Dr. P.V. Viswanath

pviswanath@pace.edu

MBA 648: MANAGERIAL FINANCE Spring 2015

23642: Wednesdays 5:40pm to 8:30 pm at the NY Campus Room E319
Email: pviswanath@pace.edu Tel: (212) 618-6518
Webpage: http://webpage.pace.edu/pviswanath
Blackboard: http://blackboard.pace.edu

Course Objectives

The primary objective of this course is to provide the student with an introduction to finance theory and practice, so that s/he can apply it in the different areas of business management. In addition, this course should enable the student to decide whether to proceed with more advanced study of finance.

Although the course will be self-contained, optimally, the student should also read the business section of newspapers or business newspapers like the Wall Street Journal on a regular basis.  Class meetings will be an opportunity to discuss the issues raised in the relevant textbook chapters, and to engage in exercises designed to improve understanding of finance concepts.  Students can also obtain information on companies and on financial markets from the Internet. Useful software for this purpose can be found at the G-PACT Room (Global Portfolio Analysis Center; W404).  

When you have completed this course successfully, you will be familiar with:

• The meanings of fundamental financial concepts
• The functions of the financial system
• The Time Value of money
• The relationship between risk and return
• The basics of the valuation of bonds and stocks
• Optimal Capital Structure: how to and how not to finance a firm or project

When you have completed the course successfully, you should be able to do the following (time permitting):

• Understand what should be the objective of the firm's managers.
• Manipulate formulas based on the time value of money.
• Interpret the firm's financial statements
• Use financial statement information to value stocks and bonds
• Decide how to finance a firm on a basic level.

Course Text

• MyFinanceLab without e-book - (purchase at http://www.myfinancelab.com); if you choose this option, you will need to get the book itself from elsewhere.
• MyFinanceLab with full e-book - (purchase at http://www.myfinancelab.com)
• Student Value Edition plus myfinancelab -- you can buy this at the Pace Bookstore.

Here's how to buy the book:
The first possiblity is to buy the loose-leaf textbook plus MyFinanceLab Access Code from the Bookstore.
If you don't want this option, go to http://myfinancelab.com; then, click on the Student link. You will be asked for a Course ID (viswanath21845); follow the instructions.

You will now have the following two options:

• MyFinanceLab with Pearson eText
• MyFinanceLab without Pearson eText

With any of the options above, and after being fully registered into your MyFinanceLab course, you can purchase a discounted loose-leaf, full color version of the text. This option is located in the “Textbook Resources,” available from inside your MyFinanceLab course. However, it might take a week to get the hard copy of the book, so order it right away!

There may also be a possibility that if you only buy MFL access, to begin with, that you might then be able to get a loose-leaf hard copy version for a cheaper price from http://www.mypearsonstore.com; in other words, buying an electronic version plus MFL access initially might cost more.

Once you buy access to MyFinanceLab in one of the ways indicated above, you need to go to the MyFinanceLab site and register to access the learning materials that I have customized for the course. For details on how to access this course on MyFinanceLab, to to myfinancelab.com using course ID viswanath21845.

The first step, however, is to read all the assigned chapters of the book thoroughly, if critically. You should read each text-book chapter before we begin it, while we are working through it, and also after we complete it; as discussed above, class sessions are meant to complement the text, rather than substitute for it. Also make sure to read the powerpoint slides for each chapter; links to these can be found from the Class Schedule.

How to Study for this Course:

• At the beginning of the course, read my notes on Recurring Themes in Finance.
• Make sure you have read each chapter before you come to class and also tried your hand at the questions on the chapter. The more you have read, the better you will be able to participate in class.
• Make sure you go through my powerpoint slides before you come to class.
• Use my hints to prepare for the exam

Computer Use and E-mail Policy:

You should obtain a Pace e-mail address as soon as possible, so that I can send you e-mail. Any student's Pace e-mail address can be obtained by going to http://appserv.pace.edu/WhitePages/Students.cfm or by going to the main Pace Home Page and clicking on White Pages from the IntraPace section towards the bottom of the page (the default password is the student’s Pace Identification Number).  More information about e-mail address, etc. can be obtained from the DoIT website and clicking on Computer from the left-hand side menu panel.  Even if you have another e-mail address where you wish to get your e-mail, you should still get a Pace e-mail address.  Once you have your Pace e-mail account and password, you can go to the Pace University Student E-Mail Server at http://stmail.pace.edu and have your e-mail forwarded to your preferred e-mail address.  You can find information on how to have your mail automatically forwarded at the DoIT website.  The only way that I can communicate with you is through your Pace e-mail account.  So please get your Pace account information as soon as possible.

