Section 922 - College of Business

Principles of Finance
FIN 3403-922; MW 7:30 p.m. – 9:40 p.m.; BSN 2208
Summer 2015
Instructor Information:
Scott Besley
Office: BSN 3134
Voice: 974-6341
E-mail: [email protected]
Course web page: http://sbesley.myweb.usf.edu/FIN3403/home.html
Teaching Assistant:
Zheni Stefanova
Office: BSN 1312
E-mail: [email protected]
Office Hours: M 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Course Description: This is an introductory course in managerial finance in which you should attain a
clear, basic understanding of the essentials of financial decision making. Emphasis is given to the
underlying principles of corporate finance and their effects on the decision-making framework faced by
financial managers who are charged with maximizing shareholders’ wealth. In essence the course covers
topics related to financing and investment decisions—that is, how to raise funds and where to invest funds.
The focus of the course is to provide an understanding of the basic tools and techniques required to make
informed decisions about which assets a firm should purchase and how such purchases should be financed.
When you finish this course, you should understand (1) the general framework for financial decision
making, (2) the role of financial decision making in maximizing the value of a firm, (3) in general, how to
determine the value of an asset and whether it should be purchased, (4) what is meant by the risk/return
tradeoff and how risk and return affect investment decisions, and (5) how external factors, such as financial
markets, affect financial decisions made by the firm. You will find that much of the information provided in
this class can also be applied to make informed decisions about your personal finances.
Required Text: Besley/Brigham, CFIN4, (United States: Cengage Learning, 2015).
An electronic version of the textbook is included with a subscription to Aplia, which is described in the
next section. The website for the textbook has an electronic platform called CourseMate with many
resources, including self-test quizzes, flash cards, and review cards, that can be used to help you understand
the material covered in the course. The CourseMate platform, access to which is included with purchase of
the textbook, is different from the Aplia platform, which is described next. You are not required to buy a
copy of the textbook, but you are required to subscribe to Aplia. You must have access to the textbook,
which is provided with a subscription to Aplia.
Aplia: Aplia, which is an online tool that helps students keep up with course work, will be used in (is
required for) this course. Aplia contains both an electronic version of the textbook and interactive tools that
include assignments and quizzes, tutorials, and other items that will help you better understand the concepts
presented in the book. You will be required to complete (1) graded Aplia assignments, which are primarily
multiple-choice, true-or-false, and fill-in-the-blank questions and problems, and (2) quizzes that cover the
general concepts discussed in the chapters assigned from the book. The graded assignments and the dates
they are due are shown in the course outline that is on the last page of this syllabus. The scores you receive
on the graded assignments and quizzes will be used to determine the grade that you receive for the
assignment portion of this course. A discussion as to how your assignment grade will be determined is
given later in this syllabus.
The link that you should use to subscribe to Aplia is http://login. cengagebrain.com/. The “Course Key”
that you need to subscribe to Aplia for this semester is AWRB-BLC2-KP6D. You can subscribe now and
delay payment until May 29, 2015. A subscription to Aplia costs $70, which includes an electronic version
of the textbook, the online assignments that you must complete, and access to all of the online tools
associated with the textbook. You can print copies of the chapters from the electronic version of the book
that is provided on Aplia. As a result, you do not need a hard copy of the book to successfully complete this
course. In other words, THE $70 SUBSCRIPTION TO APLIA PROVIDES YOU WITH ALL THE
MATERIALS THAT YOU NEED FOR THIS COURSE. But, if you would like a hard copy of the text, you
can purchase a “bundled” package, which includes a paper version of the book and a subscription to Aplia,
either online at http://cengagebrain.com or at the bookstore. In either case, the cost is approximately $85,
not including tax.
IMPORTANT NOTE: An Aplia subscription is good for one semester only. The Course Key (AWRBBLC2-KP6D) is an identification that must be used for the appropriate subscription to Aplia for this
semester. The Course Key is similar to the course reference number that you used to register for FIN 3403
this semester. Course keys from previous semesters cannot be used for this semester’s course.
Other Course Materials:

Pedagogical (Helpful) Materials—useful materials for this course are available on the course web page,
which is located at http://sbesley.myweb.usf.edu/FIN3403/home.html. Some (not all) of the items that
are posted on the course website include:
o Comprehensive notes—short, concise explanations and examples of the topics covered in the book.
These notes can also be purchased at Pro Copy, which is located in the Terrace Ridge Plaza shopping
center at the corner of 53rd Street and Fowler Avenue.
o PowerPoint presentations—slides that are used in the lectures. Copies of the PowerPoint slides can
also be purchased at Pro Copy, which is located in the Terrace Ridge Plaza shopping center at the
corner of 53rd Street and Fowler Avenue.
o Calculator help—shows how to set up a financial calculator and gives examples of how to solve a
variety of problems using a financial calculator.
o Exam information—information about the next exam, including sample questions from previous
exams.
o Equations/Review sheets—copies of the equation sheets that will be provided with exams and the
review sheets that should be used to study for exams.

Recommended reading: You should keep current with business and economic information by reading
business publications, such as The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, Fortune, and Forbes, as well as
business news on such Websites as Bloomberg.com (http://bloomberg.com), CNNMoney.com
(http://money.cnn.com/index.html?Cnn=yes), and msnbc BUSINESS
(http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032072/). Clearly you do not have time to read articles from each source
every day. But, as a student in the College of Business you must keep informed about business news.
Subscriptions for the print media are available at discounted student rates.
Class Format: This course is presented partially online. As a result, the structure of the course is twofold:
(1) all course lectures are presented online and (2) there is a “live” portion of the class that will meet each
week.

Virtual Lectures: To view the online lectures, you must have access to this course on Canvas. If you do
not have a USF NetID, which is needed to access Canvas, you should get one immediately. To do so,
got to https://my.usf.edu/ and follow the instructions.
To access the virtual lectures, you must have a current version of an Internet browser such as
Microsoft Internet Explorer, Chrome, Netscape, or Mozilla Firefox. The lectures are best viewed with a
high-speed Internet connection.

Classroom (Live) Meetings: You are expected to attend a live class, generally for approximately two
hours each week. Class time will be used primarily to answer questions about the online lectures and to
work assigned problems. Exams will be administered in the live class. The dates of the live class
meetings and the dates the exams will be administered are given on the course outline that is on the last
page of this syllabus. The teaching assistant (TA) will conduct the live classroom meetings. The TA
will (1) show you the solutions to the problems that are assigned from the textbook, (2) answer general
questions about the material that is assigned for the week, and (3) give you problems (questions) to
work that are not contained in the book, but are similar to problems you might see on the exams. Some
of the problems that are assigned from the book and the problems that you are expected to solve in the
live class meeting each week will be collected. Any problems collected in class will be graded on a 10point scale, and the grades will be included in the final determination of the overall assignment grade
you receive for the course (discussed later).
Because the TA will cover the live class, the professor will not normally be present during these
class meetings. He will, however, create course material to help you understand important financial
concepts that are contained on the exams. This material will be presented online.
Student Responsibilities: Your primary responsibility is to be prepared for class. To get the most out of
this course, you should attend every class meeting. Much of the understanding of the material contained in
the text will be presented in the online lectures and any difficulties you have solving the assigned problems
will be addressed in the live portion of the course. Therefore, it is important that you make every effort to
attend all class meetings.
The chapters that will be covered and the end-of-chapter problems for which you are responsible each
week are provided on the course outline that is included on the last page of this syllabus. It is expected that
you have read the material and have completed to the best of your ability all of the assigned problems prior
to coming to the next class period. Conscientious attention to these assignments is essential for satisfactory
performance in this course. To encourage adequate preparation for class, which will help enhance your
understanding of important concepts and improve the chances that you will perform well on the exams, you
will be required to complete assignments from the textbook and take quizzes and complete assignments on
the Aplia platform. In addition, you will be given in-class problems that are similar to those that will
appear on the exams.
Class time will be devoted to solving the assigned problems and answering questions you have
regarding the online lectures. In addition, problems that are not contained in the book will be presented and
solved in the live class. Exercises completed in class will help prepare you for the exams; often the
problems that are covered in class are examples of problems that are taken from exams that were
administered in prior semesters. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to get the information, including
solutions to assigned problems, covered during your absence. Information given in the online lectures and
material from assigned readings and problems will be included on exams.
Student Evaluation: You will be evaluated according to your performance on three exams and the scores
earned on assignments that you are required to complete. The computation of your average numerical score
for the course will be based on the following weighting scheme:
Exam 1—Chapters 1 – 4
Exam 2—Chapters 5 – 8
Final Exam
Part 1—Chapters 9 – 11 & 17
Part 2—Chapters 1 – 8
Assignment grade
Percent of grade
23
23
21
17
16
100
The course outline that is provided on the last page of this syllabus indicates when the exams will be given.
The plus/minus grading system will be used in this course. Course grades will be based on the weighted
average score you receive for the term using the following grading scale:
95% < A+
90% < A < 95%
87% < A– < 90%

