Notice
As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group learning activities on campus for the second half-year, while keeping an online version available for those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.
To check the availability of face to face activities for your unit, please go to timetable viewer. To check detailed information on unit assessments visit your unit's iLearn space or consult your unit convenor.
Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Alison Belot
Contact via Email
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Credit points |
Credit points
10
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
(Admission to MAppFin or MAppFin(Adv)) and (AFCP801 or AFCP8001) and (ECFS866 or AFCP8003) and (ECFS867 or AFCP8004) and (ECFS868 or AFCP8005)
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
Students will integrate and apply their knowledge and skills to issues and cases that simulate professional practice in finance. Students will reflect on their roles as practitioners in the finance industry and further develop their professional identity. Critical analysis skills will be utilised to evaluate, synthesise and provide reasoned responses to issues arising in financial practice. Students will undertake research in applied finance and will be challenged to critically reflect on current issues via the preparation and presentation of a major research report. Personal communication, negotiation and collaborative skills will be further developed. This unit will be undertaken towards the end of the program of study. |
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
To pass this unit (requires a Mark of 50 or better) the student must pass the Research Project.
Information - Extension Requests / Penalties
Proposal for Research Project (15%)
No extensions will be granted. There will be a deduction of 10% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late (for example, 25 hours late in submission incurs a 20% penalty). This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for Special Consideration is made and approved.
Late submissions will be accepted up to 96 hours after the due date and time.
Further information on submitting an Application for Special Consideration can be found at https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration.
Final Proposal for Research Project (10%)
Students who do not submit this task by the due date and time receive a result of zero. This penalty does not apply when an application for Special Consideration has been made and approved.
Further information on submitting an Application for Special Consideration can be found at https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration.
Developing Professional Skills (25%)
No extensions will be granted. There will be a deduction of 10% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late (for example, 25 hours late in submission incurs a 20% penalty). This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for Special Consideration is made and approved.
Late submissions will be accepted up to 96 hours after the due date and time.
Further information on submitting an Application for Special Consideration can be found at https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration.
Research Project (50%)
No extensions will be granted. There will be a deduction of 10% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late (for example, 25 hours late in submission incurs a 20% penalty). This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for Special Consideration is made and approved.
Late submissions will be accepted up to 96 hours after the due date and time.
Further information on submitting an Application for Special Consideration can be found at https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Proposal for Research Project | 15% | No | Refer to iLearn |
Final Proposal for Research Project | 10% | No | Refer to iLearn |
Developing Professional Skills | 25% | No | Refer to iLearn |
Research Project | 50% | Yes | Refer to iLearn |
Assessment Type 1: Plan
Indicative Time on Task 2: 0.00 hours
Due: Refer to iLearn
Weighting: 15%
Initial Proposal for Research Project of up to 1,000 words. Prepared in class.
Assessment Type 1: Plan
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10.00 hours
Due: Refer to iLearn
Weighting: 10%
Final Proposal for Research Project of up to 1,000 words.
Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15.00 hours
Due: Refer to iLearn
Weighting: 25%
Assessment of a best practice framework in selected skill area and reflection on personal application of this framework. Paper of up to 2,000 words.
Assessment Type 1: Professional writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40.00 hours
Due: Refer to iLearn
Weighting: 50%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)
An individual hurdle assessment of up to 5,000 words on the agreed research topic.
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
CLASSES
Timetable: Detailed timetable for classes are on the Centre’s website at www.mafc.mq.edu.au
Consultation Times:
Students who wish to contact any of the teaching staff may do so through:
REQUIRED AND RECOMMENDED TEXTS AND/OR MATERIALS
This unit introduces students to a type, and range, of literature different to that covered in the balance of the degree. There are no textbooks which cover the scope of this course, however the course notes and supplementary material will provide a broad overview of the literature, which you will need to explore as part of the various assessment tasks. Some useful books which cover some aspects of the professional skills domain are listed below, and are considered useful material.
Lecture Notes:
Assumed Knowledge:
Assumed Access:
TECHNOLOGY USED AND REQUIRED
Unit iLearn Site:
Important Notice:
TOPIC 1: INTRODUCTION
Topics:
Readings:
Nil
TOPIC 2: THE TRUSTED ADVISOR
Topics:
Readings:
Ch 2: “What is a Trusted Advisor” and Ch 8: “The Trust Equaion” from The Trusted Advisor by David H. Maister, Charles H. Green and Robert M. Galford, Simon & Schuster, 2004
TOPIC 3: RESEARCH METHODS FOR APPLIED FINANCE
Topics:
Readings:
“Are today’s CFOs ready for tomorrow’s demands on Finance?”, McKinsey & Company, 2016.
“Do investment banks have incentives to help clients make value-creating acquisitions?”, John McConnell, Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, Volume 26 Number 3 Summer 2016 103-118.
“The real effects of share repurchases”, Heitor Almeida, Vyacheslav Fos, Mathias Kronlund, Journal of Financial Economics 119 (2016) 168-185.
TOPIC 4: LAW – INTRODUCTION TO PRINCIPLES FOR BUSINESS
Topics:
Readings:
Law: A Very Short Introduction, by Raymond Wacks, 2nd Edition, Oxford University Press, 2015
TOPIC 5: ETHICS IN FINANCE
Topics:
Readings:
Nil
TOPIC 6: PROBLEM SOLVING AND DECISION MAKING
Topics:
Readings:
Ch 8: “Questioning the Problem Solving Process” from The Pyramid Principle by Barbara Minto, Financial Times – Pitman Publishing, 1987
Ch 1: “Making Smart Choices” and Ch 2 “The Problem” from Smart Choices by John S. Hammond, Ralph L. Keeney and Howard Raiffa, Broadway Books, 2015 [Reprint]
TOPIC 7: NEGOTIATION
Topics:
Readings:
“Six Habits of Merely Effective Negotiators” by James K. Sebenius, Harvard Business Review,
April, 2001
Ch 5: “Planning a negotiation” from The Financial Times Essential Guide to Negotiations: How to Achieve Win-Win Outcomes by Geof Cox, Pearson, 2012
TOPIC 8: COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES
Topics:
Readings:
Ch 16: “Investor Communications” from The Cornerstones of Corporate Finance, by Tim Koller, Richard Dobbs and Bill Huyett, Wiley, 2011
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