Check your e-mail and the MBA 648 website on a regular basis.  This will enable you to get the maximum from the course. I am available for consultation by e-mail at pviswanath@pace.edu. I check my e-mail practically every day, and, in most cases, you should get a speedy response to any questions.  

Blackboard

We will also be using Blackboard as a gateway for the course.  Please log in to Blackboard at the earliest opportunity.    Blackboard login procedures can be found on the appropriate Blackboard site.  Essentially, your login ID for Blackboard will be your email ID, and your password will be your 9-digit social security number.  I have tried to make all information related to the course accessible through Blackboard. Please let me know if you have any problems with Blackboard or any other aspect of the course.

Course Requirements

Class Attendance and Participation

Class attendance is mandatory.  This is for two reasons: one, I believe that you will understand the material much better if you attend the class sessions; two, modifications to the class schedule will be announced in class and/or on the BlackBoard website.  Also, on occasion, I conduct classroom exercises, give short quizzes, or assign additional work. If you miss a class session during which we have such a classroom exercise, or additional work is assigned, your grade will be adversely affected for this reason as well.  (Of course, it goes without saying that missing quizzes will affect your grade adversely.)  In any case, you should consult fellow students on what was done during the class time that you missed, and collect handouts for that day's session. You should also bring a calculator to all class meetings.

I also require that you read the Wall Street Journal and/or the business section of the New York Times on a regular basis. Some exam questions will be based on current newspaper and magazine articles that are related to course material. Hence you should cultivate and improve your ability to read newspaper articles critically.  If you do not already subscribe to the Wall Street Journal, you can do so online from the MBA 648 Home Page.

There are two other reasons why you should try to attend as regularly as possible. One, classroom participation will help your grade. By participation, I mean answering questions and making intelligent comments. Two, we will sometime do learning exercises in class; doing them can help you substantially in understanding the material.  I often also give credit for participation in these classroom exercises.

Tutoring

The Tutoring Center, located on the 2nd floor, 41 Park Row, offers free tutoring to all Pace University students. No appointment is necessary, but students should contact the Center for more information.

Academic Integrity

The school's academic integrity statement can be found here. Academic integrity infractions can include, but are not limited to, copying and presenting the work of another as your own, collaborating with others on assignments intended to be done individually, using unauthorized resources such as an instructor's manual to complete assignments, copying the work of others during an exam, and failing to reference the work of others or creating fake references in your assignments. You may receive a failing grade in any assignment, exam, or course in which an infraction takes place, and you may be suspended or expelled from the school. If you need more information on how to avoid plagiarism, you can find it on the Library's website.

Disability Policy

Please refer to the Pace website for the school's policies on students with disabilities, affirmative action and emergency closings.

Assignments

Assignments are a critical part of the course.  The main purpose of these assignments is to make sure that you understand the material, and to prepare you for the exams. The deadlines are indicated on the Course Calendar; if the deadline passes, you will lose points so you are advised to do them on time. Some of the assignments are individual assignments; there may also be some group assignments; this will be indicated on the Course Calendar and on the Assignments page.

Cases

How to Order Cases from Ivey Publishing
1. Please go to the Ivey Publishing website located at: www.iveycases.com.
2. Log In to your existing account or click “Register”. If registering, choose the “Student User” role.
3. Complete the registration – please be sure to take note of your username and password.
4. Go to “Express Order” and enter the product numbers:
5. Select “Digital Download” – then click Add to Cart. Repeat for all required cases.
6. Go to “My Cart” (located at the top of the page), and click “Checkout”.
7. Enter course information.
8. Review and verify your contact information.
9. Review your order.
10.Enter your credit card information and then click “Submit Order”.
11.Once you have completed your order, go to “My Orders” to download the cases.
12.You will receive an order confirmation and receipt by email immediately after placing your order.

