Spring, 2012

You will find below descriptions of all courses taught by IBS in the current semester, organized by category. Please follow the links in the table to go to the category and semester you are interested in.

• International Business

• International Economics

• International Finance

International Business: Spring, 2012

BUS 211f (2) - Information Management
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Surveys quantitative techniques and computer tools in management information systems including database manipulation. Objective of the course is to help students acquire advanced computer skills through cases and hands-on applications. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Carver, Robert H.
Times:	T 06:30 - 09:30 PM
Location:	Sachar, Int'l Hall, 116
BUS 220a - Organizational Behavior
Open only to master's degree students. Covers the fundamentals of organizational behavior, including the topics of leadership, work motivation, organizational culture, organizational structure, group dynamics, perception, decision-making, and cross-cultural interaction. Assignments include group project analysis of a real organizational dilemma using concepts covered in class. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Molinsky, Andrew
Times:	T, Th 09:30 - 11:00 AM
Location:	Sachar, Int'l Hall, 116
BUS 223a - Global Business Leadership
Provides students with a practical but intellectually challenging road map to their development as leaders. Multidisciplinary readings supplement students' own experience. Insights provided by leaders from industry and government enable students to explore leadership as a concept and as a vocation. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Thomas, Robert
Times:	F 09:30 - 12:30 PM
Location:	Sachar, Int'l Hall, 116
BUS 224f (1) - Launching Your Global Career
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. The goal of this course is to equip students with the career management skills essential to surviving and excelling in today's global labor market. Provides graduate students with a foundation and necessary tools for identifying target positions; conducting an effective and efficient job search; building career-planning and job-search skills that will be useful throughout their careers.
Instructor(s):	Katz, Marcia
Times:	Th 03:30 - 06:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, Lee Hall, 180
BUS 226f (2) - Managing Global Human Capital
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. An introduction to the strategic role international human resource management plays in creating competitive advantages for firms. Topics include global strategies for Employment, Compensation, Leadership Development, and Policies and Procedures. Students will learn the nuances of managing human capital in multinational firms. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Suderow, Detlev
Times:	T, Th 12:30 - 02:00 PM
Location:	Lemberg, 54
BUS 228f (1) - Management Communication
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. This course helps students improve their business communication skills. It focuses on how to present ideas, facts, and analyses more clearly and concisely, so as to have impact on management decisions. Usually offered every semester.
Instructor(s):	Ellet, William
Times:	M, W 05:00 - 06:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, Lee Hall, 180
BUS 228f (2) - Management Communication
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. This course helps students improve their business communication skills. It focuses on how to present ideas, facts, and analyses more clearly and concisely, so as to have impact on management decisions. Usually offered every semester.
Instructor(s):	Oseas, Andrea
Times:	M, W 05:00 - 06:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, Lee Hall, 180
BUS 231a - Entrepreneurial Finances and Business Plans
Open only to IBS students. Introduces techniques for preparing business plans and explores the process of using a business plan to acquire funding. Requires students to prepare a business plan for a new venture and to present this plan in front of a critical audience. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Reed, Charles
Times:	T 03:30 - 06:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, Lee Hall, 180
BUS 233f (2) - The Family Enterprise
Prerequisite: BUS 220a is strongly recommended. Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Explores the managerial, strategic, financial and behavioral complexities in small and mid-size family owned companies around the globe. Examines the evolutionary stages in the life of a family business and the challenges and opportunities that must be managed at each stage. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Donnellan, Gerard
Times:	M, W 02:00 - 03:30 PM
Location:	Sachar, Int'l Hall, 116
BUS 235f (1) - Fundamentals of Real Estate
Prerequisite: FIN 212a. Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Introduction to the analysis, financing, and management of income-producing real property. Explores how investors and developers identify projects, determine value, design marketing strategies, and obtain financing in the debt and equity markets. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Chazen, Edward
Times:	M, W 11:00 - 12:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, 54
BUS 238a - Real Estate Development
Prerequisite: BUS 235f. May not be repeated for credit by students who took BUS 238f in previous semesters. Focuses on how developers create value from real estate assets. Examines development process: market analysis, site selection, acquisition, planning, construction, leasing and permitting. Working in teams, students plan and present actual original development projects to a visiting panel of professionals. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Katzen, Joshua
Times:	Th 09:30 - 12:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, 54
BUS 249f (1) - Conducting Business in Economies of Transition
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Open only to first-year IBS MBA, MAief, and BA/MA students. Meets in a country with a dynamic business and economic environment. Consult the program administrator for details regarding special costs and meeting times. Provides analysis of the host country's business, economy, markets, and institutions, in the broader context of its history, politics, culture, and society. Explores their relationship with broader global trends in business. In-country program consists of academic lectures, field trips to companies and other institutions, and group discussion. Preparatory lectures at Brandeis in advance of visit. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Canella, Alfonso
Times:	Th 12:30 - 03:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, Lee Hall, 180
BUS 252a - Marketing Mangement
An in-depth exploration and practical application of the basic marketing tools of product policy, pricing, promotion, distribution, sales management, customer segmentation, and retention in order to analyze marketing opportunities and develop marketing programs for a variety of management situations. Usually offered every semester.
