Finance

The primary mission of the Department of Finance is to provide a quality education to students that will prepare them for leadership positions within the finance profession in business. Students acquire financial knowledge and skills that can be applied in a variety of environments.

UA’s four-year finance degree provides students with the opportunity to acquire general business and financial problem-solving skills – with a concentrated study in Financial Management, Financial Planning, or Risk Management and Insurance (RMI).

Graduates in finance develop the skills to: Succeed in financial management of both businesses and not-for-profit organizations; Make effective decisions regarding financial analysis, cash management, raising capital, funding new products, and mergers and acquisitions; Advise people in planning their personal finances to enhance their standard of living during their working years and in retirement; and Identify, analyze, and manage financial and operational risks that are inherent in both personal and business settings.

Financial Management develops students’ ability to apply the principle of finance to management of a firm. While the curriculum focuses on the corporation, the skills acquired apply to any organization requiring financial management. Career opportunities include: Chief financial officers; Bank loan officers, credit managers, operations managers and financial analysts; Corporate credit managers; and Participants in all phases of mergers and acquisitions

Financial Planners do what many people don’t like doing for themselves: Figure out how to manage their money. By meeting with clients and then helping them determine budgeting plans, investing decisions, insurance needs and other financial to-do’s, financial planners get clients on track and help them stay focused on meeting their financial goals. This major qualifies students to sit for the Certified Financial Planner™(CFP®) Exam. Career opportunities include: Financial Planner; Paraplanner; Customer Service Associate; Wealth Management; and Portfolio Manager

RMI prepares students to identify, analyze and manage financial and operational risks that are inherent in both personal and business settings. They study property, liability, health and life insurance, employee benefit programs and government insurance programs. The RMI industry is dynamic and changing rapidly and employment opportunities are high. Careers in this field encompass three broad categories: corporate risk management, corporate insurance professional and insurance sales. Career opportunities include: Loss control specialist/underwriter; Risk analyst/auditor; Claims adjuster/manager; Agency sales/service; and Bank compliance officer.

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Finance (FIN)

