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Lasell University
Lasell University

2020 - 2021 Academic Catalog

Corporate Finance

The Finance major is designed to prepare students with the knowledge and skills needed for a successful career in the dynamic finance industry. Graduates will qualify for a wide range of opportunities in private, public, and nonprofit organizations such as commercial banking, financial planning, investment banking, money managing, insurance and real estate.  

Finance students will be given the resources to develop a foundation for financial management in a variety of settings. Students will be taught to analyze financial data, value financial and real assets, and provide financial advice to individuals and companies making decisions about allocating scarce resources in a global environment.

Consistent with the University's Connected Learning philosophy, the Finance major offers students various project-focused service-learning opportunities. Students are highly encouraged to take a Service Learning course such as SVL108, Tax Volunteer. The Internship program provides a capstone work experience for all Finance students during their senior year.

All graduates receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance.

By planning early, in consultation with an academic advisor, students may be able to reduce the time it takes to complete a bachelor's degree in Finance to 3 or 3½ years.

The following goals and associated learning outcomes delineate what we strive for students to achieve when they complete the major program of study in Finance:

Goal 1: Applying financial information
Upon completion of the Finance major program of study, students will be able to

  1. apply time value of money analysis to personal and corporate financial decision-making
  2. evaluate risk-operational, business, financial and traditional-for a given situation and recommend measures to appropriately address the risk
  3. distinguish among various financial intermediaries and markets
  4. evaluate various personal and commercial investment alternatives, including
    • describing sources of risk and return
    • calculating risk and return measures
    • recommending appropriate investment alternatives
  1. conduct financial analysis of a business situation and make recommendations based on the analysis results
  2. construct ad hoc computer spreadsheets to solve financial business problems

Goal 2: Application of Business Information
Upon completion of the major program of study in Finance, students will be able to

  1. apply quantitative research methods to various challenges faced by business organizations
  2. apply qualitative research methods to various challenges faced by business organizations
  3. integrate business information into effective decision making

Goal 3: Ethical Decision-making
Upon completion of the major program of study in Finance, students will be able to

  1. identify ethical issues implicit in business
  2. evaluate and decide among alternative solutions to ethical problems

Goal 4: Professional skills
Upon completion of the major program of study in Finance, students will be able to

  1. communicate effectively in writing for the discipline
  2. communicate effectively orally within the discipline
  3. work effectively in teams

 

Course Code Course Title Credits
School of Business Core
BUSS104X Professional Development in Business 3
BUSS105 Excel for Business 3
BUSS205 Business Law 3
BUSS220 Principles of Marketing 3
BUSS227 Managerial Accounting 3
BUSS440 Business Capstone 3
BUSS497 Business Internship Seminar 4
DSCI202 Business Analytics 3
ECON101 Principles of Econ-Micro 3
MATH209 Business Statistics 3
Core Courses
BUSS101 Fund of Bus in a Global Environment 3
BUSS203 Financial Management 3
BUSS208 Financial Statement Analysis 3
BUSS211 Fundamentals of Financial Modeling 3
BUSS226 Financial Accounting 3
BUSS310 Advanced Financial Management 3
CFP302X Risk Management & Insurance Planning 3
CFP303X Investment Planning 3
ECON102 Principles of Econ-Macro 3
MATH202 Applied Mathematics for Business 3
Concentration Courses
BUSS307 International Finance 3
BUSS331 Money and Capital Markets 3

Major Requirements: 67 credits

A minimum of 120 credits is required for graduation. This total includes the Core Curriculum Requirements as described elsewhere in this catalog. Some courses required for the major meet Core Curriculum requirements. 

For a complete explanation of graduation requirements, see Graduation Requirements in the Undergraduate Academic Policies section of this catalog.

Jeffrey Corcoran

Professor Emeritus

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Janet Huetteman

Graduate Chair of Management and Marketing; Associate Professor of Marketing

Office: 23 Maple Street, Office #5

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Bruce McKinnon

Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship

Office: 26 Maple

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Matthew Reilly

Chair of Business Program and Director of Academic Partnerships; Assistant Professor of Business

Office: DeArment

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Donna Scipione

Assistant Professor of Accounting and Finance

Office: DeArment

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Anh Le Tran

Professor of Economics and Management

Office: DeArment

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Nancy Waldron

Professor Emerita

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Robert Zuar

Visiting Assistant Professor of Accounting and Finance

Office: DeArment

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BUSS104X - Professional Development in Business

