Finance (FINN)

Alexey Malakhov
Department Chair, interim
Business Building
Email: amalakhov@walton.uark.edu

Tim Riley
Ph.D. Program Director
Business Building
Email: triley@walton.uark.edu

Cash Acrey
M.S. in Finance Program Director
Business Building
Email: cacrey@walton.uark.edu

Finance Department Website

Degrees Conferred:
M.S. in Finance (FINN)
Ph.D. in Business Administration (BADM)

Master's Program Description: The Master of Science in Finance is designed for early- to mid-career students who seek advanced education in Finance. The program will guide students through evolving innovations in financial markets through the extensive use of descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive data analytics on the practice of finance. Graduates of this program are expected to achieve competencies in financial modeling and proficiency in computational methods involving machine learning, optimization, and advanced computing languages. These finance skills together with deep subject matter knowledge enable graduates to identify, assess, and seize opportunities for value creation in a dynamic, digital, and rapidly changing economy. Students focus on financial data analytics, the digital transformation of finance, and innovations in markets and venture finance. 

Ph.D. Program Description: The Ph.D. program in Business Administration with an area of study in Finance prepares students for faculty positions at academic institutions or for professional careers in private industry and government. During their course of study, students receive specialized instruction in the areas of corporate finance, investments, and financial institutions. The conceptual knowledge and methodological skills necessary to conduct independent research are acquired through courses and individual apprenticeships with faculty.

Courses

FINN 5100V. Special Topics in Finance. 1-6 Hour.

Explore current events, concepts and new developments relevant to practitioners of Finance not available in other courses. Topics vary depending on the instructor. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring) May be repeated for up to 6 hours of degree credit.

FINN 51103. Corporate Financial Management. 3 Hours.

Financial analysis, planning and control; decision making and modeling for financial managers; and financial policies for management. (Typically offered: Spring)

FINN 51203. Valuing New Ventures. 3 Hours.

This course is for students who wish to begin careers in valuing new ventures with VCs and Angel funds, for investors interested in new ventures as an asset class, for members of startup teams who focus on acquiring and managing capital, and for R&D and innovation teams within existing large firms. The course will also add valuable techniques to those performing private equity valuations of growing firms or firms facing large strategic options, even if those firms are not technically startups. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring)

FINN 51303. Advanced Investments. 3 Hours.

Sound training in the principles of security analysis and portfolio management and certain advanced techniques of financial management. Modern portfolio theory and its application to portfolio management practices will be emphasized. Graduate degree credit will not be given for both FINN 41303 and FINN 51303. Prerequisite: FINN 30603. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring)

FINN 51403. Impact Investing. 3 Hours.

Students will gain skills for investing for social impact such as the ability to source, screen, and structure investment deals. Students will engage with industry leaders and explore areas of socially responsible investing, strategic or venture philanthropy, social enterprise and social entrepreneurship, and the history of social finance and microfinance. (Typically offered: Spring)

FINN 51703. Energy Finance and Risk Management. 3 Hours.

This course provides an advanced introduction to energy finance, defined as the application of finance principles to energy, energy service, and related industries, concerning all aspects of the energy value chain. Topics include: (1) physical fossil fuel markets; (2) physical electricity markets; (3) financially traded energy products; and (4) credit, counterpart, country, and enterprise risk. It also introduces students to business valuation and investment banking applications in the energy industry vertical. Prerequisite: FINN 51103 or FINN 52203. (Typically offered: Fall)

FINN 52103. New Venture Finance. 3 Hours.

The course is a deep dive into the legal contracting and governance issues around early stage financing. This course provides students with exposure to the startup finance ecosystem. Students will learn about the forms of early stage funding and the players offering those funding sources, how to prepare for due diligence when seeking funding, and the issues that arise about governance and control when seeking funding. (Typically offered: Irregular)

FINN 52203. Financial Markets & Valuation. 3 Hours.

Analysis of financial information by capital markets in the determination of security values with specific applications to retail and logistics companies. This course views these and other companies from the point of view of the capital markets. (Typically offered: Spring) May be repeated for degree credit.

FINN 52303. Advanced Corporate Finance. 3 Hours.

Addresses complex and multifaceted issues and problems in financial decision-making. Graduate degree credit will not be given for both FINN 42303 and FINN 52303. Prerequisite: FINN 36003. (Typically offered: Irregular)

FINN 52403. Digital Innovation in Financial Markets. 3 Hours.

