Students

AFIN3010 – PACE: Issues in Applied Finance

2026 – Session 1, 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
After lecture
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 Submission Penalties

If you submit your assessment late, 5% of the total possible marks will be deducted for each day (including weekends), up to 7 days. Submissions more than 7 days late will receive a mark of 0.

Example 1 (out of 100):

If you score 85/100 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 5 marks and receive 80/100.

Example 2 (out of 30):

If you score 27/30 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 1.5 marks and receive 25.5/30.

Extensions

Automatic short extension: Some assessments are eligible for automatic short extension. You can only apply for an automatic short extension before the due date. Group assessments and timed or in-class tests or tasks are not eligible for automatic short extensions.

Special Consideration: If you need more time due to serious issues and for any assessments that are not eligible for Short Extension, you must apply for Special Consideration. Need help? Review the Special Consideration page for further details.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Professional practice: Communicating financial strategies 30% No 19/03/2026 Group No Open AI
Professional practice: Industry analysis 40% No 01/06/2026 Individual Yes Open AI
Skills development: Applied finance case analysis 30% No 08/06/2026 Individual Yes Open AI

Professional practice: Communicating financial strategies

Assessment Type 1: Presentation task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 19/03/2026
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Group
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open AI

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(s): Presentation+Live Q&A [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: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: 01/06/2026
Weighting: 40%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open AI

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(s): 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: Problem-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 08/06/2026
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open AI

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 skills
  • Work readiness

Deliverable(s): 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
  • Academic Success 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.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

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

Unit Schedule

Week Week date (Thursday) Lecture topic
1 26-Feb Lecture 1
2 5-Mar Lecture 2
3 12-Mar Lecture 3
4 19-Mar Lecture 4, 30% In-lecture group presentations due from this class onwards
5 26-Mar Lecture 5
6 2-Apr Lecture 6
Mid-session break from Monday 6 April to Sunday 19 April.
7 23-Apr Lecture 7
8 30-Apr Lecture 8
8 7-May Lecture 8
10 14-May Lecture 10
11 21-May Lecture 11
12 28-May Lecture 12, 40% industry analysis due Monday 1 June
13 4-Jun Lecture 13, 30% case analysis due Monday 8 June 

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.

Changes from Previous Offering

In-class group presentations with a long question and answer period with the teacher have been introduced instead of recorded group debates.

Unit information based on version 2026.05 of the Handbook