Students

AFCX6017 – Case Studies in Applied Finance

2026 – Term 2, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Slava Platkov
slava.platkov@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

The unit provides an understanding of the finance industry and its integral role in the modern economy. The focus is on a high level, fully integrated overview of the major participants, their roles, interactions and the purpose they endeavour to fill for all stakeholders in the economy. The key structures of the finance system are examined, and how they usually work and sometimes do not work. Case studies of actual events and participants will be used to provide a sense of the application of finance in the real world - what actually happens as well as what should happen.

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: Identify and assess the functions of the financial system in modern economies.
  • ULO2: Critically examine participants and their markets in the finance industry.
  • ULO3: Apply knowledge and skills to assess contemporary case studies in applied finance.
  • ULO4: Demonstrate effective communication to diverse audiences across different industry sectors.

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: Portfolio construction and professional benchmarking 40% No Individual No Open
Skills development: Knowledge quiz 25% No Individual No Open
Professional practice: Financial analysis of a corporate action 35% No Individual No Open

Professional practice: Portfolio construction and professional benchmarking

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

The purpose of this assessment is for you to construct an investment portfolio that meets a variety of pre-defined objectives. Additional purpose is to assess and compare the performance of professional investment managers.

You will be required to assess and quantify the asset allocation of a portfolio and evaluate the managers performance.

Skills in focus:

  • Critical thinking and problem solving
  • Communication skills
  • Discipline knowledge
  • Digital skills

Deliverable(s): Written report [max 2000 words]

Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify and assess the functions of the financial system in modern economies.
  • Critically examine participants and their markets in the finance industry.
  • Apply knowledge and skills to assess contemporary case studies in applied finance.
  • Demonstrate effective communication to diverse audiences across different industry sectors.

Skills development: Knowledge quiz

Assessment Type 1: Problem-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due:
Weighting: 25%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open

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

You will solve a set of multiple choice questions at a pre-specified time and important information will be made available on the unit iLearn page.

Skills in focus:

  • Critical thinking and problem solving
  • Discipline knowledge

Deliverable(s): Online quiz

Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify and assess the functions of the financial system in modern economies.
  • Critically examine participants and their markets in the finance industry.
  • Apply knowledge and skills to assess contemporary case studies in applied finance.
  • Demonstrate effective communication to diverse audiences across different industry sectors.

Professional practice: Financial analysis of a corporate action

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due:
Weighting: 35%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open

The purpose of this assessment is to develop your expertise in analysing the events surrounding a major corporate actions from an investor’s perspective.

You will be required to critically analyse price movement, assess performance and ascertain the benefits associated with a corporate action of a listed company.

Skills in focus:

  • Critical thinking and problem solving
  • Communication skills
  • Discipline knowledge
  • Digital skills

Deliverable(s): Financial report [max 2000 words]

Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify and assess the functions of the financial system in modern economies.
  • Critically examine participants and their markets in the finance industry.
  • Apply knowledge and skills to assess contemporary case studies in applied finance.
  • Demonstrate effective communication to diverse audiences across different industry sectors.

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

Please refer to iLearn

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 2026.03 of the Handbook