Instructor(s):	Zimmerman, Grace
Times:	M, W 09:30 - 11:00 AM
Location:	Lemberg, Lee Hall, 180
BUS 253a - Marketing Research: Design & Analysis
This course may not be repeated for credit by students who have taken BUS 256f in previous years. A practical exploration of a broad sampling of market research techniques to compile, analyze, and apply consumer, product, and market intelligence to strategic and marketing decisions concerning market segmentation, targeting, positioning, product design, and demand forecast. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Wang, Xin
Times:	T, Th 11:00 - 12:30 PM
Location:	Sachar, Int'l Hall, 116
BUS 257f (1) - Marketing Communications
Prerequisite: BUS 252a. Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Explores the activities a company undertakes to educate, engage and prompt to action its various target customer segments. Topics include advertising, promotions, event sponsorship, internet marketing, social media marketing, corporate blogs, word-of-mouth advertising, and marketing communications for social initiatives. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Zimmerman, Grace
Times:	M, W 12:30 - 02:00 PM
Location:	Lemberg, 54
BUS 258f (2) - Sales & Sales Management
Prerequisite: BUS 252a. Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Explores concepts and techniques for professional sales and sales management. Including strategies for maximizing revenue and customer satisfaction while optimizing costs to sell, service and maintain customer relationships. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Zimmerman, Grace
Times:	M, W 12:30 - 02:00 PM
Location:	Lemberg, 54
BUS 260a - Competition and Strategy
Only open to IBS MBA students. Introduces frameworks for analyzing industries and firm competitive advantage and reviews key concepts in business strategy. Uses case method to practice strategic thinking and team projects to practice business research. Core for MBA students and recommended for other business students. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Gomes-Casseres, Benjamin
Times:	F 09:30 - 12:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, Lee Hall, 180
BUS 262f (1) - Alliance Strategy
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. In many industries, collaboration between firms now goes hand in hand with competition. Inter-firm alliances of various sorts (e.g., joint ventures, joint research, and long-term supply contracts) have become critical to success in high-technology industries, as well as in certain geographic markets. Surveys the strategic and organizational issues involved in using such alliances. Discusses ideas from the theoretical, empirical, and normative research on the topic, and applies these ideas to managerial decisions using case studies. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Gomes-Casseres, Benjamin
Times:	T, Th 12:30 - 02:00 PM
Location:	Lemberg, 54
BUS 269f (1) - Building Sustainable Businesses
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Examines the influence of corporate sustainability on internal operations, supply chain management, employee engagement, product development, market communications, strategic planning, corporate compliance, and investor relations. Considers ways in which corporate sustainability is both a set of business practices and a set of corporate values and culture. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Tyson, Mitch
Times:	W 06:30 - 09:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, 55
BUS 272a - Operations Management
Explores how different business strategies require different business processes, and, conversely, how different operational capabilities support different strategies to gain competitive advantage. Topics may include inventory management, cycle time management, supply chain management, quality management, and process management and improvement, as well as recent developments such as lean or world-class manufacturing, just-in-time operations, time-based competition, and business re-engineering. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Morrison, J. Bradley
Times:	M, W 12:30 - 02:00 PM
Location:	Lemberg, Lee Hall, 180
BUS 275f (2) - Transnational Negotiations
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Explores the dynamics of international business negotiations in the context of evolving global industries. Students will develop an understanding of negotiation strategy, positioning, and process, as well as the skills necessary to effectively design, negotiate, and manage transnational deals. Usually offered every semester.
Instructor(s):	Cohen, Steven
Times:	M 06:30 - 09:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, 55
BUS 279f (2) - Corporate Fraud: Detection and Prevention
Prerequisite: FIN 212a. Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Exposes students to the problem of fraudulent financial reporting, including its causes, impact, and practical, cost-effective responses. Using actual and simulated case material, students will acquire skills needed to identify, investigate, and report findings on corporate fraud. Usually offered every third year.
