Introduction to Business, Finance, and Economics

"The atmosphere of the class was very friendly and supportive."

- Talha Arshad, 2012

"The connections that the instructor made between daily life activities and complex concepts made learning more interesting and the concepts more relateable."

- From a 2012 Student Program Evaluation

Course Description

This course focuses on the firm’s financial and economic behavior. The firm needs cash to undertake worthy investments, and the firm needs to identify investments worth undertaking. What models does the firm use to identify such investments? What sources of cash can the firm use? How do the financial markets in which this money is raised function? How does the market value the firm, its securities, and its investments? What financial instruments are available to the firm? What are the microeconomic models that best describe a firm’s behavior in such markets?

In answering these questions, the participants discuss stocks, bonds, stock markets, as well as valuation models of investments, firms, and securities. They also work with concepts like optimal investment strategies, what is revealed and what is hidden in published accounting statements, and what are some of the sources of risk. Students also acquire familiarity with the mechanics and history of the financial markets.

The course includes case studies and some sustained independent work by the participants. The morning session of this curricular option is a large lecture with over 100 students; the afternoon sessions are discussion sections with approximately 20 students per section.

Note: the text book for this curricular option costs about $170.00. The book can be resold to the bookstore for up to half the price at the end of the term.

Instructor(s)