FIN 300  Introduction to Finance  (3 Units)  
Prerequisites: MATH 145 and [ECON 200 or ECON 244]. Studies the sources and uses of funds for business. Students cannot get credit for this class and FIN 301. (For non-College of Business students). (Formerly 6400:300)
FIN 301  Principles of Finance  (3 Units)  
Prerequisites: [ECON 200 or ECON 244], [MATH 145 with a grade of C- or better or higher math], ACCT 201, and completion of one of the following: ACCT 250, admittance to the College of Engineering with 48 credit hours completed, or admittance to the Actuarial Sciences program with 48 credit hours completed. An overview of the financial system and the major decision areas of the financial manager such as capital budgeting, financing, and working capital management. (Formerly 6400:301)
FIN 302  Intermediate Corporate Finance  (3 Units)  
Prerequisite: FIN 301 with a grade of C or better. This second course in corporate finance builds upon FIN 301 to provide students with an analytic foundation for careers in business. (Formerly 6400:302)
FIN 338  Financial Markets & Institutions  (3 Units)  
Prerequisite: FIN 300 or FIN 301 with a grade of C- or better. Studies the flows of funds. Analyzes major financial intermediaries. Money and capital markets reviewed with emphasis on interest rates and their impact upon administration of specific financial intermediaries. (Formerly 6400:338)
FIN 341  Contemporary Investments  (3 Units)  
Prerequisite: FIN 300 or FIN 301. Fundamentals of investing for the individual investor. Students cannot get credit for this class and FIN 343. (For non-College of Business Administration students.) (Formerly 6400:341)
FIN 343  Investments  (3 Units)  
Prerequisites: [FIN 300 or FIN 301 with a grade of C- or better] and [STAT 262, STAT 461, or MGMT 304]. Range of security investment media explored, alternative investment programs considered and role of securities markets through which goals can be achieved studied. (Formerly 6400:343)
FIN 390  Real Estate Principles: Value Approach  (3 Units)  
A study of real estate: the profession, the process, and the product. Emphasis is on real estate as a product and the valuation process. The measurement of value requires tool abilities in accounting, statistics and finance. (Formerly 6400:390)
FIN 402  Income Property Appraisal  (3 Units)  
Prerequisite: FIN 301 or permission of instructor. Advanced course in real property appraisal and valuation. Techniques and concepts will be covered along with the theory underlying such techniques. (Formerly 6400:402)
FIN 403  Real Estate Finance  (3 Units)  
Prerequisite: FIN 301. Advanced course in real estate covering financing of and investment in real property. Included are investment techniques, methods, institutions, instruments, valuation, appraisal and policy issues. (Formerly 6400:403)
FIN 436  Commercial Bank Management  (3 Units)  
Prerequisites: ACCT 250, [FIN 300 or FIN 301], and FIN 338. Study of administrative policy determination and decision making within the commercial bank. Analysis of policy making in areas of liquidity, loan and security investment and sources of funds. (Formerly 6400:436)
FIN 437  International Business Finance  (3 Units)  
Prerequisite: FIN 300 or FIN 301 with a grade of C- or better. Theory and practice of financial wealth maximization in the international business enterprise. (Formerly 6400:437)
FIN 438  International Banking  (3 Units)  
Prerequisite: ECON 461 or FIN 437. Examination of recent trends in the expansion of international banking activities and associated revenue maximizing strategies. (Formerly 6400:438)
FIN 448  Advanced Portfolio Management  (3 Units)  
Prerequisites: FIN 343 and [ECON 325 or MGMT 305]. Advanced Portfolio Management is a semester long case course. The case is the management of the UA Student-Managed Investment Fund. This course's primary activity will be the active management of the Fund. Current and selected topics relating to investments and financial markets will be discussed as needed in the rapidly changing world economy. The course will give the student practical experience in portfolio construction, management and evaluation by managing real money on a real time basis. (Formerly 6400:448)
FIN 473  Financial Statement Analysis  (3 Units)  
Prerequisites: [FIN 301 with a grade of C- or better and ACCT 321], or FIN 302. Analysis and interpretation of the financial position and performance of the business firm from the perspective of the credit and financial analyst. Emphasizes mechanics and art of financial analysis. (Formerly 6400:473)
FIN 485  Financial Strategy  (3 Units)  
Prerequisite: FIN 302 with grade of C or better. Pre/Corequisite: FIN 473. Case study based course with applications of financial management theories and tools to make decisions in capital budgeting, capital structure, and working capital management. (Formerly 6400:485)
FIN 489  Advanced Financial Analytics  (3 Units)  
Prerequisites: [FIN 302 with a grade of C or better], FIN 338, FIN 343 and [MGMT 305 or ECON 325]. Capstone course with analysis of financial models using advanced spreadsheet techniques. Models from personal finance, corporate finance and investments are incorporated, with applications in financial planning, forecasting, portfolio theory and security valuation, option valuation, capital investment and cost of capital. (Formerly 6400:489)
FIN 490  Selected Topics in Finance  (1-3 Units)  
Prerequisites: ACCT 250 and FIN 301. Provides opportunity for study of special topics not covered in current finance courses. (Formerly 6400:490)
FIN 492  Internship in Financial Management  (3 Units)  
Prerequisite: Permission of designated faculty member. On the job experience with public or private sector organizations in the financial services field. Individual assignments are approved and supervised by the designated member of the faculty in the student's major field. Periodic reports and term papers required. (Formerly 6400:492)
FIN 495  Research Project in Finance  (1-3 Units)  
Prerequisites: FIN 302, FIN 338, and FIN 343. Pre/Corequisite: FPL 411 or RMI 414 or RMI 415 or FPL 417 or RMI 418 or FPL 432 or FIN 436 or FIN 437 or FIN 438 or FIN 448 or RMI 461 or FIN 473 or FIN 485 or FIN 489. Taken concurrently with or following a 400-level field Finance course. Involves independent out-of-class work on a project designed in consultation with the designated 400-level course instructor. (Formerly 6400:495)
FIN 499  Independent Study: Finance  (1-3 Units)  
Prerequisite: Permission of department head. Provides means for individualized in-depth study of finance problem or problems from which student can derive significant benefit. (Formerly 6400:499)

Financial Planning (FPL)