Instructor(s):	Schumann, Erich
Times:	M 06:30 - 09:30 PM
Location:	Sachar, Int'l Hall, 116
BUS 286a - Applications of System Dynamics
Prerequisite: BUS 276a. Gives students the opportunity to apply the standard method of system dynamics to assist a real company or organization. The core activity in the course is to work with a client organization, using the tools of system dynamics, to develop insights into a problem the client has identified. Students experience conceptualizing and building a system dynamics model "from scratch," learn a set of standard pieces of model structure called "molecules," and gain an appreciation for the challenges and rewards of consulting for clients in a helping relationship. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Morrison, J. Bradley
Times:	M, W 11:00 - 12:30 PM
Location:	Sachar, Chancellor's Suite
BUS 295a S1 - Field Projects: Consulting (in conjunction with Field Project)
May be repeated twice for credit with permission of the instructor. Provides students with the opportunity to apply their skills and knowledge to solving actual client problems. Includes up to twenty-one students, who in teams of three, will be assigned to one of seven projects for the duration of the course. The projects involve a wide array of management topics, such as: strategy, marketing, organization, mergers and acquisitions, profit improvement, cost reduction, customer service, and process improvement. Usually offered every semester.
Instructor(s):	Oliver, Will
Times:	T 02:00 - 03:30 PM
Location:	Sachar, Chancellor's Suite
BUS 295a S2 - Field Projects: Real Estate (in Conjunction with Field Project)
May be repeated for a total of 8 credits in BUS 295a and BUS 295f with permission of Program Director. Students work in teams as consultants to external clients. Each section (see section description) focuses on a type of project or industry. Requires strong foundation in business, and good presentation, teamwork, and interviewing skills. Enrollment by permission of instructor. Usually offered every semester.
Instructor(s):	Chazen, Edward
Times:	TBA
Location:	Sachar, Chancellor's Suite
BUS 295f (2) - Field Projects: Sustainable Business (in conjunction with Field Project)
May be repeated for a total of 8 credits in BUS 295a and BUS 295f with permission of Program Director. Students work in teams as consultants to external clients. Each section (see section description) focuses on a type of project or industry. Requires strong foundation in business, and good presentation, teamwork, and interviewing skills. Enrollment by permission of instructor. Usually offered every semester.
Instructor(s):	Leon, Warren
Times:	W 06:30 - 09:30 PM
Location:	Sachar, Chancellor's Suite

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International Economics: Spring, 2012

Econ 122b - The Economics of the Middle East
Prerequisite: ECON 2a or the equivalent. Does not count toward the upper-level elective requirement for the major in economics. Examines the Middle East economies – past experiences, present situation, and future challenges – drawing on theories, policy formulations and empirical studies of economic growth, trade, poverty, income distribution, labor markets, finance and banking, government reforms, globalization, and Arab-Israeli political economy. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Habibi, Nader
Times:	M, W 03:30 - 05:00 PM
Location:
Econ 141b - Economics of Innovation
Prerequisites: ECON 80a and ECON 83a or permission of the instructor. Studies the innovation and technological change as the central focus of modern economies. Topics include the sources of growth, economics of research and development, innovation, diffusion and technology transfer, appropriability, patents, information markets, productivity, institutional innovation, and global competitiveness. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Jefferson, Gary H.
Times:	T, Th 02:00 - 03:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, 54
Econ 155a - Experimental Economics
Prerequisites: ECON 83a or PSYC 51a, and ECON 80a or permission of the instructor. Introduces students to economic experiments. Uses laboratory experiments to examine how design of economic institutions affects the production and allocation of resources. Topics include markets, specialization, bargaining, auctions, property, public goods, and coordination. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	DeScioli, Peter
Times:	T, Th 05:00 - 06:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, 54
Econ 172b - Money & Banking
Prerequisites: ECON 82b and ECON 83a or permission of the instructor. Examines the relationship of the financial system to real economic activity, focusing especially on banks and central banks. Topics include the monetary and payments systems; financial instruments and their pricing; the structure, management, and regulation of bank and non-bank financial intermediaries and the design and operations of central banks in a modern economy. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Redenius, Scott
Times:	M,W,Th 09:00 - 10:00 AM
Location:	Pollack,
Econ 182b - Topics in Advanced Macroeconomics
Prerequisite: ECON 80a, 82b, and 83a. Contemporary theories of economic growth, business cycles, monetary economics, and financial crises and their implications for monetary and fiscal policy. Emphasis on empirical work and computer modeling. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Hall, George
Times:	T, F 09:30 - 11:00 AM
Location:	Lemberg, 54
Econ 184b S1 - Econometrics
Prerequisites: ECON 83a. Corequisite: ECON 80a or permission of instructor. This course may not be taken for credit by students who have previously taken or are currently enrolled in ECON 185a or ECON 311a. An introduction to the theory of econometric regression and forecasting models, with applications to the analysis of business and economic data. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Pettenuzzo, Davide
