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Lasell University
Lasell University

2017 - 2018 Academic Catalog

Finance Minor

Financial literacy is essential to the success of any university graduate in today's increasingly complex financial environment.  The Finance minor introduces students to the financial markets and their wide-ranging impacts in both their professional careers and their personal lives.

The Finance minor consists of 6 courses. No more than 2 courses (6 hours) may be counted for the minor that are already required for your major.

Course Code Course Title Credits
Core Courses
BUSS202 Managerial Accounting 4
BUSS203 Financial Management 3
Choose 4 from the following:
BUSS201 Financial Accounting 4
BUSS207 Fundamentals of Financial Planning 3
BUSS208 Financial Statement Analysis 3
BUSS211 Fundamentals of Financial Modeling 3
BUSS307 International Finance 3
BUSS310 Advanced Financial Management 3
BUSS311 Investments 3
BUSS312 Risk Management 3
BUSS331 Money and Capital Markets 3

Credit Requirements for minor: 17- 20 credits

BUSS202 - Managerial Accounting

In this course, students gain experience in the development and use of information within an organization. Course topics include: cost terms; production costing; cost allocation for planning and control; cost behavior patterns; cost-volume-profit relationships; budgeting; inventory planning and control; pricing decisions; and aspects of investment decisions. Prerequisite: BUSS 201 with a grade C or better.

BUSS203 - Financial Management

This course provides an introduction to the fundamental concepts of finance. Various techniques of analysis that reveal the relationships of risk, return, and value are demonstrated. Topics include: financial reporting; long- and short-term forecasting; managing working capital; capital budgeting; and the nature of corporate securities and debt-equity mix. Prerequisites: BUSS 202 with a grade C or better & ECON 102.

BUSS201 - Financial Accounting

This course provides students with an applied knowledge of the fundamental accounting process and procedures used in business. Students learn how to identify and record business transactions. In addition, students learn how to create financial statements, as well as how to become intelligent users of financial information.

BUSS207 - Fundamentals of Financial Planning

This course provides the foundation for understanding and using financial planning techniques. This framework is the basis for all financial decisions large and small. Topics covered are personal financial planning, consumer credit, budgeting, investments, and banking procedures. Risk analysis regarding portfolio management and tax liabilities is also examined.

BUSS208 - Financial Statement Analysis

This course examines financial statements and other financial reports with a view towards using accounting information in making investing, lending and other potential management decisions. Students explore methods of constructing, comparing and analyzing these statements and reports and the various uses of such analyses. Prerequisite: BUSS202 with a grade C

BUSS211 - Fundamentals of Financial Modeling

In this course, students will build applications and models in Excel to support financial analysis and decision-making. Students will begin by building financial documents using basic Excel applications and functions. They will then move into more advanced skills that include time value of money and statistical functions, text and date usage, regression, conditionals, data tables and random number generation. All techniques will be applied to the most common financial applications and models including present value, cost of capital, financial statement forecasting, and valuation. Also included are the preparation of charts and graphs for use in professional presentations and reports. Problem-solving cases will serve as the foundation for the course. Prerequisite: BUSS 202 with a “C” or better.

BUSS307 - International Finance

This course studies the ways and means to reduce financial risk involved in international financial management. The course deals with the interrelationship between the international monetary environment and financial planning for corporations with overseas operations. It analyzes the effects on international financial planning of such factors as exchange rate fluctuations, currency restrictions, and tax regulations. It intensively examines financial aspects of multinational business including foreign investment, trade, and transfer of funds. Prerequsite: BUSS203 with a grade C

BUSS310 - Advanced Financial Management

This course builds on the concepts introduced in BUSS 203 and focuses on financial decisions made within corporate environments. Emphasized are financial risk and return, capital budgeting, valuation, capital structure, working capital management, and distribution policy. Current topics in financial management will also be included. Prerequisite: BUSS 203 with a “C” or better.

BUSS311 - Investments

This course explores fundamentals of investing. The strategies used to create money from financial capital are thoroughly examined. Financial instruments such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, futures, options, and commodities are explored. The measurement tools used to assign risk and rate of return, performance, and value are covered. Students learn how to develop, analyze, and maintain a portfolio. Regulatory and ethical issues are examined and considered in the decision-making process. Prerequisite: BUSS 201 with a "C" or better.

BUSS312 - Risk Management

The basics of risk management are covered in this course. Problems of liability and personal loss exposures of a business are examined. Private insurance programs such as health and life insurance, and employee benefit plans are examined and assessed. Prerequisite: BUSS 203with a "C" or better.

BUSS331 - Money and Capital Markets

The course offers an extensive examination of the money and capital markets and their importance to the US and global economy. This course will provide students with analytic tools to assess risks faced by investors and savers interacting through financial institutions and financial markets, as well as strategies for assessing and controlling these risks. The course places a heavy emphasis on the study of interest rates due to its importance in all capital markets and as one of the key determinants of the price of any financial asset. Prerequisite: BUSS203 with a "C" or better.