Finance Archive 2020-2021

The Finance Department prepares students for professional careers in global financial services industries. Teaching is oriented towards both theoretical concepts and practical knowledge.

Finance Major Requirements

Learn more about this major

Degree Requirements - 124 credits

Students can earn a bachelor of science in business administration with this major. See the requirements for the bachelor of science in business administration degree.

Finance Major Requirements

The BSBA in Finance requires completion of a minimum of 21 credit hours in finance. A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 in the Finance major and a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 overall must be maintained to graduate. Students may choose to specialize in one of five (5) concentration areas: Investments, Corporate Finance, Financial Institutions, FinTech or Financial Planning.

Choosing a concentration is optional.

Required Courses (4 courses, 12 credits)

 

Prerequisites:

FIN-200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

Intermediate Finance expands on basic financial concepts and introduces more advanced topics. Material emphasizes solutions to problems of capital structure, investment and financing. Other major topics include distribution policy, working capital management, derivative corporate securities, and corporate restructuring.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course covers the investment of funds by individuals and institutions. Focuses on analysis of investments and security markets, and the mechanics of trading and investing. A variety of investment vehicles are discussed, including stocks, bonds, futures, and options.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course covers the financing, investment and working capital management process of multinational corporations, considering such variables as exchange risk, political risk, accounting regulations and tax laws.

Prerequisites:

FIN-311; Two FIN major required or elective courses; Senior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is an in-depth study of current finance theory and methodology applicable to the firm through case analyses, computer work and recent publications. It is a capstone course where students learn how to integrate financial theories and principles to reach optimal financial decisions in practice.

Elective Courses (3 courses, 9 credits)

Choose three (3) from the following:

Prerequisites:

FIN-200 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course includes the theory, practice and problems of risk bearing in business and personal pursuits including life, property and casualty insurance and dealing with contract analysis and investments as well as corporate risk management.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course focuses primarily on real estate investment and many different approaches are discussed. The course examines related areas of law, finance, insurance, taxation, appraisal and brokerage.

Prerequisites:

EC-101 and EC-102 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course covers characteristics, structure and function of money and capital markets with a focus on the recent events relating to financial markets and their impact on the corporate financing behavior and the interrelationship among the various financial markets. Also, each type of financial institution and its internationalization are discussed.

Prerequisites:

Take FIN-200. GPA of 3.0 or higher required.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to the terminology, current FinTech themes, future challenges, and opportunities related to the application of technology to financial services. With an emphasis on case studies and guest lectures, the class will discuss datafication, alternative finance, innovative business models, algorithmic trading, data-driven decision making, mobile-only services, robo advisers, machine learning, artificial intelligence, crypto currencies, Blockchain, RegTech, InsureTech, cybersecurity and the rise of TechFin's. This course is equivalent to an Honors-level course and should count towards the SBS Honors Program and Finance Honors Program requirements.

Prerequisites:

Take FIN-200; required GPA of 3.2 or higher

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to the terminology, current FinTech themes, future challenges, and opportunities related to the application of technology to financial services. With an emphasis on case studies and guest lectures, the class will discuss datafication, alternative finance, innovative business models, algorithmic trading, data-driven decision making, mobile-only services, robo advisers, machine learning, artificial intelligence, crypto currencies, Blockchain, RegTech, InsureTech, cybersecurity and the rise of TechFin's. This course counts towards Honors credits for the SBS Honors Program and the Finance Honors Program.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is designed to expose the student to the wide range of financial planning tools and techniques available today to the professional financial planner as well as to the individual. By the end of the course the student should be able to construct a sensible and workable financial plan for a "client."

Prerequisites:

FIN-315

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to fixed income securities and related capital markets. It covers such topics as bond valuation, bond portfolio management, Treasury securities and markets, fixed income derivatives, mortgage- and asset-backed securities, and convertible bonds. As a part of their studies, students will be trained in using Bloomberg terminal and will receive Bloomberg certification upon completion of this course.

Prerequisites:

FIN-315

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is focused on the security analysis of stocks with the goal of managing the Suffolk University student-run portfolio. The material is pertinent to the security analyst - particularly the equity analyst who must issue a buy, hold or sell recommendations on stocks. By the end of the course, the student should feel competent in writing a thorough, credible equity research report or investment analysis that meets the highest standards of professionalism.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200; Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course covers the analysis and interpretation of financial statements. It is designed to help investors and managers in their assessment of a business entity. It also covers comparative financial statements and trend and ratio analysis.

Prerequisites:

FIN-315 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is an in-depth analysis of derivatives: futures, options, and swaps. The course explains why these securities exist, where and how they are traded, how to employ them in managing risk, and how to accurately price them. It also covers the use of these derivatives in the context hedging or speculation.

Prerequisites:

FIN-315 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is an advanced course in investment analysis stressing efficient frontier and diversification. Also studies portfolio construction and management, and the tradeoff of risk versus return.

Prerequisites:

FIN-311 or permission of instructor and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course develops the practical techniques and decision rules in the evaluation and selection of long-term investment projects. Teaching is oriented towards discussion of readings and case studies. Readings should provide students with understanding of capital budgeting techniques, and case studies should allow them to apply the techniques to real-world problems with the help of the computer.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course provides an introduction to estate planning, including a discussion of wills, intestacy, and tax consequences of estate planning techniques. The course will prepare students to discuss the necessity, objectives and techniques of estate planning with clients. It will introduce students to the consequences of intestacy and the uses of wills. Additionally, students will learn the basic concepts of the federal estate, gift and income tax rules that apply to certain estate plans and how to use them for the benefit of clients.

Prerequisites:

FIN 200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course examines financial planning for retirement and presents a comprehensive process for doing such a planning. Among the main topics covered are setting financial objectives for retirement, planning for adequate retirement income, social security and other governmental benefits, understanding qualified and non- qualified plans, pre- and post-retirement investment planning, planning for long-term care, and planning for incapacity.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course develops an understanding of the financial objectives required to maintain a desired standard of living in retirement and planning the distribution of assets after death. Throughout the retirement planning segment, students will understand how to plan for adequate retirement income, social security, long term care, and incapacity. The estate planning segment of the course highlights the key techniques and rules required to properly manage a person's estate.

Prerequisites:

GPA of 3.0 or higher required; previous programming course, or instructor approval.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

In this project-based course, students will apply programming language, such as Python or R, to model financial situations and derive appropriate predictions and policy recommendations. Students will learn to use large data, queries, natural language processing, machine learning, data management, and other relevant concepts to apply FinTech to achieve process improvements and explore innovations in financial services.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

The course introduces students to the management of international financial-services firms and methods through which financial institutions manage risk. The course focuses on concepts and basic tools for identifying, measuring, and managing risks, such as interest rate risk, credit risk, liquidity risk, market risk and operational risk. The course also introduces key regulations and important ethical issues in the financial-services industry.

Prerequisites:

FIN 200 and Junior standing; SBS Honors or 3.2 GPA or higher

Credits:

3

Description:

This course analyzes the origins and consequences of the current financial situation from a variety of different economic and political perspectives. It offers students the opportunity to explore the chain of events that preceded the global financial crisis, monitor markets on a real-time basis (using Bloomberg) and provides a forum to discuss solutions and independently generate ideas. Among the main topics covered are asset pricing, derivative securities, financial engineering, risk management and the role of financial institutions, central banks and government agencies in global markets.

Prerequisites:

FIN-315 and Junior standing; Restricted to SBS Honors, or GPA 3.2 or higher.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

The course will augment and extend students' finance skills, tools and concepts learned in core finance and investment courses and blend the theory with real world application. The course utilizes the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute Investment Series textbook to facilitate the mastery of quantitative methods, data analytics and their application in today's investment process for stocks, bonds, futures and options. In addition to review of time value of money, discounted cash flow and statistical/probability analysis, the course will cover advanced concepts such as correlation and regression and their real world application in finance and investments. An important part of the course will be the ability to distinguish useful information from the overwhelming quantity of available data. Additional topics will include valuation methods/models, quantitative investment strategies, technical analysis, trading strategies & execution of transactions, quantitative/algorithmic & high frequency trading. Material will be reinforced with hands-on application of utilizing real time trading and market data platforms. Microsoft Excel, applications utilized in the financial industry, statistical/mathematical and programming platforms will be used extensively throughout the course. Guest speakers will be scheduled to speak about certain topics and their experiences.

Prerequisites:

FIN 200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to the mutual fund industry and its evolution into the brokerage business. The course focuses on developing this foundation knowledge through classroom discussions and case analysis with guest experts in the various aspects of mutual funds.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course examines professional issues in financial planning, including ethical considerations, regulation and certification requirements, written communication skills, and professional responsibility. Students are expected to utilize skills obtained in other courses and work experiences in the completion of a comprehensive personal finance case, other mini-case studies, and calculation templates.

Prerequisites:

instructor's (full time), chair's, dean's approval

Credits:

1.00- 6.00

Description:

Independent study allows students to expand their classroom experience by completing research in an area of interest not already covered by Suffolk courses. The student designs a unique project and finds a full-time faculty member with expertise in that topic who agrees to sponsor it and provide feedback as the proposal is refined. A well designed and executed research project broadens and/or deepens learning in a major or minor area of study and may also enhance a student's marketability to potential future employers. Students cannot register for an Independent Study until a full proposal is approved by the faculty sponsor, department chair, and academic dean. Many Independent study proposals require revisions before approval is granted; even with revisions independent study approval is NOT guaranteed. Students are strongly encouraged to submit a proposal in enough time to register for a different course if the proposal is not accepted. For complete instructions, see the SBS Independent/Directed Study Agreement and Proposal form available online.

Prerequisites:

Take 2 Finance Major electives previously, cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher required- or Instructor approval.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

The students in this course will learn to apply their finance knowledge in a practical setting. The instructor will work with an outside organization to identify a set of relevant challenges it is facing and the students will work in teams to come up with possible solutions to these challenges. There will be a number of deliverables throughout the semester with a goal of final professional presentations before the stakeholders of the outside organization and preparation of written consulting reports. This course will fulfill the Finance Practicum requirement.