85% < B+ < 87%
80% < B < 85%
77% < B– < 80%
75% < C+ < 77%
70% < C < 75%
67% < C– < 70%
65% < D+ < 67%
60% < D < 65%
57% < D– < 60%
F < 57%
Exam Format:
The exams will consist of a combination of multiple-choice definition/concept questions and multiplechoice problems. The questions and problems are designed to test your understanding of both
fundamental and more complex topics covered in the course (both in the lectures and in the text). Most
of the questions on the exams are structured to test your understanding of the concepts rather than how
well you can work problems or memorize definitions and other material. As a result, try to understand
rather than memorize the concepts presented in class. If you understand the concepts, you will perform
better on the exams than if you memorize definitions and equations.
o Exam 1 and Exam 2—Each of these exams consists of 35 multiple-choice questions and problems
that pertain to the material covered in the chapters and in the online lectures. The chapters that are
included on each exam are given both in the above table and in the course outline (on the last page
of the syllabus). These exams are not cumulative.
o Final Exam—The final exam is cumulative in the sense that it includes questions on material from
all of the chapters that are covered during the semester. However, the final is divided into two parts:
Part 1 tests you on material included in the four chapters that are covered at the end of the semester
(Chapters 9 – 11 and 17). Because you have not been tested previously on this material, the
questions that pertain to these chapters are similar to the questions that are included on the first two
exams; that is, they are somewhat detailed. Part 2 tests you on material that is included on the first
two exams (Chapters 1 – 8). The questions on this part of the exam are more general than the
questions that are included on the first two exams and on Part 1 of the final exam. There will be
52 – 54 questions on the final exam; Part 1 will consist of 24 – 26 questions and Part 2 will consist
of 26 – 28 questions. As you can see from the grading scheme given above, the final exam has a
total weight of 38 percent of the overall course grade, but the two parts of the exam are weighted
differently—Part 1 has a 21 percent weight and Part 2 has an 17 percent weight.
If you earn a score on Part 2 of the final exam that is higher than the score you earn on either
Exam 1 or Exam 2, the score you earn on Part 2 of the final exam will replace whichever score on
the first two exams (Exam 1 and Exam 2) is lower. In other words, the score you earn on Part 2 of
the comprehensive final exam will count 40 percent of your overall grade in the course (17 percent
for Part 2 of the final exam plus 23 percent for the exam that is replaced) if it is higher than one of
the scores on the first two exams; the score that you earn on the other non-cumulative exam will still
count 23 percent.
IMPORTANT NOTE: You must take the final exam; otherwise you will receive a failing
grade in the course, regardless of the grades you earned on the first two exams and the
assignment grade. In other words, you must take the final exam to pass this course.

