FIN 300

MANAGERIAL FINANCE I
FALL 2013 COURSE OUTLINE
Prerequisite &/or Exclusions: ACC 100
COURSE REPEATS:
Academic Council GPA policy prevents students from taking a course more than three times
(i.e., registered initially, repeated once, repeated twice = 3 registrations). If you fail a
required course for the third time, you will be assigned an academic standing of Withdrawn,
and will be ineligible to continue in your program. For complete GPA policy see Policy #46
at http://www.ryerson.ca/acadcouncil/policies.html.
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION:
Instructor:
Eric Terry
Class:
Monday 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm, Section 6, TRS2-166
Office:
TRS 1-091
Office Hours:
Mondays 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm or by appointment
E-mail:
eterry@ryerson.ca
METHOD OF POSTING GRADES:
Midterm and final exam grades will be posted on Blackboard. Students who wish not to
have their course grades posted must inform the instructor in writing before October 1st,
2013. Final grades will be made available on RAMSS by the university registrar at the end
of the term.
E-MAIL USAGE & LIMITS:
I will only open e-mails that come from a Ryerson Account. Your e-mail must include in the
subject line of your e-mail message the following: Finance 300, FALL 2013, [subject]
I will try to respond to students e-mails within two business days.
CALENDAR COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Students are introduced to the major concepts in finance and investments which are the
time value of money, discounted cash flows, and risk and return. Students are given a
thorough introduction to the mathematics of asset valuation. In addition, students learn
how individual investors assess and reduce the risk associated with their investment
decisions. The course examines how firms make investment decisions. The investment
decision allocates scarce resources to projects in the firm, and involves financial forecasting,
asset valuation, capital budgeting, risk management, working capital management and
performance assessment.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
The objective of this course is to introduce students to the subject of finance in general and
corporate finance in particular. We will explore the role of the financial manager in the firm,
focusing on both the tools needed for the job and the decision-making activities inherent in
the role.
A major focus of the course will be the time value of money. Time value of money is one of
the most important concepts in finance and a thorough understanding is essential if you are
to master more advanced finance concepts, including valuing bonds and stocks and capital
budgeting.
The FIN300 and FIN401 courses are designed to provide a general understanding of
corporate financial management to the student who does not intend to continue study in
finance. These courses are also intended to provide the necessary concepts and tools for
those students who do intend to continue study in finance.
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TEXTS & READING LISTS:

Required Text: Fundamentals of Corporate Finance, Eighth Canadian Edition, Ross,
Westerfield, Jordan and Roberts, McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited, 2013.
Required Lyryx Access Code: A package including the text and Lyryx Access Code card is
available at the Bookstore. If you purchase a used text, a stand-alone access card is also
available at the Bookstore. If you would like to purchase the stand-alone card, please ask at
the checkout for a Lyryx for Corporate Finance card. You may also purchase access to Lyryx
online at www.lyryx.com.
Required: A financial calculator. You likely can use the same calculator that you
purchased for your statistics course. It is your responsibility to figure out how your
calculator works.
Other materials will be handed out in class or placed on Blackboard.
EVALUATION:
Lyryx Labs or Alternative
Midterm Test
Final Exam

20%
30%
50%

Lyryx Labs (20%): There are a total of 11 Lyryx Labs that must be completed by each
student. The students must do these labs individually. One or two labs will be due for each
Sunday of the semester. The exact due dates will be posted at Lyryx website. Each of the
labs covers material that the students will be covering in class, homework and tutorials. It
will give you the opportunity to measure your progress in understanding the material. The
students highest score for any lab will be the one recorded for grading purposes. Students
may make a maximum of 2 graded attempts at any lab question. Each lab contains a
number of questions. However, after the due date has passed, students will not be able to
make any additional attempts at the labs for marks. Information regarding logging into
the Lyryx system will be available on Blackboard.
Alternative to Lyryx Labs (20%) You are not required to complete the Lyryx Labs. As an
alternative, you can choose to write three quizzes spaced throughout the semester. Each
quiz will be worth 6.66% of your final grade. Each quiz will be 30 minutes in length and will
be scheduled at 6:00pm on Friday night, on the 4th, 8th, and 12th week of classes (including
Reading week, the 4th, 9th, and 13th weeks of the semester). The format can be any
combination of multiple choice, short answer, essay or case format. The room number will
be supplied to you at least four days in advance of writing. Please note that the room
number will probably not be the room in which you take your class. The material covered in
each quiz can include any of the material covered up to that point in the course.
If a student misses the first and/or second quiz for a valid reason, the weight of the
missed quiz/quizzes will be transferred to the next quiz. In the event that a student misses
the third quiz for a valid reason, the weight of the missed quiz or quizzes will be transferred
to the Final exam. Otherwise, a grade of 0 will be assigned for missed quizzes.
If you wish to choose this alternative to Lyryx, you must inform your instructor via email no later than the third Friday of the semester. If you have not done so by that time,
you will have forgone your opportunity to choose this alternative.
Midterm Test (30%): The midterm test will be 100% multiple
cover material from classes 1 through 5 (i.e. the material up to
Cash Flow Valuation). The midterm test will be held from
Friday, October 25, 2013. If you provide a valid reason for