Prerequisites:

Take 2 Finance Major electives previously, cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher required. Instructor approval required.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course allows finance majors or minors to apply their finance knowledge in an organizational workplace setting. Students identify and organize their own internship positions and are required to work at least 160 hours during the internship. Additionally, they will have to identify a faculty adviser. In coordination with the faculty adviser, the students will come up with a set of deliverables, which could include a paper, a project, etc., to meet the requirements of a 3-credit course. This course will fulfill the Finance Practicum requirement.

Required Experiential Component

Finance majors must complete 160 hours of pre-professional finance experience prior to graduating. Experience may be acquired through an internship, part- or full-time employment, or cooperative education. Students must be approved to register for the FIN-560 Finance Practicum requirement, during or immediately prior to the semester in which they complete the required 160 hours. The experiential component carries no academic credit, nor requires any tuition, and will be graded pass/fail. Approval of this experience must be obtained from the Finance Department.

Download the Finance Practicum Application

Prerequisites:

Take 2 Finance Major electives previously, cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher required- or Instructor approval.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

The students in this course will learn to apply their finance knowledge in a practical setting. The instructor will work with an outside organization to identify a set of relevant challenges it is facing and the students will work in teams to come up with possible solutions to these challenges. There will be a number of deliverables throughout the semester with a goal of final professional presentations before the stakeholders of the outside organization and preparation of written consulting reports. This course will fulfill the Finance Practicum requirement.

Prerequisites:

Take 2 Finance Major electives previously, cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher required. Instructor approval required.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course allows finance majors or minors to apply their finance knowledge in an organizational workplace setting. Students identify and organize their own internship positions and are required to work at least 160 hours during the internship. Additionally, they will have to identify a faculty adviser. In coordination with the faculty adviser, the students will come up with a set of deliverables, which could include a paper, a project, etc., to meet the requirements of a 3-credit course. This course will fulfill the Finance Practicum requirement.

Prerequisites:

Must obtain approval from FIN dept

Credits:

0.00

Description:

Required of all Finance majors. Majors will have an approved 160 hours of finance experience. Experience may be acquired through internship, part- or full-time employment or cooperative education. Zero Credit

 

Learning Goals & Objectives

Learning goals and objectives reflect the educational outcomes achieved by students through the completion of this program. These transferable skills prepare Suffolk students for success in the workplace, in graduate school, and in their local and global communities.

Learning Goals
Learning Objectives
Students will… Upon completion of the program, each student should be able to...
Understand ethical aspects of decision making in a finance context.
  • Understand basic structure of ethical arguments (Utilitarian, Economic, Legal, Kantian) and the relation to financial decisions.
  • Identify conflicts of interests and pressures that could lead to unethical financial conduct.
  • Understand what kinds of questions are helpful to ask oneself when confronting a financial ethical dilemma.
  • Understand that what is legal may not always be ethical and that what is ethical may sometimes not be legal.
  • Appreciate that ethical norms vary across different countries and cultures.
  • Demonstrate overall awareness of ethical issues as they relate to business practices.
Demonstrate global awareness of financial issues.
  • Articulate fundamental challenges in global business or investment.
  • Understand the difference in approach to purely domestic vs. global business or investment.
  • Incorporate risk analysis into global business or investment decisions.
  • Understand the expected consequences of the suggested solution in a global environment.
  • Demonstrate overall global competency.
Exhibit an ability to apply finance concepts to financial management problems.
  • Identify the current problem.
  • Correctly determine the necessary technical skills for problem-solving.
  • Correctly perform the technical skills in problem-solving.
  • Understand how to interpret the results.
  • Demonstrate overall technical efficiency in problem solving.

Finance Minor Requirements

Learn more about this minor

Finance Minor for Business Students (3 courses, 9 credits)

Select three (3) from the following courses beyond completion of FIN 200:

Prerequisites:

FIN-200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

Intermediate Finance expands on basic financial concepts and introduces more advanced topics. Material emphasizes solutions to problems of capital structure, investment and financing. Other major topics include distribution policy, working capital management, derivative corporate securities, and corporate restructuring.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200; Restricted to SBS Honors, or GPA 3.2 or higher.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

Intermediate Finance expands on basic financial concepts and introduces more advanced topics. Material emphasizes solutions to problems of capital structure, investment and financing. Other major topics include distribution policy, working capital management, derivative corporate securities, and corporate restructuring.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course includes the theory, practice and problems of risk bearing in business and personal pursuits including life, property and casualty insurance and dealing with contract analysis and investments as well as corporate risk management.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course covers the investment of funds by individuals and institutions. Focuses on analysis of investments and security markets, and the mechanics of trading and investing. A variety of investment vehicles are discussed, including stocks, bonds, futures, and options.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200 and Junior standing; Restricted to SBS Honors, or GPA 3.2 or higher.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course covers the investment of funds by individuals and institutions. Focuses on analysis of investments and security markets, and the mechanics of trading and investing. A variety of investment vehicles are discussed, including stocks, bonds, futures, and options.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course focuses primarily on real estate investment and many different approaches are discussed. The course examines related areas of law, finance, insurance, taxation, appraisal and brokerage.

Prerequisites:

EC-101 and EC-102 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course covers characteristics, structure and function of money and capital markets with a focus on the recent events relating to financial markets and their impact on the corporate financing behavior and the interrelationship among the various financial markets. Also, each type of financial institution and its internationalization are discussed.

Prerequisites:

Take FIN-200. GPA of 3.0 or higher required.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to the terminology, current FinTech themes, future challenges, and opportunities related to the application of technology to financial services. With an emphasis on case studies and guest lectures, the class will discuss datafication, alternative finance, innovative business models, algorithmic trading, data-driven decision making, mobile-only services, robo advisers, machine learning, artificial intelligence, crypto currencies, Blockchain, RegTech, InsureTech, cybersecurity and the rise of TechFin's. This course is equivalent to an Honors-level course and should count towards the SBS Honors Program and Finance Honors Program requirements.

Prerequisites:

Take FIN-200; required GPA of 3.2 or higher

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to the terminology, current FinTech themes, future challenges, and opportunities related to the application of technology to financial services. With an emphasis on case studies and guest lectures, the class will discuss datafication, alternative finance, innovative business models, algorithmic trading, data-driven decision making, mobile-only services, robo advisers, machine learning, artificial intelligence, crypto currencies, Blockchain, RegTech, InsureTech, cybersecurity and the rise of TechFin's. This course counts towards Honors credits for the SBS Honors Program and the Finance Honors Program.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is designed to expose the student to the wide range of financial planning tools and techniques available today to the professional financial planner as well as to the individual. By the end of the course the student should be able to construct a sensible and workable financial plan for a "client."

Prerequisites:

FIN-315

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to fixed income securities and related capital markets. It covers such topics as bond valuation, bond portfolio management, Treasury securities and markets, fixed income derivatives, mortgage- and asset-backed securities, and convertible bonds. As a part of their studies, students will be trained in using Bloomberg terminal and will receive Bloomberg certification upon completion of this course.

Prerequisites:

FIN-315

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is focused on the security analysis of stocks with the goal of managing the Suffolk University student-run portfolio. The material is pertinent to the security analyst - particularly the equity analyst who must issue a buy, hold or sell recommendations on stocks. By the end of the course, the student should feel competent in writing a thorough, credible equity research report or investment analysis that meets the highest standards of professionalism.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200; Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course covers the analysis and interpretation of financial statements. It is designed to help investors and managers in their assessment of a business entity. It also covers comparative financial statements and trend and ratio analysis.

Prerequisites:

FIN-315 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is an in-depth analysis of derivatives: futures, options, and swaps. The course explains why these securities exist, where and how they are traded, how to employ them in managing risk, and how to accurately price them. It also covers the use of these derivatives in the context hedging or speculation.

Prerequisites:

FIN-315 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is an advanced course in investment analysis stressing efficient frontier and diversification. Also studies portfolio construction and management, and the tradeoff of risk versus return.

Prerequisites:

FIN-311 or permission of instructor and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course develops the practical techniques and decision rules in the evaluation and selection of long-term investment projects. Teaching is oriented towards discussion of readings and case studies. Readings should provide students with understanding of capital budgeting techniques, and case studies should allow them to apply the techniques to real-world problems with the help of the computer.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course covers the financing, investment and working capital management process of multinational corporations, considering such variables as exchange risk, political risk, accounting regulations and tax laws.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200 and Junior standing and SBS Honors student or at least a 3.2 GPA

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course covers the financing, investment and working capital management process of multinational corporations, considering such variables as exchange risk, political risk, accounting regulations and tax laws.

Prerequisites:

FIN-311; Two FIN major required or elective courses; Senior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is an in-depth study of current finance theory and methodology applicable to the firm through case analyses, computer work and recent publications. It is a capstone course where students learn how to integrate financial theories and principles to reach optimal financial decisions in practice.

Prerequisites:

FIN-311; Two FIN major required or elective courses; Senior standing; SBS Honors or 3.2 GPA or higher

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is an in-depth study of current finance theory and methodology applicable to the firm through case analyses, computer work and recent publications. It is a capstone course where students learn how to integrate financial theories and principles to reach optimal financial decisions in practice.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course provides an introduction to estate planning, including a discussion of wills, intestacy, and tax consequences of estate planning techniques. The course will prepare students to discuss the necessity, objectives and techniques of estate planning with clients. It will introduce students to the consequences of intestacy and the uses of wills. Additionally, students will learn the basic concepts of the federal estate, gift and income tax rules that apply to certain estate plans and how to use them for the benefit of clients.

Prerequisites:

FIN 200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course examines financial planning for retirement and presents a comprehensive process for doing such a planning. Among the main topics covered are setting financial objectives for retirement, planning for adequate retirement income, social security and other governmental benefits, understanding qualified and non- qualified plans, pre- and post-retirement investment planning, planning for long-term care, and planning for incapacity.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course develops an understanding of the financial objectives required to maintain a desired standard of living in retirement and planning the distribution of assets after death. Throughout the retirement planning segment, students will understand how to plan for adequate retirement income, social security, long term care, and incapacity. The estate planning segment of the course highlights the key techniques and rules required to properly manage a person's estate.