Times:	T, Th 03:30 - 05:00 PM
Location:	Pollack,
Econ 184b S2 - Econometrics
Prerequisites: ECON 83a. Corequisite: ECON 80a or permission of instructor. This course may not be taken for credit by students who have previously taken or are currently enrolled in ECON 185a or ECON 311a. An introduction to the theory of econometric regression and forecasting models, with applications to the analysis of business and economic data. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Pettenuzzo, Davide
Times:	T, Th 05:00 - 06:30 PM
Location:	Pollack,
Econ 185a - Econometrics with Linear Algebra
Prerequisites: ECON 80a, 82b, 83a and MATH 15a. A working knowledge of linear algebra is required. Does not count toward the major in economics if the student has taken ECON 184b. Students are first exposed to the necessary background in advanced probability theory and statistics. Then statistical theory for the linear regression model, its most important variants, and extensions to nonlinear methods including Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) and Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) are covered. Theoretical analysis is accompanied by the study of empirical economic examples. Usually offered every second year. Staff
Instructor(s):	Tase, Manjola
Times:	T, F 09:30 - 11:00 AM
Location:	Pollack,
ECON 202a S1 - Applied International Macroeconomics
Prerequisite: ECON 201a or the equivalent. Reviews basic domestic and international macroeconomics, including the goals and functioning of monetary authorities, national income and balance of payments accounting, PPP, interest parity, and the relative merits of different exchange-rate regimes. Advanced topics include exchange-rate crises, hyperinflation, inflation stabilization, and "global imbalances." Lectures, assignments, and tests stress applications to countries throughout the world. Also covers the basic skills required to understand and manipulate macroeconomic data. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Osler, Carol
Times:	T, Th 09:30 - 11:00 AM
Location:	Lemberg, Lee Hall, 180
ECON 202a S2 - Applied International Macroeconomics
Prerequisite: ECON 201a or the equivalent. Reviews basic domestic and international macroeconomics, including the goals and functioning of monetary authorities, national income and balance of payments accounting, PPP, interest parity, and the relative merits of different exchange-rate regimes. Advanced topics include exchange-rate crises, hyperinflation, inflation stabilization, and "global imbalances." Lectures, assignments, and tests stress applications to countries throughout the world. Also covers the basic skills required to understand and manipulate macroeconomic data. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Osler, Carol
Times:	T, Th 11:00 - 12:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, Lee Hall, 180
ECON 203f (2) - Advanced International Macroeconomics: Theory, Evidence & Policy
Prerequisites: ECON 201a, 202a (may be taken concurrently), and one course in econometrics (graduate module or undergraduate course). Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Builds on and extends the economic frameworks developed in ECON 201a and 202a to focus on economic models that are fundamental to international macroeconomic analysis, policy making, and business strategy. Students apply data to the models, and discuss journal articles that apply the frameworks to macroeconomic questions. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Mann, Catherine
Times:	M, W 03:30 - 05:00 PM
Location:	Sachar, Int'l Hall, 116
ECON 210f (1) - Foundations of Statistics and Econometrics I
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Intended for students with little or no prior coursework in statistics. Introduction to statistical thinking and analytic methods, emphasizing business decision-making. Considerable use of statistical software (Stata), readings, cases, and projects permits focus on concepts, models, and interpretation of results. Topics include descriptive statistics, financial models, estimation, hypothesis testing, and regression analysis. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Carver, Robert H.
Times:	T 06:30 - 09:30 PM
Location:	Sachar, Int'l Hall, 116
ECON 211f (1) - Foundations of Statistics and Econometrics II
Prerequisite: Statistics or ECON 210f. Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Survey of quantitative techniques and computer tools in data analysis and forecasting, including econometric estimation. The course will include case studies and the use of computer applications. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Fournier, Stephen
Times:	M, W 08:00 - 09:30 AM
Location:	Lemberg, Lee Hall, 180
ECON 212f (2) - Survey of Advanced Econometric Techniques
Prerequisite: ECON 211f or equivalent. Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Applications of econometric theory including the multiple regression, heteroskedasticity, auto correlation, multicollinearity, and dummy variables.
Instructor(s):	Fournier, Stephen
Times:	M, W 08:00 - 09:30 AM
Location:	Lemberg, Lee Hall, 180
ECON 260a S1 - International Trade Policy
Prerequisite: ECON 201a. Develops the fundamental economic theories behind the various policies that regulate and interfere with international trade. Examines the predominant national and international institutions that are charged with administering these policies as well as the scope and process for potential reform. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Petri, Peter A.