choice questions and will

and including Discounted
6:30pm to 8:30pm on
missing the mid-term, a
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makeup test will be given from 6:30pm to 8:30pm on Friday, November 1, 2013. If
you cannot attend the makeup test for a valid reason, your final exam mark will be counted
as 80% of your total grade, otherwise you will receive a grade of zero on the midterm test.
The room number for the midterm test and for the makeup will be announced at least four
days in advance of writing. We will make every attempt to post midterm test results on
Blackboard before the start of the 9th class.
Final Exam (50%) The final exam will be 100% multiple choice and will cover material
from the entire course.
The term test and the exam are closed book. You will be able to use one 8.5 by 11 inch
note sheet for both the Mid-term and the Final exam. You may use the back and the
front of this sheet. You will not be supplied with this sheet; you must prepare this
yourself. Students are allowed to have whatever they want on their note sheet. The note
sheet does NOT have to be handwritten. Regulations concerning conduct during tests and
exams are contained in the Code of Student Conduct and the Ryerson Calendar.
If a student is going to miss a quiz, the midterm test or the final exam due to illness or
some other valid reason, he/she must follow the procedures outlined in the section
ACADEMIC CONSIDERATION of this syllabus to receive any academic consideration.
TOPICS TENTATIVE SEQUENCE & SCHEDULE:
Class
1

Date
Sept. 9

Chapter
Chapter 1
Chapter 2

Topic to Covered
Introduction, Agency Costs, Maximization of Firm Value
Financial Statements, and Cash Flow From Assets

Sept. 16

Chapter 3

Sources and Uses of Cash, Cash Flow Statement,

common-size statements, ratios, du-pont identity

3
4

Sept. 23
Sept. 30

Chapter 4
Chapter 5

Oct. 7

Chapter 6
Chapter 6
(cont.)

Long-term Financial Planning and Corporate Growth

Introduction to Time Value of Money, Present Value of a
Single Sum, Future Value of a Single Sum
Regular Annuities, Annuities Due, Perpetuities
Varying Compound Periods including Continuous
Compounding, Loans, EAR, Growing Perpetuities,
Mortgages
Study Week No Class
Review Class
Midterm Test (covers classes 1 to 5)
Interest Rates and Bond Valuation
Omit: Appendix 7A
Stock Valuation
Omit: Appendix 8A
Net Present Value and Other Investment Criteria
Making Capital Investment Decisions
Some Lessons from Capital Market History
Return, Risk and the Security Market Line
Including Appendix 13A
Return, Risk and the Security Market Line (cont.)
Review
Including Appendix 13A

Oct.
Oct.
Oct.
Oct.

14
21
25
28

Chapter 7

Nov. 4

Chapter 8

9
10
11

Nov. 11
Nov. 18
Nov. 25

Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 12
Chapter 13

12

Dec. 2

Chapter 13
(cont.)

