Finance Coursework

Fall | 3 Credits
Prof. Katherine Guthrie

The Distinguish Financial Management course is designed to prepare rising sophomores for advanced study in finance up to one year before the traditional curriculum path. This is an application based course. Students are selected based on a personal statement, strength of applicable coursework, GPA, and if deemed necessary, an interview. Selected students will be enrolled for Fall 2024 in BUAD 323 Financial Management with Professor Katherine Guthrie.

Application required and can be found on the Registrations page.

Fall & Spring | 3 Credits
Prof. Hugh Marble

The purpose of this course is to provide real-world portfolio management and security analysis experience through the
management of the Mason School Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF). Increased interaction with the investment
community through the SMIF will provide enhanced learning opportunities and exposure to recent industry practices.
Investment decisions will be made according to both quantitative and qualitative analysis performed by student investment teams. Different investment teams will focus on alternative financial models, industries, and/or sectors of the market. Each team will thoroughly research and present their analysis to the SMIF Executive Board. Security selection will be based on a diversified portfolio approach seeking to enhance risk-adjusted returns. The underlying investment theme of the fund will be based on the principles of “Fundamental Analysis.” Faculty and professional mentors will train students in the application of Fundamental Analysis and Security Selection through several lecture/workshop sessions. Faculty and professional mentors will also expose students to different investment styles and performance evaluation tools through assigned reading materials from academic and practitioner journals such as Journal of Portfolio Management and Financial Analyst Journal, and in-class discussions.

Standard grading. May be used to satisfy the Finance elective requirement for majors, minors, or concentrators.

Application required and can be found on the Registrations page.

Fall | 1 Credits
Prof. Brett Hammond

Finance and business decisions increasingly rely on compelling visuals that convey sophisticated financial analysis and recommendations. This new course will offer a highly select group of students from Business, Economics, Computer Science, and Computational & Applied Math and Statistics, the chance to develop their skills in: harnessing financial data to identify insights and project trends and creating convincing presentations, including visualizations, that present solutions to business problems.

Multidisciplinary teams will work with an assigned mentor to plan, undertake, and present the results of a course project. The project will involve identifying a topic and a relevant database; defining an problem to solve; learning some basics about Python; designing and conducting data analysis; finding a solution; constructing appropriate visualizations; and making a final presentation, which will be judged by an independent panel.

Application required and can be found on the Registrations page.

Fall | 1 Credit
Prof. Julie Agnew

This one-credit class offers an engaging introduction to commercial real estate (CRE) finance. Led by industry experts, students will gain valuable insights into the current state of the CRE market, -delve into the roles of deal participants, explore various commercial real estate asset classes, and master -the art of valuing these transactions. Before the initial course meeting, students will be assigned pre-work to complete. The course spans three Saturday classes and one Thursday night lecture. Attendance at ALL class sessions is mandatory to pass the class. Notably, the class features guest lectures and culminates in a final group project and presentation to industry leaders. Successful completion of the course entails active and engaged participation, as well as collaboration in group work. After finishing this course, you will be equipped with the knowledge to make an informed career choice in commercial real estate. You will also acquire the essential skills needed for success in this field, should you decide to pursue it.

Pass/Fail grading. May be used to satisfy the finance experiential elective requirement for majors, minors, or concentrators.

Fall & Spring | 3 Credits
Prof. Hugh Marble

The purpose of this course is to provide real-world portfolio management and security analysis experience through the
management of the Mason School Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF). Increased interaction with the investment
community through the SMIF will provide enhanced learning opportunities and exposure to recent industry practices.
Investment decisions will be made according to both quantitative and qualitative analysis performed by student investment teams. Different investment teams will focus on alternative financial models, industries, and/or sectors of the market. Each team will thoroughly research and present their analysis to the SMIF Executive Board. Security selection will be based on a diversified portfolio approach seeking to enhance risk-adjusted returns. The underlying investment theme of the fund will be based on the principles of “Fundamental Analysis.” Faculty and professional mentors will train students in the application of Fundamental Analysis and Security Selection through several lecture/workshop sessions. Faculty and professional mentors will also expose students to different investment styles and performance evaluation tools through assigned reading materials from academic and practitioner journals such as Journal of Portfolio Management and Financial Analyst Journal, and in-class discussions.

Standard grading. May be used to satisfy the Finance elective requirement for majors, minors, or concentrators.

Application required and can be found on the Registrations page.

