Finance Minor
The Finance minor, consisting of 18 credits, is open to all students. This minor intends to prepare students to work in finance. Finance minor students will gain a fundamental understanding of financial competences that allow them to access the complex problems in the finance industry and implement effective and innovative solutions. To complete the minor, students will be required to take four courses in Business Management plus one additional elective course.
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Students will develop effective communication and critical thinking skills to recognize and resolve problems in a financial context.
- Students will demonstrate the knowledge that firms expect as well as the critical advanced investment analysis and portfolio management skills that are needed in investment management today.
- Students will have the ability to interpret the theoretical concepts used in the finance industry.
About Academic Minors
Farmingdale State College students are invited to enhance their studies with an "Academic Minor." A minor is a cluster of thematically related courses drawn from one or more departments. In addition to department based minors (e.g. computer programming & info systems), interdisciplinary minors are also available (e.g. legal studies).
Academic minors are approved by the College-Wide Curriculum Committee and the Provost. Students must make application for an academic minor through the department offering the minor in conjunction with the Registrar's Office Specific course work must be determined in consultation with a faculty member in the department offering the minor. A statement of successful completion of the academic minor will appear on the student's transcript at the time of graduation.
- A minor is considered to be an optional supplement to a student's major program of study.
- Completion of a minor is not a graduation requirement and is subject to the availability of the courses selected. However, if the requirements for a minor are not completed prior to certification of graduation in the major, it will be assumed that the minor has been dropped. Consequently, the student will only be certified for graduation in their primary major.
- Only students in 4 year baccalaureate programs can apply for a minor.
- A minor should consist of 15 to 21 credits.
- At least 12 credits must be in courses at the 200 level or higher.
- At least 9 credits must be residency credits.
- Specific requirements for each minor are determined by the department granting the minor.
- Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 in their minor. Some minors may require a higher GPA.
- Students are prohibited from declaring a minor in the same discipline as their major (e.g. one cannot combine an applied math minor with an applied math major). Academic minors may not apply to all curricula.
- Students are permitted to double-count courses.
- Students are only permitted to take more than one minor with appropriate written approval of their department chair or curriculum Dean.
Admission to Farmingdale State College - State University of New York is based on the qualifications of the applicant without regard to age, sex, marital or military status, race, color, creed, religion, national origin, disability or sexual orientation.
Contact Information
Business
Dr. Nanda Viswanathan
School of Business, Room 329
934-420-2015
business@farmingdale.edu
Monday-Friday 8:30am-5:00pm
Fall 2023
Subject to revision
| Required: | (12 credits) |
|---|---|
| BUS 291 Investments | 3 |
| BUS 307 Corporate Finance | 3 |
| BUS 308 Quantitative Techniques in Finance | 3 |
| BUS 404 Financial Markets and Institutions | 3 |
| Electives ( students must choose two) | (6 credits) |
| BUS 309 International Finance for Business I | 3 |
| BUS 390/391 Selected Topics in Finance | 3 - 6 |
| BUS 411 Financial Statement Analysis | 3 |
| BUS 421 Advanced Topics in Corporate Finance | 3 |
| BUS 473 International Finance for Business II | 3 |
| ECO 305 Real Estate Economics and Finance | 3 |
| ECO 342 Financial Economics | 3 |
| ECO 410 Public Finance | 3 |
| MTH 246 Introduction to Financial Mathematics | 3 |
| MTH 346 Continuous Time Finance | 3 |
| MTH 446 Financial Engineering | 3 |
Curriculum Summary
Total Credits: 18
BUS 291 Investments
To familiarize students with financial literature and facilities that are available as guides to the proper selection of securities and other types of investments. The course is covered from the perspective of the individual investor. As such, a logical portfolio commensurate with the financial goals of the individual is stressed. Financial information available both in published as well as Internet access format are covered.
