Students

AFIN3010 – PACE: Issues in Applied Finance

2025 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Keith Woodward
keith.woodward@mq.edu.au
Before or after lecture
Lei Shi
l.shi@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
10cp in ACST or AFIN units at 3000 level
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit gives students the opportunity to test how their finance skills can be applied in practice by exposure to leading industry professionals. The topics selected go beyond traditional corporate and investment finance, and include coverage of the latest issues and real world scenarios. Students will learn first hand from practitioners on current and future trends and skills required in finance to prepare them as they embark on their careers in the industry. The projects completed in the unit are carefully set in conjunction with the industry professionals, giving students the opportunity to show evidence of demonstrated learning and the application of finance knowledge from a broader perspective. Visit Employability Connect for important information on this unit.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Synthesise financial theory with real-world practice.
  • ULO2: Apply critical thinking to complex financial problems.
  • ULO3: Demonstrate effective teamwork and communication skills.
  • ULO4: Reflect on the impact of financial decisions on various stakeholders and the wider community.
  • ULO5: Integrate technology and sustainability considerations into financial decision-making.

General Assessment Information

Late Assessment Submission Penalty (written assessments) 

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical concern.  

For any late submissions of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, students need to submit an application for Special Consideration.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Professional Practice: Communicating financial strategies 30% No See ilearn
Professional Practice: Industry analysis 40% No See ilearn
Skills Development: Applied finance case analysis 30% No See ilearn

Professional Practice: Communicating financial strategies

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: See ilearn
Weighting: 30%

 

The purpose of this assessment is for you to work with an industry partner and collaborate with peers to showcase your ability to communicate complex financial concepts and strategies effectively.

You will apply frameworks and concepts discussed in the unit to produce a presentation.

Skills in focus: - Communication and collaboration - Critical thinking and problem solving - Global, ethical and environmental citizenship - Work readiness

Deliverable: Presentation [max 16 minutes] Group assessment

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate effective teamwork and communication skills.
  • Integrate technology and sustainability considerations into financial decision-making.

Professional Practice: Industry analysis

Assessment Type 1: Project
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: See ilearn
Weighting: 40%

 

The purpose of this assessment is for you to work in collaboration with an industry partner on a significant project that reflects real-world challenges and practices in the finance industry.

You will conduct in-depth analysis of a real-word finance industry issue and produce a business report in line with industry expectations.

Skills in focus: - Critical thinking and problem solving - Communication - Discipline knowledge - Global, ethical, and environmental citizenship - Work readiness

Deliverable: Business report [max 3,000 words] Individual assessment

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Synthesise financial theory with real-world practice.
  • Apply critical thinking to complex financial problems.

Skills Development: Applied finance case analysis

Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: See ilearn
Weighting: 30%

 

The purpose of this assessment is for you to develop expertise in current issues in applied finance.

You will apply frameworks and concepts discussed in the unit to a case study.

Skills in focus: - Critical thinking and problem solving - Communication - Work readiness

Deliverable: Written submission [max 2,000 words] Individual assessment.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Synthesise financial theory with real-world practice.
  • Reflect on the impact of financial decisions on various stakeholders and the wider community.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

No textbooks required. Spreadsheet models and research articles will be sourced from industry.

Unit Schedule

Week Week date (Wednersday) Lecture topic
1 30-Jul Lecture 1.
2 6-Aug Lecture 2.
3 13-Aug Lecture 3.
4 20-Aug Lecture 4.
5 27-Aug Lecture 5.
6 3-Sep Lecture 6.
7 10-Sep Lecture 7.
8 17-Sep Lecture 8.
Mid-session break from Monday 22 September to Monday 6 October. 
9 8-Oct Lecture 9.
10 15-Oct Lecture 10.
11 22-Oct Lecture 11.
12 29-Oct Lecture 12.
13 5-Nov Lecture 13.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2025.03 of the Handbook