Spring | 3 Credits
Prof. Glenn Crafford

The goal of this course is to expose students through the case method of instruction to practices and recent developments within several specialized areas of the financial services sector. 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. Students gain facility at interpreting financial and business information, researching and seeking expert advice, working in groups and synthesizing data into an actionable analysis. 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, analyze and present a group case study toward the end of the semester. The group case study includes both a written case analysis as well as an oral group presentation.

Application required and can be found on the Registrations page.

Spring | 1 Credit
Prof. Matt Siano, Esq.

Fundamentals of Hedge Fund Management is a multi-faceted course that gives students a broad overview of the hedge fund industry and what is needed to launch your own hedge fund(s) and hedge fund manager(s). It is designed to provide students with an overview of hedge funds, including (i) typical structures; (ii) primary internal and external parties; (iii) key regulatory, legal and ethical considerations; and (iv) selected managerial considerations for those interested in establishing a hedge fund manager and managing hedge funds. This course is not designed to teach students particular trading strategies, but instead focuses on the question: “What does it take to be a successful entrepreneur in the hedge fund industry?” The course instructor is W&M alumnus Matthew B. Siano, Esq, Managing Director & General Counsel for Two Sigma Investments, LLC et. al., in New York. This course will take place over the weekend prior to the start of the spring semester. Course participants are required to complete a team project during the following week and the teams will make a presentation summarizing their completed project. Attendance at all sessions is
mandatory.
Pass/Fail grading.
Pre-requisite: BUAD 323; Highly Recommended: Training the Street

Application required and can be found on the Registrations page.

Spring | 1 Credit
Prof. Julie Agnew

This class is a one-credit pass/fail Boehly Center special topics course designed for students interested in deepening their understanding of securitization. The goal of the course is to help students understand securitization through lectures, guest speakers, and an Excel project. Attendance at all sessions is mandatory. Students will learn the mechanics of securitization by modeling the cash flows of an agency-backed collateralized mortgage obligation (CMO). Students will learn through guest speakers: the rating agency’s role in CMBS, how accounts receivables are securitized, how CLOs are created, and new cutting-edge applications of AI to securitization. Pass/Fail grading.
Pre-requisite: BUAD 323

Application required and can be found on the Registrations page.

Fall | 3 Credits
Prof. Katherine Guthrie

The Distinguish Financial Management course is designed to prepare rising sophomores for advanced study in finance up to one year before the traditional curriculum path. This is an application based course. Students are selected based on a personal statement, strength of applicable coursework, GPA, and if deemed necessary, an interview. Selected students will be enrolled for Fall 2021 in BUAD 323 Financial Management with Professor Katherine Guthrie.

Application required and can be found on the Registrations page.

Fall & Spring | 3 Credits
Prof. Hugh Marble

The purpose of this course is to provide real-world portfolio management and security analysis experience through the
management of the Mason School Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF). Increased interaction with the investment
community through the SMIF will provide enhanced learning opportunities and exposure to recent industry practices.
Investment decisions will be made according to both quantitative and qualitative analysis performed by student investment teams. Different investment teams will focus on alternative financial models, industries, and/or sectors of the market. Each team will thoroughly research and present their analysis to the SMIF Executive Board. Security selection will be based on a diversified portfolio approach seeking to enhance risk-adjusted returns. The underlying investment theme of the fund will be based on the principles of “Fundamental Analysis.” Faculty and professional mentors will train students in the application of Fundamental Analysis and Security Selection through several lecture/workshop sessions. Faculty and professional mentors will also expose students to different investment styles and performance evaluation tools through assigned reading materials from academic and practitioner journals such as Journal of Portfolio Management and Financial Analyst Journal, and in-class discussions.

Standard grading. May be used to satisfy the Finance elective requirement for majors, minors, or concentrators.

Application required and can be found on the Registrations page.

Fall 2023 | 1 Credit
Prof. Julie Agnew

This one-credit class offers an engaging introduction to commercial real estate (CRE) finance. Led by industry experts, students will gain valuable insights into the current state of the CRE market, -delve into the roles of deal participants, explore various commercial real estate asset classes, and master -the art of valuing these transactions. Before the initial course meeting, students will be assigned pre-work to complete. The course spans three Saturday classes and one Thursday night lecture. Attendance at ALL class sessions is mandatory to pass the class. Notably, the class features guest lectures and culminates in a final group project and presentation to industry leaders. Successful completion of the course entails active and engaged participation, as well as collaboration in group work. After finishing this course, you will be equipped with the knowledge to make an informed career choice in commercial real estate. You will also acquire the essential skills needed for success in this field, should you decide to pursue it.

Pass/Fail grading. May be used to satisfy the finance experiential elective requirement for majors, minors, or concentrators.