For freshman only. This is a comprehensive course that introduces students to the skills they need to develop themselves professionally. It cultivates and hones the skills necessary for students to communicate effectively and professionally in a business environment. This course provides students with the skills necessary to engage in field experience, internship and post-graduate employment searches as well as for the general business world around them. Using myriad methods, students will develop the necessary professional skills for professional presentation, professional communication, negotiation, personal branding, networking and team building. Students will also be introduced to the concept of emotional intelligence and its impact on overall career and academic outcomes. Students will complete a minimum of three professional presentations as part of this course.Prerequisites: None

BUSS105 - Excel for Business

This course introduces students to basic Microsoft Excel skills. Excel is an electronic spreadsheet program used for storing, organizing and manipulating data. It is critical to the business world today as the volume data generated has exploded. This introductory course will provide students with information and skills needed to create basic workbooks and worksheets, create simple formulas, copy and move data, format data and cells, work in large spreadsheets and with data series, create pivot tables, and more. As part of this course, all students will have the opportunity to become certified in Microsoft Excel through the professional certification called Microsoft Office Specialist: Excel 2016 – Core Data Analysis, Manipulation, and Presentation. The certification also comes with an electronic badge. Students are also introduced to Income Statements, Balance Sheets, Statement of Cash Flows, Ratios, and the Basic Accounting Cycle

BUSS205 - Business Law

This course provides a working knowledge of everyday law as it applies to both business and personal needs. The primary focus is on contract law and property law. Different sections offered are specific to majors and/or interests (Section A – General Business, Section B – Sport Management, Section C – Hospitality Management). Students can choose any section that they prefer, regardless of major.

BUSS220 - Principles of Marketing

In this course, the fundamentals of marketing are explored for practical application in today's business environment. The process of creating value for customers by utilizing the tools of marketing -- market segmentation, targeting and positioning, marketing research and communications, product development, channels of distribution, and pricing -- are explored with a project-based, interactive approach. Additionally, there is a service learning component included in this course that enables students to further apply the course concepts while working to advance a participating non-profit organization. Prerequisites: BUSS101, COM101, HEM101, HEM102, FASH101, or SMGT102 AND ENG102 OR WRT102.

BUSS227 - Managerial Accounting

In this course, students gain experience in the development and use of information within an organization. Course topics include: cost terms; production costing; cost allocation for planning and control; cost behavior patterns; cost-volume-profit relationships; budgeting; inventory planning and control; pricing decisions; and aspects of investment decisions.

BUSS440 - Business Capstone

This capstone course requires students to apply a broad knowledge of management and administrative techniques to specific situations. An emphasis is placed on strategy formulation and implementation. This is a writing intensive course. Different sections offered are specific to majors and/or interests (Section A – General Business, Section B – Sport Management, Section C – Hospitality Management). Prerequisite: Senior standing, Major within the School of Business

BUSS497 - Business Internship Seminar

This internship for students within the School of Business is scheduled to take place during the student's senior year (juniors are permitted with permission). Students serve as interns for a total of 150 hours in a position related to their field of study. The hours are completed concurrently with weekly class meetings and course work. Detailed reports, reflective exercises, weekly journal entries, a final comprehensive project, and other written requirements are completed throughout the internship process. The internship supervisor monitors each student's performance and visits each internship site as needed. Different sections offered are specific to majors and/or interests (Section A – General Business, Section B – Sport Management, Section C – Hospitality Management). Students can choose any section that they prefer, regardless of major. Prerequisite: Senior Standing, Major within the School of Business

DSCI202 - Business Analytics

This course provides the conceptual and technical foundations of various aspects of Data Analytics. The purpose is to prepare students with foundation skills in Big Data, a skill widely needed and valued across the business world. The course will expose students to the data analytics practices executed in the business world and explores key areas of the analytical process, how data is created, stored, accessed, and how organizations work with data and creates the environment in which analytics can flourish. This course will provide students with a strong foundation in all the areas that support analytics and will help them to better position themselves for success within any organization.This course provides the conceptual and technical foundations of various aspects of Big Data Analytics, including cloud computing, NoSQL Databases, predictive and prescriptive analytics.Prerequisite: MATH208 or MATH209

ECON101 - Principles of Econ-Micro

This course is an introduction to the principles of the economic behavior of individuals, firms, and industries in the mixed economic system. Topics include consumer demand; elasticity; supply and costs of production; the allocation of economic resources; international trade; and the role of government in promoting economic welfare.

MATH209 - Business Statistics

This is an introductory course in descriptive and inferential statistics focused on applications in business. Topics include: data analysis, and graphical methods of describing data, measures of central tendency and variability, time-series analysis, trend and seasonality analysis, simple and multiple correlation and regression analysis, sales and cost forecasting, probability, expected monetary value, and the Normal distribution. Prerequisites: MATH 106 with a grade of C or better or demonstrated competency through placement testing and ENG 102. With permission of the instructor only.