Excused Absences—Make-Up Exams: “There are two categories of excused absences for which
accommodations will be made: scheduled and unscheduled. Scheduled absences involve time conflicts
that are known in advance, for which students have notified their instructors. Acceptable reasons for
scheduled absences include observation of religious holy days, court-imposed legal obligations (e.g.,
jury duty and subpoenas), special requirements of other courses and university-sponsored events (e.g.,
performances, athletic events, judging trips), and requirements of military service. Employment
schedules, athletic training and practice schedules, and personal appointments are not valid reasons for
scheduled absences. Unscheduled absences involve unforeseen emergencies such as illness, injury,
hospitalization, deaths in the immediate family, consequences of severe weather, and other crises.
Students should contact instructors as soon as possible in these cases. Instructors may require
documentation or verification to excuse unscheduled absences. (Source: University of South Florida
2014-2015 Undergraduate Catalog, page 23,
http://www.ugs.usf.edu/pdf/cat1415/FINAL_CATALOG.pdf)
Most excused absences are known in advance of the particular event. As a result, if you know that
you will be absent for an exam due to an excused absence, you must notify the instructor as soon as
possible and provide appropriate documentation prior to the exam date. The instructor will make
arrangements for students to take a make-up exam if they provide appropriate documentation for
approved absences.
If you miss either Exam 1 or Exam 2 due to an excused absence, you will have the option to take a
make-up exam that covers the same chapters as the exam that you missed or you can choose not to take a
make-up exam and have the score you receive on Part 2 of the final exam count as the score of the
missed exam. If you miss an exam due to an unexcused absence, the score that you receive on Part 2 of
the final exam will be used as the score for the exam that you missed. If you miss both Exam 1 and
Exam 2 due to unexcused absences, you will receive a failing grade in the course. You must take the
final exam to pass the course. If you miss the final exam due to an unexcused absence or you do not take
a make-up final exam as the result of an excused absence, you will receive a failing grade in the course.
Assignments/Quizzes:

In-Class Assignments: Each week, except when exams are given, a problem will be assigned that must
be completed in the live class meeting and turned in for a grade. The in-class problem will be similar to
one of the problems assigned from the textbook, and it will be representative of a problem you might
see on the exam.

Textbook Assignments: You should complete all of the problems assigned from the textbook each week
prior to coming to the live class the week the problems are assigned (see the course outline at the end of
this syllabus). Complete the problems to the best of your ability. At times, some of the assigned
problems will be collected in class. You will not know which problem is going to be collected until you
are told to turn in a particular problem that you are required to complete. Any textbook problem that is
collected will be graded using a 10-point scale based on the effort and the work you show rather than on
the correct answer. You must show all of your work, including intermediate computations, to receive
full credit for a textbook problem that is collected in class. It is better to show more work rather than
less work when solving the assigned problems.

Aplia Assignments: To ensure that you are keeping up with the material presented in the course, you
will be required to complete graded assignments posted on the Aplia platform. All assignments will be
evaluated on a 10-point scale based on the number of questions you answer correctly.
When completing the Aplia assignments, you must choose from two options after answering each
question:
1. Grade It Now—If you select this option, your answers will be graded immediately, you will be
shown which parts of the question you answered correctly and which parts you answered incorrectly
(you get a grade for the question), and you will be given feedback/explanations concerning the
correct answers. Once you see the feedback for the question, you can choose to “Try Another
Version” of the question. If you make this selection, a different question that is related to the same
topic (subject) will be generated for you. You can then provide answers to the new question, have
the answers graded immediately, and receive feedback for the new question. You can repeat the
process one additional time; that is, you can use the “Grade It Now” option a total of three times. If
you use this option, the scores that you earn for each attempt will be averaged to determine the final
score for the question in the assignment. For example, if you use the “grade It Now” option three
times for a particular question and earn scores of 1.3, 2.5, and 0.07, the final grade you will receive
for that question will be 1.5 = (1.3 + 2.5 + 0.7)/3
2. Save & Continue—If you select this option, your answers for the question will be saved by Aplia.
The answers will not be graded until either you select the “Grade it Now” option at a later time or
the assignment’s due date and time have been reached. With the “Save & Continue” option, you can
go back to the same question and change your answers whenever you want and as many times as
you want prior to the due date and time. Once you select the “Grade It Now” option described
earlier, however, you can no longer change your answers for the question because your answers are
graded immediately when you use this option.
To perform well on each Aplia assignment, it is recommended that you (1) start the graded
assignment early (don’t wait until the last minute) and select the “Save & Continue” option when you
finish each question; (2) review your answers for the graded assignment after attending the live class
meeting, because similar problems and questions will be covered in class; and (3) change your answers
for the assignment as needed. Once you are satisfied your answers are correct, you can either (1) select
the “Grade It Now” option and repeat this process two more times if necessary or (2) do nothing, which
means that your answers will be graded once the assignment’s due date (and time) has passed. Other
than the due date, there is no time limitation for the Aplia graded assignments; you can spend as much
time as you need on any question or any particular assignment.
IMPORTANT NOTE: All of the Aplia assignments are not due on the same day of the week; so, make
sure that you know which day of the week each assignment is due. See the course outline for a list of the
due dates for all of the Aplia assignments. Each week, Aplia will e-mail you a reminder of which
assignments are due during the week.