Access to your case files through your Ivey Publishing account will expire 30 days from date of purchase so be sure to save a copy to your computer. You may print all or part of the case files as needed.

Discussion Board Participation:

The Discussion Board forums are an important part of the course. You will be given articles to read and react to. At the bottom of the article, you will generally find some comments/questions at the bottom of the article; however, you should not treat these questions as requiring "answers" necessarily. Rather treat them as my thoughts and simply comment on the issues raised by the article or by the information contained in the article. Even if you are reacting to my thoughts, the structure of your posting should not in the form of an "answer" to my questions. I will deduct points if you ignore this requirement! Postings must be made according to the schedule indicated on the calendar. Do not start new threads unless you have also responded to a previous posting in an existing thread.

Postings will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

1. Originality
2. Proper Grammar and correctness of spelling
3. Logic of arguments
4. Relating arguments to previous posts (the sequence of posts is supposed to represent a conversation -- not a set of unrelated posts of people talking past each other!).
5. Relating arguments to issues brought up in the text and on the slides.

There will be one Blackboard discussion topic. Please read everybody's posting and reply to them. Look at the discussion forum every couple of days, at least, and keep the discussion vigorous.

Exams

There will normally be a midterm exam and a final; any modifications to this will be announced in class. Exams are usually closed book, but I will allow you to bring in one 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper containing only formulas -- nothing else (two sides). More details on the nature of the exams can be found on the FAQ page.  If you miss an exam without being excused, I cannot give you any credit for that exam.  University policy allows make-ups only for serious personal illness or death in the family, for which documentation may be required.  You can look at past exams and solutions on my website; however, the actual format of the exams this term will differ substantially from those of other exams. Please bring your own calculators to the exams; however the use of computers, PDAs, graphing calculator, phone calculators or other instruments that can communicate and/or are able to store alphanumeric information is strictly prohibited during the exam. It is your responsibility to verify whether your calculator is allowed, otherwise you will end up in an exam without a calculator. Get in touch with me regarding any question you may have regarding the exams, or the course in general.

Short Quizzes

There may, in addition, be short quizzes. 

Media Articles

On my webpages, you will find recent media articles.  From time to time, I will add to this list.  There are several reasons why you should look regularly at these pages.  

• I will be posting interesting and recent articles to this directory.  As such, it will be a useful way for you to keep abreast of topical issues (in addition to your regular perusal of the Wall Street Journal.)
• I will pose questions on the subject matter of several of the articles.  These questions will be good preparation for the media article based questions on the exams.
• You can draw on the articles for classroom discussions.
• These articles and the appended questions are useful preparation for job interviews.

The password, necessary to access the Media Articles section, will be announced in class and can also be found at the Blackboard website. In case of emergency, you can contact me for the password.

If you have difficulty in accessing the site and you're using Internet Explorer, you may want to try the following fix: Go to Tools on the Main menu, then choose Internet Options. Then choose Security; after that select Trusted Sites. Then click on sites and add "http://webpage.pace.edu/pviswanath" (make sure that you have unchecked the "Require Server Verification for all sites in this zone").
This should allow you to access the articles by using the correct password.

Grades

Note that the minimum and maximum quantitative scores for plus and minus refinements to the letter grades will be at my discretion. These will be partly determined by the distribution of student scores within each letter grade category.   I place a high value on effort; at my discretion, I will raise your grade one notch if I feel that you have tried hard to satisfy all the requirements of the course.

Prerequisites:

Students must have satisfied the prerequisite for this course, viz. MBA 640. I will presume complete familiarity with all topics taught in this course.

Data Cards

On the index card handed out in class, please fill in the information requested below.  Make sure to number the item that you are responding to.  Leave space on the top right hand side for a photograph.

1. Name
2. Home and Work Phone number; Fax number, if any
3. Email address, other than at pace.edu (for my convenience).  (Note that I will send you email only to your Pace email address)
4. Functional expertise/interest in business administration (e.g. accounting, finance, personnel administration)
5. Work experience, if any (provide particulars of what your duties were)
6. Previous knowledge of finance (if any)
7. Interests outside of business management (such as languages, music, etc.)