Times:	M, W 11:00 - 12:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, Lee Hall, 180
ECON 260a S2 - International Trade Policy
Prerequisite: ECON 201a. Develops the fundamental economic theories behind the various policies that regulate and interfere with international trade. Examines the predominant national and international institutions that are charged with administering these policies as well as the scope and process for potential reform. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Petri, Peter A.
Times:	M, W 02:00 - 03:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, Lee Hall, 180
ECON 261a - Empirical Analysis or Trade Policy
Prerequisite: One semester (or module) of econometrics, at either the undergraduate or graduate level. Explores contemporary empirical issues in trade policy, through studying recent econometric research, learning advanced econometric tools, and carrying out original research, from data collection to econometric testing and evaluation. Readings include papers from professional journals and chapters from econometrics textbooks. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Dean, Judith
Times:	T 02:00 - 05:00 PM
Location:	Pollack, 7
ECON 262f (1) - Outsourcing and Offshoring: Multinationals, Technology, and Globalization
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Outsourcing and offshoring raise questions of economic theory, business strategy, and policy emphasis for both industrial and emerging economies. This course examines and assesses empirically different theories of the multinational firm. Addresses how pervasive application of information technology exposes firms to business opportunities and economies to policy challenges. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Mann, Catherine
Times:	M, W 03:30 - 05:00 PM
Location:	Lemberg, 54
ECON 270a - Economic Development Strategies
Prerequisite: ECON 201. Discusses the current situation of developing countries and the main theories of development and underdevelopment. Introduces the field and tools of development economics, explores the theoretical and policy debates around developing economies, and looks at alternative development strategies. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Lopez, Ricardo
Times:	M, W 12:30 - 02:00 PM
Location:	Lemberg, 55
ECON 277f (2) - Public Policy, Business Leadership and World Affairs: An Insider's Perspective
Prerequisite: ECON 201a. Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Explores the approach of the World Economic Forum, focusing on three global challenges. Students meet with guest lecturers who know the facts and the players; review background material; and debate the issues by assuming the roles of the main players.
Instructor(s):	Steinberg, Kevin
Times:	M 06:30 - 09:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, 54
ECON 330a - International Macroeconomics
Prerequisite: ECON 304a. Applications of macroeconomic theory to open economies. Topics include international parity theorems, models of exchange rate determination, and central bank management of the exchange-rate. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Schoenle, Raphael
Times:	M 12:30 - 03:30 PM
Location:	Sachar, Chancellor's Suite
ECON 332f (2) - Topics in Empirical International Economics: Questions, Methods, and Data
Prerequisite: Open to IBS PhD students only. Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Students present and discuss current working papers in international economics focusing on the questions that are being asking, the empirical methods used, and the sources of data. Course prepares students for the thesis process and for presenting thesis work. Usually offered every second year.
Instructor(s):	Mann, Catherine
Times:	TBA
Location:	Sachar, Chancellor's Suite
ECON 370a - Development Economics
Prerequisite: ECON 302a Reviews neoclassical and endogenous growth theory as it relates to the experience of developing countries. Also examines recent applied work relating to household fertility, natural resource depletion, technology, and sustainable growth, and various political economy issues, including the link between inequality and growth, the interaction between economic growth and political systems, and a range of issues that engage the new institutional economics. Usually offered every second year.
Instructor(s):	Jefferson, Gary H.