Prerequisites:

GPA of 3.0 or higher required; previous programming course, or instructor approval.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

In this project-based course, students will apply programming language, such as Python or R, to model financial situations and derive appropriate predictions and policy recommendations. Students will learn to use large data, queries, natural language processing, machine learning, data management, and other relevant concepts to apply FinTech to achieve process improvements and explore innovations in financial services.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

The course introduces students to the management of international financial-services firms and methods through which financial institutions manage risk. The course focuses on concepts and basic tools for identifying, measuring, and managing risks, such as interest rate risk, credit risk, liquidity risk, market risk and operational risk. The course also introduces key regulations and important ethical issues in the financial-services industry.

Prerequisites:

FIN 200 and Junior standing; SBS Honors or 3.2 GPA or higher

Credits:

3

Description:

This course analyzes the origins and consequences of the current financial situation from a variety of different economic and political perspectives. It offers students the opportunity to explore the chain of events that preceded the global financial crisis, monitor markets on a real-time basis (using Bloomberg) and provides a forum to discuss solutions and independently generate ideas. Among the main topics covered are asset pricing, derivative securities, financial engineering, risk management and the role of financial institutions, central banks and government agencies in global markets.

Prerequisites:

FIN-315 and Junior standing; Restricted to SBS Honors, or GPA 3.2 or higher.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

The course will augment and extend students' finance skills, tools and concepts learned in core finance and investment courses and blend the theory with real world application. The course utilizes the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute Investment Series textbook to facilitate the mastery of quantitative methods, data analytics and their application in today's investment process for stocks, bonds, futures and options. In addition to review of time value of money, discounted cash flow and statistical/probability analysis, the course will cover advanced concepts such as correlation and regression and their real world application in finance and investments. An important part of the course will be the ability to distinguish useful information from the overwhelming quantity of available data. Additional topics will include valuation methods/models, quantitative investment strategies, technical analysis, trading strategies & execution of transactions, quantitative/algorithmic & high frequency trading. Material will be reinforced with hands-on application of utilizing real time trading and market data platforms. Microsoft Excel, applications utilized in the financial industry, statistical/mathematical and programming platforms will be used extensively throughout the course. Guest speakers will be scheduled to speak about certain topics and their experiences.

Prerequisites:

FIN 200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to the mutual fund industry and its evolution into the brokerage business. The course focuses on developing this foundation knowledge through classroom discussions and case analysis with guest experts in the various aspects of mutual funds.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course examines professional issues in financial planning, including ethical considerations, regulation and certification requirements, written communication skills, and professional responsibility. Students are expected to utilize skills obtained in other courses and work experiences in the completion of a comprehensive personal finance case, other mini-case studies, and calculation templates.

Prerequisites:

Take 2 Finance Major electives previously, cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher required- or Instructor approval.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

The students in this course will learn to apply their finance knowledge in a practical setting. The instructor will work with an outside organization to identify a set of relevant challenges it is facing and the students will work in teams to come up with possible solutions to these challenges. There will be a number of deliverables throughout the semester with a goal of final professional presentations before the stakeholders of the outside organization and preparation of written consulting reports. This course will fulfill the Finance Practicum requirement.

Finance Minor for College of Arts and Sciences Students (4 courses, 12 credits)

CAS students are required to take FIN-200 Business Finance and three (3) of the following courses:

Prerequisites:

FIN-200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

Intermediate Finance expands on basic financial concepts and introduces more advanced topics. Material emphasizes solutions to problems of capital structure, investment and financing. Other major topics include distribution policy, working capital management, derivative corporate securities, and corporate restructuring.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200; Restricted to SBS Honors, or GPA 3.2 or higher.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

Intermediate Finance expands on basic financial concepts and introduces more advanced topics. Material emphasizes solutions to problems of capital structure, investment and financing. Other major topics include distribution policy, working capital management, derivative corporate securities, and corporate restructuring.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course includes the theory, practice and problems of risk bearing in business and personal pursuits including life, property and casualty insurance and dealing with contract analysis and investments as well as corporate risk management.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course covers the investment of funds by individuals and institutions. Focuses on analysis of investments and security markets, and the mechanics of trading and investing. A variety of investment vehicles are discussed, including stocks, bonds, futures, and options.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200 and Junior standing; Restricted to SBS Honors, or GPA 3.2 or higher.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course covers the investment of funds by individuals and institutions. Focuses on analysis of investments and security markets, and the mechanics of trading and investing. A variety of investment vehicles are discussed, including stocks, bonds, futures, and options.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course focuses primarily on real estate investment and many different approaches are discussed. The course examines related areas of law, finance, insurance, taxation, appraisal and brokerage.

Prerequisites:

EC-101 and EC-102 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course covers characteristics, structure and function of money and capital markets with a focus on the recent events relating to financial markets and their impact on the corporate financing behavior and the interrelationship among the various financial markets. Also, each type of financial institution and its internationalization are discussed.

Prerequisites:

Take FIN-200. GPA of 3.0 or higher required.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to the terminology, current FinTech themes, future challenges, and opportunities related to the application of technology to financial services. With an emphasis on case studies and guest lectures, the class will discuss datafication, alternative finance, innovative business models, algorithmic trading, data-driven decision making, mobile-only services, robo advisers, machine learning, artificial intelligence, crypto currencies, Blockchain, RegTech, InsureTech, cybersecurity and the rise of TechFin's. This course is equivalent to an Honors-level course and should count towards the SBS Honors Program and Finance Honors Program requirements.

Prerequisites:

Take FIN-200; required GPA of 3.2 or higher

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to the terminology, current FinTech themes, future challenges, and opportunities related to the application of technology to financial services. With an emphasis on case studies and guest lectures, the class will discuss datafication, alternative finance, innovative business models, algorithmic trading, data-driven decision making, mobile-only services, robo advisers, machine learning, artificial intelligence, crypto currencies, Blockchain, RegTech, InsureTech, cybersecurity and the rise of TechFin's. This course counts towards Honors credits for the SBS Honors Program and the Finance Honors Program.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is designed to expose the student to the wide range of financial planning tools and techniques available today to the professional financial planner as well as to the individual. By the end of the course the student should be able to construct a sensible and workable financial plan for a "client."

Prerequisites:

FIN-315

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to fixed income securities and related capital markets. It covers such topics as bond valuation, bond portfolio management, Treasury securities and markets, fixed income derivatives, mortgage- and asset-backed securities, and convertible bonds. As a part of their studies, students will be trained in using Bloomberg terminal and will receive Bloomberg certification upon completion of this course.

Prerequisites:

FIN-315

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is focused on the security analysis of stocks with the goal of managing the Suffolk University student-run portfolio. The material is pertinent to the security analyst - particularly the equity analyst who must issue a buy, hold or sell recommendations on stocks. By the end of the course, the student should feel competent in writing a thorough, credible equity research report or investment analysis that meets the highest standards of professionalism.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200; Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course covers the analysis and interpretation of financial statements. It is designed to help investors and managers in their assessment of a business entity. It also covers comparative financial statements and trend and ratio analysis.

Prerequisites:

FIN-315 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is an in-depth analysis of derivatives: futures, options, and swaps. The course explains why these securities exist, where and how they are traded, how to employ them in managing risk, and how to accurately price them. It also covers the use of these derivatives in the context hedging or speculation.

Prerequisites:

FIN-315 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is an advanced course in investment analysis stressing efficient frontier and diversification. Also studies portfolio construction and management, and the tradeoff of risk versus return.

Prerequisites:

FIN-311 or permission of instructor and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course develops the practical techniques and decision rules in the evaluation and selection of long-term investment projects. Teaching is oriented towards discussion of readings and case studies. Readings should provide students with understanding of capital budgeting techniques, and case studies should allow them to apply the techniques to real-world problems with the help of the computer.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course covers the financing, investment and working capital management process of multinational corporations, considering such variables as exchange risk, political risk, accounting regulations and tax laws.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200 and Junior standing and SBS Honors student or at least a 3.2 GPA

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course covers the financing, investment and working capital management process of multinational corporations, considering such variables as exchange risk, political risk, accounting regulations and tax laws.

Prerequisites:

FIN-311; Two FIN major required or elective courses; Senior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is an in-depth study of current finance theory and methodology applicable to the firm through case analyses, computer work and recent publications. It is a capstone course where students learn how to integrate financial theories and principles to reach optimal financial decisions in practice.

Prerequisites:

FIN-311; Two FIN major required or elective courses; Senior standing; SBS Honors or 3.2 GPA or higher

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is an in-depth study of current finance theory and methodology applicable to the firm through case analyses, computer work and recent publications. It is a capstone course where students learn how to integrate financial theories and principles to reach optimal financial decisions in practice.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course provides an introduction to estate planning, including a discussion of wills, intestacy, and tax consequences of estate planning techniques. The course will prepare students to discuss the necessity, objectives and techniques of estate planning with clients. It will introduce students to the consequences of intestacy and the uses of wills. Additionally, students will learn the basic concepts of the federal estate, gift and income tax rules that apply to certain estate plans and how to use them for the benefit of clients.

Prerequisites:

FIN 200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course examines financial planning for retirement and presents a comprehensive process for doing such a planning. Among the main topics covered are setting financial objectives for retirement, planning for adequate retirement income, social security and other governmental benefits, understanding qualified and non- qualified plans, pre- and post-retirement investment planning, planning for long-term care, and planning for incapacity.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course develops an understanding of the financial objectives required to maintain a desired standard of living in retirement and planning the distribution of assets after death. Throughout the retirement planning segment, students will understand how to plan for adequate retirement income, social security, long term care, and incapacity. The estate planning segment of the course highlights the key techniques and rules required to properly manage a person's estate.

Prerequisites:

GPA of 3.0 or higher required; previous programming course, or instructor approval.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

In this project-based course, students will apply programming language, such as Python or R, to model financial situations and derive appropriate predictions and policy recommendations. Students will learn to use large data, queries, natural language processing, machine learning, data management, and other relevant concepts to apply FinTech to achieve process improvements and explore innovations in financial services.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

The course introduces students to the management of international financial-services firms and methods through which financial institutions manage risk. The course focuses on concepts and basic tools for identifying, measuring, and managing risks, such as interest rate risk, credit risk, liquidity risk, market risk and operational risk. The course also introduces key regulations and important ethical issues in the financial-services industry.