FINAL EXAM
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TEACHING METHODS:
This course is taught using a combination of lectures and problem solving. The goal is to
encourage you to think, analyse, evaluate, and problem-solve, not memorize. Answers to
assigned questions (other than those used for problem sets and labs) will be posted on
Blackboard.
OTHER COURSE ISSUES:
I make extensive use of slides. Please download these from the blackboard site before
class. I also make extensive notes on the slides. If you miss a class it will be necessary to
get notes from a classmate.
Every effort will be made to manage the course as stated. However, adjustments may be
necessary during the term at the discretion of the instructor. If so, students will be advised
and alterations will be discussed prior to implementation. Students will be informed of
any alterations by email and/or announcements on blackboard.
Class Preparation:
It is assumed that you will prepare by reading the assigned chapters before you come to
class. Students are responsible for all of the problems at the end of the chapters. You are
advised to attend class and to ask questions since the concepts discussed in the reading
material will be developed in class. Also, material covered in class may not be otherwise
covered in the reading materials.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
Students are required to adhere to all relevant University policies, such as the
Student Code of Academic Conduct. University regulations concerning unacceptable
academic conduct (cheating, plagiarism, impersonation, etc.) will be followed. See
The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education calendar or online versions
below.
o Student Code of Academic Conduct:
http://www.ryerson.ca/acadcouncil/current/pol60.pdf
o Student Code of Non-Academic Conduct:
http://www.ryerson.ca/acadcouncil/current/pol61.pdf
o Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities:
http://www.ryerson.ca/acadcouncil/studentrights.pdf
for
more
explanation.

Plagiarism is a serious academic offence and penalties range from zero in an

assignment all the way to expulsion from the university. Students should review the
guidelines regarding academic misconduct - visit the Academic Integrity website
for more information at http://www.ryerson.ca/academicintegrity.
They should
ensure that they understand the conventions for referencing sources, in footnotes
and bibliographies. In addition to citing quotations from all sources, whether from
written materials, interviews or electronic networks, students must credit with
footnotes or in-text references all facts and ideas that are not their own, EVEN IF
THEY ARE IN YOUR OWN WORDS. If you do not, it is considered plagiarism. In any
academic exercise, plagiarism occurs when one offers as ones own work the words,
data, ideas, arguments, calculations, designs or productions of another without
appropriate attribution or when one allows ones work to be copied. (See the
Ryerson Library for APA style guide references:
http://www.ryerson.ca/library/ref/style.html)

It is assumed that all examinations and work submitted for evaluation and course
credit will be the product of individual effort, except in the case of team projects

arranged for and approved by the course instructor. Submitting the same work to
more than one course, without instructors approval, is also considered plagiarism.

Students who have committed academic misconduct will, at a minimum receive a

0 on the work, and an instructor may assign an F in the course. The Academic
Integrity Seminar may also be assigned.
Students will have the notation
Disciplinary Notice (DN) placed on their academic record and official transcript.
The notation shall remain until the students graduate, or for eight (8) years,
whichever comes first. If you receive this in the first half of your program, you may
undergo a petition process to have it removed in your last year.
Students who commit academic misconduct a second time shall be placed on
Disciplinary Suspension (DS) for up to two years, at which time they may apply
for reinstatement to a program. The designation DS shall be placed on their
permanent academic record and official transcript. The notation shall remain until
students graduate, or for eight (8) years, whichever comes first.
Disciplinary Withdrawn standing (DW) shall be permanently noted on students
academic records and official transcripts.
Expulsions shall be permanently noted on students academic records and official
transcripts.
o

NOTE: Students may not drop a course when they have been notified of the
suspicion of academic misconduct. If a student attempts to drop the course,
the Registrars office will re-register the student in that course until a decision
is reached.

When an instructor has reason to suspect that an individual piece of work has been
plagiarized, the instructor shall be permitted to submit that work to any plagiarism
detection service.

CHEATING ON AN EXAM OR TEST: Ryersons Examination Policy requires that all

students have a valid student identification card or other photo identification
on their desk at all times when taking an examination. If it is suspected that
someone is impersonating a student, the photo identification of that person will be
checked, and the person will be asked to sign the exam paper for further verification.
If it is suspected that the identification is not valid, students may be asked to provide
alternate photo identification. Security may be called, if circumstances warrant.

E-MAIL ACCOUNTS:
Students are required to activate and maintain a Ryerson Matrix e-mail account. This shall
be the official means by which you will receive university communications.
See www.ryerson.ca/acadcouncil/current/pol157.pdf.
ACCOMODATION OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:
In order to facilitate the academic success and access of students with disabilities, these
students should register with the Access Centre
http://www..ryerson.ca/accesscentre/index.html.
Before the first graded work is due, students should also inform their instructor through an
Accommodation Form for Professors that they are registered with the Access Centre and
what accommodations are required.
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES IN ACADEMIC APPEALS:
Students should read the Undergraduate Academic Consideration and Appeals policy
at www.ryerson.ca/acadcouncil/current/pol134.pdf.
It is the students responsibility to notify and consult with either the instructor, or the
Chair/Director of the teaching department/school, depending on the situation, as
5

soon as circumstances arise that are likely to affect academic performance. It is also
the students responsibility to attempt to resolve all course related issues with the
instructor and then, if necessary, with the Chair/Director of the teaching
department/school as soon as they arise. An appeal may be filed only if the issue
cannot be resolved appropriately. Failure to deal with a situation as soon as it arises
will jeopardize any appeal.
Students who believe that an assignment, test, or exam has not been appropriately
graded must review their concerns with their instructor within 10 working days of the
date when the graded work is returned to the class.

