Online Bachelor of Business Administration - Finance

Business Communication

Business Communication covers principles that establish written and oral communication standards in preparation for the workplace. Students will learn to analyze different writing situations, to plan and design communications, and to write in appropriate styles. Effective oral communication utilizing appropriate technologies, strategies, and skills will be discussed and developed.

English Composition

This course emphasizes critical reading, writing, and textual analysis with particular focus on argument and research-based writing.

Applied Calculus I

The first part of a two-semester sequence (MATH1044 and 1045) of courses on calculus appropriate for students in business and life sciences. Topics covered include functions, graphs, limits, continuity, properties of exponential and logarithmic functions, differentiation, higher order derivatives, curve sketching, model, solve and interpret solutions of applied optimization problems and marginal analysis.

Applied Calculus II

The second part of a two semester sequence (MATH1044 and 1045) on calculus appropriate for students in business and life sciences. Topics covered include antidifferentiation, the fundamental theorem of calculus, functions of two variables, partial derivatives, maxima and minima,Lagrange multipliers and applications to probability and other areas.

Business Pathways I

Business Pathways I is designed for first year students in the College of Business as part of the Lindner First-Year Experience (FYE) program to assist with college success.  Grounded in the PACE curriculum, this course places emphasis on Professionalism and Academics, supporting students as they transition to college life.  The course provides opportunities to explore and engage in campus resources, academic and professional skill development, academic planning, Lindner College of Business degree offerings, and the themes that our faculty, staff, and employers believe are important to the development of business problem solvers.

Business Pathways II

Business Pathways II builds on the foundation established in Business Pathways I, by continuing to foster the skills and mindsets essential for collegiate and professional success.  Expanding within the PACE Curriculum, this course places the focus on Character and Engagement.  The course works to assist in each student’s personal development by engaging in topics such as problem solving, creative thinking, experiential learning, leadership, and creating effective working environments.  The course advances long-term academic planning, helping students refine their goals and strategies while connecting personal growth with broader societal impact. Business Pathways II challenges students to think critically, act with integrity, and engage meaningfully with others—laying the groundwork for success in both business and life.

Introduction to Microeconomics

The course assists students to learn and comprehend (1) economics as a social science that draws conclusions based on hypotheses, theories, and data in order to understand human behavior, (2) basic microeconomics terms and concepts, including scarcity and choice, equilibrium, efficiency and equity, positive and normative economics, comparative advantage, and specialization, (3) the fundamental economic question of allocating scarce resources, (4) opportunity cost and the production possibility frontier, (5) supply and demand, the function of prices in markets, how markets work and sometimes don't work, including market failure and externalities, (6) the effects of government intervention in markets, (7) how consumers make choices, (8) production theory, (9) the costs of production, (10) firm behavior in competitive markets, (11) firm behavior in imperfect markets, (12) elasticity and its application, (13) markets for resources, the determination of wage rates, interest, and rent, (14) the determination of income distribution, including poverty and discrimination, (15) the determinants of international trade flows, (16) to apply economic

Introduction to Macroeconomics

The course assists students to learn and comprehend (1) economics as a social science that draws conclusions based on hypotheses, theories, and data in order to understand human behavior, (2) basic macroeconomic terminology and concepts, including the distinction between real and nominal magnitudes, (3) the national income accounts, (4) the nature of the business cycle, (5) the determinates of important macroeconomic variables,including the level of income, the level of employment, the unemployment rate, the natural rate of unemployment, the price level, the inflation rate, productivity and the rate of interest, (6) the supply and demand for money, (7)the Federal Reserve System, (8) aggregate demand and aggregate supply, (9) the effects of fiscal and monetary policies, (10) the basics of theories of macroeconomic instability, (11) unemployment and inflation tradeoffs, (12) the effects of the federal government's budget deficit, (13) long run growth and policies to affect growth, (14) comparative advantage, (15) the determinants of foreign trade flows and exchange rates, and their effects on the domestic economy, (16) to apply economic reasoning to better understand and critically evaluate real world circumstances and events.