BUS 307 Corporate Finance
The overall aim of this course is to help students develop an understanding and appreciation of Finance as a business discipline - an analytical approach in assessing the financial worthiness of a business entity is stressed. Topics covered include time value of money; financial statement analysis; valuation models; risks and rates of return; calculating beta coefficients; working capital management; capital budgeting; the cost of capital leverage and dividend policy; and financial forecasting. Note: Students cannot receive credit for BUS 201 and BUS 307. Prerequisite(s): BUS 101 and 102 and Junior level status
BUS 308 Quantitative Techniques in Finance
This course connects key mathematical concepts to the quantitative aspects of finance. Students will gain a deeper understanding of financial math. Students will analyze cash flows to arrive at fair asset prices, calculate advanced calculus equations to understand how businesses use optimization to make financial decisions, and analyze matrices for optimal portfolio selection. Topics include time value of money, annuities "and cash flows, bonds, portfolios optimization, derivatives, options, and hedging and investment strategies. Prerequisite(s): BUS 307
BUS 404 Financial Markets and Institutions
This senior level course describes the various financial markets and the financial institutions that serve those markets. Specific topics include financial intermediaries, primary and secondary financial markets, treasury and agency securities markets, municipal securities markets, financial futures markets, and stock markets in the U.S. and worldwide. Also included are evolving technologies, especially e-Business and the Internet, and their effect on financial markets and institutions. The course contains oral and written case study analyses utilizing electronic database research techniques. Prerequisite(s): BUS 201 or BUS 307 or department approval
BUS 390 Special Topics in Business Management
This course will provide students the opportunity to learn about contemporary issues in business. Topics covered may include one or more specific areas within business such as Marketing, Leadership, Ethics, and Finance. Methods of teaching and assessment may include the use of seminars, speaker series, simulations, field trips, experiential learning, and the implementation of business ideas and plans. The subject for a particular semester will be announced prior to registration. Prerequisite(s): BUS 109
BUS 411 Financial Statement Analysis
This course covers the main reasons for and techniques used in financial statement analysis. This analysis uses the historical record of companies, as presented in financial statements, to answer questions regarding a firm’s credit worthiness and risk; current and projected financial performance; strengths and weaknesses in financial position; and strategy development for future operations. The course includes analysis tools and techniques such as common size financial statements, trend statements, and financial ratios. Also covered will be sources of financial information embodied in corporate annual reports such as the auditor’s report; footnotes and supplemental schedules; and SEC Forms 10-K and 10-Q. Prerequisite(s): BUS 201 or department approval
BUS 421 Advanced Topics in Corporate Finance
This advanced corporate financial management course covers topics taken from the Institute of Management Accountants Certified in Financial Management program Part 2CFM examination. Topics covered include working capital policy and management; strategic issues in finance; portfolio and risk management; external financial environment; and employee benefit and pension plans. Prerequisite(s): BUS 307 or department approval
BUS 473 Global Finance
Introduces students to financial management in the context of international and global market and firm activities. Topics presented include international financial markets, foreign exchange markets, exchange rates, portfolio management from a global perspective, risk management, international banking, and multinational financial management. Prerequisite(s): BUS 201, 280
ECO 305 Real Estate Economics &Finance
This course is designed to provide students with an introduction to the analysis of investment in real estate markets and to real estate finance. The class will consider both housing and mortgage markets, as well as public policies that affect these markets. An important segment of the course will be training in the analysis of mortgage instruments used to finance investments in real estate. This will include calculating payment streams for different types of mortgages, consideration of different types of mortgage contracts that shift interest rate and default risk between lenders and borrowers, and the role of the secondary market for mortgage securities. Prerequisite(s): (ECO 156 or ECO 157) and (MTH 110 or MTH 117 or MTH 129 or ECO 250)
ECO 342 Financial Economics
This course introduces students to the basic mathematical models, techniques and forms of analysis used in financial economic analysis. Topics covered include uncertainty and financial decision-making, mean-variance model of portfolio selection, Black-Scholes option pricing formula, utility functions, computational techniques and stochastic volatility. Prerequisite(s): ECO 156 or ECO 157
ECO 410 Public Finance
This course introduces students to the issues, interactions and inter-relationships arising between the market and government policy-making. Topics covered include: tools of public finance, budget analysis, externalities, political economy, cost-benefit analysis, taxation and policy, social insurance, income distribution and welfare. Prerequisite(s): (ECO 260 or ECO 262) and (ECO 255 or ECO 270)
MTH 246 Introduction to Financial Mathematics
This is a course designed to introduce the basic concepts of financial mathematics including cashflows, the time value of money, compounding, and present and future value calculations for loans, annuities, and bonds. The course presents the basic no-arbitrage principal to derive forward interest rates and stock prices as well as the prices of futures contracts. Students will be introduced to options, their characteristics, and put-call parity and will analyze the valuation of calls and puts, and general contingent claims, in the framework of the classical one-period binomial model. Prerequisite(s): MTH 130 or MTH 150
MTH 346 Quantitative Finance
This course introduces more advanced topics in financial mathematics. Multi-period, discrete-time asset pricing will be presented within the framework of the classic binomial tree model and it's application to pricing and hedging contingent claims, such as stock options and callable bonds, will be analyzed. The Black-Scholes option pricing formula will be presented and it's relationship to the discrete-time model will be explored. Option and bond risk-factors, such as delta/gamma and duration/convexity, will be introduced. Finally, mean-variance portfolio analysis will be presented, including the efficient frontier and optimal asset allocation. Throughout the course, students will gain insight via lab-projects to gain real-world experience in quantitative finance. Prerequisite(s): MTH 246
MTH 446 Financial Engineering
This course will use advanced mathematical and computational techniques to solve real-world problems in quantitative finance. Topics will include optimal asset-liability matching, yield curve construction, option valuation, hedging and strategies, portfolio analysis, and risk management. Coursework will emphasize the integration of topics from calculus, linear algebra, and probability with financial theory and applications. Students will develop computational skills using application software such as Excel and MATLAB. Prerequisite(s): MTH 346