Finance 5040.002/026
Spring 2011
Welcome
Dr. James Conover
Class Goal
• Learn the finance skills needed to be
successful in FINA 5170, the core MBA
class
• Prerequisite knowledge
– Economics 5000
– Math 1190
• Topics
– Listed on syllabus
– Reviewed on first day of class
Organization of Class
• Weekly Lectures (Posted Tuesday Mornings)
– (I will record them in a classroom) – No attendance from
students - on demand streaming video files
– Links posted on Blackboard Vista
• Weekly Extended Discussions
– Start Thursday at 12:01am, ends the following
Wednesday at 11:59pm
– Minimum requirements for weekly participation credit
• Post 1 item (that week)
• Reply to 2 other items (that week)
• Post or reply on at least 3 different days (that week)
• Weekly Midterm Exam – based on McGraw-Hill
Homework Manager - Wednesdays, 12:01am to
11:59pm – will open on Tuesday to give 48 hours
• Final Exam: Location on campus or proctor site
Grading
• Important Sources of Information
– Textbook – not graded, but primary source of
information
– Lectures – not graded, but secondary source
of information
– Homework – not graded, but helps your
mastery of the information and serves as an
important resource for exam/quiz questions
• Solutions to homework questions and problems are
provided on Blackboard Vista
• Ch 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8
Grading
• Discussions (100 of 600 points)
– Participate for each of 7 weekly discussions
• Homework Manager Quizzes (100 of 600 points)
– A quiz each week for six weeks
– Individual effort only but open book, open note
• Final exam (400 of 600 points)
– In-person on campus or at a test site:
– (1/3 textual, 2/3 problems) closed book, closed
note, individual effort at the end
– Week 8: Thur, Mar 10: 6:30p-9:30p or Sat,
Mar 12, 10a-1p – UNT campus dates/times
Supplies
• Textbook(s) and HMM Code
–
–
–
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7-chapter electronic pdf to be printed ($30)
Or full textbook ($150/$220, depending on used/new)
Need Homework Manager from McGraw-Hill - $40
Bundle (bookstore orders it for you)
• Electronic pdf of text chapters and code - $58
• Financial calculator - $28-$35
– TI BA II Plus or Professional recommended
• High speed internet for the lectures
• Phone, email to contact study group members
• Exchange information in the discussion group - week 1
My Goals
• Help you learn the finance and financial mathematics
needed to succeed in this course
• Establish a helpful environment that gives you a study
group to help with learning the material
– All of you can succeed, but a great deal of work is required
– A group of colleagues is absolutely essential to completing an
MBA program
• Goal: Give more than you take: you learn by teaching
• Have you contact me whenever you need help via the
Blackboard Vista tools or at James.Conover@unt.edu
– Office: 940-565-3061; Home: 940-891-0901; Cell: 940-594-0175
– Office hours in BUSI 168A: Wed, Thur 10:00am-12noon
– Office hours after class until last person leaves
• My classes: Wednesday, GAB 201; Thursday, Curry 210
– By appointment at other times (fit your schedule and mine)