Academics

BUAD 323 | 3 credits | Fall
Professor Osman Nal

The Distinguished 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 in BUAD 323 Financial Management with Professor Osman Nal.

BUAD 290 | 3 credits | Fall & Spring
Staff

The financial services industry is the country's largest employer of finance graduates, and is a major component of the U.S. and global economy. This course will introduce students to the institutional framework of financial markets and the financial services industry, and help students to understand at a high level the financial, economic and regulatory context in which many financial decisions get made and transactions executed. Students study the overall structure of the financial services industry as well as the specific characteristics of the major industry segments: commercial banking, investment banking, insurance and asset management. Students examine financial sector business and funding models, the industry's approach to risk management and capital allocation and the linkages between the financial services industry and the real economy. They consider representative business transactions facilitated by the financial services industry, and discuss the regulatory environment in which financial institutions operate and financial transactions take place. The course has a significant current events component and addresses issues of public policy concern, including industry governance and professional ethics.

BUAD 323 | 3 credits | Fall & Spring
Staff

This course provides an introduction to finance. The basic principles of finance are explored here and applied not only to personal financial management but also to decisions faced by the financial manager. The course develops the basic tools necessary for analyzing and interpreting financial data and lays the foundations for understanding how securities are priced in the financial markets, and how financial managers can create value for their shareholders. Specific concepts covered include time value of money, the relation between risk and return, security valuation, cost of capital, evaluation of investment projects, and the efficient markets hypothesis.

BUAD 327 | 3 credits | Fall & Spring
Staff

An introduction to portfolio management, fixed income, and derivative instruments.

BUAD 329 | 3 credits | Fall & Spring
Staff

This course focuses on corporate valuation and credit analysis. Students will learn common methodologies for valuing corporate entities used by professionals working in investments, private equity, venture capital and investment banking. The course will familiarize students with various data sources and software used in the financial industry.

BUAD 417 | 3 credits | Currently Not Being Offered
Staff

A study of the foreign exchange markets, the relation between interest rates and exchange rates, and the current international monetary system. Specific course topics include borrowing and lending opportunities in international financial markets, international trade finance, the management of risks associated with exchange rate fluctuations, the assessment of sovereign risk.

BUAD 423 | 3 credits | Fall & Spring
Staff

Advanced topics in the theory and practice of financial decision-making. Cases and readings are used to examine the tools and techniques of financial strategy formulation and implementation under various environmental settings.

BUAD 424 | 3 credits | Spring
Staff

An examination of the markets of derivative securities, valuation, trading strategies, and their applications in managing risk. The emphases are on financial engineering and the quantitative methods in the valuation of derivative securities.

BUAD 427 | 3 credits | Fall & Spring
Staff

An examination of the advanced topics of equity and fixed-income investments.

BUAD 428 | 3 credits | Currently Not Being Offered
Staff

A review of prominent psychological biases and heuristics affecting individual decision-making. Applications to economics, finance, public policy, and social science.

BUAD 492 | 2 credits | Fall & Spring
Staff

The CFA Challenge is a course designed around the national CFA Challenge competition. A small group of students works with a finance professor in looking for, valuing and pitching a company. As a capstone to the class, students compete in the Virginia State CFA Challenge. This course requires instructor permission.

BUAD 492 | 3 credits | Currently Not Being Offered
Staff

This course provides real world, on-the-ground learning about how entrepreneurial ventures are financed, with a particular focus on Venture Capital & Private Equity sources of funding. Topic areas include understanding what sources of capital are available to entrepreneurial ventures, deciding how much to raise and from what sources to raise, selecting potential investors and board members, preparing ventures for profitable exits, and learning how to "craft a deal" by creating term sheets, investment pitches, and incentive plans. This course is designed for individuals with an interest in entrepreneurship, private equity/venture capital, corporate finance and law.

BUAD 492 | 3 credits | Fall
Staff

The course will introduce students to capital investing principles and financial decision-making taking into account global climate concerns and economic, social, and corporate governance values of stakeholders in today's world. Investment decision must meet capital requirements in the context of striving to achieve net-zero carbon goals.

BUAD 492 | 1 credit | Fall
Fremont Group Professionals

Fremont Group's Inspiring Futures in Finance Program (IFFP), developed in collaboration with William & Mary finance professors and the Boehly Center, was created in 2021 to expose students of diverse backgrounds, particularly those from historically underrepresented groups, to investing in fund-of-funds, venture capital, public and private equities, and real estate.

BUAD 492 01 | 1 credit | Spring
Professor John Gilmour

This course will be a brief introduction to the federal budget. It will cover the following topics: debt and deficit in the US; growth in entitlement spending—its causes and consequences; tax policy; appropriations.

BUAD 492 03 | 3 credits | Spring
Professor John Gilmour

This course will explore the growth of public debt in the United States and the causes and consequences of large-scale public borrowing. An important goal of the class will be to create a publicly-accessible website to help educate the public about issues related to the public debt.

BUAD 492 15 | 3 credits | Fall
Staff

This course provides real world, on-the-ground learning about how entrepreneurial ventures are financed, with a particular focus on Venture Capital & Private Equity sources of funding.

BUAD 492 | 1 credit | Spring
Professor 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.

BUAD 492 | 1 credit | Fall
Professor Brett Hammond

Finance and business decisions increasingly rely on compelling visuals that convey sophisticated financial analysis and recommendations.