Course Syllabus
For a list of course activities, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Course Materials
Textbook (Optional)
Financial Modeling, by Simon Benninga, 4th Edition, MIT Press ISBN: 978-0262027281
*I will provide all the necessary learning materials. You are not required to buy the textbook. But I would highly recommend obtaining a copy (perhaps a used one) of the textbook for review purposes.
For more details regarding course materials, see the Resources page in Module 0.
Grades
Breakdown
| Activity | Description | Points |
| Participation | Questions for the Live Sessions + Live Session attendance | 8 |
| Practice Activities | Credit for completing - solutions posted after due date | 5 |
| Quizzes | Checks material covered in the previous Live Session | 15 |
| Group Projects |
Project: Kickstarter (10 points) Project: Valuation (15 points) Project: Portfolio 3 (7 points) |
32 |
| Midterm Exam | covers material in Modules 1-4 | 20 |
| Final Exam | covers materials in Modules 5-8 | 20 |
| Total | 100 |
Scale
Grade cutoffs for A, B, C are 90%, 75%, 65% respectively.
Grades are rounded to the nearest percent (i.e. 89.5% rounds to 90% while 89.4% rounds to 89%)
All students will be graded according to the above scale and thus should not expect a "curve" in the class. Everyone will be treated the same under this grading system.
Course Components
Participation
Each week, our class will meet online in real time. During this Live Session, I will either provide extra problems to help improve your problem-solving skills, or answer any questions you may have.
You are encouraged to actively engage with the course materials prior to the Live Session. While watching the videos or attempting the practice problems, make a note of any questions or difficulties you encounter. Each week you'll post two questions or issues you would like for me to address during the Live Session. Submit your posts by noon, on the day of the Live Session. After you submit your questions, you will be able to see the posts of the other students in the class. Read through their posts and “like” one or two of them. The aggregate “likes” will help me prioritize what to review or address during the Live Session.
You are required to join these Live Sessions. In the event that your work or personal schedule makes it impossible for you to attend one of them, please review the recording of the Live Session. If you miss more than two sessions, your grade will be impacted.
Your participation grade in the class will take into account your contribution on the "Questions for the Live Session" discussion board and your attendance in the Live Sessions.
I will take attendance in each Live Session. Please note that if you join the session > 15 minutes late or leave > 15 minutes early, you will be considered "absent". For those who are planning to miss a significant number of Live Sessions, you must contact your professor at the start of the term to discuss possible arrangements.
Practice Activities
Before each module (excluding Project modules) you will be given practice activities similar to the ones presented in the videos. This gives you an opportunity to apply what you've learned in the videos and identify any problems or difficulties. You can post your questions on the "Questions for the Live Session" discussion board.
You must submit the practice activities by noon on the day of the Live Session. You can finish it earlier if you'd like, but Canvas will not accept late work. The solutions to the practice problems will be available at noon, immediately after the deadline. You are expected to check your own work. You will not get any individual feedback, although I will answer questions from the group during the Live Session.
You will get a completion grade for a sincere attempt to complete the activities. I encourage you to work through these practice activities as they will help prepare you for the quizzes, exams and projects.
Quizzes
After each Live Session (excluding project weeks), you will be required to take an Excel-based quiz. These quizzes are designed to check your mastery over the skills, techniques and procedures demonstrated in the previous Live Session and tutorial videos. The quiz will open immediately after the Live Session. It will be available until Sunday 11:59 pm. Once you begin the quiz, you will have 25 minutes to complete it.
Group Projects
At the end of each section, a group project will be assigned. These projects will be fairly challenging and may require you to utilize the entire skill set you acquired in that section. We will devote a full week to each project, and you'll have a chance to meet with your group during the Live Session. Each team member will get the same grade on the project unless your peer evaluation indicates a lack of effort.
Note: If you have scheduling conflicts which prevent you from working in a group, please let me know within the first week of the term. I can arrange for you to work as a group of one.
Exams
There will be two exams, a midterm and a final. They will assess the knowledge and skills you have refined in the practice activities, quizzes and projects. The exam will open immediately after the Live Session. It will be available until Sunday at 11:59 pm. You can take the exam anytime within that window. Once you begin the exam, you will have 1 hour to complete it.
Course Policies
Communication
- If you have any general questions about assignments, class logistics, due dates, etc., please post a question in the Course Help Board in the "Start Here" module. You can post questions about the course to the Course Help Board throughout the semester. Your classmates may be able to answer your questions.
- If you have a personal question (grades, feedback, requests for special accommodation, etc.) please send me a private message via email. In the subject line, write "FIN 5382 online" before your subject. For example, if you have a question about a grade, your email subject would read "FIN 5382 online – grade inquiry."