Essentials of Innovation and Entrepreneurship

This course, structured around Business Essentials, Business Pathways, and Entrepreneurship, lays the foundation for our college's learning objectives through the PACE platform. It combines Essentials of Business with Business Pathways to offer a holistic first-year experience, fostering academic exploration, strategic planning, and personal development. Additionally, its connection to the Entrepreneurship concentration equips students with essential skills and an innovative mindset for corporate and entrepreneurial ventures. This integrated approach ensures a comprehensive introduction to the business world.

Essentials of Business

FYE course that provides an introduction to the university, opportunity to explore business programs and career opportunities, and overview ofbusiness structure and issues.

Financial Accounting

This course develops foundational knowledge and skills needed to understand, develop and analyze financial reports. Topics include income statements, cash flows, balance sheets and financial performance.

Managerial Accounting

This course develops foundational knowledge and skills needed to apply accounting data in planning and controlling business operations. Topics include costs, cost drivers and allocation, contribution margin and managerial budgeting.

Business Analytics I

This course develops fundamental knowledge and skills for applying statistics to business decision making. Topics include descriptive statistics, probability distributions, sampling, confidence intervals and hypothesis testing and the use of computer software for statistical applications.

Business Analytics II

This course is a continuation of BANA 2081. It further develops fundamental knowledge and skills for applying statistical and management science models to business decision making. Topics include simple and multiple linear regression, contingency tables, chi-square tests, ANOVA, decision analysis, simulation and risk models and optimization models, including the use of software for business applications.

Legal Environment of Business

This course examines the legal environment in which business operates, and develops an understanding of the legal consequences attached to business decision making. Topics include the study of torts, contracts, property, ethics and the legal system of the United States.

Intermediate Composition

This course emphasizes critical reading and writing, advanced research and argument skills, and rhetorical understanding of language as it is used in different discourse communities.

Introduction to Marketing

Marketing activities, analysis, strategies, and decision making in the context of other business functions. Topics include: integration of product,price, promotion, and distribution activities; research and analysis of markets, environments, competition, and customers; market segmentation and selection of target markets; and emphasis on behavior and perspectives of consumers and organizational customers. Planning and decision making for products and services in profit and nonprofit, domestic and global settings.

Digital Technologies for Business

Information Systems (IS)-and the enabling digital technologies-constitute integral and critical resources for all aspects of a business, from operational efficiency and managerial decision making, to the implementation of transformative business strategies. Businesses spend over $1 trillion annually on technology and related information systems. This course is designed to help students develop a working knowledge of digital technologies, to understand business opportunities created by digital technologies, and to gain awareness of how organizations leverage digital technologies to improve organizational processes and enhance related business strategies.The course also has a hands-on component-students will develop specific competencies in using spreadsheet, database, and web development tools to make informed business and financial decisions.

Design Thinking and Ethics in Business

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to elements of advertising and promotion.The course is designed from the perspective of managers who will need to make decisions about marketing communications programs.

Topics covered include: setting objectives, positioning, target audience selection, creative strategy, media strategy, advertising research and evaluation. The marketing communications program is seen as one part of the overall marketing mix. The material covered in the course is relevant for all types of organizations (large, small, public, or private).

Global Environment of Business

This is a foundation course in international business. The objective is to present a selected mix of information which exposes students to cultural, social, political, economic, legal, and financial environments in which American business executives manage their operations in today's complex business environment. Students will gain a greater awareness of the many challenging issues facing corporations in the global economy.

Management

In this course, students will learn and apply the basic principles of organizational behavior and theory. We will examine a number of theories and concepts relevant to the problems and issues confronting managers today. Class sessions will consist of lecture, discussion, exercises, self-assessments, and other activities designed tohelp students learn relevant organizational behavior theories as well as develop vital managerial skills. The course is divided into three modules that examine the varied and interwoven levels of management: individuals, groups and teams, and organizations.

Operations Management

Survey of the operations function in industrial, service and public organizations. Includes forecasting, line balancing, aggregate scheduling,layout, inventory planning, work measurement, quality control, quality improvement, MRP.

Business Finance

This is the core finance course required of business majors. Business Finance acquaints students with the fundamental principles of finance. The two key concepts developed in the course will be 1) the time value of money; and, 2)the trade off between risk and return. This is a 'tools' course that will provide you with the skills to analyze a wide range of financial decisions. A major emphasis in the class will be on learning how to think systematically about financial valuation and how to apply these insights to a variety of business (e.g., capital budgeting decisions) and personal (e.g., retirement planning, automobile and mortgage loans) financial problems.