Quizzes: A quiz that covers assigned reading material will be administered using the Aplia platform,
generally each week. The purpose of the quiz is to ensure you are keeping up with the reading
assignments. Each quiz will include 10 questions (multiple-choice and true/false), each worth one point.
The questions will include definitions and fairly simple concepts that are covered in the material
included in the chapters you are assigned to read that particular week.
The quizzes are timed. Once you start a quiz, you will have 30 consecutive minutes to complete it—
that is, if you start the quiz at 4 p.m., your time expires at 4:30 p.m., even if you logoff Aplia before
4:30 p.m. You can change your answers as many times as you would like during the 30-minute period,
but you cannot change answers after the time limit has expired. Therefore, it is important that you read
the appropriate material before starting each quiz. You only have one attempt to answer the quiz
questions, and all quizzes are graded after the due date. In other words, the “Grade It Now” option is
NOT available with the timed quizzes. You will be required to complete each quiz during a specified
period (generally a three-day window). You cannot take a quiz until the instructor posts it. Each time
the instructor posts a quiz on Aplia, you will receive e-mails that provide information about the quiz,
including the due date and the material covered on the quiz.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The questions given on the quizzes are not representative of the questions you
will see on the exams. The questions on the quizzes are not intended to test your understanding of the
concepts; rather they are intended to ensure that you keep current with the reading assignments. As a
result, the quizzes have questions that are oriented toward definitions, whereas most of the questions on
the exams are designed to test your understanding of the important financial concepts.

Assignment Grade: At the end of the semester, the assignment grade you receive for the course will be
based on the highest 85 percent of all of the scores you receive for the combination of the graded Aplia
assignments, the quizzes administered on Aplia, problems/assignments collected in the live class
meetings, and any other graded assignments that are given in the course. In other words, the lowest 15
percent of your scores on the graded assignments and quizzes for the entire course will be dropped
before determining the overall average score you receive for the assignment portion of the course. For
example, if 35 Aplia assignments and quizzes and other class problems/assignments are graded during
the semester, the highest 30 grades will be used to compute your overall assignment score. You will
receive a score of zero (0) for any assignment you do not complete.
The reason some of the assignments/quizzes scores are dropped is to mitigate those situations in
which you miss class, whether you were absent as the result of a valid excusable reason or for any other
reason. You should not miss completion of the Aplia assignments and quizzes, because you have
multiple days (in some cases weeks) to complete the assignments. You should start the Aplia
assignments and quizzes as soon as possible—do not wait until the last minute to start these
assignments. If you start an Aplia assignment or quiz just before it is due and you have connectivity
issues because of a computer problem, electrical outage, or other reasons, the assignment will not be
restarted for you. The due date for an assignment will only be adjusted if the Aplia organization has an
extended problem. You will be notified via e-mail if the due date for an assignment is changed.
If you keep up with the assignments (readings and problems) you should receive a fairly high score
for this portion of your overall course grade. However, if you do not complete any of the Aplia quizzes,
Aplia assignments, and other graded assignments, you will receive a score of zero for 16 percent of your
overall grade in the course. To illustrate how this would affect the grade you receive in this course,
suppose that the average score you received on all of the exams is 78, but you did not complete any of
the quizzes and assignments. Even though the 78 average on the exams is a B- according to the grading
scale given earlier, you would receive a D+ in the course. Why? The grades on the exams, which
averaged 78, represent only 84 percent of the course requirements; the grade you receive for the
required assignments represents the remaining 16 percent of your grade. As result, in this case, you
would receive a grade of zero (0) for 16 percent of your overall grade in the course and a grade of 78 for
the remaining 84 percent of your overall grade, which means the average for the entire course is 65.5 =
78(0.84) + 0(0.16), which is a D+.
Extra Credit Assignment: You will have the opportunity to improve your average exam score by
completing an extra credit project. The extra credit project is an assignment (to be completed individually
outside class) that is based on the concepts presented in class. The requirements for the extra credit project
will be posted on the course website after the appropriate material has been covered in class. (You will
discover that the Extra Credit Project represents a form of “grade insurance” for which you must pay a
premium, or price, which is the “time and effort” you put into completing the project.)
Other Course Information:








Try to understand rather than memorize the material presented in this course. Understanding the
concepts is more important than being able to work problems—that is, understanding the meaning of a
computation is more important than the computation itself. For this reason, most of the questions on the
exams are concept questions that test your understanding of the material rather than problems that test
your ability to complete the computations.
If you have difficulty grasping the material in this course, do not wait until just before an exam to seek
help; by then it generally is too late. Questions are encouraged in this course; so ask as many as you
want! Please get help when you have questions about the material. Understanding the material covered
in this course will benefit you in other business courses as well.
Solutions to assigned problems will be provided in the live class meeting. The solutions will NOT be
posted online (either on Canvas or on the course webpage). If you miss the class in which solutions are
provided, it is your responsibility to get the solutions you missed from a fellow student.
You must have a valid USF student ID to take the exams in this course. If you do not have a student ID,
you should get one immediately. If you do not have your USF student ID with you at an exam, you
will be allowed to take the exam, but your grade on the exam will be lowered by three points.
You do not have to memorize equations given in class or included in the text. For each exam you will
be provided with a formula sheet that contains all the equations you will need to solve the problems and
to answer the concept questions. The equation sheets are posted on the course website so that you can
examine them prior to the exam. The link to the equation sheet is:
http://sbesley.myweb.usf.edu/FIN3403/eqn.html
If you don’t already have one, you should consider purchasing a financial calculator to use in this
course. It is not mandatory to have a financial calculator, but having one will help you tremendously
when working the problems in the assignments and on the exams. Although many of the illustrative
problems contained in the text are solved using a Texas Instruments BAII PLUS calculator, any financial
calculator will suffice. You will not be able to use a programmable calculator, a graphing calculator,
the calculator function on your cell phone, or interest tables when taking the exams.
Neither plagiarism nor cheating will be tolerated! All work you hand in should be your own. See pages
42-46 in the University of South Florida 2014-2015 Undergraduate Catalog for the ramifications of
academic dishonesty. The undergraduate catalog can be accessed online at
http://www.ugs.usf.edu/pdf/cat1415/FINAL_CATALOG.pdf
Students who anticipate the necessity of being absent from class due to major religious observances
must provide notice of the dates to the instructor, in writing, by May 21, 2015.

Students who entered USF under the 2001-2002, or later, catalog are required to earn a grade of C-, or
better, in every core business class (including this one) and an overall GPA of 2.0 for all core classes.

Be courteous to your fellow students. If you have a cell phone, a pager, or any other electronic device
that has an audio notification system, please turn off the device while in class. Please put your phone
away during class—do not text, tweet, e-mail, or carry on other communication activities during class.

The specific dates the exams will be given are shown on the course outline that is attached to the end of
this syllabus. You must take the exams on the dates and at the times that are given on the course outline.

Exam grades will be posted on Canvas during the semester. The grades you receive on the individual
assignments/quizzes will not be posted on Canvas. All assignments collected in class will be returned to
you, and you can view the scores you earn on the Aplia assignments and quizzes on the Aplia platform.
It is your responsibility to keep a record of these grades for yourself. Your final assignment grade will
be posted on Canvas at the end of the semester.

You can communicate with other students in your section by using the e-mail function that is available on
Canvas. Please use the e-mail function for class purposes only. Do not spam your peers by advertising
books for sale, jobs, requesting help with surveys or assignments from other courses, and so forth.
If you abuse the e-mail function, your e-mail privileges will be terminated.