Prerequisites:

FIN 200 and Junior standing; SBS Honors or 3.2 GPA or higher

Credits:

3

Description:

This course analyzes the origins and consequences of the current financial situation from a variety of different economic and political perspectives. It offers students the opportunity to explore the chain of events that preceded the global financial crisis, monitor markets on a real-time basis (using Bloomberg) and provides a forum to discuss solutions and independently generate ideas. Among the main topics covered are asset pricing, derivative securities, financial engineering, risk management and the role of financial institutions, central banks and government agencies in global markets.

Prerequisites:

FIN-315 and Junior standing; Restricted to SBS Honors, or GPA 3.2 or higher.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

The course will augment and extend students' finance skills, tools and concepts learned in core finance and investment courses and blend the theory with real world application. The course utilizes the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute Investment Series textbook to facilitate the mastery of quantitative methods, data analytics and their application in today's investment process for stocks, bonds, futures and options. In addition to review of time value of money, discounted cash flow and statistical/probability analysis, the course will cover advanced concepts such as correlation and regression and their real world application in finance and investments. An important part of the course will be the ability to distinguish useful information from the overwhelming quantity of available data. Additional topics will include valuation methods/models, quantitative investment strategies, technical analysis, trading strategies & execution of transactions, quantitative/algorithmic & high frequency trading. Material will be reinforced with hands-on application of utilizing real time trading and market data platforms. Microsoft Excel, applications utilized in the financial industry, statistical/mathematical and programming platforms will be used extensively throughout the course. Guest speakers will be scheduled to speak about certain topics and their experiences.

Prerequisites:

FIN 200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to the mutual fund industry and its evolution into the brokerage business. The course focuses on developing this foundation knowledge through classroom discussions and case analysis with guest experts in the various aspects of mutual funds.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course examines professional issues in financial planning, including ethical considerations, regulation and certification requirements, written communication skills, and professional responsibility. Students are expected to utilize skills obtained in other courses and work experiences in the completion of a comprehensive personal finance case, other mini-case studies, and calculation templates.

Prerequisites:

Take 2 Finance Major electives previously, cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher required- or Instructor approval.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

The students in this course will learn to apply their finance knowledge in a practical setting. The instructor will work with an outside organization to identify a set of relevant challenges it is facing and the students will work in teams to come up with possible solutions to these challenges. There will be a number of deliverables throughout the semester with a goal of final professional presentations before the stakeholders of the outside organization and preparation of written consulting reports. This course will fulfill the Finance Practicum requirement.

Investments Minor (3 courses, 9 credits)

Required Courses:

Prerequisites:

FIN-315 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is an in-depth analysis of derivatives: futures, options, and swaps. The course explains why these securities exist, where and how they are traded, how to employ them in managing risk, and how to accurately price them. It also covers the use of these derivatives in the context hedging or speculation.

Prerequisites:

FIN-315 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is an advanced course in investment analysis stressing efficient frontier and diversification. Also studies portfolio construction and management, and the tradeoff of risk versus return.

Choose one (1):

Prerequisites:

FIN 200

Credits:

3

Description:

This course focuses primarily on real estate investment and many different approaches are discussed. The course examines related areas of law, finance, insurance, taxation, appraisal and brokerage.

Prerequisites:

EC 101; EC 102; Junior standing

Credits:

3

Description:

This course covers characteristics, structure and function of money and capital markets with a focus on the recent events relating to financial markets and their impact on the corporate financing behavior and the interrelationship among the various financial markets. Also, each type of financial institution and its internationalization are discussed.

Prerequisites:

Take FIN-200. GPA of 3.0 or higher required.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to the terminology, current FinTech themes, future challenges, and opportunities related to the application of technology to financial services. With an emphasis on case studies and guest lectures, the class will discuss datafication, alternative finance, innovative business models, algorithmic trading, data-driven decision making, mobile-only services, robo advisers, machine learning, artificial intelligence, crypto currencies, Blockchain, RegTech, InsureTech, cybersecurity and the rise of TechFin's. This course is equivalent to an Honors-level course and should count towards the SBS Honors Program and Finance Honors Program requirements.

Prerequisites:

Take FIN-200; required GPA of 3.2 or higher

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to the terminology, current FinTech themes, future challenges, and opportunities related to the application of technology to financial services. With an emphasis on case studies and guest lectures, the class will discuss datafication, alternative finance, innovative business models, algorithmic trading, data-driven decision making, mobile-only services, robo advisers, machine learning, artificial intelligence, crypto currencies, Blockchain, RegTech, InsureTech, cybersecurity and the rise of TechFin's. This course counts towards Honors credits for the SBS Honors Program and the Finance Honors Program.

Prerequisites:

FIN-315

Credits:

3

Description:

This course introduces students to fixed income securities and related capital markets. It covers such topics as bond valuation, bond portfolio management, Treasury securities and markets, fixed income derivatives, mortgage- and asset-backed securities, and convertible bonds. As a part of their studies, students will be trained in using Bloomberg terminal and will receive Bloomberg certification upon completion of this course.

Prerequisites:

FIN-315

Credits:

3

Description:

This course is focused on the security analysis of stocks with the goal of managing the Suffolk University student-run portfolio. The material is pertinent to the security analyst - particularly the equity analyst who must issue a buy, hold or sell recommendations on stocks. By the end of the course, the student should feel competent in writing a thorough, credible equity research report or investment analysis that meets the highest standards of professionalism.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200; Junior standing

Credits:

3

Description:

This course covers the analysis and interpretation of financial statements. It is designed to help investors and managers in their assessment of a business entity. It also covers comparative financial statements and trend and ratio analysis.

Prerequisites:

GPA of 3.0 or higher required; previous programming course, or instructor approval.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

In this project-based course, students will apply programming language, such as Python or R, to model financial situations and derive appropriate predictions and policy recommendations. Students will learn to use large data, queries, natural language processing, machine learning, data management, and other relevant concepts to apply FinTech to achieve process improvements and explore innovations in financial services.

Prerequisites:

FIN 200

Credits:

3

Description:

This course introduces students to the mutual fund industry and its evolution into the brokerage business. The course focuses on developing this foundation knowledge through classroom discussions and case analysis with guest experts in the various aspects of mutual funds.

Prerequisites:

FIN-315 and Junior standing; Restricted to SBS Honors, or GPA 3.2 or higher.

Credits:

3

Description:

The course will augment and extend students' finance skills, tools and concepts learned in core finance and investment courses and blend the theory with real world application. The course utilizes the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute Investment Series textbook to facilitate the mastery of quantitative methods, data analytics and their application in today's investment process for stocks, bonds, futures and options. In addition to review of time value of money, discounted cash flow and statistical/probability analysis, the course will cover advanced concepts such as correlation and regression and their real world application in finance and investments. An important part of the course will be the ability to distinguish useful information from the overwhelming quantity of available data. Additional topics will include valuation methods/models, quantitative investment strategies, technical analysis, trading strategies & execution of transactions, quantitative/algorithmic & high frequency trading. Material will be reinforced with hands-on application of utilizing real time trading and market data platforms. Microsoft Excel, applications utilized in the financial industry, statistical/mathematical and programming platforms will be used extensively throughout the course. Guest speakers will be scheduled to speak about certain topics and their experiences.

Corporate Finance Minor (3 courses, 9 credits)

Required Courses:

Prerequisites:

FIN-200; Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course covers the analysis and interpretation of financial statements. It is designed to help investors and managers in their assessment of a business entity. It also covers comparative financial statements and trend and ratio analysis.

Prerequisites:

FIN-311 or permission of instructor and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course develops the practical techniques and decision rules in the evaluation and selection of long-term investment projects. Teaching is oriented towards discussion of readings and case studies. Readings should provide students with understanding of capital budgeting techniques, and case studies should allow them to apply the techniques to real-world problems with the help of the computer.

 

Choose one (1):

Prerequisites:

FIN-200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course focuses primarily on real estate investment and many different approaches are discussed. The course examines related areas of law, finance, insurance, taxation, appraisal and brokerage.

Prerequisites:

Take FIN-200. GPA of 3.0 or higher required.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to the terminology, current FinTech themes, future challenges, and opportunities related to the application of technology to financial services. With an emphasis on case studies and guest lectures, the class will discuss datafication, alternative finance, innovative business models, algorithmic trading, data-driven decision making, mobile-only services, robo advisers, machine learning, artificial intelligence, crypto currencies, Blockchain, RegTech, InsureTech, cybersecurity and the rise of TechFin's. This course is equivalent to an Honors-level course and should count towards the SBS Honors Program and Finance Honors Program requirements.

Prerequisites:

Take FIN-200; required GPA of 3.2 or higher

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to the terminology, current FinTech themes, future challenges, and opportunities related to the application of technology to financial services. With an emphasis on case studies and guest lectures, the class will discuss datafication, alternative finance, innovative business models, algorithmic trading, data-driven decision making, mobile-only services, robo advisers, machine learning, artificial intelligence, crypto currencies, Blockchain, RegTech, InsureTech, cybersecurity and the rise of TechFin's. This course counts towards Honors credits for the SBS Honors Program and the Finance Honors Program.

Prerequisites:

FIN-315 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is an in-depth analysis of derivatives: futures, options, and swaps. The course explains why these securities exist, where and how they are traded, how to employ them in managing risk, and how to accurately price them. It also covers the use of these derivatives in the context hedging or speculation.

Prerequisites:

GPA of 3.0 or higher required; previous programming course, or instructor approval.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

In this project-based course, students will apply programming language, such as Python or R, to model financial situations and derive appropriate predictions and policy recommendations. Students will learn to use large data, queries, natural language processing, machine learning, data management, and other relevant concepts to apply FinTech to achieve process improvements and explore innovations in financial services.