Corporate Finance

In this course students will develop the analytical tools necessary for analyzing corporate financing decisions. Central to these decisions is the firm's cost of capital. After learning to compute the cost of capital, you are to apply it to numerous questions that are essential to corporate financing decisions including what is the value of the firm, should the firm raise capital, what is the optimal mix of debt and equity, what should the firm's payout (dividend) policy be, should the firm lease or buy its assets, and how to value a firm's equity as an option on the firm's assets?

Investments

This course is an introduction to financial markets, security analysis, and securities differences.

Financial Modeling

The purpose of this course is to help students develop spreadsheet modeling skills applied to a wide variety of corporate finance and investments topics that cover many of the quantitative models used in finance. This course will emphasize active, hands-on learning rather than passive, lecture style learning.

Financial Information and Valuation

This course is designed to enable the student to understand financial statement inputs and drivers, to understanding the causes and effects of key financial ratios, and to analyze financial statements in order to create forecasts. The pedagogical methods used to enable the student to achieve the course goals are: 1) classroom lectures; 2) classroom discussion of current issue; 3) case analyses; and 4) a company analysis.

Business Strategy

This course is intended to be the culmination of your undergraduate curriculum. As a capstone course, it provides a framework for integrating knowledge from functional foundation courses throughout the undergraduate curriculum. You will be expected to analyze and assess internal operations of a firm and the external and competitive environment of an industry. Students will also be asked to formulate effective competitive strategies for firms under conditions of domestic and international uncertainty. Comprehensive case studies, readings and industry simulations will be used to help the student understand the difficulties and challenges of effectively implementing strategic plans. This course is designed to challenge your analytical and decision-making skills, as well as develop interpersonal skills important to your future success.

Advanced Corporate Finance

The course allows students to develop a framework for advanced analysis of the financing and operating decisions in the context of complex corporate transactions such as leveraged buyouts, acquisitions, corporate restructuring, and financial distress. The course covers topics related to valuation of firms and business units, financing and structure of buyouts and acquisitions, corporate strategy and restructuring, bankruptcy and reorganization of firms in distress, and analysis of real options. 

Cases in Corporate Finance

This course stresses the application of finance theory and methods to real business situations. Students will study problems of financial planning, capital structure, cost of capital, capital investment decisions, and corporate acquisitions.

International Finance

This course contains elements of a capital markets course, an investments course, and a corporate finance course. The course will focus on the currency markets, international capital markets, and the parity relationships that govern relative prices. Firms face many new risks when they expand their investments, operations, and financing globally. Much of this course will deal with the identification and management of these risks. The prevalent tools for managing these risks are derivative securities; therefore, we will carefully examine derivative securities that can be used to hedge foreign exchange risk and interest rate risk. We will also analyze how expanding the opportunity set of investments globally impacts diversification opportunities and the trade-off between risk and return.

Portfolio Management

Portfolio Management covers the significant issues in managing client money professionally. This course provides a broad view of the investment process, client needs, institutional knowledge, historical precedents, and current issues in portfolio management.

Venture Capital Finance

The main objective of the course is to introduce the students to the principles of Venture Capital (VC) finance. The goal is to understand both fundamental concepts and applications of the process of analyzing, evaluating, and funding business startups and high-growth companies.

The course consists of three parts. The first part offers an overview of the VC industry with a focus on the typical contractual arrangements and structures of VC funds. The second part covers methods used by VC investors for analysis and valuation of entrepreneurial ventures and high-growth companies. It also describes typical elements and characteristics of VC term sheets. The last part of the course focuses on applications of option pricing techniques to the valuation of a security often seen in VC funding agreements: convertible preferred stock.

The course builds upon concepts covered in introductory finance classes. It is important to note that the focus is on VC finance. Important non-finance aspects such as management or marketing strategy of entrepreneurial ventures and business startups are not discussed in detail.

The course combines lectures of new material and analyses of case studies that illustrate challenging real-world situations.

