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FINN40615: Corporate Finance (MSc Finance)

It is possible that changes to modules or programmes might need to be made during the academic year, in response to the impact of Covid-19 and/or any further changes in public health advice.

Type Tied
Level 4
Credits 15
Availability Available in 2024/2025
Module Cap None.
Location Durham
Department Finance

Prerequisites

  • None

Corequisites

  • Advanced Financial Theory (FINN40515), Econometric Methods (FINN41715)

Excluded Combinations of Modules

  • None

Aims

  • To provide a rigorous grounding in the theory and practice of corporate finance at an advanced level and a thorough synthesis of the most important current research in corporate finance, with an emphasis on the applications of the principles. Both normative and positive aspects of the theory are examined, together with supporting descriptive and empirical evidence.

Content

  • Introduction to Corporate Finance;
  • Capital Budgeting;
  • Cost of Capital;
  • Capital Structure;
  • Corporate Financing;
  • Payout Policy;
  • Mergers and Acquisitions.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

  • have advanced knowledge and critical understanding of essential components of modern corporate finance and associated current research;
  • have explored, understood and appreciated the complexity and contradictions of the current relevant academic literature and its implications for professional practice, and be able to identify open questions for their own research.

Subject-specific Skills:

  • have the ability to learn and work independently in corporate finance, exercising critical judgement and discrimination in the resolution of complex problematic situations;
  • be able to use highly specialised and advanced technical, professional and academic skills in the analysis of relevant specific problems in corporate finance;
  • be able to apply problem solving and analytical skills to issues in corporate finance in a complex specialised context.

Key Skills:

  • written communication;
  • planning, organising and time management;
  • problem solving and analysis;
  • using initiative;
  • numeracy;
  • computer literacy.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • A combination of lectures, seminars and guided reading will contribute to achieving the aims and learning outcomes of this module.
  • The summative written examination will test students' knowledge and critical understanding of the material covered in the module, their analytical and problem-solving skills.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

ActivityNumberFrequencyDurationTotalMonitored
Lectures101 per week2 hours20Yes
Seminars (of up to 30 students per group)4Fortnightly1 hour4Yes
Preparation and Reading126 
Total150 

Summative Assessment

Component: ExaminationComponent Weighting: 100%
ElementLength / DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
Written in-person exam2 hours100same

Formative Assessment

Work prepared by students for seminars; answers to questions either discussed during a seminar or posted on Learn Ultra.

More information

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