Financial Institutions Minor (3 courses, 9 credits)

Required Courses:

Prerequisites:

EC-101 and EC-102 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course covers characteristics, structure and function of money and capital markets with a focus on the recent events relating to financial markets and their impact on the corporate financing behavior and the interrelationship among the various financial markets. Also, each type of financial institution and its internationalization are discussed.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

The course introduces students to the management of international financial-services firms and methods through which financial institutions manage risk. The course focuses on concepts and basic tools for identifying, measuring, and managing risks, such as interest rate risk, credit risk, liquidity risk, market risk and operational risk. The course also introduces key regulations and important ethical issues in the financial-services industry.

 

Choose one (1):

Prerequisites:

FIN 200 (formerly FIN 310); Junior standing

Credits:

3

Description:

This course includes the theory, practice and problems of risk bearing in business and personal pursuits including life, property and casualty insurance and dealing with contract analysis and investments as well as corporate risk management.

Prerequisites:

Take FIN-200. GPA of 3.0 or higher required.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to the terminology, current FinTech themes, future challenges, and opportunities related to the application of technology to financial services. With an emphasis on case studies and guest lectures, the class will discuss datafication, alternative finance, innovative business models, algorithmic trading, data-driven decision making, mobile-only services, robo advisers, machine learning, artificial intelligence, crypto currencies, Blockchain, RegTech, InsureTech, cybersecurity and the rise of TechFin's. This course is equivalent to an Honors-level course and should count towards the SBS Honors Program and Finance Honors Program requirements.

Prerequisites:

Take FIN-200; required GPA of 3.2 or higher

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to the terminology, current FinTech themes, future challenges, and opportunities related to the application of technology to financial services. With an emphasis on case studies and guest lectures, the class will discuss datafication, alternative finance, innovative business models, algorithmic trading, data-driven decision making, mobile-only services, robo advisers, machine learning, artificial intelligence, crypto currencies, Blockchain, RegTech, InsureTech, cybersecurity and the rise of TechFin's. This course counts towards Honors credits for the SBS Honors Program and the Finance Honors Program.

Prerequisites:

GPA of 3.0 or higher required; previous programming course, or instructor approval.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

In this project-based course, students will apply programming language, such as Python or R, to model financial situations and derive appropriate predictions and policy recommendations. Students will learn to use large data, queries, natural language processing, machine learning, data management, and other relevant concepts to apply FinTech to achieve process improvements and explore innovations in financial services.

Prerequisites:

FIN 200

Credits:

3

Description:

This course introduces students to the mutual fund industry and its evolution into the brokerage business. The course focuses on developing this foundation knowledge through classroom discussions and case analysis with guest experts in the various aspects of mutual funds.

 

FinTech Minor (4 courses, 12 credits)

Required Courses:

Prerequisites:

STATS-240 or STATS-250

Credits:

3.00

Description:

Introduces a detailed overview of statistical learning for data mining, inference, and prediction in order to tackle modern-day data analysis problems. This course is appropriate for students who wish to learn and apply statistical learning tools to analyze data and gain valuable hands-on experience with R. Statistical learning refers to a vast set of tools for modeling and understanding complex datasets. Exciting topics include: Regression, Logistic Regression, Linear Discriminant Analysis, Cross-Validation, Bootstrap, Linear/Non-Linear Model Selection and Regularization, Support Vector Methodology, and Unsupervised Learning via Principal Components Analysis and Clustering Methods. Students learn how to implement each of the statistical learning methods using the popular statistical software package R via hands-on lab sessions.

Prerequisites:

Take FIN-200. GPA of 3.0 or higher required.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to the terminology, current FinTech themes, future challenges, and opportunities related to the application of technology to financial services. With an emphasis on case studies and guest lectures, the class will discuss datafication, alternative finance, innovative business models, algorithmic trading, data-driven decision making, mobile-only services, robo advisers, machine learning, artificial intelligence, crypto currencies, Blockchain, RegTech, InsureTech, cybersecurity and the rise of TechFin's. This course is equivalent to an Honors-level course and should count towards the SBS Honors Program and Finance Honors Program requirements.

Prerequisites:

GPA of 3.0 or higher required; previous programming course, or instructor approval.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

In this project-based course, students will apply programming language, such as Python or R, to model financial situations and derive appropriate predictions and policy recommendations. Students will learn to use large data, queries, natural language processing, machine learning, data management, and other relevant concepts to apply FinTech to achieve process improvements and explore innovations in financial services.

Choose one (1):

Prerequisites:

Take 2 Finance Major electives previously, cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher required- or Instructor approval.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

The students in this course will learn to apply their finance knowledge in a practical setting. The instructor will work with an outside organization to identify a set of relevant challenges it is facing and the students will work in teams to come up with possible solutions to these challenges. There will be a number of deliverables throughout the semester with a goal of final professional presentations before the stakeholders of the outside organization and preparation of written consulting reports. This course will fulfill the Finance Practicum requirement.

Prerequisites:

Take 2 Finance Major electives previously, cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher required. Instructor approval required.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course allows finance majors or minors to apply their finance knowledge in an organizational workplace setting. Students identify and organize their own internship positions and are required to work at least 160 hours during the internship. Additionally, they will have to identify a faculty adviser. In coordination with the faculty adviser, the students will come up with a set of deliverables, which could include a paper, a project, etc., to meet the requirements of a 3-credit course. This course will fulfill the Finance Practicum requirement.

Finance Concentrations Archive 2020-2021

Finance Concentrations

Finance majors may choose to specialize in one of five (5) areas. All majors complete the four (4) required core courses (FIN-311, FIN-315, FIN-417 and FIN-419) as well as the required Finance Practicum, FIN-560. In addition to these requirements, Finance majors who choose to specialize with a concentration follow the instructions for their area of interest below.

Investments

Required Courses:

Prerequisites:

FIN-315 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is an in-depth analysis of derivatives: futures, options, and swaps. The course explains why these securities exist, where and how they are traded, how to employ them in managing risk, and how to accurately price them. It also covers the use of these derivatives in the context hedging or speculation.

Prerequisites:

FIN-315 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is an advanced course in investment analysis stressing efficient frontier and diversification. Also studies portfolio construction and management, and the tradeoff of risk versus return.

Choose one (1):

Prerequisites:

FIN-200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course focuses primarily on real estate investment and many different approaches are discussed. The course examines related areas of law, finance, insurance, taxation, appraisal and brokerage.

Prerequisites:

EC-101 and EC-102 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course covers characteristics, structure and function of money and capital markets with a focus on the recent events relating to financial markets and their impact on the corporate financing behavior and the interrelationship among the various financial markets. Also, each type of financial institution and its internationalization are discussed.

Prerequisites:

Take FIN-200. GPA of 3.0 or higher required.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to the terminology, current FinTech themes, future challenges, and opportunities related to the application of technology to financial services. With an emphasis on case studies and guest lectures, the class will discuss datafication, alternative finance, innovative business models, algorithmic trading, data-driven decision making, mobile-only services, robo advisers, machine learning, artificial intelligence, crypto currencies, Blockchain, RegTech, InsureTech, cybersecurity and the rise of TechFin's. This course is equivalent to an Honors-level course and should count towards the SBS Honors Program and Finance Honors Program requirements.

Prerequisites:

Take FIN-200; required GPA of 3.2 or higher

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to the terminology, current FinTech themes, future challenges, and opportunities related to the application of technology to financial services. With an emphasis on case studies and guest lectures, the class will discuss datafication, alternative finance, innovative business models, algorithmic trading, data-driven decision making, mobile-only services, robo advisers, machine learning, artificial intelligence, crypto currencies, Blockchain, RegTech, InsureTech, cybersecurity and the rise of TechFin's. This course counts towards Honors credits for the SBS Honors Program and the Finance Honors Program.

Prerequisites:

FIN-315

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to fixed income securities and related capital markets. It covers such topics as bond valuation, bond portfolio management, Treasury securities and markets, fixed income derivatives, mortgage- and asset-backed securities, and convertible bonds. As a part of their studies, students will be trained in using Bloomberg terminal and will receive Bloomberg certification upon completion of this course.

Prerequisites:

FIN-315

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is focused on the security analysis of stocks with the goal of managing the Suffolk University student-run portfolio. The material is pertinent to the security analyst - particularly the equity analyst who must issue a buy, hold or sell recommendations on stocks. By the end of the course, the student should feel competent in writing a thorough, credible equity research report or investment analysis that meets the highest standards of professionalism.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200; Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course covers the analysis and interpretation of financial statements. It is designed to help investors and managers in their assessment of a business entity. It also covers comparative financial statements and trend and ratio analysis.

Prerequisites:

GPA of 3.0 or higher required; previous programming course, or instructor approval.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

In this project-based course, students will apply programming language, such as Python or R, to model financial situations and derive appropriate predictions and policy recommendations. Students will learn to use large data, queries, natural language processing, machine learning, data management, and other relevant concepts to apply FinTech to achieve process improvements and explore innovations in financial services.

Prerequisites:

FIN 200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to the mutual fund industry and its evolution into the brokerage business. The course focuses on developing this foundation knowledge through classroom discussions and case analysis with guest experts in the various aspects of mutual funds.

Prerequisites:

FIN-315 and Junior standing; Restricted to SBS Honors, or GPA 3.2 or higher.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

The course will augment and extend students' finance skills, tools and concepts learned in core finance and investment courses and blend the theory with real world application. The course utilizes the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute Investment Series textbook to facilitate the mastery of quantitative methods, data analytics and their application in today's investment process for stocks, bonds, futures and options. In addition to review of time value of money, discounted cash flow and statistical/probability analysis, the course will cover advanced concepts such as correlation and regression and their real world application in finance and investments. An important part of the course will be the ability to distinguish useful information from the overwhelming quantity of available data. Additional topics will include valuation methods/models, quantitative investment strategies, technical analysis, trading strategies & execution of transactions, quantitative/algorithmic & high frequency trading. Material will be reinforced with hands-on application of utilizing real time trading and market data platforms. Microsoft Excel, applications utilized in the financial industry, statistical/mathematical and programming platforms will be used extensively throughout the course. Guest speakers will be scheduled to speak about certain topics and their experiences.

Corporate Finance

Required Courses:

Prerequisites:

FIN-200; Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course covers the analysis and interpretation of financial statements. It is designed to help investors and managers in their assessment of a business entity. It also covers comparative financial statements and trend and ratio analysis.