Times:	T, Th 09:30 - 11:00 AM
Location:	Sachar, Chancellor's Suite
ECON 399a - Dissertation Workshop
Prerequisites: ECON 302a and ECON 304a. Involves invited lectures by Brandeis faculty and other researchers. Presentation and discussion of dissertation topics and work in progress. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	LeBaron, Blake
Times:	T 12:30 - 02:00 PM
Location:	Sachar, Chancellor's Suite
ECON/FIN 250a - Forecasting in Finance & Economics
Prerequisites: ECON 210f and 211f. Covers the basics of forecasting and time series analysis as used in finance and economics. Time series topics will include linear regression, ARMA models, trend modeling, seasonal adjustments, and volatility modeling. We will also cover more unusual topics such as bootstrapping, and technical trading rules. Students will leave the course with a good introduction to many of the tools used in modern time series forecasting and quantitative finance. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	LeBaron, Blake
Times:	M, W 09:30 - 11:00 AM
Location:	Sachar, Int'l Hall, 116

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International Finance: Spring, 2012

ECON/FIN 250a - Forecasting in Finance & Economics
Prerequisites: ECON 210f and 211f. Covers the basics of forecasting and time series analysis as used in finance and economics. Time series topics will include linear regression, ARMA models, trend modeling, seasonal adjustments, and volatility modeling. We will also cover more unusual topics such as bootstrapping, and technical trading rules. Students will leave the course with a good introduction to many of the tools used in modern time series forecasting and quantitative finance. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	LeBaron, Blake
Times:	M, W 09:30 - 11:00 AM
Location:	Sachar, Int'l Hall, 116
FIN 202a S1 - International Corporate Finance
Prerequisite: FIN 212a (may be taken concurrently) Focuses on how companies make their investment, financing, and dividend decisions in a global environment. Examines the theory and practices of firms through a combination of current articles, problems in the text, and case analysis. Students will have a firm understanding of how companies create value through their decisions. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Sisli Ciamarra, Elif
Times:	M, W 11:00 - 12:30 PM
Location:	Sachar, Int'l Hall, 116
FIN 202a S2 - International Corporate Finance
Prerequisite: FIN 212a (may be taken concurrently) Focuses on how companies make their investment, financing, and dividend decisions in a global environment. Examines the theory and practices of firms through a combination of current articles, problems in the text, and case analysis. Students will have a firm understanding of how companies create value through their decisions. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Sisli Ciamarra, Elif
Times:	M, W 12:30 - 02:00 PM
Location:	Sachar, Int'l Hall, 116
FIN 202a S3 - International Corporate Finance
Prerequisite: FIN 212a (may be taken concurrently) Focuses on how companies make their investment, financing, and dividend decisions in a global environment. Examines the theory and practices of firms through a combination of current articles, problems in the text, and case analysis. Students will have a firm understanding of how companies create value through their decisions. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Nandy, Debarshi
Times:	W 09:30 - 12:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, 55
FIN 202a S4 - International Corporate Finance
Prerequisite: FIN 212a (may be taken concurrently) Focuses on how companies make their investment, financing, and dividend decisions in a global environment. Examines the theory and practices of firms through a combination of current articles, problems in the text, and case analysis. Students will have a firm understanding of how companies create value through their decisions. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Nandy, Debarshi
Times:	W 06:30 - 09:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, 54
FIN 203f (2) - International Financial Management
Prerequisites: FIN 201a, FIN 202a, FIN 212a, and ECON 201a. Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Explores the characteristics of international financial markets and evaluates associated risks and benefits. Addresses the distinct risks multinationals face, the financial tools they use to manage these risks, their tax and working capital management, and their financing and investment decisions. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Sisli Ciamarra, Elif
Times:	Th 06:30 - 09:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, 54
FIN 206f (1) - Investment Analysis with Excel and VBA
Prerequisite: FIN 201a or FIN 205a. Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Connects textbook finance with real-world business by providing a nuts-and-bolts guide to solving common models with spreadsheets and Visual Basic for Excel. It will cover three topics: portfolio optimization (including the Black- Litterman model), modeling the term structure of interest rates and pricing models for risky debt, and advanced computational techniques for options (including Monte Carlo methods). Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Raviv, Alon
Times:	M, W 02:00 - 03:30 PM
Location:	Sachar, Int'l Hall, 116
FIN 212a - Accounting & Financial Analysis
May not be taken for credit by students who have taken FIN 210f or FIN 211f. Introduction to basic accounting principles, including analysis of financial statements using case studies. Develops fundamental concepts and accounts and applies them to income measurement, capital values, and costs, with a focus on international accounting issues. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Weihs, Hagit
Times:	Th 06:30 - 09:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, 55
FIN 214a - Managerial Accounting
Prerequisite: FIN 212a. Introduction to internal reporting issues and problems employed in planning, control, and evaluation. Topics include cost behavior, overhead cost allocation, budgeting, and variance analysis. Taught from the perspective of the decision maker rather than the accountant who prepares the information. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Anderson, Brenda
Times:	Th 09:30 - 12:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, 55
FIN 216f (2) - Financial Statement Analysis
Prerequisite: FIN 212a or FIN 213a. Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Presents techniques of financial statement analysis that deepen the understanding of financial statements and the economic and strategic information they provide. Exposes students to the financial reporting environment and practices of U.S. companies. The course does not cover equity valuation. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Keith, Richard
Times:	T 06:30 - 09:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, 55