FPL 200  Foundations of Personal Finance  (3 Units)  
Explores application of finance concepts in personal finance with emphasis on the personal financial planning process. (Formerly 6400:200)
FPL 332  Foundations of Financial Planning  (3 Units)  
Prerequisite: [FIN 300 or FIN 301] with a grade of C or better. Introduction to financial planning, including goal setting, cash management, credit, housing, education planning, and selected professional issues. (Formerly 6400:332)
FPL 411  Estate and Financial Planning  (3 Units)  
Prerequisite: [FIN 300 or FIN 301] with a minimum grade of C- or better, or permission of Finance Department Chair. Pre/Corequisite: ACCT 330. Application of estate planning methodologies and policies to financial planning. (Formerly 6400:411)
FPL 417  Retirement Planning  (3 Units)  
Prerequisite: [FIN 300 or FIN 301] with a grade of C- or better, or permission of the instructor. An in-depth examination of retirement and estate planning objectives, methods, and strategies including the study of employee benefits plans, public and private pension funds, and lifetime strategies for maximization of estate assets. (Formerly 6400:417)
FPL 432  Financial Planning Capstone  (3 Units)  
Prerequisites: ACCT 330, [ACCT 410 or FPL 411], FPL 417, [FPL 332 with a grade of C or better], and [FIN 341 or FIN 343]. Pre/Corequisite: RMI 415 and RMI 414. Explores financial planning function, including contact, data acquisition, plan development and implementation; addressing planning techniques and financial planning ethical issues. (Formerly 6400:432)
FPL 493  Internship in Financial Planning  (3 Units)  
Prerequisite: Permission of designated faculty member. On the job experience with public or private sector organizations in the financial services field. Individual assignments are approved and supervised by the designated member of the faculty in the student's major field. Periodic reports and term papers required. (Formerly 6400:493)

Business Law (BLAW)

BLAW 220  Legal & Social Environment of Business  (3 Units)  
Prerequisite: A minimum academic standing of a Sophomore or greater. Explores the legal and social environment in which modern business must function. The legal system, public and private law, and contemporary social and ethical issues are addressed. (Formerly 6400:220)
BLAW 321  Business Law I  (3 Units)  
Prerequisite: completion of 64 credits. Discussions designed to develop legal reasoning within substantive areas of contractual obligation, agency relationships, partnerships, corporations, accountant's legal responsibility, federal securities regulation and antitrust law. (Formerly 6400:321)
BLAW 322  Business Law II  (3 Units)  
Prerequisites: BLAW 321 and completion of 60 credits. Applications of Uniform Commercial Code in sales, commercial paper and secured transactions. Additional discussions include property, wills, estates, trusts, bailments, insurance, suretyship, bankruptcy, and labor law. (Formerly 6400:322)
BLAW 323  International Business Law  (3 Units)  
The law and international commercial transactions. Among the subjects covered are sovereignty; treaties; agreements; antitrust practices; property rights; international arbitration. (Formerly 6400:323)
BLAW 424  Legal Concepts of Real Estate  (3 Units)  
Prerequisite: at a minimum must have been admitted to a major in a four-year degree granting college. Study of concepts of law governing the many interests in real estate including acquisition, encumbrance, transfer, rights and obligations of parties, and the various state and federal regulations. The legal concepts of the business of real estate are likewise examined. Emphasis is on a managerial approach utilizing the case method. (Formerly 6400:424)

Risk Management and Insurance (RMI)

RMI 414  Risk Managment: Property and Casualty  (3 Units)  
Prerequisite: FIN 300 or FIN 301 with a grade of C- or better, or permission of instructor. Addresses tools for managing risk, legal concepts of insurance contracts, personal insurance and commercial property and casualty insurance policies as well as other risk issues. (Formerly 6400:414)
RMI 415  Risk Management: Life and Health Insurance  (3 Units)  
Prerequisite: FIN 300 or FIN 301 with a grade of C- or better. Concepts of life and health insurance and risk management are addressed. (Formerly 6400:415)
RMI 418  Insurance Operations  (3 Units)  
Prerequisite: RMI 414 or RMI 415 or permission. This course provides a detailed examination of the composition, financial structure, and operation of the property-casualty insurance industry. (Formerly 6400:418)
RMI 460  Risk and Insurance Analytics  (3 Units)  
Prerequisite: MGMT 305 or ECON 325. Pre/Corequisites: RMI 414, RMI 415 and RMI 418. The primary objective of this course is to provide an introduction to risk and insurance analytics and the application of analysis techniques to insurance underwriting, fraud detection and risk management. Topics to be covered include: 1. An overview of the application of analytics to risk management and insurance 2. Basic Data Modeling Concepts 3. Traditional Analysis Techniques 4. Modern Analysis Techniques 5. Application to Underwriting 6. Application to Claims 7. Application to Risk Management (Formerly 6400:460)
RMI 461  Enterprise Risk Management  (3 Units)  
Prerequisites: RMI 414, RMI 415, and RMI 418. Explores risk issues at the firm level with emphasis upon identification and management of risk to enhance firm value. (Formerly 6400:461)
RMI 494  Internship in Risk Management and Insurance  (3 Units)  
Prerequisite: Permission of designated faculty member. On the job experience with public or private sector organizations in the financial services field. Individual assignments are approved and supervised by the designated member of the faculty in the student's major field. Periodic reports and term. papers required. (Formerly 6400:494)