Department of Finance

Stephens Hall 314
Phone: 410-704-2465
Fax: 410-704-3454
Email: cbefinance@towson.edu

Why Study Finance?

  • To prepare for positions in managerial finance, banking, insurance, and the securities industries.
  • To become proficient in applying financial tools to investment and financing decisions.
  • To develop analytical skills that can be used throughout a business career.
  • To build a solid foundation for making personal financial decisions.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of Finance is to produce finance graduates who possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to excel in the financial community. The department’s aim is to develop students who are competent, ethical, and capable of meeting the challenges of an increasingly complex, global environment.

Goals

The goals of the department are:

  1. to achieve excellence in teaching while offering students a curriculum based on leading-edge financial skills and techniques,

  2. to increase the body of knowledge in the finance professions through applied scholarship activities, and

  3. to provide applied research, consulting, and advisory services to the business and professional community.

Distinctive Features

  • FMA (Student Chapter of Financial Management Association)

  • Towson University Investment Group

  • Women in Finance Club

  • Internships in Finance

  • Certified Financial Planning (CFP) Board Registered Program

  • Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute University Recognized Program

  • Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Scholarships

  • WMS Partners Future Leaders in Finance Scholarship

  • Stacie Smith Swanstrom Finance Scholarship

  • Northwestern Mutual Scholarship and Mentoring Program

  • The Pat Collins Diversity Financial Planning Scholarships (one for juniors and one for seniors each year)

Requirements for Admission to the Business Administration Major

Students are admitted to the major in Business Administration (BUAD) after first being admitted to Towson University. Admission to TU does not guarantee admission to the major. In order to be admitted, students must satisfy the following requirements:

  1. Cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher for all course work.
  2. Successful completion of each of the courses required for admission to the major with a grade of C or higher. Required courses can be viewed on each concentration page within the requirements section. 

Degree candidates intending to major in Business Administration are designated as “pre-Business Administration” (PBUA) until admission into the BUAD major. Students are required to meet each term with their assigned faculty adviser to evaluate their progress toward completing the requirements for admission to the major and the degree.

At the start of each term and before registration, the CBE Student Academic and Career Services office will notify PBUA students of their admission status by email to their TU email addresses. Students will not be allowed to take upper-level “majors-only” CBE courses until being admitted to the Business Administration major.

Courses

FIN 330 ESSENTIALS OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT (3)

Provides an overview of the basic principles of financial management for non-business majors. Provides a basic understanding of finance concepts and an exposure to fundamental financial analysis. Topics covered include financial statements, time value of money, securities characteristics and valuation, capital budgeting and working capital management. Not available to PBUA, PACT, PEBU, BUAD, ACCT, ACSC, ECON-FNEC, and EBUS majors. Prerequisites: junior or senior standing; ACCT 201 (or ACCT 211), ACCT 202 (or ACCT 212), ECON 201 (or ECON 203), ECON 202 (or ECON 204), and one of the following statistics courses: ECON 205, MATH 231, MATH 233, MATH 237, MATH 330, PSYC 212, or SOCI 212.

FIN 331 PRINCIPLES OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT (3)

Introductory course designed to provide students with the fundamental concepts underlying the theory of finance. Financial markets, security valuation, analysis of financial condition, forecasting, working capital management, capital budgeting, cost of capital, leverage, optimal capital structure, dividend policy. Prerequisites: ACCT 201, ACCT 202, ECON 201, ECON 202 and (ECON 205 or MATH 231); junior/senior standing; major standing.

FIN 333 INVESTMENTS AND EQUITY SECURITY ANALYSIS (3)

Analysis of financial assets, including equities and fixed income instruments. Topics include securities valuation, use of fundamental and technical analysis, and portfolio management. Valuation of corporate securities, institutional factors, security analysis, and portfolio management. Prerequisites: FIN 331; junior major standing.

FIN 350 FINANCIAL MODELING IN CORPORATE FINANCE (3)

Learning financial modeling skills using Excel is an integral component of this course. The course emphasizes the application of powerful spreadsheet features of Excel in building flexible financial models. Topics include designing models for time of value money, financial statement analysis and forecast, security valuation including stock and bond, and models for financing decision making. Prerequisites: FIN 331, junior/senior and major standing.

FIN 351 ADVANCED CORPORATE FINANCE (3)

Applying financial modeling skills using Excel is an integral component of this course. Equipped with basic finance knowledge and modeling skills from FIN 350, students are to apply concepts, approaches, and technology for supporting the decision-making process to solve a wide variety of financial problems. Topics include Capital Budgeting, Enterprise Valuation Models, Capital Structure Theory, Corporate Payout Policy, and Mergers and Acquisitions. Prerequisites: FIN 350, junior/senior and major standing.