FIN 217f (1) - Financial Modeling I
Prerequisite: FIN 202a and FIN 212a. May take FIN 217f during second module concurrently with FIN 202a. Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Introduces quantitative modeling techniques for analyzing the financial performance of projects and companies and valuing earning streams. A key objective is to help students develop sophisticated skills in using spreadsheets and related software through cases and hands-on applications. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Canella, Alfonso
Times:	W 06:30 - 09:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, Lee Hall, 180
FIN 217f (2) - Financial Modeling I
Prerequisite: FIN 202a and FIN 212a. May take FIN 217f during second module concurrently with FIN 202a. Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Introduces quantitative modeling techniques for analyzing the financial performance of projects and companies and valuing earning streams. A key objective is to help students develop sophisticated skills in using spreadsheets and related software through cases and hands-on applications. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Canella, Alfonso
Times:	Th 12:30 - 03:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, Lee Hall, 180
FIN 218f (2) - Financial Modeling II
Prerequisite: FIN 217f. Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Continues Financial Modeling I (Fin 217f) in the analysis of quantitative financial performance of projects and companies and valuing earning streams. It supplements Fin 217f in its use of real options for valuations, new industries with their own peculiarities (insurance, pharmaceuticals), and the privatization of a telecommunications firm. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Canella, Alfonso
Times:	W 06:30 - 09:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, Lee Hall, 180
FIN 226f (2) - Real Estate Capital Markets
Prerequisite: BUS 235f. FIN 202a is recommended. Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Considers real estate as an asset class for investment from the perspective of a professional portfolio manager and a corporate financial officer. Analyzes the public markets for real estate debt (CMBS) and equity (REITs) and the interplay of private and public investing in a professionally managed real estate investment portfolio. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Chazen, Edward
Times:	M, W 11:00 - 12:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, 54
FIN 231f (1) - Private Equity
Prerequisites: FIN 202a. Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Explores the history, structure, players and adjacent industries of Private Equity; the kinds of companies that make attractive candidates for investment; how PE firms add value; what they do when things go wrong; and how they create successful exits. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	McKay, Michael
Times:	T 06:30 - 09:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, Lee Hall, 180
FIN 232a - Mergers & Acquisitions
Prerequisites: FIN 201a and FIN 202a (may be taken concurrently). Reviews the core concepts involved in mergers and acquisitions; value, negotiation, deal structuring, corporate strategy and valued added, financing, and tax consequences. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Ballantine, Jr., John
Times:	Th 06:30 - 09:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, Lee Hall, 180
FIN 233f (1) - Relative Value of Securities
Prerequisites: FIN 212a or FIN 216f strongly recommended. Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Introduces students to the issues and analysis necessary for making the decision to purchase securities. The principal focus is on publicly traded securities. Debt and equity security values will be addressed. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Aikens, III, Alexander E.
Times:	Th 06:30 - 09:30 PM
Location:	Sachar, Int'l Hall, 116
FIN 235a - Investing in Energy: Fossil Fuels to Cleaner Energy
May not be taken for credit by students who took FIN 235f in spring 2008. How do energy companies and investors make investment decisions in our current economic/political environment? How do investors assess the risks and the long term opportunities, and what are the potential returns? And how do companies manage energy projects and implement new technologies across many markets and countries? To evaluate energy investments students need to acquire the background knowledge, the technical skills, and an appreciation of the politics of energy policy. This course will establish a broad framework of analysis and it will also let students analyze the economic viability of a specific energy project. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Ballantine, Jr., John
Times:	T 06:30 - 09:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, 54
FIN 236f (2) - Technical Analysis
Prerequisite: FIN 201a. Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. From FX to equity indexes to real estate futures markets, traders rely on technically-derived signals to enter speculative positions, set protective orders, and time their exits. Provides an introduction to technical analysis and familiarizes students with strategies in common use. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Keller, David
Times:	T 06:30 - 09:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, Lee Hall, 180
FIN 241f (1) - Financial Planning & Control
Prerequisite: FIN 202a (may be taken concurrently). Examines financial planning methodologies and tools as well as financial control mechanisms. Includes case studies using real-life examples, accounting, and financial objectives. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Canella, Alfonso
Times:	T 06:30 - 09:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, 55
FIN 242f (1) - Credit Risk Analysis I
Prerequisite: FIN 212a. Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Examines credit risk (i.e., the possibility that an obligor will fail to perform as agreed) from the perspective of the commercial banker. Focuses on a sound understanding of the firm and its business plan and how the banker constructs the appropriate structure for the senior loan. Topics include asset-based, real estate, and cash flow lending. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Bayone, Edward J.
Times:	T 12:30 - 03:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, Lee Hall, 180
FIN 244f (2) - Credit Risk Analysis II
Prerequisite: FIN 242f. Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Examines credit risk (i.e., the possibility that an obligor will fail to perform as agreed) for foreign companies that largely operate in their overseas markets. Based on a sound understanding of the firm, its business plan, and the environment in which it operates, the banker constructs the appropriate structure for the senior loan. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Bayone, Edward J.