- If you have a question about the weekly topic, or anything related to learning material please post in the "Questions for Live Session" page in the relevant module. I will address some of your questions during the Live Session.
- If you have tech questions, please contact OU IT at needhelp@ou.edu. You can also reach out to tech support for Canvas by clicking on the "Help" button on the left side navigation panel.
Students are welcome to communicate with me. During the work week (Monday-Friday), you can expect a response from me within 24 hours. During weekends (Saturday-Sunday), you can expect a response from me within 48 hours. The tail end of each Live Session is also a good time to chat.
All email sent by your professors will be sent to the email registered in your name at the University of Oklahoma.
If you wish to also receive course emails at another email address, go to your profile in Canvas and you can add 1 or more alternate emails to your account.
Late Policy
No late work accepted: All graded assignments must be completed by the assigned due date. No late work will be accepted.
UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA
ACADEMIC POLICIES AND STUDENT SUPPORT
Course Catalog
Search the OU Course Catalogue.
Student Handbook
Please familiarize yourself with the OU Student Handbook.
Online Library
Access digital materials and other resources at OU Libraries.
Academic Misconduct
In addition to the course conduct policies outlined by your professor in the Course Syllabus in the online classroom, please review the Graduate Student Handbook.
It is the responsibility of each student to be familiar with the definitions, policies, and procedures concerning academic misconduct. The Student Code is available from the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, and is contained in the Student's Guide to Academic Integrity.
This site also defines misconduct, provides examples of prohibited conduct, and explains the sanctions available for those found guilty of misconduct.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the most common form of academic misconduct at OU. There is basically no college-level assignment that can be satisfactorily completed by copying. OU's basic assumption about writing is that all written assignments show the student's own understanding in the student's own words. That means all writing assignments, in class or out, are assumed to be composed entirely of words generated (not simply found) by the student, except where words written by someone else are specifically marked as such with proper citation. Including other people's words in your paper is helpful when you do it honestly and correctly. When you don't, it's plagiarism.
For more information about plagiarism, watch this video and then take this short course offered by University Libraries.
Reasonable Accommodation for Disabilities
The University of Oklahoma is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for all students with disabilities. Students with disabilities who require accommodations in this course should contact their professor as early in the semester as possible.
Students with disabilities must be registered with the Disability Resource Center prior to receiving accommodations in this course.
If you have a disability and you would like to make a request for reasonable accommodation, please see the Graduate Student Handbook or get in touch with the Disability Resource Center.
Adjustments for Pregnancy/Childbirth Related Issues
Should you need modifications or adjustments to your course requirements because of documented pregnancy-related or childbirth-related issues, please contact me as soon as possible to discuss your options. Generally, modifications will be made where medically necessary and similar in scope to accommodations based on temporary disability. Learn more about the rights of pregnant and parenting students by consulting the FAQ sheets provided by the Institutional Equity Office.
Title IX Resources
For any concerns regarding gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, stalking, or intimate partner violence, the University offers a variety of resources, including advocates on-call 24/7, counseling services, mutual no contact orders, scheduling adjustments, and disciplinary sanctions against the perpetrator. Please contact the Sexual Misconduct Office 405-325-2215 (8-5, M-F) or OU Advocates 405-615-0013 (24/7) to learn more or to report an incident.
Religious Holidays
It is the policy of the University to excuse absences of students that result from religious observances and to provide for the rescheduling of examinations and additional required classwork that may fall on religious holidays without penalty. It is the responsibility of the student to make alternate arrangements with the instructor at least one week prior to the actual date of the religious holiday.
Copyright Policy
It is illegal to download, upload, reproduce, or distribute any copyrighted material, in any form and in any fashion, without permission from the copyright holder or his/her authorized agent. The University of Oklahoma expects all members of its community to comply fully with federal copyright laws. If such laws appear to have been violated by any user, the university reserves the right (1) to terminate that user’s access to some or all of the university’s computer systems and information resources and (2) to take additional disciplinary actions as deemed necessary or appropriate. Repeat offenders will be sanctioned and their privileges terminated.
Registration and Withdrawal
If you choose to withdraw from this course, you must complete the appropriate University form and turn the form in before the deadline. If you stop attending the course and doing the coursework without doing the required paperwork, your grade will be calculated with missed homework and examination grades entered as zero. This could result in receiving a grade of F in the course. Deadlines are shown in the Academic Calendar, which is available from the Office of the Registrar.
Student Grievances
In addition to any policies outlined related to submitting an informal or formal grievance by your professor in the Course Syllabus in the online classroom, please review the Graduate Student Handbook for more information about the process of submitting a formal grievance.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
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