Students

AFCX6016 – Finance Principles

2026 – Term 3, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Lindesay Brine
lindesay.brine@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to GradCertFin (OUA)
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit provides students with the key building blocks of finance within a single unifying conceptual framework. Students will be introduced to three of the key ideas in finance: the analysis of trade-offs over time, asset valuation and risk management. These concepts will then be applied to the following sub-fields of finance: corporate finance, investments, and financial markets and institutions.

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 role of financial institutions and markets in the economy and evaluate their effectiveness in allocating resources over time and transferring risk.
  • ULO2: Explain and demonstrate how time value of money concepts and discounted cash flow techniques are used in the analysis of financial decisions of individuals and firms.
  • ULO3: Explain and assess the key theories, concepts and models used in asset valuation, risk management, and portfolio theory.
  • ULO4: Apply key theories, concepts and models to develop solutions to problems in asset valuation, risk management, and portfolio theory.
  • ULO5: Explain and assess the key theories and concepts used in the analysis of a firm's financing decision.

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
Skills development: Finance in practice 30% No 19/07/2026 Individual No Open
Skills development: Scenario-based financial analysis 40% No 16/08/2026 Individual No Open
Professional practice: Data analysis and reporting 30% No 06/09/2026 Individual No Open

Skills development: Finance in practice

Assessment Type 1: Problem-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 19/07/2026
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open

The purpose of this assessment is for you to demonstrate your understanding and knowledge of key topics from the unit.

You will participate in a formal test. Feedback on your performance will help you assess your progress through the unit content.

Skills in focus:

  • Critical thinking and problem solving
  • Discipline knowledge

Deliverable(s): Online quiz

Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain and demonstrate how time value of money concepts and discounted cash flow techniques are used in the analysis of financial decisions of individuals and firms.
  • Apply key theories, concepts and models to develop solutions to problems in asset valuation, risk management, and portfolio theory.

Skills development: Scenario-based financial analysis

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 16/08/2026
Weighting: 40%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open

The purpose of this assessment is for you to demonstrate expertise on key finance principles and their application in practice.

You will analyse a series of finance-related scenarios, related questions and present your findings in a structured report.

Skills in focus:

  • Critical thinking and problem solving
  • Discipline knowledge

Deliverable(s): Report

Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain the role of financial institutions and markets in the economy and evaluate their effectiveness in allocating resources over time and transferring risk.
  • Explain and assess the key theories, concepts and models used in asset valuation, risk management, and portfolio theory.
  • Apply key theories, concepts and models to develop solutions to problems in asset valuation, risk management, and portfolio theory.
  • Explain and assess the key theories and concepts used in the analysis of a firm's financing decision.

Professional practice: Data analysis and reporting

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: 06/09/2026
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open

The purpose of this assessment is for you to demonstrate expertise applying key finance principles in practice through data analysis and reporting.

You will analyse real-world industry data and present your findings and conclusions using appropriate financial techniques and tools.

Skills in focus:

  • Critical thinking and problem solving
  • Discipline knowledge

Deliverable(s): Summary of results and supporting excel file

Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain and demonstrate how time value of money concepts and discounted cash flow techniques are used in the analysis of financial decisions of individuals and firms.
  • Explain and assess the key theories, concepts and models used in asset valuation, risk management, and portfolio theory.
  • Apply key theories, concepts and models to develop solutions to problems in asset valuation, risk management, and portfolio theory.

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

This unit includes reference materials, videos, and other activities to be completed, together with a weekly online session to practice the practical application of the skills and knowledge acquired in each topic.

Unit Schedule

0

Topic 0: Essential pre-work

1

Topic 1: Introduction to finance

2

Topic 2: Financial markets and institutions

3

Topic 3: Time value of money

4

Topic 4.1: Valuation of financial assets (Bonds)

5

Topic 4.2: Valuation of financial assets (Stocks)

6

Topic 5: Analysing the firm's investment decision

7

Topic 6: Anlysing the firm's financing decision

8

Topic 7: Risk management

9

Topic 8: Portfolio theory

10

Review & Revise

 

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 2026.04 of the Handbook