Times:	T 12:30 - 03:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, Lee Hall, 180
FIN 247f (2) - Commercial Bankruptcy
Prerequisites: FIN 202a (may be taken concurrently) and 212a. Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Focuses on the relationship between debtors and creditors in a deteriorating financial environment, through lectures and case studies. Explores how U.S. courts work, jurisdictional issues that impact debtor/creditor relationships, the importance of advocacy, the relationship between state and federal law, and the hierarchy of creditor claims. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Aikens, III, Alexander E.
Times:	Th 06:30 - 09:30 PM
Location:	Sachar, Int'l Hall, 116
FIN 254f (1) - Financial Manias & Crisis
Prerequisite: FIN 201a or FIN 205a. Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Class investigates speculative financial manias--their causes, characteristics, effects, and policy responses. Using historical and recent examples from the United States and abroad, the psychological aspects of markets and other factors that contribute to manias are examined.
Instructor(s):	Balder, Johnathan
Times:	Th 06:30 - 09:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, 54
FIN 261a - Fixed Income Securities
Prerequisites: FIN 201a or FIN 205a, or permission of the instructor. Studies fixed income securities; cash flow structures, pricing risk measures; features of major fixed income sectors; valuation of fixed income securities with embedded options; portfolio management and performance measurement; interest rate derivatives and applications to asset/liability management. Usually offered every semester.
Instructor(s):	Bergstresser, Dan
Times:	T, Th 12:30 - 02:00 PM
Location:	Sachar, Int'l Hall, 116
FIN 263a - International Portfolio Management
Prerequisite: FIN 201a or FIN 205a. May not be taken for credit by students who have taken FIN 262a in previous years. A blend of advanced theory and state-of-the-art practice with a two fold aim: to ground students in the theory of international portfolio investments and to immerse them in the application of global portfolio management in the real world. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Raviv, Alon
Times:	M 06:30 - 09:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, Lee Hall, 180
FIN 270a - Options and Derivatives
Prerequisites: FIN 201a, or FIN 205a, or permission of the instructor. Introduces students, at a reasonable mathematical level, to a broad range of topics related to the securities, markets, pricing, and applications of financial derivatives. Special focus is placed on how financial arbitrage is used to price derivatives. Usually offered every semester.
Instructor(s):	Becker, Ying L.
Times:	W 06:30 - 09:30 PM
Location:	Sachar, Int'l Hall, 116
FIN 279a - Applied Risk Management
Prerequisites: FIN 201a, or FIN 205a and FIN 212a. Studies risk management applications as well as the use of financial derivatives. Focuses on case studies and can be taken in addition to the more quantitative course, FIN 280a. Students are expected to work through examples and develop strategies. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Reitano, Robert R.
Times:	M, W 09:30 - 11:00 AM
Location:	Lemberg, 54
FIN 280a - Financial Risk Management
Prerequisite: FIN 201a or FIN 205a. Introduces many of the approaches financial institutions take to model, quantify, and manage risk. Types of risk covered include financial (equity, interest rate, and credit), as well as operational. Students will be expected to have some exposure to financial derivatives from FIN 201a or 301a as well as to the basic concepts from calculus and statistics. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Reitano, Robert R.
Times:	M, W 02:00 - 03:30 PM
Location:	Lemberg, 55
FIN 288a - Corporate Financial Engineering
Prerequisite: FIN 201a. Corequisite: FIN 202a. Focuses on how financial engineering is used in firms to reduce their costs of financing, to alter their fundamental risk exposures and, in a handful of cases, to provide them with new ways to compete. Primarily intended for students who plan to serve in corporate roles that will involve significant interaction with financial markets and institutions. Usually offered every year.
Instructor(s):	Bergstresser, Dan
Times:	T, Th 03:30 - 05:00 PM
Location:	Sachar, Int'l Hall, 116
FIN 305f (1) - Asset Pricing
Prerequisite: ECON 301a. Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. A course in asset pricing for PhD candidates. Topics include risk aversion and choice under uncertainty, no arbitrage and stochastic discount factor, mean variance analysis, factor models, and recent empirical puzzles. Focuses on theory and empirical applications. Usually offered every second year.
Instructor(s):	Hilscher, Jens
Times:	T, Th 11:00 - 12:30 PM
Location:	Sachar, Chancellor's Suite

All courses with a suffix “f” are module courses. These courses meet for half a semester and receive 2 credits per class, rather than the usual 4 credits.

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