Mr. Glenn Crafford ’77
Spring, 3 Credits
The goal of the Applied Financial Concepts course is to expose students interested in a career in financial services to the practical application of financial theory and concepts through the case method of instruction. Key objectives are to develop the student’s problem-solving ability and written and oral communication skills through the quantitative and qualitative analysis of actual business situations. The course utilizes cases from leading graduate business schools, as well as original cases written by “Case Sponsors,” senior executive finance industry practitioners assisting with the course under the direction of Professor Crafford.
Students will gain facility at interpreting financial and business information, researching and seeking expert advice, working in groups, and synthesizing data into actionable decision-making. Active student participation in case discussion and analysis is required, and a meaningful portion of the student’s evaluation is based on class participation. In addition, students, divided into small groups, will analyze and present a group case study of strategic financial alternatives of a public company late in the semester. This group case study will include both a written case analysis, as well as an oral group presentation.
Case discussion will be led by the students under the direction of Professor Crafford and Case Sponsors. Students will be exposed to examples of business and financial problems a professional could encounter while working at different types of firms. In the past, cases covered investment banking, private equity, private wealth and corporate finance. Participants in the course will have the opportunity to interact with business executives who are active in different areas of the financial services industry while receiving practical, real-time feedback about their case analysis. A collateral benefit of the course will be to the assist students in refining their career interests.