Prerequisites:

FIN-311 or permission of instructor and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course develops the practical techniques and decision rules in the evaluation and selection of long-term investment projects. Teaching is oriented towards discussion of readings and case studies. Readings should provide students with understanding of capital budgeting techniques, and case studies should allow them to apply the techniques to real-world problems with the help of the computer.

Choose one (1):

Prerequisites:

FIN-200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course focuses primarily on real estate investment and many different approaches are discussed. The course examines related areas of law, finance, insurance, taxation, appraisal and brokerage.

Prerequisites:

Take FIN-200. GPA of 3.0 or higher required.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to the terminology, current FinTech themes, future challenges, and opportunities related to the application of technology to financial services. With an emphasis on case studies and guest lectures, the class will discuss datafication, alternative finance, innovative business models, algorithmic trading, data-driven decision making, mobile-only services, robo advisers, machine learning, artificial intelligence, crypto currencies, Blockchain, RegTech, InsureTech, cybersecurity and the rise of TechFin's. This course is equivalent to an Honors-level course and should count towards the SBS Honors Program and Finance Honors Program requirements.

Prerequisites:

Take FIN-200; required GPA of 3.2 or higher

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to the terminology, current FinTech themes, future challenges, and opportunities related to the application of technology to financial services. With an emphasis on case studies and guest lectures, the class will discuss datafication, alternative finance, innovative business models, algorithmic trading, data-driven decision making, mobile-only services, robo advisers, machine learning, artificial intelligence, crypto currencies, Blockchain, RegTech, InsureTech, cybersecurity and the rise of TechFin's. This course counts towards Honors credits for the SBS Honors Program and the Finance Honors Program.

Prerequisites:

FIN-315 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is an in-depth analysis of derivatives: futures, options, and swaps. The course explains why these securities exist, where and how they are traded, how to employ them in managing risk, and how to accurately price them. It also covers the use of these derivatives in the context hedging or speculation.

Prerequisites:

GPA of 3.0 or higher required; previous programming course, or instructor approval.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

In this project-based course, students will apply programming language, such as Python or R, to model financial situations and derive appropriate predictions and policy recommendations. Students will learn to use large data, queries, natural language processing, machine learning, data management, and other relevant concepts to apply FinTech to achieve process improvements and explore innovations in financial services.

Financial Institutions

Required Courses:

Prerequisites:

EC-101 and EC-102 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course covers characteristics, structure and function of money and capital markets with a focus on the recent events relating to financial markets and their impact on the corporate financing behavior and the interrelationship among the various financial markets. Also, each type of financial institution and its internationalization are discussed.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

The course introduces students to the management of international financial-services firms and methods through which financial institutions manage risk. The course focuses on concepts and basic tools for identifying, measuring, and managing risks, such as interest rate risk, credit risk, liquidity risk, market risk and operational risk. The course also introduces key regulations and important ethical issues in the financial-services industry.

Choose one (1):

Prerequisites:

FIN 200 (formerly FIN 310); Junior standing

Credits:

3

Description:

This course includes the theory, practice and problems of risk bearing in business and personal pursuits including life, property and casualty insurance and dealing with contract analysis and investments as well as corporate risk management.

Prerequisites:

Take FIN-200. GPA of 3.0 or higher required.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to the terminology, current FinTech themes, future challenges, and opportunities related to the application of technology to financial services. With an emphasis on case studies and guest lectures, the class will discuss datafication, alternative finance, innovative business models, algorithmic trading, data-driven decision making, mobile-only services, robo advisers, machine learning, artificial intelligence, crypto currencies, Blockchain, RegTech, InsureTech, cybersecurity and the rise of TechFin's. This course is equivalent to an Honors-level course and should count towards the SBS Honors Program and Finance Honors Program requirements.

Prerequisites:

Take FIN-200; required GPA of 3.2 or higher

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to the terminology, current FinTech themes, future challenges, and opportunities related to the application of technology to financial services. With an emphasis on case studies and guest lectures, the class will discuss datafication, alternative finance, innovative business models, algorithmic trading, data-driven decision making, mobile-only services, robo advisers, machine learning, artificial intelligence, crypto currencies, Blockchain, RegTech, InsureTech, cybersecurity and the rise of TechFin's. This course counts towards Honors credits for the SBS Honors Program and the Finance Honors Program.

Prerequisites:

GPA of 3.0 or higher required; previous programming course, or instructor approval.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

In this project-based course, students will apply programming language, such as Python or R, to model financial situations and derive appropriate predictions and policy recommendations. Students will learn to use large data, queries, natural language processing, machine learning, data management, and other relevant concepts to apply FinTech to achieve process improvements and explore innovations in financial services.

Prerequisites:

FIN 200

Credits:

3

Description:

This course introduces students to the mutual fund industry and its evolution into the brokerage business. The course focuses on developing this foundation knowledge through classroom discussions and case analysis with guest experts in the various aspects of mutual funds.

FinTech

Required Courses:

Prerequisites:

STATS-240 or STATS-250

Credits:

3.00

Description:

Introduces a detailed overview of statistical learning for data mining, inference, and prediction in order to tackle modern-day data analysis problems. This course is appropriate for students who wish to learn and apply statistical learning tools to analyze data and gain valuable hands-on experience with R. Statistical learning refers to a vast set of tools for modeling and understanding complex datasets. Exciting topics include: Regression, Logistic Regression, Linear Discriminant Analysis, Cross-Validation, Bootstrap, Linear/Non-Linear Model Selection and Regularization, Support Vector Methodology, and Unsupervised Learning via Principal Components Analysis and Clustering Methods. Students learn how to implement each of the statistical learning methods using the popular statistical software package R via hands-on lab sessions.

Prerequisites:

Take FIN-200. GPA of 3.0 or higher required.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to the terminology, current FinTech themes, future challenges, and opportunities related to the application of technology to financial services. With an emphasis on case studies and guest lectures, the class will discuss datafication, alternative finance, innovative business models, algorithmic trading, data-driven decision making, mobile-only services, robo advisers, machine learning, artificial intelligence, crypto currencies, Blockchain, RegTech, InsureTech, cybersecurity and the rise of TechFin's. This course is equivalent to an Honors-level course and should count towards the SBS Honors Program and Finance Honors Program requirements.

Prerequisites:

GPA of 3.0 or higher required; previous programming course, or instructor approval.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

In this project-based course, students will apply programming language, such as Python or R, to model financial situations and derive appropriate predictions and policy recommendations. Students will learn to use large data, queries, natural language processing, machine learning, data management, and other relevant concepts to apply FinTech to achieve process improvements and explore innovations in financial services.

Choose one (1):

Prerequisites:

Take 2 Finance Major electives previously, cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher required- or Instructor approval.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

The students in this course will learn to apply their finance knowledge in a practical setting. The instructor will work with an outside organization to identify a set of relevant challenges it is facing and the students will work in teams to come up with possible solutions to these challenges. There will be a number of deliverables throughout the semester with a goal of final professional presentations before the stakeholders of the outside organization and preparation of written consulting reports. This course will fulfill the Finance Practicum requirement.

Prerequisites:

Take 2 Finance Major electives previously, cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher required. Instructor approval required.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course allows finance majors or minors to apply their finance knowledge in an organizational workplace setting. Students identify and organize their own internship positions and are required to work at least 160 hours during the internship. Additionally, they will have to identify a faculty adviser. In coordination with the faculty adviser, the students will come up with a set of deliverables, which could include a paper, a project, etc., to meet the requirements of a 3-credit course. This course will fulfill the Finance Practicum requirement.

Financial Planning

Financial Planning (FP) offers a valuable opportunity for students to pursue a career in financial planning. Financial planners analyze and provide advice on all areas of a person’s financial life: investment management, retirement planning, estate planning, income tax management and insurance. In most cases, financial planners’ analyses and recommendations are provided to clients in a written financial plan. The planner may then coordinate the implementation of the plan and periodically review it to account for changes in the client’s life and current economic conditions.

Finance majors who choose to specialize in Financial Planning complete all five (5) of the following requirements:

Prerequisites:

ACCT-202

Credits:

3.00

Description:

Focuses on the federal income taxation of individuals with some discussion of business taxation. Explores the basic structure of individual income taxation, including the individual tax formula, income, deductions, and credits, and provides an introduction to property transactions. Emphasizes how tax laws affect everyday personal and business decisions.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course includes the theory, practice and problems of risk bearing in business and personal pursuits including life, property and casualty insurance and dealing with contract analysis and investments as well as corporate risk management.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is designed to expose the student to the wide range of financial planning tools and techniques available today to the professional financial planner as well as to the individual. By the end of the course the student should be able to construct a sensible and workable financial plan for a "client."

Prerequisites:

FIN-200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course develops an understanding of the financial objectives required to maintain a desired standard of living in retirement and planning the distribution of assets after death. Throughout the retirement planning segment, students will understand how to plan for adequate retirement income, social security, long term care, and incapacity. The estate planning segment of the course highlights the key techniques and rules required to properly manage a person's estate.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course examines professional issues in financial planning, including ethical considerations, regulation and certification requirements, written communication skills, and professional responsibility. Students are expected to utilize skills obtained in other courses and work experiences in the completion of a comprehensive personal finance case, other mini-case studies, and calculation templates.

This program was approved by the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Board. Upon completion of the program, students are entitled to take the CFP exam administered by the CFP Board, which is an integral part of the prestigious CFP certification process.

More information about the CFP exam is available.

Finance Certificate in Financial Planning Archive 2020-2021

Learn more about this certificate

Certificate Program in Financial Planning

This non-degree program is offered as a flexible and affordable program for working professionals whose responsibilities are currently or expected to be related to financial planning. This certificate program requires the completion of the following seven (7) courses (provided that the students demonstrate proficiency in prerequisites) with a “pass” grade:

Prerequisites:

MATH 128 or higher; ACCT 201; STATS 240 or 250 (can take concurrently with FPP 200)

Credits:

Description:

This course is a study of the functions of business finance and focuses on basis financial principles such as time value of money, risk and return tradeoffs, and asset valuation.

Prerequisites:

FIN 200(formerly FIN 310) or FPP 200(formerly FPP 310);

Credits:

Description:

This course includes the theory, practice and problems of risk-bearing in business and personal pursuit including life, property and casualty insurance and dealing with contract analysis and investments as well as corporate risk management.

