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Finance

Curriculum

MBA Required Curriculum (1st Year)

Finance I

This course examines the role of finance in supporting the functional areas of a firm, and fosters an understanding of how financial decisions themselves can create value.

Topics covered include:

  • Basic analytical skills and principles of corporate finance.
  • Functions of modern capital markets and financial institutions.
  • Standard techniques of analysis, including capital budgeting, discounted cash flow valuation, and risk analysis.
Finance II

This course builds on the foundation developed in Finance I, focusing on three sets of managerial decisions:

  • How to evaluate complex investments.
  • How to set and execute financial policies within a firm.
  • How to integrate the many financial decisions faced by firms.

The Finance II course is divided into four blocks of material:

  • Advanced valuation—valuation of levered firms and projects.
  • Advanced valuations—options as a metaphor for flexibility.
  • Financial choices of firms—financing, distributing funds to shareholders, managing risk.
  • Integrated financial decisions, especially in the face of conflicts of interest and different legal/regulatory rules.

All first-year HBS MBA students have a series of required courses, as listed below:

Term I Courses
These five courses focus on the internal functional operations of business enterprise.

Term II Courses
These six courses cover the relationship of the organization to larger economic, governmental, and social environments.


MBA Elective Curriculum (2nd Year)

Finance
Course Title Faculty Name Term Quarters Credits
Behavioral and Value Investing Robin Greenwood Winter 2012 Q3, Q4 3.0
Business at the Base of the Pyramid (also listed under General Management and Marketing)

V. Kasturi Rangan, Michael Chu, Shawn Cole

 Fall 2011 Q1, Q2 3.0
Corporate Financial Management Lucy White, Yuhai Xuan Fall 2011 Q1, Q2 3.0
Creating Value Through Corporate Restructuring Stuart Gilson Winter 2012 Q3, Q4 3.0
Dynamic Markets Joshua D. Coval Fall 2011 Q1, Q2 3.0
Entrepreneurial Finance (also listed under Entrepreneurial Management)

William Sahlman, Joseph Lassiter, Ramana Nanda

 Fall 2011 Q1, Q2 3.0
Field Course: Affordable Housing in the United States Nicolas Retsinas Winter 2012 Q3, Q4 3.0
Field Course: Entrepreneurship through Acquisition (also listed under Entrepreneurial Management) Richard S. Ruback, Royce Yudkoff Winter 2012 Q3, Q4 3.0
Field Project: Innovation in Business, Energy, and Environment (also listed under Entrepreneurial Management and Technology & Operations Management) Lee Fleming, Rebecca Henderson, Forest Reinhardt, Joseph Lassiter, John Macomber Winter 2012 Q3, Q4 3.0
Financial Management of Smaller Firms (also listed under Entrepreneurial Management )Richard S. Ruback, Royce Yudkoff Fall 2011 Q1, Q2 3.0
The Financial System in Extremis Jeremy Stein Winter 2012 Q3 1.5
Growing, Financing, and Managing Family and Closely Held Firms (also listed under Entrepreneurial Management) Belen Villalonga Winter 2012 Q4 3
Investment and Finance in Emerging Markets-China Li Jin Fall 2011 Q1, Q2 3.0
Investment Strategies

Lauren Cohen, Christopher J. Malloy

 Fall 2011 Q1, Q2 3.0
Management of Real Estate Investment Portfolios Nori Gerardo Lietz Winter 2012 Q3 1.5
Real Asset Finance

Andre F. Perold

 Winter 2012 Q4 1.5
Real Estate Development, Design, and Construction (also listed under Entrepreneurial Management) John Macomber, Christopher Gordon, A. Eugene Kohn Winter 2012 Q4 1.5
Real Estate in Frontier Markets Nicolas Retsinas Winter 2012 Q3, Q4 3.0
Real Property

Arthur Segel

 Fall 2011 Q1, Q2 3.0
Reforming Financial Institutions (also listed under General Management)

Robert C. Pozen

 Fall 2011 Q1, Q2 3.0
Sustainable Cities; Urbanization, Infrastructure, and Finance (also listed under Entrepreneurial Management) John D. Macomber Winter 2012 Q3 1.5
Venture Capital and Private Equity (also listed under Entrepreneurial Management) Paul Gompers, Kristin Mugford Winter 2012 Q3, Q4 3.0

Doctoral Programs

Detailed curriculum information and requirements for each doctoral program associated with the Finance unit can be found on the Doctoral Programs Web site, linked below.

Executive Education