STANDARD FOR WRITTEN WORK:

Students are expected to use an acceptable standard of business communication for
all assignments. You are encouraged to obtain assistance from the Writing Centre
(http://www.ryerson.ca/writing-centre) for help with your written communications as
needed.
See the Ryerson Library for APA style guide references online at
http://www.ryerson.ca/library/ref/style.html .
LATE ASSIGNMENTS:
Students must submit assignments on time. Failure to do so will result in a penalty of a
grade of zero. All assignments submitted for grading will be handed back within two weeks,
except for the final exam.
ACADEMIC CONSIDERATION
Except in cases of accommodations for disabilities, where documentation is handled
directly by the Access Centre, students must fill out an Academic Consideration
form and submit it to their own program office (e.g. TRSBM students, please submit
to TRS 1-004):
http://www.ryerson.ca/content/dam/senate/forms/academic_consideration_documen
t_submission.pdf
In addition, the following procedures must be followed:
o Medical certificates If a student is going to miss a deadline for an
assignment, test or exam because of illness, he/she must submit a medical
certificate (see www.ryerson.ca/senate/forms/medical.pdf for the certificate)
to their program office within 3 working days of the missed assignment
deadline, test or exam. The program office will notify the instructor that the
documents have been received. It is the students responsibility to make
arrangements with the instructor for a make-up test or exam.
o Religious observance While it is strongly encouraged that students make
requests within the first two weeks of class, requests for accommodation
of specific religious or spiritual observance must be presented to their
program office no later than two weeks prior to the conflict in question (in
the case of final exams within two weeks of the release of the exam
schedule). The student must submit a Request for Accommodation form
(http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/forms/relobservforminstr.pdf)
to
their
program office. The office will notify the instructor when they have received
the request form.
o Other requests for Academic Consideration not related to medical or religious
observation must be submitted in writing together with the Academic
Consideration form to the students program office. The letter must clearly
state the reasons for the request and describe the events or circumstances
that seriously impair the students ability to meet their academic obligations,
and that are beyond the students control.
When possible, supporting
documentation must be attached to the letter. The office will notify the
instructor once they have received the request.
Submission of the Academic Consideration form and all supporting documentation to
your program office does not relieve you of the responsibility to NOTIFY YOUR
6

INSTRUCTOR of the problem as soon as it arises, and to contact the instructor again
after the documents have been submitted in order to make the appropriate
arrangements.
If you do not have a justifiable reason for missed work and/or have not followed the
procedure described above, you will not be given any credit for it.
For more detailed information on these issues, please refer to Senate Policy 134 at
(Undergraduate Academic Consideration and Appeals) and Senate Policy 150
(Accommodation of Student Religious Observance Obligations). Both can be found at
www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/.

MAINTAINING A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT:

You may use laptop computers to take class notes. If you are found to do anything
other than that or your use of laptop computers disturbs other students, you will not
be allowed to use laptops in class anymore.
Cell phones, MP3, and other electronic devices should not be used in the classroom
as they are distracting to other students, speakers and your instructor. Otherwise,
the student will be asked to leave the class.
ACADEMIC GRADING POLICY:
Evaluation of student performance will follow established academic grading policy outlined in
the Ryerson GPA Policy at http://www.ryerson.ca/acadcouncil/current/pol46.pdf.
The
grading system is summarized below:
Definition

Excellent

Good

Satisfactory

Marginal

Unsatisfactory

Letter Grade

Grade Point

Conversion Range

A+

4.33

90-100

4.00

85-89

A-

3.67

80-84

B+

3.33

77-79

3.00

73-76

B-

2.67

70-72

C+

2.33

67-69

2.00

63-66

C-

1.67

60-62

D+

1.33

57-59

1.00

53-56

D-

0.67

50-52

0.00

0-49