Corporate finance is the study of corporations and businesses from the standpoint of the financial manager. Emphasis is given to understanding financial statements, analyzing financial performance, planning and control, capital budgeting, long-term financing, capital structure and valuation. Students are given the skills and knowledge needed to analyze and make financial decisions in these areas. Spreadsheets and other computer models are used extensively in the corporate finance courses. The area of investments looks at different investment opportunities, investment goals, and the management of portfolios.
Emphasis is given to an examination of the relationship between risk and return.
Students must analyze and compare different investment options and measure outcomes. In addition, the importance of diversification is examined and various investment strategies which can be used to control the risk in a portfolio are examined. Through the study of the areas mentioned above, students will receive the theoretical foundation needed to analyze financial performance in a variety of business enterprises and learn how the theories are applied in practice. The practical application is demonstrated through the use of case studies, computer models, computer simulation games, and by bringing in speakers from the business community. The finance and banking major is analytical in nature and many of the courses are quantitative in nature.