Prerequisites:

FIN 200(formerly FIN 310) or FPP 200(formerly FPP 310);

Credits:

Description:

This course covers the investment of funds by individuals and institutions. Focuses on analysis of investments and security markets, and the mechanics of trading and investing. A variety of investment vehicles are discussed including stocks, bonds,futures and options.

Prerequisites:

ACCT 202; take either FIN 200(formerly FIN 310) or FPP 200(formerly FPP 310);

Credits:

Description:

A study of basic federal taxation as it applies to individuals, partnerships and corporations. Expertise in the preparation of tax returns is developed. Prerequisite: ACCT 202 MATH 134 OR MATH 161 OR MATH 165.

Prerequisites:

FIN 200(formerly FIN 310) or FPP 200(formerly FPP 310);

Credits:

Description:

This course is designed to expose the student to the wide range of financial planning tools and techniques available today to the professional financial planner as well as to the individual. By the end of the course the student should be able to construct a sensible and workable financial plan for a client.

Prerequisites:

Take FIN-200. CFP students only.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course develops an understanding of the financial objectives required to maintain a desired standard of living in retirement and planning the distribution of assets after death. Throughout the retirement planning segment, students will understand how to plan for adequate retirement income, social security, long term care, and incapacity. The estate planning segment of the course highlights the key techniques and rules required to properly manage a person's estate.

Prerequisites:

FPP 200(formerly FPP 310);

Credits:

3

Description:

This course examines professional issues in financial planning, including ethical considerations, regulation and certification requirements, written communication skills, and professional responsibility. Students are expected to utilize skills obtained in other courses and work experiences in the completion of a comprehensive personal finance case, other mini-case studies, and calculation templates.

It should be noted that FPP-200 is an introduction to finance. It has three (3) prerequisites ***

One (1) of the following courses:

Prerequisites:

MATH-128 or higher. REMINDER: STATS-240 satisfies the pre-requisite for MKT-220, FIN-200, ISOM-201 (pre-req for ISOM-319), ISOM-230 (pre-req for ISOM-330), ISOM-231, and ISOM-330

Credits:

4.00

Description:

Introduction to statistics and application to statistical analysis by using real-world data. Topics include: data presentation, measures of central locations and dispersion, probability, discrete and continuous probability distributions, sampling and sampling distribution, estimation, hypothesis testing with applications, simple and multiple regression models. The use of Excel and SPSS will be emphasized throughout the lab class. Normally offered each semester, this course meets 4 hours each week. STATS 240 satisfies the same requirements as STATS 250

Prerequisites:

MATH-128 or higher

Credits:

4.00

Description:

Application of statistical analysis to real-world business and economic problems. Topics include data presentation, descriptive statistics including measures of location and dispersion, introduction to probability, discrete and continuous random variables, probability distributions including binomial and normal distributions, sampling and sampling distributions, statistical inference including estimation and hypothesis testing, simple and multiple regression analysis. The use of computers is emphasized throughout the course. Normally offered each semester.

 

And both of the below courses:

Prerequisites:

MATH-128 or higher and WRI-102 or WRI-H103 or SBS-220

Credits:

3.00

Description:

Introduces students to the accounting cycle, the financial statements, and the theory underlying accounting as information. Provides users of accounting information with a basic understanding of how to appraise and manage a business. Addresses current accounting topics, including relevant ethical and international issues found in the financial press.

Prerequisites:

MATH level 2, or MATH-000, or MATH-104

Credits:

4.00

Description:

From the ISBN on a book, to buying a car, from the size of small chips in a cell phone, to the size of the national debt, or just reading a graph in the daily newspaper, mathematics plays an important and vital role in countless areas of life and your future career and courses included. Mathematics is both an art and a tool created by humans. The common bond is a way of thinking and a way of reasoning to describe and solve problems of many types. This course uses the context of modern real life problems to introduce math needed for literacy and problem solving in contemporary life and work. It uses a minimal amount of algebra and focuses on math models, concepts and basic math manipulations. It encourages students to move from anxiety about math, to using formulas well, to thinking critically in the math context to use math to solve problems and pose new problems. Topics include scientific notation, basic financial math, linear, exponential and polynomial models and an introduction to probability. (Formerly Math 132)

*A Math course higher than MATH-128 is also acceptable.

**STATS-240 or STATS-250 can be taken concurrently with FPP-200.

***Students can waive these prerequisites provided they have completed applicable undergraduate coursework within the eligible timeframe.

These seven (7) FPP courses cover the foundation topics required by the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Board. Students may apply for admission in fall, spring, or summer sessions. Upon completion of this certificate program, the students are eligible to take the CFP exam administered by the CFP Board, which is an integral part of the prestigious CFP certification process. More information about the CFP exam is available.

Admission to the Certificate Program in Financial Planning requires a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. Students applying for admission should contact the Undergraduate Admission Office at 617-573-8460, for more information. Those who have already taken the above courses from an accredited institution may waive a maximum of three (3) courses.

Finance Undergraduate Courses Archive 2020-2021

Finance Undergraduate Courses

Prerequisites:

ACCT-201, MATH-128 or higher, and STATS-240 or STATS-250. (STATS can be taken concurrently with FIN-200); Sophomore standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is a study of the functions of business finance and focuses on basic financial principles such as time value of money, risk and return tradeoffs, and asset valuation. Formally FIN 310.

Prerequisites:

ACCT-201, MATH-128 or higher, STATS-240 or STATS-250 (can be taken concurrently); Sophomore standing; SBS Honors or 3.2 GPA or higher

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is a study of the functions of business finance and focuses on basic financial principles such as time value of money, risk and return tradeoffs, and asset valuation. Formally FIN 310.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

The course can be viewed as a "survival guide" or a "road map" to the universe of financial instruments available as well as the basic tools needed to make informed decisions. The course is intended to address the concerns of individuals in determining their financial needs and managing their financial resources. Finance 210 is a free elective only and may not be counted towards the finance major or minor.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

Intermediate Finance expands on basic financial concepts and introduces more advanced topics. Material emphasizes solutions to problems of capital structure, investment and financing. Other major topics include distribution policy, working capital management, derivative corporate securities, and corporate restructuring.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200; Restricted to SBS Honors, or GPA 3.2 or higher.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

Intermediate Finance expands on basic financial concepts and introduces more advanced topics. Material emphasizes solutions to problems of capital structure, investment and financing. Other major topics include distribution policy, working capital management, derivative corporate securities, and corporate restructuring.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course includes the theory, practice and problems of risk bearing in business and personal pursuits including life, property and casualty insurance and dealing with contract analysis and investments as well as corporate risk management.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course covers the investment of funds by individuals and institutions. Focuses on analysis of investments and security markets, and the mechanics of trading and investing. A variety of investment vehicles are discussed, including stocks, bonds, futures, and options.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200 and Junior standing; Restricted to SBS Honors, or GPA 3.2 or higher.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course covers the investment of funds by individuals and institutions. Focuses on analysis of investments and security markets, and the mechanics of trading and investing. A variety of investment vehicles are discussed, including stocks, bonds, futures, and options.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course focuses primarily on real estate investment and many different approaches are discussed. The course examines related areas of law, finance, insurance, taxation, appraisal and brokerage.

Prerequisites:

EC-101 and EC-102 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course covers characteristics, structure and function of money and capital markets with a focus on the recent events relating to financial markets and their impact on the corporate financing behavior and the interrelationship among the various financial markets. Also, each type of financial institution and its internationalization are discussed.

Prerequisites:

Take FIN-200. GPA of 3.0 or higher required.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to the terminology, current FinTech themes, future challenges, and opportunities related to the application of technology to financial services. With an emphasis on case studies and guest lectures, the class will discuss datafication, alternative finance, innovative business models, algorithmic trading, data-driven decision making, mobile-only services, robo advisers, machine learning, artificial intelligence, crypto currencies, Blockchain, RegTech, InsureTech, cybersecurity and the rise of TechFin's. This course is equivalent to an Honors-level course and should count towards the SBS Honors Program and Finance Honors Program requirements.

Prerequisites:

Take FIN-200; required GPA of 3.2 or higher

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to the terminology, current FinTech themes, future challenges, and opportunities related to the application of technology to financial services. With an emphasis on case studies and guest lectures, the class will discuss datafication, alternative finance, innovative business models, algorithmic trading, data-driven decision making, mobile-only services, robo advisers, machine learning, artificial intelligence, crypto currencies, Blockchain, RegTech, InsureTech, cybersecurity and the rise of TechFin's. This course counts towards Honors credits for the SBS Honors Program and the Finance Honors Program.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is designed to expose the student to the wide range of financial planning tools and techniques available today to the professional financial planner as well as to the individual. By the end of the course the student should be able to construct a sensible and workable financial plan for a "client."

Prerequisites:

FIN-315

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to fixed income securities and related capital markets. It covers such topics as bond valuation, bond portfolio management, Treasury securities and markets, fixed income derivatives, mortgage- and asset-backed securities, and convertible bonds. As a part of their studies, students will be trained in using Bloomberg terminal and will receive Bloomberg certification upon completion of this course.

Prerequisites:

FIN-315

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is focused on the security analysis of stocks with the goal of managing the Suffolk University student-run portfolio. The material is pertinent to the security analyst - particularly the equity analyst who must issue a buy, hold or sell recommendations on stocks. By the end of the course, the student should feel competent in writing a thorough, credible equity research report or investment analysis that meets the highest standards of professionalism.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200; Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course covers the analysis and interpretation of financial statements. It is designed to help investors and managers in their assessment of a business entity. It also covers comparative financial statements and trend and ratio analysis.

Prerequisites:

FIN-315 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is an in-depth analysis of derivatives: futures, options, and swaps. The course explains why these securities exist, where and how they are traded, how to employ them in managing risk, and how to accurately price them. It also covers the use of these derivatives in the context hedging or speculation.

Prerequisites:

FIN-315 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is an advanced course in investment analysis stressing efficient frontier and diversification. Also studies portfolio construction and management, and the tradeoff of risk versus return.