Fixed Income

This course examines fixed-income markets, with anemphasis on the pricing and risk of fixed income securities, derivatives, and portfolios. Bond immunization and trading strategies will be discussed with an in-depth coverage of both Treasury and Corporate Debt Securities. We will explain how Federal Reserve uses monetary policy to influence the term structure of interest rates.This course helps students to establish a solid foundation in understanding fixed-income securities and furthermore to apply such knowledgeto real-world investment decisions in bond markets.

Derivatives

The principal objective of this course is to provide a detailed examination of options, futures, forwards, and swaps. By the end of the course students will have a good knowledge of how these contracts work, how they are traded, how they are used, and how they are priced. A major emphasis in the class will be on how derivative instruments are used by financial institutions in light of recent economic events.

Python for Finance

This course is meant to be an introduction into programming and data analysis/science using Python and its most common data science ecosystem SciPy (comprised of numpy, scipy, pandas, and matplotlib). While there is no assumed background in coding, the pace is intended to be somewhat brisk. The goal is to provide a basic understanding of Python in the context of analyzing data-centric problems in finance, ultimately allowing the student access to the myriad online examples of such work. A successful student will be able to comprehend almost any example of the use of Python to solve problems in finance.

Markets and Trading

The focus of this course is the structure of financial markets and the trading of securities, primarily U.S. equities. In previous finance courses you likely assumed away the frictions involved in the trading process. In this course we will study those frictions. We will closely examine market structure, trade pricing rules, order submission strategies, trading costs, block trading, arbitrage, and market efficiency. The type of order submitted and the resolution of that order will depend, in part, on the structure of the market. The market structure is influenced heavily by government regulation and communications technology. Therefore, we will discuss the influence of the market structure on the trading process and the impact of recent SEC rule changes and alternative trading systems on competition in U.S. equity markets. In academia, the study of these issues is called market microstructure.

Financial Markets and Institutions

This course is designed to examine the operations of the financial markets and to increase understanding of the major types of financial institutions. The course will cover various markets (stock and money markets) and institutions(banks and pension funds) through which savings are used to fund investments.

Johnson Inv. Counsel Student Managed Fund

In this course, undergraduate students manage the Johnson Investment Counsel Student-Managed Fund (hereafter referred to as the “Fund”), an actual portfolio of equity, fixed income, and alternative investment securities made possible by a gift from Timothy E. Johnson, current President and CEO of Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. and former Finance faculty member at the University of Cincinnati. Through the process of managing the Fund students are exposed to the variety of issues that concern both the management of an investment portfolio and the management of the people who manage the portfolio.

JIC-SMF-Portfolio Manager

In this course, undergraduate students manage the Johnson Investment Counsel Student-Managed Fund (hereafter referred to as the “Fund”), an actual portfolio of equity, fixed income, and alternative investment securities made possible by a gift from Timothy E. Johnson, current President and CEO of Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. and Finance faculty member at the University of Cincinnati. Through the process of managing the Fund students are exposed to the variety of issues that concern both the management of an investment portfolio and the management of the people who manage the portfolio.

Chartered Financial Analyst Exam Level I Preparation

This course provides structured support for students preparing to sit for the CFA Level I examination. This course will set study goals, revisit key concepts from the prior week, and clarify questions that arise from the curriculum. Alongside individual preparation, the course emphasizes building effective study habits, organizing material into manageable plans, and practicing strategies tailored to the exam. While the focus is on mastering content, the course also creates space for collaboration, encouraging students to share perspectives and learn from one another during the preparation process. Topics and content covered in this course will include: ethical and professional standards, quantitative methods, economics, financial statement analysis, corporate issuers, equity investments, fixed income, derivatives, alternative investments, and portfolio management.

Study Abroad Ireland-FinTech

Designed for business students in the Information Systems, Finance, Economics, or Computer Science majors with an interest in the FinTech Field.  Students will learn about the main tenants of International FinTech including: Foreign Exchange Concepts, Cyber Security Concepts, use of AI, and other technology tools, and International Monetary Policy.  The focus will concentrate on how the Euro through Dublin and the Pound Sterling in Scotland and the US Dollar are handled with international companies.  Equally important, students will explore facets of cultural differences through visits to historic sites, museums, and daily life in Dublin, Dundee, and Edinburgh through direct interaction with Businesses, Faculty and Students from Irish and Scottish Universities. Assignments are designed to develop students’ International financial competence and intelligence, a set of competencies that are becoming vital for successful business careers. - By Permission Only

