Course Syllabus
Contact Information
Course Prerequisites
Prerequisite: graduate standing, FIN 5112, and FIN 5322.
Course Materials
The Economics of Money, Banking, & Financial Markets, by Mischkin, 12th Edition.
Students can purchase online access to the Mischkin book or a hard copy if they wish.
Unbound hard copy: ISBN 9780134734217
eBook: ISBN 9780134734507
Grades
Breakdown
| Activity | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Midterm #1 | Midterm will consist of 40 multiple-choice questions. The questions will mostly be of a conceptual nature, with a few mathematical problems. | 20 |
| Midterm #2 | Midterm will consist of 40 multiple-choice questions. The questions will mostly be of a conceptual nature, with a few mathematical problems. | 20 |
| Final | Final will consist of 40 multiple-choice questions. The questions will mostly be of a conceptual nature, with a few mathematical problems. | 30 |
| Research Project |
The research project will explore the effects of the money supply and interest rates on their bank’s revenue, expenses and profits. |
20 |
| Homework Assignment | Questions covering content covered each week. | 10 |
| Total | 100 |
Scale
There are no extra credit or bonus opportunities in this course.
Your letter grade for the course will be computed in a manner that is consistent with the Finance division's grading policy. Letter grades will be assigned according to the following schedule:
90% - 100% A
80 % - 89% B
70% - 79% C
60 % - 69% D
< 60% F
Please note that I round down. For example, 79.9% is a C.
It is possible that I may add points to one or more of your graded items, based on the distribution of scores for the class. Do not count on these 'curve' points because they might not happen! The above schedule gives you the scores to aim for.
Course Components
Exams
Midterms will be multiple-choice, 40 questions each. The questions will mostly be of a conceptual nature, with a few mathematical problems. You may use a calculator or Microsoft Excel. The final exam will be multiple-choice, 40 questions. The same rules will apply as for the midterms. You will have a one week window to take each exam.
Research Project
Each of you will be assigned a bank or bank holding company that is publicly traded. You will extract annual income statement data from their annual report/10K and put it in a spreadsheet.
Your first exercise will be to conduct a statistical analysis of the relation between those items and contemporaneous market interest rates. You will be provided the interest rate data.
Then you will do your own analysis of the bank’s financial statements and give your opinion as to what factors have caused the bank’s annual profits to behave as their financial statements indicate.
If you are currently employed by a bank or bank holding company, please let me know the name of your employer so I can make sure you aren’t assigned that one.
Course Policies
Communication
The best way to contact me is via email at James.R.McCown-1@ou.edu I will respond to your email as soon as possible (in less than 24 hours from Monday to Friday). I will check my emails over the weekends but my response time may be slower. If you would like to set up a Zoom video conference, please email me. When emailing me, please tell me which class and section you are in. Please email me directly. The messaging facility on Canvas is problematic.
Late Policy
Late work will be accepted only in the event the student has a University excuse.
University 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 Accessibility and 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 at 405-325-2215 (8-5, M-F) or OU Advocates at 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 |
|---|---|---|