a broad overview of finance topics from a data analytics perspective. Students will learn the ins and outs of applied data analysis and a conceptual framework for thinking about data from both a statistical and machine-learning perspective with applications in finance. Students will learn to understand and apply concepts like capturing and analyzing new sources of financial data, building predictive models, and running simulations of market events, using concepts of data analysis and probability in investment science, risk management, valuations, rates of return and profitability analysis. The course aims to provide a theoretical and practical framework in which students will be challenged to solve real-world problems in the finance field and gain familiarity with commonly used stochastic models.

This course provides an examination of modern financial markets. Specifically, we discuss the largest financial intermediaries including commercial banks, finance companies, securities firms, investment banks, mutual funds and hedge funds with a focus on balance sheet structures, regulation and current issues and trends. We also examine various financial instruments, derivatives and off-balance sheet activities that are useful from a risk-management perspective within the industry. Prerequisite: MBA 692.

The course focuses on current practice and recent theoretical developments. It deals with the characteristics of individual securities and portfolios, criteria and models for alternative portfolio composition, criteria for evaluation and measurement of performance, and the impact of government regulation. The evaluation of current theory, its significance for the financial management decision making, and the consideration of relevant empirical evidence are covered. Prerequisite: MBA 692.

Current developments in global financial markets and instruments from the perspective of firm management. Topics include an overview of foreign security markets, trends in foreign exchange risk management, and the impact of international debt on multinational firms. Prerequisite: MBA 692.