FIN 423 INVESTMENTS AND FIXED INCOME SECURITY ANALYSIS (3)

An in-depth analysis of fixed income securities, swaps, options, futures and forward contracts. Analyzing financial securities, determining their values and use of specific financial goals, emphasizing nontraditional securities. Prerequisites: FIN 333; senior status and major standing.

FIN 430 FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND MANAGEMENT OF RISK (3)

Discussion of the Federal Reserve including the goals and methods of monetary policy, an examination of financial institutions with an emphasis on depository institutions. Focus on identifying the risks faced by financial institutions and the management of the most important risks. Prerequisites: FIN 333; junior or senior major standing.

FIN 433 PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT (3)

Provides comprehensive and detailed examination of investment portfolio strategies for individuals and institutions. Portfolio strategies covered include strategic and tactical asset allocation and indexing. Other topics covered include investment policy, diversification, stock screening, and asset selection. Prerequisites: FIN 423; senior status; and major standing in BUAD or ECON or minor standing in FIN.

FIN 435 INTERNATIONAL FINANCE (3)

Framework of international finance, including balance of payments, foreign exchange, foreign money and capital markets, and financial management of the multinational corporation. Prerequisite: FIN 331. Major standing.

FIN 436 GLOBAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT (3)

Examination of the operation and decision making of multinational firms. Topics include global financial environment, foreign exchange theory and markets, foreign exchange exposure and risk management, global financing and investment decisions. Prerequisites: FIN 333; major in ACCT, BUAD, ECON or minor in FIN; junior or senior standing.

FIN 439 FINANCIAL VALUATION AND STRATEGY (3)

Case based approach to financial valuation and strategic decision-making using advanced financial modeling techniques. Topics include Financial Statement Analysis Modeling, Valuation Methodologies, Cost of Capital estimation, evaluation of Capital Structure Choices, LBO modeling, and the economic analysis of alternative corporate restricting strategies such as Mergers and Acquisitions, and Divestitures. Prerequisites: FIN 351; senior major standing.

FIN 470 TOPICS IN FINANCE (3)

In-depth study of contemporary issues in finance. Course content varies with each topic. May be repeated for credit provided a different topic is covered. Prerequisite: FIN 351.

FIN 491 SEMINAR IN FINANCE (3)

Selected areas of interest in the field of finance. Course content varies. Prerequisite: FIN 351.

FIN 495 INDEPENDENT RESEARCH IN FINANCE (1-3)

Directed in-depth academic research in finance in a specific area of joint faculty member/student interest. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 units. Prerequisites: FIN 351; minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA, consent of instructor and chair. Special permit.

FIN 496 PRACTICUM IN CORPORATE FINANCE (3)

Capstone application of knowledge, skills and attitudes through professional experience. Prerequisites: FIN 351; senior status.

FIN 497 INTERNSHIP IN FINANCE (3)

Students are required to work in assigned projects in business environments. Graded S/U. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 units. Prerequisites: FIN 350, declared CBE major with Finance. Minimum of 2.50 cumulative GPA. Consent of instructor and chair. Special permit.

FPLN 341 FUNDAMENTALS OF FINANCIAL PLANNING (3)

Introductory course designed to provide students with an overview of the financial planning process. Topics include setting client goals and objectives, investment planning, tax planning, insurance and risk management, and estate planning. Overview of personal financial planning. Prerequisites: ACCT 201, ACCT 202, ECON 201, ECON 202; junior/senior standing.

FPLN 441 RETIREMENT PLANNING AND EMPLOYEE BENEFITS (3)

Designed to provide students with the background necessary to assist clients in planning for their retirement. Provide students with an understanding of the contributions employee benefits plans make toward achieving financial independence. Developing a systematic approach to estimating contribution plans, IRA, 401K, tax-sheltered annuities and government programs. Prerequisite: FPLN 341; major in ACCT, PACT, BUAD, EBUS or ECON.

FPLN 443 ESTATE PLANNING (3)

Effects of federal tax system and other factors impacting estate planning. Prerequisite: FPLN 341; major in ACCT, PACT, BUAD, EBUS or ECON.

FPLN 450 CAPSTONE IN FINANCIAL PLANNING (3)

Designed to simulate the real-world experience of financial planning. To successfully complete the course students must integrate the six major areas (Financial Planning Fundamentals, Insurance Planning, Investment Analysis, Taxation, Retirement Planning, and Estate Planning) of personal financial planning to develop and present a long-term comprehensive financial plan. Designed to fulfill the capstone course requirement of the Certified Financial Planning (CFP) Board. Prerequisites: FPLN 341, FPLN 441, FPLN 443, FIN 333, and ACCT 361; major in ACCT, BUAD and ECON; senior standing.

Faculty

Professors: Michael Dewally, Susan Flaherty (Chairperson), Jian Huang, Bharat Jain, Yingying Shao

Associate Professors: Lijing Du, Rachel Gordon

Assistant Professors: Hia Pham, Qing Yan

Lecturers: Suzanne DeMallie, John Varvaris