You are encouraged to take notes and permitted to tape the live portion of this course for personal use
only. You do not have permission to sell or profit in any manner from use of the notes or the recordings
from the course. The USF policy, including restrictions regarding the use of course notes and recordings
as well as ramifications for violating the policy, can be found at http://generalcounsel.usf.edu/policiesand-procedures/pdfs/policy-10-048.pdf.
The last day to drop or withdraw from this course without academic penalty is Saturday, June 27, 2015.
You have a few chances to improve the grade that you earn in this course before the final course grade
is determined (assigned). (1) You can complete the Extra Credit project. (2) If you earn a score on the
comprehensive final exam that is higher than any one of the scores that you earn on the three noncumulative exams, the score on the final exam will count 39 percent of your overall grade in the course.
(3) If you put the appropriate time and effort into completing the assignments, you should earn an
overall assignment grade of 90 -95. Take advantage of these opportunities. After the course has been
completed and your grade for the course has been computed at the end of the semester, there will be
no additional opportunities to improve your grade, no matter how close you are to the next higher
grade. Once all course requirements have been completed, no additional work can be completed to
improve your grade; so, please don’t ask.
Incompletes will not be given in this course.
“Students in need of academic accommodations for a disability may consult with the office of Students
with Disabilities Services to arrange appropriate accommodations. Students are required to give
reasonable notice prior to requesting an accommodation. Contact SDS at 974-4309 or
http://www.sds.usf.edu.” (Office of Students with Disabilities Services)





In the event of an emergency, it might be necessary for USF to suspend normal operations. During this
time, USF might opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include but are not limited
to Canvas, Skype, and e-mail messaging and/or using an alternative schedule. It is your responsibility to
monitor the Canvas site for each class for course-specific communication, and the main USF, college,
and department Websites, e-mails, and MoBull messages for important general information. Suspension
of operations at USF should not affect your ability to complete Aplia assignments and quizzes, because
Aplia is not housed at USF. As a result, you should ensure that the Aplia assignments and quizzes are
completed by the due dates unless advised otherwise.

The exams start at the same time for all students, and all exams end at the same time for all students. If
you arrive late for an exam, you decrease the amount of time you have to complete the exam.

Your TA covers the live portion of the class. Because the lectures are online, the professor will not be in
class during most of the live sessions, He will, however, post information online to help you understand
the course material, including review videos. In addition, the instructor will attend some of the live class
meetings to evaluate the TA’s. If you prefer a course that includes live lectures or more face-to-face
interaction with the professor, you should consider moving to one of the sections that is offered during
the day
Principles of Finance
FIN 3403-922
Summer 2015
Course Outline
Class Date:
Subject
May 11 An Overview of Managerial Finance
Chapter Problemsa
Aplia Assignments (Date Due)b
1
3,4,10,12
Intro to Using Aplia Assignments (5/18)
2
3,8,12,18
An Overview of Managerial Finance (5/21)
3
4,13,16,17
Analysis of Financial Statements (5/24)
The Financial Environment: Markets,
Institutions, and Invest Banking (5/28)
4
3,7,9,10,
18,24
The Time Value of Money (5/30)
5
5,9,11,12,16 The Cost of Money (Interest Rates) (6/14)
Bonds Characteristics/Valuation
6
5,12,13,20
Bonds (Debt)—Characteristics and
Valuation (6/18)
June 15 Stock Characteristics/Valuation
7
2,7,12,13
Stocks (Equity)—Characteristics and
Valuation (6/21)
June 22 Risk and Rates of Return
8
2,9,12,19
Risk and Rates of Return (6/23)
June 29 Capital Budgeting Techniques
Capital Budgeting—Project
Cash Flows and Risk
9
10
3,10,17,18
2,10,12,20
Capital Budgeting Techniques (7/5)
Project Cash Flows and Risk (7/10)
July
11
2,3,9,17
The Cost of Capital (7/12)
17
3,6,11,19
Financial Planning and Control (7/14)
* May 13 Analysis of Financial Statements
May 18 Financial Markets, Institutions, and
the Investment Banking Process
May 25 Memorial Day—NO CLASS
* May 27 Time Value of Money
June 1 Exam 1—Chapters 1-4
June 8 The Cost of Money (Interest Rates)
* June 24 Exam 2—Chapters 5-8
6 Cost of Capital
July 13 Financial Planning and Control
* July 15 Final Exam—Chapters 1-11 & 17
* indicates a class meeting on a Wednesday; all other class meetings are on Monday.
a Refer to the Problems section at the end of the chapter.
b
The Aplia assignments must be completed online. The deadlines for completing the Aplia assignments are contained
in the parentheses. Note that the due dates for the Aplia assignments do not necessarily align with the date the class
meets.