Prerequisites:

FIN-311 or permission of instructor and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course develops the practical techniques and decision rules in the evaluation and selection of long-term investment projects. Teaching is oriented towards discussion of readings and case studies. Readings should provide students with understanding of capital budgeting techniques, and case studies should allow them to apply the techniques to real-world problems with the help of the computer.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200 and Junior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course covers the financing, investment and working capital management process of multinational corporations, considering such variables as exchange risk, political risk, accounting regulations and tax laws.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200 and Junior standing and SBS Honors student or at least a 3.2 GPA

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course covers the financing, investment and working capital management process of multinational corporations, considering such variables as exchange risk, political risk, accounting regulations and tax laws.

Prerequisites:

FIN-311; Two FIN major required or elective courses; Senior standing

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is an in-depth study of current finance theory and methodology applicable to the firm through case analyses, computer work and recent publications. It is a capstone course where students learn how to integrate financial theories and principles to reach optimal financial decisions in practice.

Prerequisites:

FIN-311; Two FIN major required or elective courses; Senior standing; SBS Honors or 3.2 GPA or higher

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course is an in-depth study of current finance theory and methodology applicable to the firm through case analyses, computer work and recent publications. It is a capstone course where students learn how to integrate financial theories and principles to reach optimal financial decisions in practice.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course provides an introduction to estate planning, including a discussion of wills, intestacy, and tax consequences of estate planning techniques. The course will prepare students to discuss the necessity, objectives and techniques of estate planning with clients. It will introduce students to the consequences of intestacy and the uses of wills. Additionally, students will learn the basic concepts of the federal estate, gift and income tax rules that apply to certain estate plans and how to use them for the benefit of clients.

Prerequisites:

FIN 200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course examines financial planning for retirement and presents a comprehensive process for doing such a planning. Among the main topics covered are setting financial objectives for retirement, planning for adequate retirement income, social security and other governmental benefits, understanding qualified and non- qualified plans, pre- and post-retirement investment planning, planning for long-term care, and planning for incapacity.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course develops an understanding of the financial objectives required to maintain a desired standard of living in retirement and planning the distribution of assets after death. Throughout the retirement planning segment, students will understand how to plan for adequate retirement income, social security, long term care, and incapacity. The estate planning segment of the course highlights the key techniques and rules required to properly manage a person's estate.

Prerequisites:

GPA of 3.0 or higher required; previous programming course, or instructor approval.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

In this project-based course, students will apply programming language, such as Python or R, to model financial situations and derive appropriate predictions and policy recommendations. Students will learn to use large data, queries, natural language processing, machine learning, data management, and other relevant concepts to apply FinTech to achieve process improvements and explore innovations in financial services.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

The course introduces students to the management of international financial-services firms and methods through which financial institutions manage risk. The course focuses on concepts and basic tools for identifying, measuring, and managing risks, such as interest rate risk, credit risk, liquidity risk, market risk and operational risk. The course also introduces key regulations and important ethical issues in the financial-services industry.

Prerequisites:

FIN 200 and Junior standing; SBS Honors or 3.2 GPA or higher

Credits:

3

Description:

This course analyzes the origins and consequences of the current financial situation from a variety of different economic and political perspectives. It offers students the opportunity to explore the chain of events that preceded the global financial crisis, monitor markets on a real-time basis (using Bloomberg) and provides a forum to discuss solutions and independently generate ideas. Among the main topics covered are asset pricing, derivative securities, financial engineering, risk management and the role of financial institutions, central banks and government agencies in global markets.

Prerequisites:

FIN-315 and Junior standing; Restricted to SBS Honors, or GPA 3.2 or higher.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

The course will augment and extend students' finance skills, tools and concepts learned in core finance and investment courses and blend the theory with real world application. The course utilizes the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute Investment Series textbook to facilitate the mastery of quantitative methods, data analytics and their application in today's investment process for stocks, bonds, futures and options. In addition to review of time value of money, discounted cash flow and statistical/probability analysis, the course will cover advanced concepts such as correlation and regression and their real world application in finance and investments. An important part of the course will be the ability to distinguish useful information from the overwhelming quantity of available data. Additional topics will include valuation methods/models, quantitative investment strategies, technical analysis, trading strategies & execution of transactions, quantitative/algorithmic & high frequency trading. Material will be reinforced with hands-on application of utilizing real time trading and market data platforms. Microsoft Excel, applications utilized in the financial industry, statistical/mathematical and programming platforms will be used extensively throughout the course. Guest speakers will be scheduled to speak about certain topics and their experiences.

Prerequisites:

FIN 200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course introduces students to the mutual fund industry and its evolution into the brokerage business. The course focuses on developing this foundation knowledge through classroom discussions and case analysis with guest experts in the various aspects of mutual funds.

Prerequisites:

FIN-200

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course examines professional issues in financial planning, including ethical considerations, regulation and certification requirements, written communication skills, and professional responsibility. Students are expected to utilize skills obtained in other courses and work experiences in the completion of a comprehensive personal finance case, other mini-case studies, and calculation templates.

Prerequisites:

instructor's (full time), chair's, dean's approval

Credits:

1.00- 6.00

Description:

Independent study allows students to expand their classroom experience by completing research in an area of interest not already covered by Suffolk courses. The student designs a unique project and finds a full-time faculty member with expertise in that topic who agrees to sponsor it and provide feedback as the proposal is refined. A well designed and executed research project broadens and/or deepens learning in a major or minor area of study and may also enhance a student's marketability to potential future employers. Students cannot register for an Independent Study until a full proposal is approved by the faculty sponsor, department chair, and academic dean. Many Independent study proposals require revisions before approval is granted; even with revisions independent study approval is NOT guaranteed. Students are strongly encouraged to submit a proposal in enough time to register for a different course if the proposal is not accepted. For complete instructions, see the SBS Independent/Directed Study Agreement and Proposal form available online.

Prerequisites:

Take 2 Finance Major electives previously, cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher required- or Instructor approval.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

The students in this course will learn to apply their finance knowledge in a practical setting. The instructor will work with an outside organization to identify a set of relevant challenges it is facing and the students will work in teams to come up with possible solutions to these challenges. There will be a number of deliverables throughout the semester with a goal of final professional presentations before the stakeholders of the outside organization and preparation of written consulting reports. This course will fulfill the Finance Practicum requirement.

Prerequisites:

Take 2 Finance Major electives previously, cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher required. Instructor approval required.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course allows finance majors or minors to apply their finance knowledge in an organizational workplace setting. Students identify and organize their own internship positions and are required to work at least 160 hours during the internship. Additionally, they will have to identify a faculty adviser. In coordination with the faculty adviser, the students will come up with a set of deliverables, which could include a paper, a project, etc., to meet the requirements of a 3-credit course. This course will fulfill the Finance Practicum requirement.

Prerequisites:

Must obtain approval from FIN dept

Credits:

0.00

Description:

Required of all Finance majors. Majors will have an approved 160 hours of finance experience. Experience may be acquired through internship, part- or full-time employment or cooperative education. Zero Credit

Prerequisites:

MATH 128 or higher; ACCT 201; STATS 240 or 250 (can take concurrently with FPP 200)

Credits:

Description:

This course is a study of the functions of business finance and focuses on basis financial principles such as time value of money, risk and return tradeoffs, and asset valuation.

Prerequisites:

FIN 200(formerly FIN 310) or FPP 200(formerly FPP 310);

Credits:

Description:

This course includes the theory, practice and problems of risk-bearing in business and personal pursuit including life, property and casualty insurance and dealing with contract analysis and investments as well as corporate risk management.

Prerequisites:

FIN 200(formerly FIN 310) or FPP 200(formerly FPP 310);

Credits:

Description:

This course covers the investment of funds by individuals and institutions. Focuses on analysis of investments and security markets, and the mechanics of trading and investing. A variety of investment vehicles are discussed including stocks, bonds,futures and options.

Prerequisites:

ACCT 202; take either FIN 200(formerly FIN 310) or FPP 200(formerly FPP 310);

Credits:

Description:

A study of basic federal taxation as it applies to individuals, partnerships and corporations. Expertise in the preparation of tax returns is developed. Prerequisite: ACCT 202 MATH 134 OR MATH 161 OR MATH 165.

Prerequisites:

FIN 200(formerly FIN 310) or FPP 200(formerly FPP 310);

Credits:

Description:

This course is designed to expose the student to the wide range of financial planning tools and techniques available today to the professional financial planner as well as to the individual. By the end of the course the student should be able to construct a sensible and workable financial plan for a client.

Prerequisites:

FIN 200(formerly FIN 310) or FPP 200(formerly FPP 310);

Credits:

Description:

This course provides an introduction to estate planning, including a discussion of wills, intestacy, and tax consequences of estate planning techniques. The course will prepare students to discuss the necessity, objectives, and techniques of estate planning with clients. It will introduce students to the consequences of intestacy and the uses of wills. Additionally, students will learn the basic concepts of the federal estate, gift, and income tax rules that apply to certain estate plans and how to use them for the benefit of clients.

Prerequisites:

FIN 200(formerly FIN 310) or FPP 200(formerly FPP 310);

Credits:

Description:

This course examines financial planning for retirement and presents a comprehensive process for doing such a planning. Among the main topics covered are setting financial objectives for retirement, planning for adequate retirement income, social security and other governmental benefits, understanding qualified and non- qualified plans, pre- and post-retirement investment planning, planning for long-term care, and planning for incapacity.

Prerequisites:

Take FIN-200. CFP students only.

Credits:

3.00

Description:

This course develops an understanding of the financial objectives required to maintain a desired standard of living in retirement and planning the distribution of assets after death. Throughout the retirement planning segment, students will understand how to plan for adequate retirement income, social security, long term care, and incapacity. The estate planning segment of the course highlights the key techniques and rules required to properly manage a person's estate.

Prerequisites:

FPP 200(formerly FPP 310);

Credits:

3

Description:

This course examines professional issues in financial planning, including ethical considerations, regulation and certification requirements, written communication skills, and professional responsibility. Students are expected to utilize skills obtained in other courses and work experiences in the completion of a comprehensive personal finance case, other mini-case studies, and calculation templates.