Students

AFCP8144 – Business Valuation

2026 – Term 2, Online-scheduled-weekday

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
James Moulton
james.moulton@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
AFCP8102
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit develops skills required to address a wide range of valuation situations and critically evaluate and apply the variety of valuation techniques used in practice and relevant to company directors, chief financial officers, company secretaries, corporate advisors and equity analysts. Students will develop skills required in the assessment of projects, companies or divisions. This unit will consider in detail the assumptions and implementation issues involved in valuation models, recent developments in cost of capital estimation, valuation methodologies and real options. These principles will then be applied in the valuation of portfolio and controlling interests in both public and private companies. The nuances of performing valuations for mergers and acquisitions vs independent expert’s reports vs financial reporting vs taxation purposes will be assessed. Aligned to CAANZ Business Valuation Specialisation.

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: Explain the theory and practice behind valuation models used in valuing private and public companies and other enterprises.
  • ULO2: Formulate solutions that best meet regulatory, ethical and societal expectations and justify valuation models recommended, reflecting on valuations tensions and issues arising.
  • ULO3: Effectively communicate complex business valuation ideas, information and recommendations to various audiences.

General Assessment Information

Late Submission Penalties  (written assessments) 

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. 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:  https://students.mq.edu.au/study/assessment-exams/special-consideration’

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Professional Practice: Valuation Report 30% No 17/05/2026 Individual No Open AI
Professional Practice: Valuation Case Study 30% No 07/06/2026 Individual No Open AI
Formal and Observed Learning: Final Examination 40% No Exam Period Individual No Open AI

Professional Practice: Valuation Report

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 17/05/2026
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open AI

The purpose of this assessment is for you to develop expertise in applied business valuation through the financial evaluation of a project.

 

You will prepare a valuation report, demonstrating your ability to apply valuation techniques to a real-world scenario.

 

Skills in focus:

- Critical thinking and problem solving

- Discipline knowledge

- Communication

- Work readiness

 

Deliverable: Written report: 2000-2500 words plus appendices showing calculations.

Individual assessment.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain the theory and practice behind valuation models used in valuing private and public companies and other enterprises.
  • Formulate solutions that best meet regulatory, ethical and societal expectations and justify valuation models recommended, reflecting on valuations tensions and issues arising.
  • Effectively communicate complex business valuation ideas, information and recommendations to various audiences.

Professional Practice: Valuation Case Study

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: 07/06/2026
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open AI

The purpose of this assessment is for you to apply business valuation theory and practice to a real-world corporate transaction scenario.

 

You will act as an independent expert, critically evaluating a takeover offer and performing a purchase price allocation for a listed company.

 

Skills in focus:

- Critical thinking and problem solving

- Discipline knowledge

- Communication

- Work readiness

 

Deliverable: Written report: 2000-2500 words plus appendices showing calculations.

Individual assessment.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain the theory and practice behind valuation models used in valuing private and public companies and other enterprises.
  • Formulate solutions that best meet regulatory, ethical and societal expectations and justify valuation models recommended, reflecting on valuations tensions and issues arising.
  • Effectively communicate complex business valuation ideas, information and recommendations to various audiences.

Formal and Observed Learning: Final Examination

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: Exam Period
Weighting: 40%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open AI

The purpose of this assessment is for you to demonstrate the expertise you have gained in this unit.

 

You will participate in a 2-hour exam held during the University Examination period. Important information about the exam will be made available on the unit iLearn page. You should also review the MQ Exams website for general tips: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/assessment-exams/exams

 

Deliverable: Formal exam (2hrs)

Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain the theory and practice behind valuation models used in valuing private and public companies and other enterprises.
  • Formulate solutions that best meet regulatory, ethical and societal expectations and justify valuation models recommended, reflecting on valuations tensions and issues arising.
  • Effectively communicate complex business valuation ideas, information and recommendations to various audiences.

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.

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 2026.02 of the Handbook