Study Abroad: Real Estate/Finance

This course seeks to help students build an understanding of the skills and knowledge needed to manage financial, insurance and real estate investments abroad. Following pre-travel preparations, students will travel to the destination location. As global centers for finance, these cities offer exceptional learning opportunities to gain first hand knowledge of the global financial services and real estate markets. In addition to building their business capabilities, we expect students to develop confidence in navigating a foreign setting, sensitivity to cultural differences, and greater awareness of their own cultural make-up. - By Permission Only

Study Abroad: The Microfinance Industry, the Informal Sector, and Women Entrepreneurs

The program is intended to introduce students to the West African country of Ghana: its people, culture, and business environment. Ghana, the first Sub-Saharan African country to gain independence,  is a stable, democratic country that has a vibrant heritage and a fascinating history of politics and social change.

Investment opportunities in Africa dwarf any in the world.  The continent of Africa is rapidly becoming the new investment frontier with some of the fastest growing economies of the world located in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the past few decades, the high political risks that plagued many African countries and served as hindrance to investments have gone down significantly. The business climate is becoming friendlier to international investors as African nations relax stringent regulations and open their economies to outsiders.
During your stay in Ghana, you will observe the significant contribution the informal sector makes to the economy of most developing countries. You will study the significant and unique role of women entrepreneurs and the challenges they face in sourcing funding to grow their businesses.

The innovative ways the Microfinance Industry, Technology, and Mobile Money Banking are being used to bridge the Banking and Funding gaps will be clearly evident in Ghana, the fastest growing economy in the world in 2019, according to the International Monetary Fund (the IMF). - By Permission Only

Health and Life Insurance

This course provides a detailed survey of the legal, financial, pricing, underwriting, and strategic issues involved in the variety of different life and health insurance products available in the market place. The course examines the variety of different products offered, highlighting how the differences affect their pricing and the service they provide. Much of the course examines how to determine which contracts or products are best suited to solve a variety of problems faced by individuals and businesses. The course will also examine the issues raised by major regulatory reforms (e.g., Obamacare). This course covers the material in the life and health insurance portion of the insurance licensing exam in the state of Ohio and the following topics on the Principle Topics List of the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Board of Standards: 13-23.

Risk Analysis and Management

This course examines the set of analytical techniques used to assess the probability and realized loss associated with insurable events. These techniques allow insurance companies to appropriately quantify expected loss in order to price insurance coverage profitably. The course also examines the financial and operational risks faced by insurance companies and presents the techniques used to manage these risks. Although the course considers the risk management issues of a variety of financial services firms, including depository institutions, the course focuses mainly on the risk inherent in the operations of insurance companies. The course considers a variety of sources of risk, including interest rate risk, market risk, liquidity risk, and counter-party risk, and considers a variety of techniques used to manager these risks, including diversification across product lines, re-insurance, and securitization. The course also examines the use of products designed to isolate various types of risk, including credit derivatives and swaps.

This course provides a detailed survey of the strategic, legal, financial, and regulatory issues involved in the provision of employee benefits and retirement planning. 

The course examines the variety of different products available, highlighting the differences across products and how these differences affect the efficacy of each product given the specific goals and circumstances of the client and/or employee.

The material is presented from the perspective of a professional financial advisor consulting with a firm on the types of employee and retirement benefits to provide (with a consideration of the costs and benefits to the employer that results) and from the perspective of individuals making selections among the various retirement and benefit plans available in the marketplace.  

This course covers the following topics on the Principle Topics List of the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Board of Standards: 44-52.

Real Estate Finance

This course focuses on the technical skills required to value, finance and structure real estate transactions. Topics include basic mortgage calculation and analysis using FRM and ARM examples; investment analysis for existing income properties (Proforma cash flow projections, financial ratios, alternative debt and equity structures and risk analysis); ownership, taxation,and financial structures; financing of real estate development; and the securitization of debt and equity interests in real estate (REITs and CMBS).

Real Estate Principles

Survey of real estate industry. Emphasis on housing market analysis, city growth; valuation and finance. Methods of determining land use and evaluation.