Introduction to Finance

Course Description

Understanding basic finance is important for any managerial position, even non-financial managers. This introductory-level course starts at the beginning, discussing finance as an organizational setting and legal forms of business. The course continues on to cover the responsibilities of financial managers, roles of finance in a typical business organization, and relevant financial markets of interest to financial managers. Further, the course will discuss corporate financing and the role the stock market plays in the business world.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, the learner should be able to:

• Identify and differentiate the three most common types of business organizations and the structure of each
• State the fundamental objectives of a corporation and the differences between wealth and profit maximization
• Recognize the impact of social and ethical responsibility on business
• Identify and describe the structure and functions of the finance department within an organization
• Define the principal-agent relationship and strategies for overcoming conflicts of interest and motivating managers
• List and define the five key principles that form the foundation of financial management
• Recognize and define the five key financial markets
• Identify the sources, rules, and life-cycle stages of corporate financing
• Describe the function of the stock market and the three trading venues it utilizes
• Recognize the factors related to interest rate determination and the impact of interest on an organization