BUSS101 - Fund of Bus in a Global Environment

This course is designed to familiarize students with various aspects of the business world. Areas covered include: private enterprise, forms of ownership, legal aspects, management practices in a diverse and global business environment, marketing, human resources, global operations management, labor relations, and finance. In addition, students become aware of how business functions are integrated into an organization to achieve specific goals both locally and internationally.

BUSS203 - Financial Management

This course provides an introduction to the fundamental concepts of finance. Various techniques of analysis that reveal the relationships of risk, return, and value are demonstrated. Topics include: financial reporting; long- and short-term forecasting; managing working capital; capital budgeting; and the nature of corporate securities and debt-equity mix. Prerequisites: BUSS 202 with a grade C or better & ECON 102.

BUSS208 - Financial Statement Analysis

In this course, students will examine financial statements and other financial reports with a view towards using accounting information in making investing, lending, and other potential management decisions. Students explore methods of constructing, comparing, and analyzing these statements and reports and the various uses of such analyses. Prerequisite: BUSS202 with a grade of C or higher

BUSS211 - Fundamentals of Financial Modeling

In this course, students will build applications and models in Excel to support financial analysis and decision-making. Students will begin by building financial documents using basic Excel applications and functions. They will then move into more advanced skills that include time value of money and statistical functions, text and date usage, regression, conditionals, data tables and random number generation. All techniques will be applied to the most common financial applications and models including present value, cost of capital, financial statement forecasting, and valuation. Also included are the preparation of charts and graphs for use in professional presentations and reports. Problem-solving cases will serve as the foundation for the course. Prerequisite: BUSS 202 with a “C” or better.

BUSS226 - Financial Accounting

This course provides students with the fundamentals of accounting processes and procedures used in business. Students learn how to identify and record business transactions. In addition, students learn how to create financial statements and how to become intelligent users of financial information. Prerequisite: BUSS105

BUSS310 - Advanced Financial Management

This course builds on the concepts introduced in BUSS203 and focuses on financial decisions made within corporate environments. Financial risk and return, capital budgeting, valuation, capital structure, working capital management, and distribution policy are emphasized. Current topics in financial management will also be included. Prerequisite: BUSS203 with a grade of or better.

CFP302X - Risk Management & Insurance Planning

This course provides students with an understanding of risk management and the tools and techniques available to minimize exposures to risk. Students will learn how to conduct an insurance needs analysis for clients and evaluate insurance contracts for life, disability, long-term care, and health insurance. The course also covers how insurance rates are developed, what types of contracts are available, how to read insurance proposals, and how life insurance is used in financial planning. Students also learn about property and casualty insurance, including homeowners’, liability, and auto insurance. Other topics include group life and health insurance plans, business uses of insurance, and annuities.

CFP303X - Investment Planning

This course explores the securities market, sources of information, risk/return, debt and equities, stocks, bonds, options, futures, security analysis, and culminates in portfolio construction and analysis. Students will learn how to evaluate different asset classes for different investment objectives, and determine their suitability for investors considering investment goals, time horizons, risk tolerance, and tax situations. Quantitative investment concepts, investment theories, and strategies, and asset pricing models are also examines.

ECON102 - Principles of Econ-Macro

This course explores basic functions of the United States economy viewed as a whole and policies designed to affect its performance. Topics include economic scarcity; causes of unemployment and inflation; money and monetary policy; the impact of government taxation and spending; and the federal debt. Some consideration is given to international economic problems and to contrasting economic systems. Prerequisite: ECON 101.

MATH202 - Applied Mathematics for Business

This course will be a “Choose Option across Management, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Event Management, Hospitality Management, Accounting and Resort and Casino Management Majors. This course will introduce a variety of mathematical principles and techniques that emphasize applications in business and economics. Topics covered include: systems of linear equations, exponential and logarithmic functions, linear programming, as well as the development and applications of rates of change. Prerequisite: MATH106

BUSS307 - International Finance

This course explores the ways and means to reduce financial risk involved in international financial management. The course deals with the interrelationship between the international monetary environment and financial planning for corporations with overseas operations. Students will analyze the effects on international financial planning of such factors as exchange rate fluctuations, currency restrictions, and tax regulations. Students will examine financial aspects of multinational businesses including foreign investment, trade, and transfer of funds. Prerequisite: BUSS203 with a grade C or Better

BUSS331 - Money and Capital Markets

The course offers an extensive examination of the money and capital markets and their importance to the US and global economy. This course will provide students with analytic tools to assess risks faced by investors and savers interacting through financial institutions and financial markets, as well as strategies for assessing and controlling these risks. The course places a heavy emphasis on the study of interest rates due to its importance in all capital markets and as one of the key determinants of the price of any financial asset. Prerequisite: BUSS203 with a grade of C or better