The evolving role and operations of financial markets and institutions in an increasingly digital-oriented economy. The impact of technological innovations such as blockchain, nonbank financial technology firms, and machine learning on markets as it relates to investors, firms raising capital, and financial entrepreneurs. (Typically offered: Irregular)

FINN 53003. Advanced Corporate Financial Management. 3 Hours.

Focus on financial policy issues using real situational cases. Topics include cost of capital, capital budgeting and long-term planning, value-based management, real options, as well as project financing and valuation. Prerequisite: FINN 52203. (Typically offered: Irregular)

FINN 53103. Advanced Commercial Banking. 3 Hours.

This course focuses on advanced risk management strategies commonly implemented at regional and large commercial banks. Topics include financial statement analysis of banks and holding companies, credit analysis of global cash flow, Basel III capital requirements and stress testing, interest rate risk measurement and management, and interest rate hedging with derivatives. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring)

FINN 53203. Financial Data Analytics I. 3 Hours.

This course introduces programming for financial data analysis, data representation and visualization using a modern programming language. The objective is to provide students a broad understanding of (1) the general principles and techniques of programming, (2) familiar with financial data and manipulation, (3) financial data processing, analyzing and visualization and (4) the computational applications of in financial data. The course concludes with a project in which students apply their knowledge to implement and evaluate an algorithmic trading strategy. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring)

FINN 53303. Investment Theory and Management. 3 Hours.

Integration of theory, practice of investments with solution of individual and institutional portfolio management problems; risk management; Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts' Problems. Prerequisite: FINN 52203. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring)

FINN 5410V. Shollmier Investment Project. 1-3 Hour.

Provide students with the opportunity to design and apply complex investment strategies used in institutional portfolio management on the Shollmier MBA Fund that can involve fixed income and equity securities as well as derivatives. Students will use top down asset allocation models, bottom up security selection, and hedge fund strategies. Prerequisite: FINN 52203 and FINN 53303. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring) May be repeated for up to 9 hours of degree credit.

FINN 54303. Real Estate Finance and Investment. 3 Hours.

Consideration of professional aspects of the real estate field. Emphasis is placed upon finance techniques and investment analysis. The focus is on commercial real estate. Brokerage, property management, appraisal, property development and current problems are also addressed. Students prepare a feasibly study on a commercial development project. Graduate degree credit will not be given for both FINN 44303 and FINN 54303. Prerequisite: FINN 39303. (Typically offered: Spring)

FINN 54503. Advanced Financial Modeling. 3 Hours.

The course applies Business Intelligence (BI), Cloud, Artificial Intelligent (AI) tools to business data for financial analysis and modeling. Data handling and modeling make use of the latest BI platforms such as Microsoft Power BI and Tableau. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring)

FINN 5500V. Independent Study. 1-3 Hour.

Permits students on an individual basis to explore selected topics in finance, with the consent of instructor. Graduate degree credit will not be given for both FINN 4500V and FINN 5500V. (Typically offered: Irregular)

FINN 60403. Finance Theory. 3 Hours.

Provides a conceptual understanding of key theoretical developments in the field of financial economics, including firm decisions under risk within a world of uncertainty. (Typically offered: Irregular)

FINN 61303. Seminar in Investment Theory. 3 Hours.

Study advanced literature in field investments, with special reference to theory of random walks, stock valuation models, portfolio management. (Typically offered: Spring)

FINN 62303. Seminar in Financial Management. 3 Hours.

Financial management of firm with emphasis on financial theory or firm, quantitative methods used in financial analysis, planning. (Typically offered: Irregular)

FINN 63303. Empirical Research in Finance. 3 Hours.

A study of recent empirically based research in finance. (Typically offered: Irregular)

FINN 67303. Seminar in Financial Markets and Institutions. 3 Hours.

Recent developments in the literature of financial markets and institutions. Participants will be involved in the extensive study of existing theories and empirical tests of the theories. (Typically offered: Irregular)

FINN 6830V. Contemporary Issues in Doctoral Colloquium. 1-3 Hour.

To explore and evaluate contemporary research issues in finance. Course content to reflect the most recent developments in theory and empirical research methodologies. Prerequisite: Doctoral student status and instructor consent. (Typically offered: Fall, Spring and Summer) May be repeated for up to 18 hours of degree credit.

FINN 7000V. Doctoral Dissertation. 1-18 Hour.

Doctoral Dissertation. Prerequisite: Candidacy. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring) May be repeated for degree credit.