An introduction to contemporary practices in financial modeling, emphasizing practical application with real financial data. This hands-on course develops proficiency in applying financial concepts, theoretical frameworks, and spreadsheet-based tools to construct Excel models that perform rigorous financial analysis to support effective financial decision-making.
Athena Title
Financial Modeling
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in FINA 4920
Non-Traditional Format
This course will be taught 95% or more online.
Prerequisite
FINA 3000 or FINA 3000E or FINA 3000H
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
Students will construct comprehensive financial models from scratch by integrating finance, accounting, and Excel skills to solve applied corporate finance and investment problems (e.g., retirement planning, mortgage planning, valuation, portfolio management, option pricing).
Students will develop financial models (including sensitivity testing) that evaluate corporate capital investment decisions.
Students will appraise and forecast financial statements (balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows) to assess a firm’s financial performance and position.
Students will develop a reliable and accurate discounted cash flow (DCF) model to value a company’s equity using real-world economic, financial, and market data.
Students will critique peer financial models, examine feedback received from your peers, and compose a written reflection that demonstrates insights gained from the review process.
Topical Outline
Retirement Planning
Mortgage Re-Financing
Project Selection Methods, and Cash Flow Forecast
Bond, and Equity Pricing
Financial Ratio Analysis, and Financial Statement Forecasting
Cost of Capital Analysis, and Beta Estimation
DCF, and LBO Modeling
Portfolio Optimization
Option Pricing
Graphing in Excel, Data Tables, Pivot Tables, and Monte Carlo Simulations in Excel
Institutional Competencies Learning Outcomes
Analytical Thinking
The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.
